The September 2015 Line-Up

 

narutaki_icon_4040 As fall simulcasting announcements ramp up, looks like Sunrise finally got the memo that we’d all like new Gundam streaming as soon as possible. How exciting!

hisui_icon_4040 The most amusing thing this month is probably all the on the nose porn titles from Digital Manga Publishing.

The Line-Up is a monthly rundown of new anime, manga, light novel, artbook licenses, streaming/broadcasting announcements, crowdfunding projects, anime/manga projects, and live-action anime/manga adaptions.

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The Speakeasy #069: Oakenshield—Reboots, Shield Hero, Ad Astra Per Aspera

Drink #069: Oakenshield
Reboots, Shield Hero, Ad Astra Per Asperais

Ongoing Investigations: The Rising of the Shield Hero vol. 1 by Aneko Yusagi, Aquarion EVOL vol. 3 by Shoji Kawamori and Aogiri, Yoroiden Samurai Troopers OVAs by Sunrise, Ad Astra Per Aspera ch. 1 by Kenjiro Hata.

Topics: “Depiction isn’t endorsement,” anime reboots.

(Listen)

And now your helpful bartenders at The Speakeasy present your drink:

Oakenshield

  • 5 tablespoons mildly smoky Scotch
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 tsp. Cynar
  • 1 tablespoon Toschi Nocello
  • Pinch of kosher salt

Fill a large glass with ice cubes and add all ingredients. Stir with a bar spoon until outside of glass is very cold. Strain into a stemless wineglass or an Old Fashioned glass.

You Should Be Watching Go! Princess PreCure

With a revival of the Sailor Moon franchise and Cardcaptor Sakura being back on the radar, the hunger for another great next magical girl show is now! If you enjoyed either of those shows you might be left wondering where to go next. Shows like Madoka Magica are far darker and exist to be an examination of the genre as opposed to an exemplar. At the same time, the Pretty Rhythm series might be simultaneously too focused on the idol aspect while also skewing too young for most fans. There is a whole wealth of older magical girls shows but many of them are not translated, extremely hard to find, or might be a bit too dated for some.

Well, then look no further than Go! Princess PreCure which pretty much does everything right and then some.

Amongst the plastic toy advertising and dance endings of the PreCure franchise, there has always been stories of girls being the heroes. The franchise has its ups and downs. Heartcatch Precure! gets near universal praise, whereas Suite Precure is a distinctly flawed show. But when the franchise is firing on all cylinders, it often embodies the best of what the genre has to offer. Filled with strong role models fighting evil, chasing their dreams, and forging their own destinies, PreCure as a whole is the best of magical girls.

Go! Princess PreCure adds admirably to that legacy. And because of the nature of the PreCure franchise, one need not have seen any other series to enjoy the current one.

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