First Look: Arte

Following the recent passing of her father, a young noblewoman named Arte decides to leave her sheltered life behind and pursue a career in art. In 16th century Florence, however, that is easier said than done for a girl.

First Look: Listeners

In a world devoid of music and under constant attack by monstrous creatures known as the Earless, Echo Rec is a boy who makes his living as a junk collector in his small town. One day, he stumbles upon a mysterious girl with an audio input jack on her body and no memories of her past. Turns out she possesses the rare ability of a Player, an individual capable of controlling mechs called Equipment.  The two embark on a journey of self discovery.

First Look: The 8th son? Are you kidding me?

Shit Protag lives alone in a small flat, passes out, and wakes up as a child at a medieval-looking banquet. He is astonished at this extravagance, positively giddy to have landed so luckily in the lap of luxury. Turns out, though, that it was all just a put-on for a wedding; this family can not afford to actually live like this, so they eat stale bread and homeopathic soup for every meal. This justifies intensifying inequality even further.

First Look: Appare-Ranman!

Genius mechanic Appare and beleaguered samurai Kosame find themselves shipwrecked and penniless in Los Angeles, California. They decide to participate in the Trans-America Wild Race Big Boss Grand Prix in a custom made steam car to win the $10,000 grand prize and buy their way back to Japan.

First Look: Tower of God

A boy called Bam (Yoru?) has spent nearly all his life beneath a huge tower, with only his friend and rescuer, Rachel (Rahel?), by his side. When Rachel/Rahel decides she wants to climb to the top of the tower and disappears, Bam/Yoru manages to follow her inside, where he is faced with a number of deadly challenges at each level on his quest to find her again.

First Look: BNA

An uneasy tension exists between humanity and beastmen, a divergent path of evolution who possess the ability to transform into animal people. Michiru Kagemori, a human girl who finds herself transformed into a tanuki, flees to Animacity, the free bastion of the beastmen. There, she seeks refuge and to discover the nature of her mysterious condition. Hijinks ensue. 

First Look: Tamayomi

Yomi Takeda gave up baseball in Junior High after her catcher was unable to catch her special ‘Magic Pitch’. Now in high school, a chance reunion with a childhood friend reawakens her passion for the sport.

GLORIO goes Ghibli — Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

To fill in a gaping hole in his credibility as an anime lover, Aqua takes a look at the films that cemented the legacy of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takehata’s legendary Studio Ghibli.

This week, he checks out Miyazaki’s second film and first independent effort, a rousing call to arms for anyone who cares about anything, really.

First Look: Toilet Bound Hanako-kun

If you visit the third stall of the third floor girls’ bathroom, you might meet Hanako-san. Hanako will grant you a wish but at great cost… or so the rumors at school will tell you. Nene will do anything to have her wish granted and decides to see if the rumors are true.