Diggin' this song right now...

One Reason by Fade.
This is the opening from Deadman Wonderland. It's pretty catchy.

Current fan art projects/ What I'm watching

I am going to (eventually) post more about AnimeNext, but for now, a more traditional update...

I'm currently working on several fan art projects.
I've got a few Yuko drawings to post, along with a water color of Sebas-chan from Black Butler that I made for a friend. (She is a major fan girl, sigh.) I'm also making my entry for twilight samurai's "Greatest Anime Character Ever," fan art challenge. I doubt many people will know the character as it's from an older shoujo title, but that's what makes me want to enter the challenge. Side characters are welcome! I'm also using photoshop to re-do a few of my early pencil sketches (from about 10 years ago now), like Sailor Galaxia, a villain in the final season of Sailor Moon. I actually started it because I was thinking of entering her in the greatest characters fan art challenge, but after much thought, I went with another option.

And honestly, if no one else draws and enters Spike, I might have to enter him myself! (I'm pretty bad at drawing adult males though.)

So what am I watching?
Deadman Wonderland is the story of a boy who witnesses the brutal murder of his entire high school class. He is arrested and quickly found guilty and sentenced to death. His sentence is to be served in a strange amusement park/prison, where prisoners have to fight for their lives in gladiator-style challenges while spectators watch for fun. The main character discovers a strange power - the ability to control and manipulate his blood as a weapon (think Inuyasha's blades of blood, but cooler), and struggles to stay alive.

Maria Watches Over Us is the story of several students at an all-girls private academy where propriety is key. Older students at the school choose one younger student to mentor by acting as an older sister. Yumi, a slightly awkward first-year student, is shocked to be chosen by one of the school's most prominent student council members, Sachiko. The story emphasizes the deepening relationships between the sisters as they learn more about each other and themselves.

Boys Be... follows the intersecting lives of several high school students as they search for love. The stories are told vignette style for the most part, but the characters overlap and reappear as the series progresses. I've found it to be a charming look at first loves, first kisses, and first heart breaks.

Azumanga Daioh is a slice of life comedy series about a group of wacky high school girls. The series is based off of the 4-panel comics (yonkoma, if you want the Japanese term) which were later bound as manga. The anime follows the same 'snap shot' comedic approach. It originally aired as 5 minutes shorts which aired Mon-Friday, and on Saturdays, the scenes were strung together as an episode. This gives the story a bouncy, light-hearted flow perfect for the goofy girls and their antics.

Darker Than Black takes place in an alternate version of Japan, where a huge mysterious disaster made some wacky things happen. Suddenly, Contractors - super powered beings - and Dolls - super powered psychic beings without souls - appear around the world. Naturally, governments start using them for the usual dubious activities portrayed in anime. The story follows one particular contractor as he encounters, well, more contractors on various contractor-related missions. I can't explain the show any better than that, as I've only just started to watch it, but I'm already hooked!

So what are you watching? Anything you'd recommend? I've heard good things about Ao no Exorcist, has anyone watched it? What about Jellyfish Princess?