Reviews

The first episode of season 2 was fairly good. It introduced us to the qualifying rounds that our characters will have to face in order to represent Blue Lock in the match against the under 20.

The trailers had showed us glimpses of what lied ahead but nothing could have prepared us for this. I don't know what to say about the animation since there seems to be none at all. Most moments look like as if they were animated manga panels in tiktok edits with great voice acting.

The animation effects are put on maximum in order to make the impact shots dramatic however, each time we had to see a kick-off, a part of my excitement died.

I have little hope that the animation will improve in the Under 20 match but I pray that I am proven wrong.

The sequel or as it is revealed at the hour mark, the prequel is really strong for majority of its runtime. Showing the audience a "fairer" system of the prison and the problems that come with it. It works well to set-up the "all you can eat" mentality of the original however, it tries hard to make its ending ambiguous like the original. While the inclusion of the child in the original was foreshadowed quite a lot, the sequel just throws in a creepy children's playground to bring about the same message of "saving the next generation" however, any inclusion of the message does not take into consideration lore to justify it and the ambiguity around it is just confusing rather than intriguing.

Overall, it's a good watch but it could have ended so much better.

It is often said that fight scenes look better animated and this couldn't be more true than in this episode here. It's fast paced, the score hits and the intensity of the action leaves one breathless.

JJK is truly the best battle shounen going on right now and it's great animation is definitely an element that deserves praise. The plot twist at the end will keep people guessing for what's to come and rightfully so. Just strap yourself in and say your prayers as it only gets crazier from here in Shibuya. Might end up as anime of the year after all the dust settles in Shibuya. Week after week of bangers.

We get a lot of hero vs hero battles in anime but it's only JJK where you can have two villains going at it which ends up in the death of one. An animation marvel. Toji's sequence with Megumi was well-directed as it is but Jogo vs Sukuna knocked it out of the park. For me, this was the best animated episode this year.

However, there's always a dark side to these things. The director of this episode has said to be leaving directing work due to how poorly him and the team were treated at Mappa. Being made to sign NDAs so they can't reveal the working conditions so all the credit goes to the JJK team that delivered this and not the greedy execs at Mappa that wanna work their animators to the bone.

Before I begin writing my review, let it be known that I have been invested in this story for over a decade. I have consumed more AoT media than any other anime in my life so this is the voice of a "fan"

So let's look at what we are left with as the series concludes. 1. Visuals of Paradis getting nuked, 2. Titan powers coming back. Leaving these the last things for the viewer to see comes off as an insult to their emotional investment in the series. Most of us wanted the issue of titan powers and the safety of Paradis to be resolved but instead, they sent off the audience with both of these issues blowing up (literally in the case of one) in our faces.

Now let's talk about the characters.

Eren: The freedom seeking fanatic turned out to be as he calls himself in this episode "an idiot with too much power" who didn't know what to do. Is this the character the series built him up to be? Him crying over not being able to be with Mikasa over the fact that he killed billions or he ended up causing the death of his mother is such a weird choice.

Reiner: The emotional centerpiece of your story and he gets cured of his years worth of trauma by receiving a hug from his mother and goes on to sniff Historia's letter. This is the character who was having split personality issues and is cured by a hug.

Zeke: Now, Zeke didn't get the message that life is precious when his father was literally hugging and crying and begging him to stop Eren while admitting that he should have spent more time with him but no when does he choose to stop Eren and appreciate life? When Eren's friend (Armin) that he has never met changes his mind over one conversation.

Armin: I feel like there are so many moments where he's shoehorned in with the biggest being the one when he convinces the people of Marley that they don't have titan powers anymore. You could have done this with Reiner. Who will Marley trust more? The one who nuked Liberio or the one that has been a loyal warrior for years. This could have been Reiner's moment to be a hero and "save everyone", something he has been trying to do ever since he was a child.

Mikasa: I'll just say this. Mikasa being the one to free Ymir was conveyed in a discussion in paths of Armin and Eren. Now, compare with the original explanation that we got for Ymir being freed and its execution. Zeke yells at Ymir to follow him as many had done at her before meanwhile Eren whispered to her to follow whatever she desires, Eren gave her a simple thing. A choice...but we got that moment ruined in favor of the reveal the Ymir was in love with the person who assaulted her and somehow Mikasa killing Eren is showing that one should not be bound to love like King Fritz and Eren are anything alike.

