The new season upon us...

The last half-season from Japan didn't yield much of interest to me, though frankly I didn't try very hard to look for stuff. I may or may not have missed something. I never did try "Chevalier" beyond the first episode, or "FLAG" beyond the second. I can't remember what else I looked at, but there wasn't anything in particular that I would have considered expending any effort on.

The latest season just got underway, and some early subs are starting to trickle in. So far, I've only sampled two: "Pumpkin Scissors" and "D.Gray-man". The latter I stopped about halfway through because I really wasn't in the mood for it. It's kind of like "Trinity Blood" in it's alt-goth 19th-century supernaturalism style. The characters didn't quite hook me right away, and overall it wasn't anything special -- moving manga as usual.

Same goes for "Pumpkin Scissors", though I actually sat through the whole episode. The storyline might prove to be a little more unique, though. And it's in an alt-universe World War I style. I might give it another go if I'm really bored, but otherwise, like I said, nothing special, moving manga, yadda yadda.

On my list-to-try (though I don't really remember why for any of these, besides the slight possibility that they're be suitably different:

• "Red Garden"


• "009-1"


• "Bakametsu Kikans"... uh.. "Irchani"... uhhh... I can't read my handwriting. Something historical with swords, I think


• "Tempouib"... uh... not again... "Ayakashi" ...goo-goo-something... whatever


• ...and maybe "Death Note"

I'm not holding out too much hope for any of them, but out of the huge list of what's premiering, those are the few that stood out.

On tap for the weekend, I've got discs for "Sol Bianca", "X" and "Samurai 7". Otherwise, tonight -- the return of the return of "Galact-oh-yeah!" Oh yeah!!