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List of 2011 Fall Season TV Anime in Japan

by Gia Manry,

Featured Series (Click for more)

Also Premiering

Title: Bakuman. 2
Starts: Saturday, October 1 at 5:30 p.m. JST on NHK-E TV
Studio: J.C. Staff
Genre: Comedy
Website: http://www9.nhk.or.jp/anime/bakuman/2nd 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Returning Directors: Kenichi Kasai (Honey and Clover, Nodame Cantabile) and Noriaki Akitaya (episode director: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha)
  • Returning Series Composition: Reiko Yoshida (Bakuman., D.Gray-Man)
  • Ending Theme Performance: Tommy heavenly6 (Gintama, Soul Eater)
Summary:
The first season of Bakuman. followed fledgling artist Moritaka Mashiro and writer Akito Takagi as they attempted to win a manga competition in order to gain some recognition in the field. [Spoiler Alert!] When we last left the heroes, their manga had been approved for serialization...so the second season will likely follow the trials and tribulations of creating an ongoing serialized manga.
Title: Battle Spirits: Heroes
Starts: Sunday, September 18 at 7 a.m. JST on TV Asahi
Studio: Sunrise
Genre: Action
Website: http://www.nagoyatv.com/battlespirits_heroes 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Returning Director: Akira Nishimori (Hitohira, Zombie-Loan)
  • Original creator: Hajime Yatate (The Big O, Cowboy Bebop)
  • Tegamaru Tanashi: Jun Fukuyama (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion's Lelouch, Black Butler's Grell Sutcliff)
Summary:
A new cast of characters takes over the story of Battle Spirits, based on the popular trading card game. Hajime Hinobori is as enthusiastic about his favorite rice topping as he is about his favorite hobby, Battle Spirits...but one day outside the Battle Spirits store, he's challenged by someone who asks him: what is your fated card?
Title: Ben-To
Starts: Sunday, October 9 at 2:20 a.m. JST on TV Aichi
Studio: david production
Genre: Action/Comedy
Website: http://ben-to.net 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Shin Itagaki (Basquash!, Black Cat)
  • Ayame: Emiri Katou (Lucky Star's Kagami, Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts' Hideyoshi Kinoshita)
  • You: Hiro Shimono (Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts' Akihisa Yoshii, Kaleido Star's Ken Robbins)
Summary:
Saving money on a half-price bento (box lunch) is no laughing matter: in the world of high schooler You Sato, the placement of a half-off sticker can set off a battle of extreme proportions right in the middle of the supermarket. Along with martial artist Sen Yarizui and half-Italian glasses-girl Ayame, You must learn to navigate grocery stores on an entirely new level.
Title: Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai!
Starts: Friday, October 7 at 2 a.m. JST on TBS
Studio: AIC
Genre: Comedy
Website: http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/haganai 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Hisashi Saito (Bamboo Blade, Heaven's Lost Property)
  • Yozora: Marina Inoue (Gurren Lagann's Yoko, Maria Holic's Matsurika
  • Sena: Kanae Ito (Shugo Chara!'s Amu, The World God Only Know's Elysia
Summary:
Kodaka Hasegawa is, as anime protagonists usually are, a normal high school guy. When he runs into the beautiful but sharp-tongued Yozora talking to her imaginary friend, he learns that she has few friends because of her unpleasant personality. After talking it over, they decide to create a club for students who lack friend-making ability: the Neighbor Club. They're shortly joined by a colorful cast of characters, including the narcissist Sena.
Title: Chibi Devi!
Starts: Monday, October 10 at 6:20 p.m. JST on NHK E-TV
Studio: TBA
Genre: Kids/Comedy
Website: http://www9.nhk.or.jp/tvkun 		 
Summary:
The NHK hasn't released a cast or staff list for this show yet, but Chibi Devi is an adaptation of Hiromu Shinozuka's manga of the same name. In the manga, Honoka Sawada is a shy 14-year-old atheist who gets bullied in school...until one day, when an infant devil gets dropped off in her room while she sleeps.
Title: Chihayafuru
Starts: Wednesday, October 5 at 1 a.m. JST on NTV
Studio: Madhouse
Genre: Drama
Website: http://www.ntv.co.jp/chihayafuru 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Morio Asaka (Chobits, Card Captor Sakura)
  • Music: Kousuke Yamashita (Shion no Oh, Glass Fleet)
  • Ayase: Asami Seto (Dog Days' Amelita, Hourou Musuko's Yoshino)
Summary:
Ayase Chihaya is a high school girl who dreams about her sister becoming the greatest fashion model in Japan...until she realizes that this dream doesn't require her own involvement at all. After watching a classmate play the competitive card game karuta, Ayase decides to give the game a shot and build dreams for herself.
