I’ve only seen two shows for the new season

Casshern Sins; If you like action: watch it. If you like retro styled anime (in both design and story themes); watch it. If you get off on well designed animation and superior movement and background art: watch it. JUST WATCH IT!

Shikabane Hime Aya; I really wanted to like this show, it’s shonen with a nice budget. Yet I guess despite the awesome visuals the story was just that, shonen, and it didn’t sell me like Soul Eater does. It’s actiony and has slapstick comedy plus hints of MYSTERIOUS characters pasts wooooooooooooooo, it’ll appeal to a wide range of people I’m sure. Left me cold though.

I’m all for Tytiana (but Mikimoto’ character designs should be more round!) and Michiko and Hatchin (manglobe ALWAYS is individual, as such they rule as a studio even if individual programs aren’t masterpieces).

If you’re looking for a good seinen manga, try Eden: It’s An Endless World by Endo Hiroki (it’s been translated to English by Dark Horse up to volume 11 out of 19). One of the best I’ve ever read. Set around year 2100, the world is after a great epidemic, which wiped out 15% of humanity. The main character is Elliah Ballard, son of South America’s most powerful drug lord. The story mainly focuses on his development, but there are many other interesting characters. Just like any other human, the heroes are flawed and often make mistakes with terrible consequences. And they are not immortal. People die here and – since it’s a seinen series that pulls no punches – often in a gruesome way (I’d say Shigurui would be a good comparison – Endo’s drawing style is equally detailed and realistic). Some of them deserve it, others die just because they happened to be at a wrong place at the wrong time. All of this in a setting full of hipocrisy, drugs, violence and terror. Great stuff.

@Absolutely_Steve: I still have to watch Genius Party, but, like you, I’d been waiting for it for what seemed like years. Anyway, I’m really disappointed that neither the US nor the UK anime industry has licensed it yet. I’m fairly sure it would sell better than a lot of the mediocre fare that gets released and it’s just a one-shot, so not exactly a big risk either. It’s the same with Mind Game too. Depressing that no-one has taken a risk, not even a traditionally indie company like Mediablasters.

@KT: It’s great to see that you’re still hanging around the place. After all, it’s your fault that I’m this far into LotGH, and therefore, so excited about Tytania in the first place. And, as Martin suggests, knowing how much you loved Eureka 7, if you’re not watching Xam’d, you probably should be. Seriously.

Also, no doubt you jumped out of your chair when you read the Hajime no Ippo news! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read about it.

@neobanzia: Since you’re looking for a good plot, Xam’d should be your first stop, it has an exceptional sense of world and character. Tytania has a great writing pedigree too, but I wouldn’t expect much from Kurozuka, it’s just all out, batshit insane action. And that’s the way we like it!

@Johny: Thanks for the tips. You know, out of all the KyoAni productions I know of, Lucky Star is the one that I’m really tempted to take a look at. Then I remember it has one of those kitsch OP sequences with dancing moe-blobs and suddenly I’ve lost interest again!

As for Hundred Stories. I still haven’t seen it, no. It was airing just as I was becoming a serious anime fan and it passed under my radar, and since then I’ve not had a chance. No doubt, I’ll see it one day, especially considering your passionate recommendation.

@Protodude: A 12 gig batch of seinen manga, eh? Do tell me if you read anything good in there. I love seinen manga like Kurozuka, Berserk, Bokurano, Gantz and BLAME!, but my general knowledge of manga, outside of what’s popular, is still fairly weak, so please keep me informed. I love reading good, exciting, weird manga, especially when I can immerse myself in it for days on end.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10197

The second season of Nodame Cantabile is my most anticipated, with the stuff you posted following it. Also, some romance anime that looked like it took place in Victorian England and had a well-dressed cat nonchalantly hanging out in the background caught my eye.