Here are few new titles to keep a critical eye open for.
Ultimo
Ultimo: Girls, money, and the angst of teenage life hound Yamato. But just when he thinks everything blows, he finds Ultimo, an odd-looking puppet. Suddenly Yamato is thrust into a battle between pure good and pure evil, as Ultimo is the mechanical embodiment of good, and his archenemy Vice soon appears on the scene.
The collaborative brain-child of Stan Lee and Hiroyuki Takei, Ultimo appears to merge the typically Western teenage superhero with manga’s tech-savvy trademark. But I’m not sure I’m mentally grasping this whole “puppet” thing. Something doesn’t smell right. I need to peruse this manga soon!
Crown of Love
Crown of Love: What does a boy do when he falls for a pop idol singer? After all, her world is so intangible that she may as well be a fictional character. Solution: become a pop idol singer himself!
Brought to you by Yun Kouga, creator of the hugely popular Loveless and Earthian, we can undoubtedly expect our heat strings to be poignantly plucked.
kekkaishi
Kekkaishi: teenage Yoshimori Sumimura is the 22nd “kekkaishi” of the Sumimura clan. It is his responsibility to thus slay the demons that haunt the Karasumori region. But between his curmudgeon grandfather and a hot girl-next-door that claims to be a superior “kekkaishi,” Yoshimiori’s life is all comedy and adventure.
Hmm, demons and teenage demon slayers; the much used and abused plotline rears its mundane head again! Thank you, marketing squad! Hopefully something about this series is unique; something that will truly distinguish it from all the rest.
If you’re interested, Viz will be streaming this anime via HULU.