Title: Cross Fight B-Daman
Starts: Saturday, October 2 at 8:45 a.m. JST on TV Tokyo
Studio: Synergy SP
Genre: Kids/Adventure
Website: http://www.b-daman.tv 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Yoshinori Odaka (directorial debut; episode director: Beyblade: Metal Fusion, Fullmetal Alchemist
  • Series Composition: Shinichi Inotsume (Hayate the Combat Butler, Nyan Koi!)
  • Kakeru: Momoko Ohara (Mitsudomoe's Miyashita, Minami-ke's Yu)
Summary:
The latest in the toy-based B-Daman franchise features an all-new cast of characters as part of its complete relaunch process. In the new series, protagonist Kakeru discovers a secret tournament for elite players of the popular B-Daman competitive game. Its name, of course, is "Cross Fight."
Title: Fate/Zero
Starts: Sunday, October 2 at 12 a.m. JST on Tokyo MX TV
Studio: ufotable
Genre: Fantasy/Drama
Website: http://www.fate-zero.jp 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Ei Aoki (Ga-Rei: Zero, Hourou Musuko)
  • Music: Yuki Kajiura (The Garden of Sinners, Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
  • Original story: Gen Urobuchi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~)
Summary:
In Fate/Stay Night, fans watched the fourth Holy Grail War; in Fate/Zero, they can see the events which took place ten years prior to the original anime and visual novel's story, which would have a strong impact on the war. The tale revolves around Kiritsugu Emiya, the foster father of Fate/Stay Night protagonist Shiro Emiya.
Title: Guilty Crown
Starts: Friday, October 14 at 1:15 a.m. JST on Fuji TV
Studio: Production I.G
Genre: Fantasy/Drama
Website: http://www.guilty-crown.jp 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Tetsuro Araki (Death Note, Kurozuka)
  • Screenwriter: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Macross Frontier)
  • Shu Ouma: Yuuki Kaji (No. 6's Sion, Star Driver's Takeo Takumi)
Summary:
In the year 2029, Japan is part of the GHQ multinational organization, which was formed after the outbreak of a terrifying disease. 17-year-old Shu avoids making trouble for people because he has a unique power— he can extract weapons from his nearby friends. But everything changes when he meets Inori, a member of the resistance group known as Undertaker.
Title: Hunter x Hunter
Starts: Sunday, October 2 at 11 a.m. JST on NTV
Studio: Madhouse
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Website: http://www.ntv.co.jp/hunterhunter 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Hiroshi Koujina (Grenadier; Neuro - Supernatural Detective)
  • Series Composition: Atsushi Maekawa (Digimon Adventure, Bakugan Battle Brawlers)
  • Gon: Megumi Han (Digimon Xros Wars' Airu Suzaki)
Summary:
In an attempt to meet his missing father, a famous hunter, the young Gon decides to try and pass the hunter exam— those who pass get a license to go anywhere and do just about anything. On his journey he meets other hunter candidates and learns that there's a great deal more to the skill than he initially anticipated.
Title: Kimi to Boku.
Starts: Tuesday, October 4 at 1:30 a.m. JST on TV Tokyo
Studio: J.C. Staff
Genre: Slice-of-Life
Website: http://www.kimiboku.tv 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Mamoru Kanbe (Elfen Lied, Sound of the Sky)
  • Screen Composition: Reiko Yoshida (Bakuman., D.Gray-Man)
  • Music: Elements Garden (Uta no Prince-sama - Maji Love 1000%
Summary:
A group of four boys— twins Yuki and Yuta Asaoba, Kaname Tsukahara, and Shun Matsuoka —who have been friends since kindergarten finally make their way into high school together. There, they're joined by a new friend, transfer student Chizuru Tachibana. Kimi to Boku. tells the tale of these guys' life-long friendship.
Title: Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing
Starts: Saturday, October 8 at 2 a.m. JST on CBC
Studio: Gonzo
Genre: Sci-Fi/Adventure
Website: http://www.lastexile-fam.com 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Returning Director: Koichi Chigira (Full Metal Panic!, The Tower of Druaga: Aegis of Uruk)
  • Returning Character Design: Range Murata (Shangri-La, Blue Submarine No.6))
  • Opening Theme Performance: Maaya Sakamoto (Evangelion 2.0's Mari Makinami, Black Butler's Ciel Phantomhive)
Summary:
Serving as a sequel to 2003's Last Exile, this new series follows Fam, a young sky pirate in a steampunk alternative Earth. Fam and her friend Giselle make a living by taking down massive airships and reselling them. When they get caught up in a battle, they make an agreement with the Kingdom of Turan: they will save the kingdom's princesses from their enemy, the Ades Federation, in return for the country's battleship.
Title: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!!
