With the summer anime season just getting started, I thought I'd make a note of the shows I plan on checking out.  Looking through various summer previews, I was struck by how few shows interest me this season.  Though with my backlog, I suppose that's not a bad thing.  Anyway, I plan to watch and possibly blog:


Chocolate Underground
Airs: June 12, 2008
Episodes: 13
Summary:  An internet-aired anime based on the novel Bootleg by Alex Shearer. In the series, the Good For You party passes a law that forbids the consumption of chocolate after 5 in the evening appropriately called the Chocolate Prohibition Law. It prohibits all sweet things, including chocolates, because they are harmful to one’s health. Two boys, Huntley and Smudger, stand up to fight against the law. With help from Louise and other friends, they begin to bootleg chocolate. (THAT)
Thoughts: Sounds like a fun premise and with the episodes only running 3 minutes a piece, I don't see any reason not to check this out.  Not to mention it's done by Production I.G., which is generally made of win.


Natsume Yuujin-chou
Airs: July 7, 2008
Episodes: Unknown
Summary: Natsume Takashi has the ability to see spirits, which he has long kept secret. However, once he inherits a strange book that belonged to his deceased grandmother, Reiko, he discovers the reason why spirits surround him. Containing the names of these spirits, a binding contract was formed between the spirits and the owner of the book. Now, Natsume is determined to free the spirits and dissolve the contracts. With the help of a spirit cat, his days are filled trying to return the names to these spirits. (ANN)
Thoughts: Sounds fun.  I tend to enjoy series about demons and all that fun supernatural stuff, so this looks like it could be a fun ride.  Makes me think a little of Amatsuki (which I'm currently watching) with the demons, so I just hope it gets subbed more quickly than Amatsuki has.


World Destruction
Airs: July 7, 2008
Episodes: 13
Summary: Spin-off of the yet to be released game of the same title by SEGA. The game centers on a youth named Kirie Irunisu who secretly possesses the power to destroy the world. He is forced to join a party that aims not to save the world, but to eradicate it and start anew. (THAT)
Thoughts: I'm not normally into shows based around games, but this sounds like it could be interesting.  Doesn't hurt that it's a Production I.G. series and that Mamoru Miyano (Tamaki, Ouran; Setsuna, Gundam 00) Maaya Sakamoto (Haruhi, Ouran) are lending their voices, either.


Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu
Airs: July 10, 2008
Episodes: Unknown
Summary: Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu centers around Yūto Ayase and Haruka Nogizaka. Yūto is seemingly ordinary, but Haruka is attractive, intelligent, and rich, which prompts other students to idolize her and even give her French nicknames like "Nuit Étoile" (The Silver Star of the Night) and "Lumière du Clavier" (The Shining Princess on the Piano). One day, Yūto wanders into the school library in order to return a book and accidentally stumbles upon Haruka's deepest, darkest secret: she is a diehard fan of anime and manga, in other words, a regular otaku. Promising Haruka to keep this a secret, Yūto becomes her advisor and confidente of some sort and hangs out with her more, though earning some viciously envious glares from his fellow schoolmates. (ANN)
Thoughts: This sounds like it could be very cute.  However, I will not be surprised if I end up dropping it, either.  It's just going to depend on how it's executed.  But I like the sound of the premise so will check out a few episodes to see how it is.


Blade of the Immortal
Airs: July 13, 2008
Episodes: Unknown
Summary: Manji is a crass, violent samurai with a special ability: he cannot die. Cursed with immortality by the nun Yobikuni as punishment for his ruthless deeds, he has grown weary of his ageless life. The only way to lift the curse is to slay 1,000 evil men. So Manji wanders Japan, shedding the blood of the wicked on his quest to finally die. (ANN)
Thoughts: I've heard good things about the manga but have never tried to get into it.  However, this seems like a good opportunity to finally see what all the fuss is about.  The concept sounds intriguing, so I'm definitely looking forward to this.
 

As Chiko and Tome stand on the deck of the boat approaching the island, Chiko thinks about the movie preview and the jewel she thought Twenty Faces was supposed to have.  She is sure she will find clues about Twenty Faces on the island.  Meanwhile on the island, Ken is threatening the producer, asking about the jewel.  The man doesn't know anything and Ken is angry, knocking the man's head back into the wall.

The ship docks and one of the film crew greets them.  As they turn to leave, Tome tells Chiko that she has a bad feeling.  Chiko reassures her but Tome asks her to not go anywhere alone; to bring Tome with her wherever she goes.  Chiko thanks her and they start walking.  On the path to the house, a storm is brewing and their guide says that the island was used for some kind of research during the war.  He points out the old research facilities in the woods and tells them that the natives on the island were used in human experimentation.  Now there are only some old people left, which is why it's called "White Hair Island."  Chiko's aunt doesn't like the story, but their guide tells them it's just a story.  Ken suddenly appears on the path ahead, walking toward them and Chiko realizes that it's him.  However, he gives her a hand signal to not say anything, so they pass in silence but she's really happy that he's alive.  The guide doesn't recognize him as one of their own, but when Chiko turns around, Ken is gone.  Another man fro the film crew then comes running toward them and tells them that the producer, Sakami, was killed.  Not only that, but the jewel was stolen.

