A few weeks have gone by since the Summer 2012 titles have begun airing. Here’s a quick round-up of what I’m watching this season.

Sword Art Online
Episodes Seen: 4
Rating: 9.0/10

One of the most talked about title in the Summer 2012 season, Sword Art Online (SAO) is based from the ongoing light novel by Reki Kawahara. And compared with the still ongoing Accel World, SAO has a lot more to offer in terms of visuals, plot, and characters.

The first thing that captured my attention was definitely the visuals. Spectacular BG and the particular use of lighting highlights this. Character designs were very nice so it wasn’t hard to differentiate one character from another.

SAO’s strength also lies in its storyline. The most advanced virtual reality online role playing game turns out to be a trap for the 10,000 players who are unable to log out. And when in-game death also means death in real-life, SAO becomes a battle for survival that players can only clear once they have reached the 100th floor. Sounds better than just trying to find out what lies beyond the next level right?

And the best thing in SAO is definitely the characters and their very human emotions, from the excitement of exploring a new world, anxiety against the truth of being trapped, and fear for their lives. And with a strong and badass lead character Kirito, SAO is among my top priority watch this season.

Natsuyuki Rendezvous
Episodes Seen: 4
Rating: 8.5/10

A love triangle may not be all that new even if it’s between an obstinate ghost, a hopeful youngster, and the self-reliant manager-florist. It also has the slow build-up common of josei titles.However, what makes Natsuyuki more interesting than usual is how it meshes all its elements together to make an interesting title to follow.

Within four episodes, the characters have all been introduced and so is the basic story. What matters now is how the slice-of-life and romance will play out given the supernatural twist. To add to the slowly brewing relationship tension is the good combination of the voice cast including Yuuichi Nakamura as Hazuki, Sayaka Ohara as Rokka,  and Jun Fukuyama as Rokka’s late husband Atsushi.

The piano BGM works perfectly well in establishing the moods for the series. Yuya Matsushita’s opening theme “Mune no Kyun-kei no Ballad” was just heart-melting and adds to the melancholy.

Kokoro Connect
Episodes Seen: 4
Rating: 8.0/10

Imagine talking with your friends one second and finding yourself in the bathroom the next one. This will surely wrack your brain if there wasn’t anyone you could talk to about it. Willingly or not, five friends get to share more than the experience of exchanging personalities and bodies with one another.

The school set-up and art give the same K-On atmosphere to the series. The similarities in character design is thanks to Yukiko Horiguchi who has done the same for K-On. Aki Toyosaki who has played Hirasawa Yui also returns as Nagase Iori.

But how far can a story about personality swapping really go? It was good that the series did not have to show a lot more switching before revealing who was behind it in the first place. However, the appearance of Heartseed does not tell us too much and gives Kokoro Connect a lot more mystery to look forward to. And more than that is the opportunity to see each of the five characters grow as well as deepen their relationship with each other. And with a good balance of comedy, romance, and drama, Kokoro Connect is worth picking up for this season.

Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu: Uta Koi
Episodes Seen: 4
Rating: 8.0/10

Hyakunin Isshu is a Japanese poem anthology, the most famous one collected by Fujiwara no Teika. If this sounds familiar then you must have seen Chihayafuru. What’s surprising is how Karuta and a very significant poem in Chihayafuru were featured in the first episode of Uta Koi. Chihayafuru focuses on the card game karuta based from the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu while Uta Koi’s central story are the poems themselves, their origin and interpretation.

Unlike most recent anime titles, Uta Koi’s art and animation is reminiscent of the art on the actual karuta cards defined by thick lines and colored almost like a painting. The biggest challenge however would be the sequencing of the poems which will affect the coherence of the series as a whole. And the comedic narration of Fujiwara no Teika may not be enough to tie the poems all together.

Tari Tari
Episodes Seen: 4
Rating: 7.0/10

It’s already been four episodes and there isn’t much progress in the story. So Konatsu isn’t allowed to sing in the choir club because of last year’s mistake during a school performance so she starts to form her own club. But will her love of music be enough to bring this to a reality? And how will Wakana’s past have to do with it? This might still be worth a shot if you’re patient enough to let the story grow on you. The characters are still pretty bland and the songs aren’t especially good either.

Campione!
Episodes Seen: 3
Rating: 7.0/10

Kusanagi Godou visits Italy for an errand and ends up being a God Slayer. His normal life is now tangled with the complicated battles between the gods and humans alike. And let’s not forget the ladies who have flocked around him. That’s pretty much what you would expect in Campione as a harem, fantasy, and action title all in one.

Arcana Famiglia
Episodes Seen: 4
Rating: 7.0/10

A J.C. Staff production that unfortunately isn’t much to look forward too. It’s basically a mafia with super-powered bishies who will have to fight in a duel to be the leader of the Family. And our heroine Felicita comes with the package prize. How nifty is that? However, the episodes so far are merely side stories and have not even touched the awaited duel yet. A reverse harem, action, and a little bit of romance that might only be appreciated by the female audience.

That’s it for the summer titles that I’ll be keeping an eye on. So what’s your favorite this season?

Tags: Anime, arcana famiglia, campione, Kokoro Connect, natsuyuki rendezvous, Summer 2012, sword art online, tari tari, uta koi