Starts: Sunday, October 2 at 1 a.m. JST on TV Yokohama
Studio: Jenco
Genre: Action/Comedy
Website: http://www.anime-majikoi.com 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Keitaro Motonaga (Getbackers, School Days)
  • Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Mayumi Watanabe (Kimagure Orange Road, Freezing)
  • Yamato: Hiroshi Kamiya (Bakemonogatari's Koyomi Araragi, Macross Frontier's Michel Blanc
Summary:
In the city of Kawakami— famed for its samurai heritage —second-year high school student Yamato has learned the value of a strong fighting spirit. He remains close to his friends, a solid group of four boys and three girls...but at the beginning of the new semester, two new girls join them, and things begin to change...
Title: Maken-Ki!
Starts: Wednesday, October 5 at 1:05 a.m. JST on TeleTama
Studio: AIC Spirits
Genre: Comedy
Website: http://maken-ki.com 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Koichi Ohata (Burst Angel, You're Under Arrest: Full Throttle)
  • Series Composition: Yousuke Kuroda (Big Windup!, Mobile Suit Gundam 00
  • Takeru: Tomoaki Maeno (Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi's Ko Yukina, Library War'sAtsushi Doujo)
Summary:
Students at Takeru Oyama's elite private school don't just study— they battle one another using unique items called "maken." But Takeru's problems aren't merely martial in nature: he also has to deal with Inaho, who claims to be his fiancée, the mysterious girl Kodama, and his childhood friend Haruko.
Title: Mashiro-Iro Symphony
Starts: Wednesday, October 5 at 2 a.m. JST on TV Aichi
Studio: Manglobe
Genre: Romance
Website: http://www.mashiro.tv 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Eiji Suganuma (Kodomo no Jikan, Sasameki Koto)
  • Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Toshie Kawamura (Yes! Precure 5's character design; Boys over Flowers' animation direction)
  • Shingo Uryu: Takahiro Mizushima (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2's Rollo Lamperouge, Romeo x Juliet's Romeo)
Summary:
Shingo Uryu's elite academy is merging with a prestigious school for girls in the same town. A batch of boys— including Shingo, of course —are sent to the girl's school early to partially integrate before the full merger...but all of the girls hate boys. Shingo must befriend the girls and convince them to give his fellow classmates a shot.
Title: Mirai Nikki
Starts: Sunday, October 9 at 11 p.m. JST on Nico Nico Douga
Studio: Aslead
Genre: Suspense/Drama
Website: http://www.future-diary.tv 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Naoto Hosoda (Koe de Oshigoto!, Shuffle!)
  • Yukiteru: Misuzu Togashi (My Ordinary Life's Mai Minakami, Student Council's Discretion's Minatsu Shiina)
  • Deus Ex Machina: Norio Wakamoto (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion's Emperor Charles zi Britannia, Sengoku Basara's Oda Nobunaga)
Summary:
Loner Yukiteru Amano uses his cell phone to report everything that he sees to his imaginary pal "Deus Ex Machina." One day, Deus talks back, launching Yuki into a deadly game— each player's phone reports the future in exactly the style that the player would have written it, meaning that not everyone has complete information. Oh, and they're all supposed to try and kill each other...the last player standing wins godhood.
Title: Persona 4 the Animation
Starts: Friday, October 7 at 1:30 a.m. JST on MBS
Studio: AIC Asta
Genre: Supernatural Drama
Website: http://www.p4a.jp 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Seiji Kishi (Kamisama Dolls, Angel Beats!)
  • Music: Shoji Meguro (Persona -trinity soul-)
  • Returning cast: the cast of the original game will return for this anime adaptation.
Summary:
AIC animates the popular Persona 4 videogame, which revolves around the (fictional) rural Japanese village of Inaba. Protagonist Yu Narukami arrives in the village to live with the Dojima family for one year, but finds himself squarely involved in a rash of murders in the town. Accused of the murders, Yu must find the real culprit.
Title: Tennis no Ouji-sama: Best Match (The New Prince of Tennis)
Starts: Thursday, October 6 at 1:50 a.m. JST on TV Tokyo
Studio: MSC
Genre: Action/Sports
Website: http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/tenipri-best 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Returning Director: Shunsuke Tada (Bungaku Shojo, Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations)
  • Returning Art Director: Ken Kawai (Rose of Versailles, ESPer Mami)
  • Returning Cast: the original television cast will return for the new series.
Summary:
Several months after the final tournament in the original The Prince of Tennis, Ryoma and his team mates are among a mere 50 students invited to participate in a special camp for tennis elites, the Japanese High School Representatives Selection Camp, to train. At the camp they will undoubtedly have to deal with new enemies, friends, challenges, and adventures.