Later that night in the house where the film crew is staying, they are discussing what happened.  Their guide thinks that the man they passed on the path must have been the one to kill Sakami since he wasn't one of theirs.  Others think that the murderer could be among the film crew, since they are on an isolated island, which creeps everyone out.  And because of the incoming storm, the police won't be able to arrive until the morning.  Chiko's aunt thinks that a murderer on the island is a good opportunity to take out Chiko and take any possible blame off of her.

Chiko is looking out the window and sees a light in the woods.  It's Ken smoking a cigarette and Chiko comes out to find him.  She runs up to hug him, but he pushes her away.  Unsure of what to think, she tells him that she's glad he's okay, but instead he asks angrily when Twenty Faces is.  She tells him that she is looking for him too.  Bitterly, Ken tells Chiko that he has nothing left anymore.  It starts to rain and Chiko tells him once more that she is looking for Twenty Faces but that someone has been murdered and the jewel is missing.  However, she is still happy she got to see him.  Ken stalks off angirly and Chiko is left in the rain. 

It rains all the next day, but the rain finally ends and thatnight Chiko is looking out the window as Tome prepares their beds.  Tome says the director wanted her to be in a film, but stops and comments that Chiko has been distant all day.  Chiko asks Tome to sleep with her, but Tome doesn't think it's appropriate, so Chiko says she'll sleep on the floor with Tome instead.  Tome curls up with Chiko protectively and promises to always be with her.  Outside the door, Chiko's aunt listens on unhappily.

Later that night, Chiko silently leaves their bed and goes off to search for clues about Twenty Faces.  As she looks for Ken's footprints in the forest, she notices a glow like the one from the missing jewel and follows it.  It leads her to the abandoned research facility.  She finds the entrance off a ledge and ends up following an underground passage that reminds her of Twenty Faces' hideout.   As she looks around the lab, she thinks Ken is there as well, but instead it's a woman with white hair.  She is wearing the jewel around her neck and tells Chiko she's been waiting for her.  The woman tells Chiko that there were two of the jewels initially; Twenty Faces had one and the woman had one.  The woman reveals that she was the one who murdered the producer and is now after Chiko.  The woman suddenly appears behind Chiko and when she backs away, finds her behind her once again.  She starts strangling Chiko and tells her that she will never win his heart.

Chiko kicks the woman in the stomach and manages to escape but when she tries to kick, the woman bends backwards unnaturally to avoid the kick.  None of Chiko's attacks cause any damage and the woman throws her around like a rag doll.  She says she is disappointed in Chiko.  She captures Chiko and ties her down on a dissection table, telling her that she was one of many to die on that table years before and now Chiko would share the fate.  A needle springs from her finger and as she closes in on Chiko's face, a knife suddenly embeds in the woman's back.

The woman looks up and Ken is standing there.  He tells Chiko that she has gotten rusty and demands if the woman summoned Chiko.  The woman says none of them were supposed to survive and this angers Ken and he attacks with his knife, but the woman uses inhuman movements to evade his attacks.  Her hand suddenly flies off and stabs Ken in the shoulder with his own blade.  A metal rope suddenly flies at the woman and she evades once more.  Chiko is sitting on a structure, having escaped while Ken distracted the woman.  The woman reattaches her hand and approaches Chiko.  She notices a strange look in Chiko's eye and starts laughing.  She sends her hand with the knife at Chiko, but Chiko easily avoids it.  She falls backward and kicks a box that was attached to a pulley.  It tightens chains that the woman was standing in the middle of and she is pulled upside down.

Chiko reaches the ground and approaches Ken and the woman notes that Chiko's eyes look just like Twenty Faces'.  Laughing, the woman says she has a lot of fun coming her way and suddenly pieces of a human puppet fall to the ground and the woman is gone.  Chiko, however, passes out and Ken carries her back toward the villa.  As he is walking, Ken also notices that Chiko's eyes looked like Twenty Faces' back then and he realizes that he had been training her to be his successor.  But when he hears Tome calling for her, he is forced to leave Chiko where she will be found.  He then leaves when everyone finds her.

As the ship sails away from the island, Chiko is standing at the back, watching it.  She remembers the woman telling her that she would never win his heart.  Her aunt then walks out and notices her.  Angry that she is still alive, she approaches her as if to push her overboard, but Chiko turns when she gets near and her aunt can't do anything.  Chiko glares at her as she walks back.

----

So, wow.  This episode definitely was intense.  I was glad to see Ken and Chiko reunite, though his reaction was a bit surprising.  It was obvious that it hurt Chiko since Ken was like a brother to her and he seemed to reject her.  However, the fact that he arrived when she was in trouble to save her proves that he still cares about her.  Hopefully those two will be able to stay together more since I love their interactions.

I wonder who exactly that woman was.  Not only was she apparently dead, she was obviously jealous of Chiko.  We know Twenty Faces was involved with some kind of research during the war, but what did that really entail?  The more we see, the more and more disturbing it gets.

Chiko was badass when she took the white-haired woman on as well.  The look on her face when she was sitting on that structure was awesome.  She looked very cold and efficient.  Ken seemed to realize Twenty Faces was training her to be his successor and people are after her because of it, so I have to wonder what is supposed to come of it.  Chiko doesn't know anything really about Twenty Faces, so how can she be his successor unless he reappears to teach her more?

So much good stuff.  I really cannot gush enough about this show.  I only wish more people were watching it.