The anime writer's picks for the five most noteworthy anime of winter 2015!

The hectic end of the year has passed and the New Year is just around the corner. Do you know the fact that new anime will start as early as January 3! The total number of winter 2015 anime is more than 35. The lineup is breathtaking!

In this issue, we pick up 5 notable new winter anime. Don't miss out on the hottest titles to start off the new year.

Fleet Konnichiwa
The popular browser game with more than 2.2 million registered users has finally been adapted into an anime! Even those who have not played the original game may be familiar with the system in which players fight against enemies while raising "kanmusume," beautiful girl personifications of former Japanese Navy vessels. While the worldview of the game "Kanmusume" has not been revealed, the anime takes place in a world where the control of the sea has been taken over by a threat called "deep sea dwellers". The story follows the lives of the shipgirls, who have the souls of the ships of the past, as they live together in the township office, the base of the fleet, and train hard in exercises.
The story focuses not only on the battle part, but also on the daily life of the girls, and you will be able to enjoy the atmosphere of a school anime about club activities. As in the original work, one cast member is in charge of multiple shipgirls. The female voice actors, including Uesaka Sumire, who plays the main character, Fubiyuki, a special type destroyer, give passionate performances as the characters with rich personalities!


THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS
An anime adaptation of the social game "THE iDOLM@STER" that will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the series in 2015. The appeal of the game is the rich variety of idols. Unlike 765 Production, which has 13 idols, 346 Production is a major office that boasts a wealth of talent. The personalities of the idols are truly unique, such as the relaxed Anzu Futaba, who lives by the motto "If you work, you lose," Miku Maekawa, a cat character with a "meow" at the end of her name, and Ranko Kanzaki, a chunibi type dressed in a Gothic Lolita fashion. The game features about 200 idols, but which members will appear in the anime?
The animation is directed by Tsunoko Takao, who has worked as series director on previous TV anime series and theater versions. Fans of the previous series will be able to enjoy the anime with peace of mind. It will also be interesting to see if any idols from 765 Productions will appear in the show. We look forward to watching the Cinderellas as they take their first steps as new idols.


Yurikuma Arashi
This is the first original anime series in three years from Kunihiko Ikuhara, director of "Rinru Ping Drum. The worldview is that bears on the earth are attacked by humans due to an asteroid explosion, which has a great impact. A beautiful man-eating bear girl overcomes the "wall of separation" between humans and bears and transfers to Arashigaoka Academy. Furthermore, there is a mysterious "bear trial" that takes place out of the blue, and many other mysterious elements! It is inevitable that you will be drawn into this unpredictable school story!
Although the novel setting tends to attract the viewer's attention, the story is centered on the relationship between the girls, as the title "Yuri" suggests. Director Ikuhara, who has depicted the subtleties of female characters in the "Sailor Moon" series and "Revolutionary Girl Utena," has created a detailed psychological portrait that cannot be overlooked. You will be captivated by the stylish direction, which also incorporates elements of stage play and symbolic expression.


KOUBUCHI GRAFFITTI
Based on a four-panel story about dining that is serialized by Kawai Makoto in "Manga Time Kirara Miraku" (Houbunsha). It is a popular coming-of-age story about three junior high school girls, Machiko Ryo, Morino Kirin, and Shiina, who attend an art prep school and interact with each other through food. The highlight of the film is the meal scenes. The girls are impressed by the deliciousness of the food, and sometimes even show erotic expressions, so how will the anime portray them? During the audition for voice actors, they were even asked to perform the role of eating multiple dishes from different menus, and we are sure we will be able to enjoy their careful portrayal.
The series is directed by Akiyuki Shinbo of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" and "Bakemonogatari," and the series composition is by Oka Okada of "Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai" and "True Tears. and "true tears. The collaboration of these two artists, who have worked on numerous hit movies and are also solid writers, is attracting a lot of attention. Prepare a nightcap so you don't go hungry, and enjoy the on-air show.


Death Parade
Animation Mirai" is a project supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs to nurture young animators. This film is based on "Death Billiards," which was screened as part of the 2013 edition of the project. This is the first time that an Anime Mirai film has been made into a TV series, and has attracted a great deal of interest. The setting is Queen De Kim, a bar where those who lost their lives at the same time gather. Two dead people are invited to play a death game under the guidance of the white-haired bartender, Dekim. The hidden nature of human beings is revealed under extreme psychological conditions, and it is a must-see! The cries of the dead as they are ruthlessly judged struck a chord with many viewers.
Death Billiards" was a riddle story that closed with various mysteries, but this film seems to have more characters and reveals part of its worldview. The director and screenwriter is, of course, Yuzuru Tachikawa, who worked on "Death Billiard. We hope you will enjoy this original story by an up-and-coming creator.

(Text by Katsunori Takahashi)