Title: Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi 2
Starts: Saturday, October 8 at 1:05 a.m. JST on TeleTama
Studio: Studio Deen
Genre: Romance/Boys Love
Website: http://sekai-ichi.jp 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Returning Director: Chiaki Kon (Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai, Nodame Cantabile: Paris)
  • Returning Screenplay: Rika Nakase (Ghost Hunt, When They Cry - Higurashi)
  • Opening Theme Performance: Shuhei Kita (Natsume Yujin-Cho, Persona -trinity soul-)
Summary:
In the first season, editor Ritsu Onodera left his father's publishing company to prove that he wasn't simply riding his dad's coattail, winding up at a shoujo manga department...and getting romantically entangled with his (male) boss, Masamune Takano. In the second season, the romance and the drama continue in Marukawa Publishing's infamous "Emerald" division.
Title: Sengoku Paradise Kiwami
Starts: Tuesday, October 4 at 3:15 a.m. JST on TV Tokyo
Studio: TBA
Genre: Historical/Romance
Website: http://sengk.jp/pc 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Character Design: Koji Haneda (animation director: Gantz, Aki Sora)
  • Date Masamune: Tetsuya Kakihara (Minamike's Fujioka, Romeo x Juliet's Mercutio)
  • Tokugawa Ieyasu: Wataru Hatano (Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu's Yuto Ayase, Toward the Terra's Sam Houston)
Summary:
Little information has been released about this anime title, which is based on a popular mobile phone game aimed at female players. In the game, players establish their own domain in Japan's Sengoku era and can interact with gorgeous versions of popular Sengoku-era historical figures, as well as with one another via diary entries and illustrations.
Title: Shakugan no Shana III (Final)
Starts: Saturday, October 8 at 1:30 a.m. JST on Tokyo MX TV
Studio: J.C. Staff
Genre: Supernatural Drama
Website: http://www.shakugan.com 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Returning Director: Takashi Watanabe (Slayers, Boogiepop Phantom)
  • Returning Music: Ko Otani (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Blade of the Immortal)
  • Returning Opening Theme Performance: KOTOKO (Hayate the Combat Butler, Please Teacher!)
Summary:
The final Shakugan no Shana light novel was released in Japan on September 10, and now the final anime season is upon us. The season will capture the ending to the story of high school student Yuji Sakai and the mysterious sword-wielding Shana, who hunts down those who would steal the life force of humans.
Title: Shinryaku!? Ika Musume
Starts: Tuesday, September 26 at 2 a.m. JST on TV Tokyo
Studio: Diomedea
Genre: Comedy
Website: http://www.ika-musume.com 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Returning Director: Yasutaka Yamamoto (Valkyria Chronicles)
  • Returning Series Composition: Michiko Yokote (Bleach, Nabari no O)
  • Returning Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Masakazu Ishikawa (Gakuen Alice, Kodomo no Jikan)
Summary:
The squid girl invades once again in the second season of this hit gag comedy! Ika Musume is a powerful humanoid squid who is determined to take over the entire planet. The Aizawa family, which runs a noodle shop on the beach which she first tries to conquer, puts up with her antics and damage...in exchange for her help around the restaurant, of course.
Title: Tamayura ~hitotose~
Starts: Monday, October 3 at 9 a.m. JST on AT-x
Studio: HAL Film Maker
Genre: Slice-of-Life/Comedy
Website: http://www.tamayura.info 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director/Original Creator: Junichi Sato (Aria the Animation, Kaleido Star)
  • Opening Theme Performance: Maaya Sakamoto (Evangelion 2.0's Mari Makinami, Black Butler's Ciel Phantomhive)
  • Fu: Ayana Taketatsu (Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts' Miharu Shimizu, K-On!'s Azusa Nakano)
Summary:
Amateur photographer Fu Sawatari returns to the town of Takehara, Hiroshima— her late father's hometown —after a five-year absence and begins her first year of high school. There, she manages to establish a set of friends despite her shyness: childhood friend Kaoru Hanawa, plus Maon Sakurada and Norie Okazaki. The four friends stick together through a variety of high school adventures.
Title: Working'!!
Starts: Saturday, October 1 at 11:30 p.m. JST on Tokyo MX TV
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Website: http://www.wagnaria.com 		Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Atsushi Ootsuka (Kanokon: The Girl Who Cried Fox, Ladies versus Butlers)
  • Series Composition: Takao Yoshioka (The Familiar of Zero, Sky Girls)
  • Returning Chief Animation Director: Shingo Adachi (Megaman Star Force, assistant animation director: Welcome to THE SPACE SHOW)
Summary:
The colorful employees of the Wagnaria restaurant return in this sequel. These include the impressively short, clumsy, and hard-working Popura, "newbie" Sota (who has a problem with voicing his inner monologue), violently androphobic Mahiru, and lazy manager Kyoko, to name but a few! In the Wagnaria family restaurant, the employee comes before the customer...after all, they're doing all the work!

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