In the end, I am disappointed and I wish I wasn't. The journey was great, the end wasn't.

This episode has two halves, the first one sets up a neat detective story and the interesting world it's featured in while the second one is a more personal tale of 2 "people" who get affected by that world.

The first half was good, it's engaging, the lead detective is interesting enough to pull me in for the long haul and the mystery surrounding his past is intriguing.

It's the second half of the episode that elevated it to great heights. I did not expect to be so invested in North No. 2 and his time with Mr. Duncan. Their friendship and growth was so perfectly executed. Each interaction removing a layer of Mr. Duncan's emotional barrier to allow him to trust his "machine" more. I was so deeply invested that I had forgotten about the larger plot at hand so when the clouds came, my heart sank. Knowing what was about to happen.

"Come home, my boy. You'll be late for your Piano lesson"

The entire show has been a wild ride but oh boy, the finale topped everything that came before in craziness. From Rayman's assault to Laserhawk's sacrifice, each moment had my complete attention to what felt like a super short finale since it was so captivating.

Bullfrog just became one of my favourite assassins in the entire lore, the kind amphibian was the wisest of them all and his scene of execution was haunting. The templar order name-drop made me go Leo Dicaprio on my screen.

The post-credits scene teasing a 2025 season 2 is giving me hope that this show comes back. The story cannot end on such a cliffhanger.

So for the start of this long-awaited season, we go all the way back to 2006 learning about Gojo and Geto's relationship and how it fell apart. The story of this episode is interesting, intriguing with a cliffhanger that will make any fan excited for what's to come.

Talking about the visuals for the episode (and seemingly this season), the art style is quite different from the first season. Choosing to go for a more cinematic approach like that of Chainsaw Man's anime which is definitely liked by me as it makes the anime feel more grand and stylised than most other shows airing at the same time.

The Lack of Juju Stroll hurts my viewing experience a bit since those charming bits used to make me laugh all day long especially the one at the end of episode 23.

If things keep going like this, we are in for a treat!

This episode provided a great counterpoint to Thorfinn's pacifism about how staying idle in the face of danger and tragedy will leave one with more regrets than peace. Thorfinn's choice to let go of violence altogether is bound to be challenged soon with the inevitable battle of the farm's forces and Canute's army. In the world of Gramps, will Thorfinn choose to sit idle as people around him are massacred and live a life of "scars", Arnheid's backstory was the highlight of the episode for me. The screams as her child was dragged away gave me goosebumps and the reveal of her carrying Keitel's baby is just WOW. Another brilliant episode.

So treat this as a review of season 2 so far. I am choosing to do it here since the entire season has been building up to this battle between Fushi's new allies and Nokkers. The tempo of this season has been off with few moments shinning now and then but there has been noticeable dip in quality from the first season. Even the Janada Island arc of the first season was more appealing to me than many parts of season 2 BUT as I was about to write off this season as wasted potential, they finally cashed in on the moment they set up early this season and brought back one of the most loveable characters of the show, March! I really hope this revelation breathes new air in the show and takes it back to the heights that season 1 claimed.

This season has been such a great deal of action, character development and plot progression and is truly a great addition to the rising collection of adult animation in recent years.

Vax's character got to show off his moves and the intrigue that builds up due to the vestige attached to his body is interesting and I can't wait for its pay-off.

Too bad, Zahra had to leave, her charm was enough to make me want to root for her but I guess she did make up for her mistakes, just a tiny bit.

The Chroma Conclave might not have featured heavily in the this week's 3 episodes but their presence is still here.

The episode itself is enjoyable on a binge watch but the pacing and the odd choice of focusing on character drama such as Connie and his mother while the main character of your show is destroying the world takes so much away from the tension and stakes involved. The annie pie scene felt like I was a B-tier marvel moment that must add a joke amidst a serious moment to ease the audience and did not fit AOT at all imo. Overall, an okay episode that could've been so much better.

The best anime of this generation returns with a banger. While I think the episode could've ended on a better cliffhanger, the actual production of the episode was spectacular. From great score to amazing direction. The CGI can still be a bit wonky at times but nothing so bad that it takes you away from enjoying the show. This is just the tip of the iceberg and the show is about to go deep. RUMBLING.... RUMBLING.... RUMBLING.... IT'S COMING. Banger of an opening.