Sentai Filmworks has announced its acquisition of distribution rights to the 52 episode Zettai Karen Children (Absolutely Lovely Children) anime television series from 2008. The adaptation of Takashi Shiina’s adventure manga about a government organization that manages (and babysits) three psychic preadolescent girl crime fighters will be released online and on subtitled DVD later this year under the American title “Psychic Squad.”

Sentai’s acquisition appears to include just the TV series, and not the 2010 spin-off OVA.

Sentai Filmworks has license rescued the former AD Vision title GetBackers. ADV released the 49 episode TV series domestically in 2004. Sentai will re-release the series digitally and on DVD later this year.

FUNimation has announced its acquisition of broadcast, home entertainment, merchandising, and streaming rights to the 2001 magical girl anime TV series Shin Shirayuki Hime Densetsu Pretear (New Legend of Snow White, Pretear). ADV Films released the 13-episode series on domestic DVD in 2003.

AnimEigo has announced that its 40 episode Yawara! DVD boxed set will go out of print on August 31. AnimEigo secured an initial domestic distribution license for the 1989 shoujo/sports anime series in 2006 and released the first 40 episodes in a 6 disc DVD collection in 2008. In 2010, AnimEigo announced that it was unable to secure a distribution license for the TV series’ remaining 84 episodes.

The remaining copies of this set are quite affordable now [a whole lot cheaper than it was years ago when I bought it], and 40 episodes of Yawara! is preferable to no episodes. So if you’re tentative about this, pick it up now while you still can.

Source: Fandom Post

Weekly Young Jump magazine is now streaming the first of three web anime installments of an adaptation of Takanori Kawai’s historical supernatural action manga Sekiei Ayakashi Mangatan. The story revolves around an artist known for only painting monsters. Secretly, the artist actually paints the ayakashi he actually encounters in his daily life. The ongoing manga premiered in 2010 and has six collected volumes. The second of the three anime episodes will debut on the 16th. The final episode will go online March 1.

Source: Anime News Network

The Fuji TV network has revealed the fifth Noitamina anime series to be directed by Kenji Nakamura (Ayakashi, Mononoke, Kuchu Buranko, C). Tsuritama, a fishing anime set on Japan’s Enoshima island starring four teen boys and a pet duck, will premiere in April. Yuichi Takahashi (Macross Frontier, Iron Vendetta) is providing the animation character designs based on concept designs by Atsuya Uki (Cencoroll). A-1 Pictures is animating the series.

Looks amusing, and it has a very unique, interesting production staff.

Source: Anime News Network

TV Tokyo has announced that the current Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream television series will conclude in March and be replaced by a new sequel series, Pretty Rhythm: Dear My Future. The sequel will be set three years later and will star anime versions of five real-life junior members of Korean pop group Kara: Somin, Shiyoon, Haein, Chaekyung, and Jae Eun. The girls will be taught by Aira, Mion, and Rhythm, the now adult stars of the first Pretty Rhythm series. The four real-life members of Japanese pop group Prizmmy☆, who appear in the final story arc of the first TV series and perform the first series’ ending theme song, will also appear in the sequel series as anime characters and in live-action segments. Pretty Rhythm: Dear My Future will premiere on April 7.

Source: Anime News Network

Media Works has released three lengthy trailers for its upcoming Dengeki Anime Bunko OVAs. Although originally scheduled for release last fall, all three episodes are now scheduled for Japanese release on February 15. ufotable is producing the three anime adaptations of Mikage Chihaya’s comedy manga Minori Scramble!, kashmir’s comedy manga Yuri Seijin Naoko-san, and Junji Ito’s horror manga Gyo.

The Gyo trailer is only streaming on the Dengeki homepage.

I’ve been anticipating these three OVAs for a year, and all three of them look tremendously entertaining. Can’t wait!

Source: Anime News Network

TMS Entertainment has released a trailer for its upcoming ZETMAN horror/superhero anime television series, based Masakazu Katsura’s 2002 manga, itself inspired by Katsura’s 1989-1994 ZETMAN mini-series manga. The show will premiere in April.

Since the 2002 Barom-One anime failed to do the job, might this finally be the present generation’s Guyver?

Japanese website Cinema Today has premiered the teaser trailer for Toei Animation’s forthcoming feature film Niji-Iro Hotaru ~Eien no Natsu Yasumi~ (Rainbow-Colored Fireflies: The Eternal Summer Vacation~). The adaptation of Masayuki Kawaguchi’s 2007 novel tells the story of Yuta, a sixth-grade boy grieving over his father’s death who gets the opportunity to experience a joyous summer vacation after time-slipping 30 years back in time. Yuta will be voiced by 14-year-old actor Akashi Takei (Kamen Rider Decade).

Konosuke Uda (Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantasy) is directing with Hisashi Mori (Samurai 7) providing character design and serving as animation director. The film will hit Japanese theaters on May 19.

