Welcome to the third and final part of the Summer Anime Preview for 2012 where Anime UK News brings you the last set of shows that will be aired over the summer. In this part we have more mecha than usual with Satelight bringing us an adaptation of the Muv-Luv novels while Rinne no Lagrange comes in for a second season. The fantasy genre makes a reappearance here with the eagerly anticipated Sword Art Online and but it is the slice-of-life genre that dominates with Tari Tari and a second series of YuruYuri and Tales of Agriculture. If I had to make a bet as to which show will get people talking in the way Space Brothers has then I might select Natsuyuki Rendezvous which is a supernatural romance. Enough babble, here are the shows.

Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse

Synopsis

The year is 2001 and Earth is under attack from an alien species. The invaders have conquered most of the Eurasian continent and decreased the world's human population drastically. The main protagonists are elite pilots at a UN base in Alaska who are part of Prominence Project which is a joint effort between Japan and the US with the aim to create tactical weapons and robots against the aliens. These pilots must test prototypes of these weapons.

The anime is an adaptation of a four-volume military mecha visual novel series written by Kouki Yoshimune. Helming the series is Takayuki Inagaki who has previously directed the anime Black Cat, while Yumiko Hara (Working!!) handles character design. Music is composed by Seikou Nagaoka (Strike Witches, Brave 10) and art direction is handled by Kei Ichikura (Kurau Phantom Memory). The anime is being produced by Satelight and ixtl. Voice actors are led by Daisuke Ono (Saizo in Brave 10) who takes the role of Yuya Bridges, Mai Nakahara (Nagisa in Clannad) who voices Yui Takamura, Mamiko Noto (Kotomi in Clannad) who voices Inia Sestina, and Hitomi Nabatame (Kei Kishimoto in Gantz) who plays Kriska Barchenowa.

Staff: Takayuki Inagaki (Director), Yumiko Hara (Character Design), Kouki Yoshimune (Original Creator), Seikou Nagaoka (Music), Kei Ichikura (Art Director)

Voice Actors: Hitomi Nabatame (Kriska Barchenowa), Daisuke Ono (Yuya Bridges), Mai Nakahara (Yui Takamura), Mamiko Noto (Inia Sestina)

Studio: Satelight, ixtl

Natsuyuki Rendezvous

Synopsis

Ryuusuke Hazuki is a young man with poor eyesight who works at a flower store. He falls in love with Rokka Shimao, the widow who runs the store. Things get a bit dicey when he discovers her deceased husband, Atsushi Shimao, is haunting her apartment.

This adaptation of Haruka Kawachi's josei manga will air in Fuji TV's Noitamina slot alongside Moyashimon Returns. It is directed by Kou Matsuo (Red Garden). Voicing Ryuusuke is Yuuichi Nakamura (Tomoya in Clannad), Rokka is voiced by Sayaka Ohara (Alicia Florence in Aria the Animation) and Atsushi is voiced by Jun Fukuyama (Kotarou in Angelic Layer, Yukio in Blue Exorcist).

Staff: Kou Matsuo (Director), Natsuko Takahashi (Series Composition), Haruka Kawachi (Original Creator), Satomi Higuchi (Character Design),

Voice Actors: Yuuichi Nakamura (Ryuusuke Hazuki), Mitsuki Saiga (Rokka Shimao), Akemi Kanda (Atsushi Shimao)

Studio: Dogakobo

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

Synopsis

Yoshiharu Sagara is a regular 17 year old boy attending high school until he slips back in time to the Sengoku period. Things get even stranger when he realises that the Samurai lords he was learning about have all turned into cute girls. When Yoshiharu meets Nobuna Oda he realises that she is actually the female version of Nobunaga, and he begins life as a loyal follower.

Those of us who love gender swap time travel comedies will find much to like with Yuuji Kumazawa (Highschool of the Dead and Welcome to the NHK!) directing and scripts being handled by Masashi Suzuki (One Off, Shuffle!, Tactics, The Law of Ueki). Aimi (Ben-To) is providing the song performance.

