Spring Anime Recommendation

I think I have watched enough spring-season anime to judge what's the best out there. Here are my personal recommendations.

Valkyria Chronicles



YouTube >> Valkyria Chronicles OP

Based on a PS3 game by Sega which won many awards in 2008, including Best Game of the Year from GameFAN, Best Artistic Graphics from Gamespot and Best Original Soundtrack from GameSpy. Check out the US game trailer. I wanna play, someone sponsor me a PS3!!!

It's a tale about two nations at war over a mineral and a tank with mysterious power and speed. This is my current favourite this season. Here's why:

• A feisty twin-pigtailed girl in a cute uniform holding a rifle? Say it isn't so!
• Rich European setting with fantasy elements. In short, fast-moving tanks, hell yeah!
• Light-hearted, yet serious, doesn't make sense I know
• Storytelling's pacing is just perfect for me
  
• Fantastic art direction, European villages and artillery never looked so good
• Main girl voiced by Inoue Marina, also voiced Yoko from Gurren Lagann... yammeh~!
• Yes, the uniforms are delicious :9 Would like to order zettai ryouiki with fries, thank you!
  

K-ON!



YouTube >> K-ON! OP

The moe anime of the season. Naturally coz it's by KyoAni, the people who brought you Haruhi and Lucky Star. A show about girls forming a band and creating a music club.

A little disappointed coz I thought it being a 4-panel manga meant that it's gonna receive the snappy treatment of Lucky Star or Azumanga. Oh well, still great!

• Love slice of life! Love music too! Oooooh, what do we have here...
  
• It's KyoAni doood. They make good shows.
  
• Animation is amazing, more natural instrument-playing gestures than Nodame Cantabile
• Attention to detail, from the instruments (anime sponsored by Yamaha!) to the existing expensive tea sets, coz one of 'em is rich beyond imagination
• Moe characters, and not too irritating too. Mio is <3
• Yummy ending sequence :9

Higashi no Eden



YouTube >> Higashi no Eden OP [Sung by Oasis, has great motion graphics, U GOTTA WATCH THIS!]

This is what you get when you combine the brains of Kamiyama Kenji (director of Ghost in the Shell: SAC) and the art of Umino Chika (creator of Honey and Clover). Morita Akira, naked clothes-wise and memory-wise with only a gun and a phone in hand, meets Ayu Saki who happens to be touring around in Washington. Next thing you know, Japan gets hit by missiles. Yikes.

• Helloooo~! SAC meets H&C, need I say more?
• Animation by Noitamina. Honey and Clover, Paradise Kiss, Moyashimon, Nodame...
  
• Opening song sung by Oasis!! Franz Ferdinand, Oasis... Noitamina knows where to get 'em!
• Needless to say, the art so far is fantastic, no, SUPER FANTASTIC
  
• C'mon, a story that starts with a guy found naked in front of the White House doesn't interest you?
• Saki is Ayu and Hagu in one character. In short, toooo muchhh loveeeee

Other noteworthy recommendations



Natsu no Arashi: Don't be fooled! This is not just any slice of life show. Won't spoil it for you, but a little hint: it's the type of supernatural/sci-fi story that I like ;) Very very underrated, please watch. Produced by Shaft, though outsourced to another studio.



Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: An anime that obviously needs no introduction! This is a retelling of the entire first version, by the same studio. One wonders why. I'm late to the party, so I'm glad I now have another chance to watch the show. Love the cute ED.



Cross Game: Ah, classic. Love the art direction. It's by Adachi Mitsuru (H2, Touch), so as usual it's a romance show that revolves around baseball. This is undoubtedly the most pleasant surprise this season. Get your heart ready for the first episode. Don't say I didn't warn ya.



Basquash: You like mechs? You like basketball? Well aren't you a lucky bastard. From the studio that brought you Macross F is a show about, yea you guessed it, people in mechs playing basketball. Gorgeous art direction (it's like a movie!) and sponsored by Nike too, so expect to see Nike shoe designs all over the place.



Ristorante Paradiso: Thought it was gonna be a show about European gourmet food, in the end it's about a bunch of handsome middle-aged men in glasses working in a restaurant in Rome. Geh. Gay. Still the art is not bad. It has that nice European touch, though I can't help but compare to the more breath-taking background art of Aria. And Aria has girls! That's very important.


They're here coz I like the ED



Arad Senki: My favourite ED this season. Retro game graphics synchronized well to an equally awesome retro song. It saved an otherwise mediocre first episode. Seriously, any anime that is derived from a Korean MMORPG is doomed to fail.



Hinagiku Hayate no Gotoku!! 2nd season: Any ED that features tsundere Hinagiku is great in my book. Hinagiku dating game, do want! Actually I like Hayate no Gotoku, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It's one of my guilty picks, remember?