Aniosophy
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- __Of Course, There Are NO Spoilers In This Review__
__Prefix:__
Wow, just wow, it truly is crazy to me just how much a
series can improve with just one additional season, but this
show truly exemplifies this fact. Because I remember when I
finished season 1 last year and thinking this show was just
okay, not a complete waste of time, but nothing special
either, there was just so much wrong with season 1 that I
honestly couldn't recommend it to anyone if they asked me
about it. However, now at the end of season 2, I can firmly
say that I am genuinely looking forward to a season 3
whenever it is made.
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__The Plot:__
There are genuinely so many aspects of this second season
that are significant improvements on the series when
comparing it against season 1, and one of the most obvious
of course is the story and overall plot structure of season
2 as a whole. Unlike season 1 which felt so average and
honestly boring because of how closely it stuck to the basic
Shounen story structure, season 2 leaves all of that behind,
instead creating a story that genuinely makes you invested
in what is going on. While season 1 fell like a collection
of short stories with our main character going from place to
place helping the locals with whatever problem they were
dealing with, season 2 instead entirely focuses on a single
goal, within the bounds of a single place, and ultimately I
feel this was the right move. The main benefit I feel season
2 gets from dealing with a single plotline for the entire
season, is focus, something that season 1 felt like it was
truly lacking. Unless season 1 which ultimately felt lossed
for the majority of its run because there was no real
constant objective, season 2 knows what it’s goal is from
the very beginning, and while of course there are many
obstacles and tribulations that ultimately make achieving
this goal quite more complicated, the original goal is still
there as a guiding light for the plot. That is by far the
biggest edge season 2 has over season 1, because you
actually have the time to develop connections with the
story, which ultimately makes you feel more invested in what
is going on.
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__The Character:__
OH MY GOD GUYS, Seth is actually an interesting character in
season 2, it took a while, and while I'm a bit annoyed that
I took 21 episodes for them to develop their main character
into someone I actually like to see do stuff, I guess it is
better late than never. After the incident that concluded
season 1 we finally get to see Seth actually conflicted
about what he is doing, with season 2 really showing us that
Seth Is more than your basic one-dimensional shounen
protagonists, he actually has layers, and while it was
always implied that Seth has a “hard knock life” of a back
story, seeing him actually need to deal with the emotions he
is feeling genuinely makes him a much more interesting
character overall. Similarly, Melie it also significantly a
much more interesting character in season 2 for similar
reasons, we can see her genuinely be conflicted about
things, she has fights with people, and at times she cries,
and before you know it, she also developed more layers than
what you expected from her original character model. But the
biggest improvement regarding her character is that she
significantly gets less screen time and the same goes also
for Doc and Mr. Boobrie, which is honestly a fantastic
development because that trio was kind of getting on my
fucking nerves by the midpoint of season 1. Instead, for the
majority of season 2 we spend a lot more time with our new
characters, with the best one of course being Ocoho, and
guys I cannot even fully explain how much Ocoho as a
character improves this series as a whole. Ocoho finally
fills the much-needed role of a secondary character who is
not completely useless when a fight starts, in fact in many
ways she is more useful than our main character, and then on
top of this, her personality adds a refreshing layer of
relatability on a cast that is honestly comprised of mostly
crazy people. But really basically everyone who is added
during season 2 is genuinely an interesting people who you
actually want to get to know more about. From Ocoho’s
childhood friends, to the new antagonists that are
introduced, to the citizens of Merlin, and even the spirits
in the forest, every new character that is introduced is at
the very least entertaining to watch, which is a heck of a
lot more than I can say for season 1.
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__Visual/Audio Elements:__
Guys, I don't know if it is just me, but something about
season 2 as a whole just feels so much more polished and
crisp when it comes to the visuals for season 2 when
compared to season 1. It just feels like season 1 was when
they were really trying to develop the style and look for
the show, and season 2 is where they really finalized what
they wanted it to look like, and they were able to really
make it shine from there. Like honestly the major of fight
scenes in this season could honestly stand up I feel with
other major fight scenes from shows like My Hero Academia
and Black Clover with how much detail they add to those
scenes. Then there is the soundtrack, which while most of it
is the same as season 1, the main noticeable difference in
the soundtrack is a reflection of the overall atmosphere
season 2 portrays, with the soundtrack as a whole taking a
much more somber approach to many scenes. The most notable
example of this somber tone is reflected in the OP and ED,
while of course, this series is still at its core a shounen,
when comparing the OP for season 1 to season 2, you can
really feel the much calmer tone the series is taking for
this season, with the ED also reflecting this somberness,
which I honestly quite liked. p.s. the ED is a straight BOP,
one I love listening to even outside of the show.
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__Conclusion:__
In the end I am very happy that I decided to give this
series a second chance, because season 2 really showed me
that this series has the potential to become something truly
entertaining to watch. So, while it definitely started off
with a bit of a rocky start, I do finally find myself
recommending this show to people when they asked me about
it. With all of this in mind, I have decided to rate this
season 85/100, because while of course season 2 is not
perfect, it is such a significant improvement on season 1
that I am genuinely impressed that they somehow were able to
change so much of the series in just a single season. This
season truly is an example of why you should give things a
second chance, because you never know when they are going to
surprise you, and just like that, I am now wholly hoping for
a season 3 to be made, so until then I'll see you guys in
the next review😉
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