Staff: Yuuji Kumazawa (Director), Masashi Suzuki (Series Composition), Yuka Takashina (Character Design), Aimi (Theme Song Performance)

Voice Actors: Kanae Itou (Nobuna Oda), Takuya Iguchi (Yoshiharu Sagara), Sayuri Yahagi (Mitsuhide Akechi)

Studio: Madhouse, Gokumi

Rinne no Lagrange: Season II

Synopsis

Kamogawa City lies east of Tokyo next to the sea and this is where a young girl named Madoka lives. She is a proud girl with high spirits who helps people in between being the lone member of her school's Jersey Club. One day she receives an unusual request from a mysterious girl named Lan, "Can you pilot a robot?". This is named Vox and she finds herself working as a mecha pilot with Lan and joined by another girl named Muginami in defending the city from invaders from space.

Rinne no Largrange returns for a second season of girls and mecha which sees two mighty anime studios, Production I.G. and Xebec, join forces by handling story and animation respectively. Chief director is Tatsuo Satou (Martian Successor Nadesico) while the director is Toshimasa Suzuki (Sokyuu no Fafner: Heaven and Earth). Original character designs are by Haruyuki Morisawa while the character designs are adapted for the screen by Takushige Norita who worked on Broken Blade and Chizuru Kobayashi who worked on Pandora Hearts. Screenplays will be written by a team including Shoutaro Suga (Darker than Black) and Shigeru Morita (Gundam Seed, Blood+). Voicing Madoka is Kaori Ishihara (Reki in Aria the Scarlet Ammo), Asami Seto (Chihaya Ayase in Chihayafuru) voices Lan, and Ai Kayano (Ai in Sacred Seven) voices Muginami.

Staff: Tatsuo Sato (Chief Director), Toshimasa Suzuki (Director), Shoutaro Suga (Series Composition), Haruyuki Morisawa (Original Character Designs), Takushige Norita, Chizuru Kobayashi (Character Designs), Shoutaro Suga, Shigeru Morita (Scripts)

Voice Actors: Kaori Ishihara (Madoka), Asami Seto (Lan), Ai Kayano (Muginami)

Studio: Xebec, Production I.G.

La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia

Synopsis

The story occurs on a small Mediterranean island named Regalo where a mysterious group of people with magical powers are known as Arcana Famiglia. These people use their powers to protect their island from pirates and other threats. Felicita is a 16 year-old girl who was raised by a strict mother. She is visiting Regalo to meet her father who is the head of the Arcana Famiglia. He tells her that she must take part in a competition to decide who will be the next head. Felicita will soon meet the different and strange members of the organisation during the course of the competition.

One of the josei anime premiering this summer, this reverse harem show is an adaptation of a popular PSP game and is being produced by J.C. Staff (Azu), and will feature VAs who worked on the original game including such as Mamiko Noto (Clannad) who takes on the role of Felicita, Jun Fukuyama (Blue Exorcist) and Tsubasa Yonaga (Tiger & Bunny).

Staff: Chiaki Kon (Director),

Voice Actors: Mamiko Noto (Felicita), Jun Fukuyama (Liberta), Hiroyuki Yoshino (Debito), Tsubasa Yonaga (Nova)

Studio: J.C. Staff

Sword Art Online

Synopsis

Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya is a programmer who enters a virtual reality, massively multiplayer online RPG (VRMMORPG) named "Sword Art Online." This isn't World of Warcraft or Guild Wars because there is no escape from this world unless the player clears the game, or dies because when it's "game over" online it means the death of the player in reality. Without knowing the truth about the rules, thousands logged in and entered this deadly game. Kirito accepts the rules and aims to clear the game with a female rapier expert named Asuna.

Sword Art Online is a two-cours (two-quarter) anime adaptation based on a light novel series by Reki Kawahara (creator of Accel World), with illustrations by BUNBUN. The anime is directed by Tomohiko Itou (Death Note). Other names on the staff include Yusuke Takeda (Gankutsuou, Eden of the East) who is art director, Shingo Adachi (Working!!) who is animation director and adapting BUNBUN's character designs, and Yuki Kajiura (Sound of the Sky) who is bringing music to the series. VAs have already been assigned roles for the anime with Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Hanasaku Iroha) taking the lead as Kazuto and Haruka Tomatsu (Nagi in Kannagi) voicing Asuna.

