TechSmart 121, October 2013 TechSmart 132, September 2014 | Page 39

ANIME

Know your Anime
New Releases

With summer coming to an end in Japan, there are plenty of new anime
series making their way onto televisions across the island nation. We
take a look at some of the latest anime currently doing the rounds that
are well worth investing some quality time in

Sword Art Online II
A-1 Pictures

In what is expected to be one of the most anticipated anime sequels, Sword Art Online II follows the
storyline from the Elfheim Arc of the original MMORPG-style series. This time round, we are teleported
into the Gun Gale Online Arc of the story where our hero Kirito investigates the link between in-game
deaths that coincide with those in the real world. Viewers are in for a treat as we meet new characters
like Sinon, a girl with a dark past, as well as seeing how some of the other series regulars have fared
since we last saw them.

ZankyÕ no Terror (Terror in Resonance)
MAPPA

If anime set in an alternate Earth is your thing, ZankyÕ no Terror is a new series worth keeping an
eye out for. The series kicks off as parts of Tokyo are decimated by a terrorist attack, with the only
clue being a rather weird video that’s uploaded to the internet. Paranoia ensues, as the public and
the police have their hands full trying to understand why the attacks took place, as well as fearing a
follow-up attack. The criminals responsible for this are two boys who call themselves ‘Sphinx’ and the
terrorist attack itself is just the beginning of a complex and compelling story.

T
okyo Ghoul
Pierrot

Joining the ranks of dark fantasy, Tokyo Ghoul centres around a young man named Ken Kaneki,
a college bookworm that meets a girl at a cafe and becomes close friends, not knowing that she
is in fact a ghoul, and that humans flesh is a ghoul’s primary food source. When a part of her gets
transplanted into Kaneki following an accident, he becomes a ghoul himself and trapped in a dark
sinister secret world where the rule is eat or be eaten. In many ways, this series is a reinterpretation of
the age old vampire mythology, as Ken deals with the need to survive as a monster.

Bakuma su RocK
t
Studio Deen

Ready for a mix of rock and roll in an alternate history of Japan? Set in the Bakumatsu era at the end
of the Shogun rule over Japan (19th century), the Tokugawa Shogunate is using Heaven’s Song to
brainwash the citizens of Japan and rule the country. In order to fight the Tokugawa Shogunate’s
reign, a group of Rock and Roll freedom fighters take up their musical instruments and battle for the
freedom of Japan’s people. If you prefer your anime with a heavy kick of rock and roll, Bakumatsu
Rock is certainly for you.

T
okyo ESP
Xebec

A solid addition to the sci-fi fantasy genre is Tokyo ESP, a series that follows the supernatural exploits
of Rinka, a poor girl who lives with her father in modern-day Tokyo. While returning home from school
one day, she has a chance encounter with a flying penguin and glowing floating fish, which she then
decides to chase. Suddenly the fish passes through her and in so doing, grants her otherworldly
powers, such as intangibility (the power to slip through solid objects). This anime should particularly
appeal to fans of series like Bleach.

About our contributor:

Allen Simpson is a blogger and a published poet who has a deep passion for anime. He is also co-owner of AnimeFanatika.co.za, a reliable source of
information on Anime providing fans with the latest news, reviews and goings on in the industry. Sugoi!
September 2014 | TechSmart

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