I recognize that the simplified character design is intentional style, but I’m still a little disappointed to see fluid animation come at the cost of detailed art design.

Source: Anime News Network

Champion RED Ichigo magazine has announced that Hideaki Yoshikawa’s ongoing “science trouble” risqué romantic comedy manga series Kagaku na Yatsura will be getting an OAD. The manga starring “a cyborg girl and a half-dog girl who go to extremes with the power of science,” premiered in 2010.

Source: Anime News Network

Limited edition copies of the fifth volume of Chako Abeno’s Dantalian no Shoka manga released this August will include a bonus anime episode DVD. The cast and staff of last year’s Dantalian no Shoka television series from Gainax will reunite to produce the new “Ibara Hime” (Rose Princess) episode. The ninth volume of Gakuto Mikumo’s original light novel series released last month was initially announced to include an OAD, but the bonus anime was canceled last September.

Source: Anime News Network

While I have a little difficultly associating the whimsical design and tone of this animation with whiskey, this short does re-confirm that 4°C does its best work when it’s producing esoteric, experimental animation rather than mainstream, conventional anime.

Source: Crunchyroll

TV Tokyo has launched an official website formally announcing a live-action TV series adaptation of Tetsuhiro Hirakawa’s juvenille delinquent action/comedy manga series Clover. The ongoing manga launched in 2007 and presently has 24 compiled volumes. The TV series will premiere later this spring.

Source: Anime News Network

Answer:
I consider myself an anime fan in the literal sense that I enjoy and appreciate anime: all genres, vintages, and varieties. Naturally, I find certain anime more appealing than others, and I don’t hesitate to call bad anime “bad.” But I want to like every anime, and give every anime the benefit of as much positive goodwill as I can muster until I actually watch some of the show to determine whether or not it actually deserves my respect. I don’t ever predetermine that I’ll certainly watch the entirety of any given anime, especially if the show is a multi-episode series, although certainly some shows immediately seem more or less likely to be titles I’ll routinely watch. Following excellent anime is fulfilling and rewarding. But I’ve also watched the entirety of some very bad anime, because bad anime sometimes have their own, unique appeal.

I’ve watched all of particularly bad anime series including Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Koi Koi 7, Chou Henshin Cos-Prayers, Narutaru, Ghost Hunt (starts good but quickly becomes very, very bad) and Soukou no Strain. In comparison, the current Phi-Brain is far from the worst anime I’ve ever watched. Phi-Brain is rather silly because it revolves around a goofy concept – the idea that a multi-national organization implements deadly and even terrorist-worthy brain puzzles in order to train genius puzzle solvers. Furthermore, the show’s characters consistently maintain a deadly serious approach, even when joking around and being playful, despite being involved in such a patently ridiculous environment. The show’s two supporting masculine characters, Gammon and Cubic, also exude a devotion and infatuation with male protagonist Kaito that seems to extend beyond ordinary friendship or rivalry into sublimated homosexual attraction. I have no objection to homosexual characters or themes, but the presence of such passion feels entirely out of place and awkward in this particular show. And, in fact, it’s particularly these characteristics of the show which partially keep me watching.

The adage “so bad it’s good” does have some occasional validity. I particularly continued to watch the Umineko no Naku Koro ni and Cos-Prayers television series motivated by a masochistic curiosity to see just how ridiculous, disjointed, and unbelievable the shows would get. Bad anime like Musashi Gundoh and Zaizen Jotaro have developed a bit of a cult following because the programs are fun to ridicule. I don’t particularly like insulting anime, so the only shows I watch to laugh at are designed comedies. But certain bad anime are fascinating because they’re so unpredictable and unconventional. Simply watching an anime that’s so unlike the majority of anime in tone and production is sometimes a refreshing change of pace. Often times, bad anime are also easy to watch. Excellent anime are often very engrossing. They mandate intellectual and emotional engagement. Mediocre and bad anime often don’t require or engage such exhaustive engagement. Anime is meant to entertain and relax. So sometimes just watching a show to pass the time and ease the stress of the day is satisfying. Watching very disposable episodes of Phi-Brain is enjoyable because it’s much less taxing than watching shows like Nisemonogatari, Ano Natsu de Matteru, or Inu x Boku SS that naturally require more conscious investment and viewer engagement to watch and enjoy.

I’m not masochistic enough to force myself to watch bad anime. I’ve begun and quickly stopped watching countless bad anime, including Zaizen Jotaro, Hikari to Mizu no Daphne, Giniro no Olynsis, Kujibiki Unbalance, R-15, and Maken-ki, to name just a few. But a seasoned connoisseur is, or should be, familiar with both the good and the bad, as familiarity with the bad provides context for the good. Furthermore, drivel has its periodic place and purpose. An exclusive diet of expensive excellence risks becoming stultifying. A mixture of good and occasional bad keeps the palate refreshed and taste diversified and receptive.