The season of spring is here at last! Spring marks an opportunity for new beginnings, and the anime lineup for this year is no exception! Some console games have begun their transition to their anime masterpieces, with top-notch work from their respective animation studios!

Here's a short list of the anime shows (plus a little review/preview) that have begun airing. 

Note: These short previews do not necessarily reflect the opinions of everyone in MMOsite. They are in no way equal to a review of the whole series. These previews are merely first impressions, and will hopefully help you in judging what anime to patiently wait for. These previews may contain spoilers. 

1.   K-ON!

K-ON is this season's utterly cute and moe-rific (short for moe + terrific) anime, following the footsteps of Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star, and perhaps going after the music side of Haruhi (if you remember, Haruhi and friends did a band performance in one of their episodes).

First impressions? The first and second episodes show gradual and steady progress in the story, especially for their guitarist. Unlike Lucky Star and Azumanga that's random talk most of the time, K-ON actually focuses more on the group's development as a club and as friends. Not only will you die out of sheer cute, you'll be watching this series to for its nice, light story. (The music's great too)

(NO ONE TOUCH MY MIO AND MUGI)

Highly Recommended!

2.   Eden of the East

Production I.G.'s latest masterpiece has a lot of balls to show, literally. The first episode shows the viewers the mystery of some guy named Akira, unexpectedly crossing paths with Saki Morimi... and yes, Akira is stark naked for more than half the first episode. (Rest assured, the vital parts have been covered up... albeit roughly). 

First Impressions? It's made by Production I.G. I have no doubts over their work, and surely, this one is no exception. The enigma of Akira's lost memory reminds me much about the Bourne movie/book series (Identity, Ultimatum, Supremacy), only with a more carefree protagonist. Still, enigmas are enigmas... Although, I won't lose sleep over his mystery, it's still worth finding out. 

Highly Recommended!

3.   Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Aniplex returns with their new installment of Fullmetal Alchemist, this time staying faithful to the manga story. Edward and Alphonse Elric return as the two young alchemists in search of the Philosopher's Stone (and doing a mission or two for the military). 

First Impressions? Like the first Fullmetal Alchemist series, this one garnered a lot of anticipation and hype. And true to the hype, this one delivers, surpassing all expectations. Animation is definitely better than the first one. And definitely, Fullmetal Alchemist is one series that'll keep you at hanging and wanting for more. 

Must NOT MISS!!!

4.   Tears to Tiara

Tears to Tiara was one of Japan's top-grossing RPGs, way before the anime adaptation came into fruition. The PC game was rated 18+ due to the typical visual novel style (contained with R-rated scenes of course), however the PS3 remake was toned down to accomodate the younger gamers in light of the anime release. The story revolves around Rhiannon, coerced to summon the Demon King Arawn. After going against the rogue sorcerers who summoned him, Arawn instead joins with Rhiannon on a quest to find the reason for his summoning. Rhiannon, on the other hand, starts to become emotionally attached to the Demon King...

First impressions? The story is based from the RPG, and like the game, the plot is a bit of the shallow good-versus-evil thing. It somewhat runs like the plot of Ragnarok the Animation, or something near the Tales anime series. There's not much to expect, aside from the execution of the story. 

Average

5.   Sengoku Basara

Based on the Capcom game, Devil Kings and Sengoku Basara 2 (no english version for the sequel yet), this anime adaptation stays faithful to the game's plot of political and wartime mayhem. The story takes place in the Sengoku era of Japan, focusing on the stories and battles of Sanada Yukimura and Date Masamune. 

First impressions? The work was made by Production I.G. again, so like Eden of the East, I have no doubts over this one. The story is still a bit iffy too me, since, for a political and historically-inclined anime, the first episode proved to be a bit shallow. Let's hope the following episodes compensate for this. I'd like to see more character development complementing the Sengoku storyline as well. 

Recommended

6.   Valkyria Chronicles

Yet another game-to-anime transition, this time, it comes from the fairly recent, highly-popular RPG, Valkyria Chronicles for the PS3. Faithful to the game, the story focuses on a neutral country called Gallian, attacked and invaded by East Europan Imperial Alliance for control of the ragnite ore, an important source of fuel in their world. 

First impressions? Honestly, I have only seen videos and pictures of the PS3 game (plus some gameplay c/o my friend, who owns a copy). Based on what I've seen from reviews and from observing the game itself, Valkyria Chronicles is surely a fine-tuned gaming masterpiece. I can also say the same for the anime upon watching the first episode. Compared to Sengoku Basara, I'm leaning towards this anime instead. But I can always watch them both, right? 

Highly Recommended!

Other anime not previewed here are:

• 07-Ghost - could be missed
• Tayutama - erogame turned anime? Nothing special
• Basquash - street basketball meets mecha? Why not?
• Ristorante Paradiso - restaurant-themed anime... Hmm... 
• Queen's Blade - scantily-clad heavy-armored ladies fighting with swords? Boring...
• Phantom ~Requiem for the phantom~ - girls with guns? Gunslinger Girl was better... Sorry...
• Saki - Mahjong anime? I've had enough since Shion no Ou
• Shangri-la - post-apocalyptic adventures with a sailor-uniformed girl? Next please!
• Dragonball Kai - remakes of Dragonball Z! Over 9000!
• Shin Mazinger Z - remake of the dusty old Mazinger Z? Truly, the first episode confuses me more than it does to you

There are other anime shows not mentioned here. If you wanna check them out, search for it in anime news sites or their official websites. For downloads, you can find your subbed versions around the internet. That's all for today! Ciao!