Staff: Tomohiko Itou (Director), Shingo Adachi (Character Design/Chief Animation Director), Yusuke Takeda (Art Director), Yuki Kajiura (Music)

Voice Actors: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Kazuto), Haruka Tomatsu (Asuna), Kanae Itou (Yui)

Studio: A-1 Pictures, Aniplex

Tales of Agriculture Returns

Synopsis

Tadayasu Sawaki has the ability to speak with microorganisms like bacteria. With his childhood friend Kei, Tadayasu is embarking on the life of a student in Tokyo Agriculture University.

This comedy comes in the Noitamina slot and there are a lot of industry vets with interesting credits to their names including director Yuichiro Yano (House of Five Leaves) and Natsuko Takahashi (Tokyo Magnitude 8.0) handling series composition. Voicing Tadayasu is Daisuke Sakaguchi (Shonen Bat in Paranoia Agent) and Kei is voiced by Mitsuki Saiga (Makoto Kohsaka in Genshiken).

Staff: Yuichiro Yano (Director), Natsuko Takahashi (Series Composition), Masayuki Ishikawa (Original Creator), Satomi Higuchi (Character Design)

Voice Actors: Daisuke Sakaguchi (Tadayasu Sawaki), Mitsuki Saiga (Kei Yuuki), Akemi Kanda (Hazuki Oikawa), Katsuyuki Konishi (Kaoru Misato), Mamiko Noto (Aoi Mutou)

Studio: Shirogumi Inc.

Tari Tari

Synopsis

The story centres around five high school girls who are too young to be called adults, but no longer think of themselves as children.

Wakana Sakai was once a musician until the death of her mother. Konatsu Miyamoto is a positive character who is a member of the after school vocal music club. Daichi Tanaka is part of the badminton team who lives with his college student sister. Wiin is a transfer student who spent the first 12 years abroad in Australia. Sawa Okita is a spirited member of the archery club. Music will bring these characters together during their last summer in high school.

The anime is being created by P.A. Works (Hanasaku Iroha, Another) with Masakazu Hashimoto (Hanasaki Iroha, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva) directing and orchestrating series composition while Kazuki Higashiji (Angel Beats!, Hanasaku Oriha) serving as art director. Music comes from Shiroh Hamaguchi (One Piece, Hanasaku Iroha). Voicing Konatsu is Asami Seto (Chihaya in Chihayafuru), while Saori Hayami (Miho in Bakuman) voices Sawa and Ayahi Takagaki (Erika in Durarara!!) voices Wakana.

Staff: Masakazu Hashimoto (Director/Series Composition), Masayuki Kawaguchi (Original Novelist), Kei Kunii (Script), Shiroh Hamaguchi (Music), tanu (Original Character Design), Kanami Sekiguchi (Chief Animation Director), Kazuki Higashiji (Art Director)

Voice Actors: Asami Seto (Konatsu), Saori Hayami (Sawa), Natsuki Hanae (Wiin), Ayahi Takagaki (Wakana), Nobunaga Shimazaki (Daichi)

Studio: P.A. Works

Yuruyuri Second Season

Synopsis

Akari Akaza is part of her middle school's Amusement Club which is composed solely of her two childhood friends, Kyouko and Yui as well as her classmate Chinatsu. The club has no real purpose and as a result the girls are free to do their moe slice-of-life thing.

Directing the girls in their antics is Masahiko Ohta (Chobits, Minami-ke); series composition is handled by Takashi Aoshima who handled the first season. The series airs in July.

Staff: Masahiko Ohta (Director) Takashi Aoshima (Script/Series Composition), Chiaki Nakajima (Character Design), Namori (Original Creator)

Voice Actors: Shiori Mikami (Akari), Minami Tsuda (Yui), Rumi Ookubo (Chinatsu), Yuka Ootsubo (Kyouko)

Studio: Dogakobo