Kamisama Kiss Season 2 Review
Warning: The following review may contain spoilers. If you wish not to know some events in the story, or simply don't wish to find out what happens in the series, please leave the page, since I don't want to damage a watching experience for you.
Also, this will be a review of the 2nd season of Kamisama Kiss, and not of the whole show.
With that said, thank you, and onto the review:
As some of you may know, one of my favorite shows that I watched last year was a show by the name of Kamisama Kiss. Overall, this show was a blast to watch, and I had so much fun while doing so, thanks to the characters and humor. The OVA's still need a viewing, and I hope to get to those before the new ones for a arc in the manga come out sometime in the fall.
Good news is, after watching a couple of 2nd seasons that suffered from a weaker one after the 1st, this one doesn't. So yay for no Second Season Syndrome! Not only is the humor just as good, but we also got some new character development to see who may have needed it. And some of it was fairly interesting.
Though there some mild issues that I had, such as other characters not having as much development as others (one almost borderline generic), and the second arc feeling a bit slow paced at parts, this was still an amazing second season, and I can't wait for more Nanami, Tomoe, and Mizuki! :3
Story
The story for this season is essentially split into 3 arcs, with 2 of them containing 5 episodes each. The last one only lasts 2, thus making the episode count 12, instead of last season's 13.
The 1st arc revolves around the yearly gathering of the gods in Izumo, in which Nanami is selected to go to by Otohiko. He was a very disappointing character in the 1st season, and though he doesn't get that much development in this season either, he does become more entertaining. But it's not easy, Nanami first is administrated a test in which she must look after a shikigami. After it successfully hatching on the 1st night, even though it was supposed to take 7 days, it's time to deal with a spirit that is in Nanami's school library. Which involves her naming this monkey shikigami, Mamoru, which means to protect. She goes to the assembly with Mizuki accompanying her (though Tomoe arrives later) and is assigned a mission by Okuninushi, the Assembly's leader. This involves her getting trapped in the Netherworld when Kirihito, the man Akura-oh is currently residing in, is thrown into the gate, and Nanami goes after him. They met in Episode 2, and Nanami wonders about him, as he is super mysterious. It's not that she has any feelings for him.
After Izanami, the goddess of the Netherworld, imprisons Kirihito, Nanami decides to go rescue him by tricking Izanami by "eating" the food of the Netherworld. Tomoe is able to break off the rock that covers the boarder after a little scuffle with the war god, but has to return to his yokai form in order to do so. Okuninushi imprisons him because of this, but Tomoe is freed after he becomes her familiar again. Mikage makes the cameo during the final day of the Assembly, and finally appears to Nanami.
The 2nd arc involves development on Kurama's past, as well as a collection of new characters. After Nanami arrives home from Izumo after a girl's day with Himeiko, she walks into a crow tengu named Botanmaru. Botanmaru, who can't fly as he hasn't been able to learn yet, is looking for Mr. Shinjiro, who we find out is Kurama. Botanmaru ask Kurama to return to Mount Kurama, as it's in a iffy state since the Sojobo has been ill. As of right now, Jiro is leading the mountain, and is very intimidating and scary. As we try to learn about the Sojobo's condition, and the gang breaks into the defense of Jiro's house, it's time for barrier spells, and soul hunting!
The last mini arc involves Nanami turning back into a child. this is a great way to view her past, and see why she's been so wary of men since her childhood.
So overall, I really like what happened in these 12 episodes. It gave off new chances from some old characters to shine, and it also has some entertaining new ones. Each have their own special funny moments, such as Nanami trying to hold off on going to the bathroom after arriving on Mount Kurama, until Tomoe breaks it to Suiro. There's also some great altercations between Tomoe and Mizuki that are always entertaining, and not annoying.
One of my slight problems with this series is the 2nd arc. This arc manages to adapt Date A Live pacing, where at some points it goes super fast, and other times moves at a snail's pace. This was my only issue with the story though, but beyond that, I always like what Kamisama Kiss brings to the table.
Moving on to the characters now:
So overall, I really like what happened in these 12 episodes. It gave off new chances from some old characters to shine, and it also has some entertaining new ones. Each have their own special funny moments, such as Nanami trying to hold off on going to the bathroom after arriving on Mount Kurama, until Tomoe breaks it to Suiro. There's also some great altercations between Tomoe and Mizuki that are always entertaining, and not annoying.
One of my slight problems with this series is the 2nd arc. This arc manages to adapt Date A Live pacing, where at some points it goes super fast, and other times moves at a snail's pace. This was my only issue with the story though, but beyond that, I always like what Kamisama Kiss brings to the table.
Moving on to the characters now:
Characters
The characters that we were introduced to in the 1st season are just as good as before. Tomoe starts to realize more of his feelings for Nanami, Nanami managed to make a couple of weird decisions that made me scratch my head, but still is a likable lead. Kurama gets some awesome character development, and makes me care for him more, as his childhood wasn't easy. Poor Mizuki gets shoved to the side most of the time, and I wanted to see more of him. Favorite character obsession strikes again! And Akura-oh gets some development into why he is here now, and how he plans to get his real body back.
But today, I'm going to talk about 3 new characters that make a appearance in the series that I really liked, (well, 1 more since we have to talk about the weakest character for me) first starting with Yatori:
But today, I'm going to talk about 3 new characters that make a appearance in the series that I really liked, (well, 1 more since we have to talk about the weakest character for me) first starting with Yatori:
Yatori was a former servant to Akura-oh in the past, when he was known as Furball. He was constantly ignored due to his bad order, and for his looks. His past hasn't been fully explained yet, but it does involve inhabiting another body, much like Akura-oh.
Akura-oh forgets about Yatori when he shows up at Kirihito's house (I mentioned earlier that Akura-oh is now in Kirihito's body), and asks him for a deal. While Akura-oh plans to stir up something within this deal, Yatori ALSO wants to stir something up as well, as he knows that Kirihito is actually Akura-oh, and while I do forget the reason as to why he wants to stir things up, I can think of 2 things. Is he plotting against him because of mistreatment or does he simply want more attention? ;) We shall wait and see.
In the 2nd arc, he "serves" under Jiro, manipulating him so that he could gain control over the Kurama mountain. He was also the person responsible for sealing up the Sojobo's soul, after tricking him with a letter believed to be from Shinjiro, that resulted in the Sojobo getting emotional, which left no defenses for him. However, his plan fails after Nanami gains control over the area with her newly crated barrier again evil.
So overall, I found Yatori to be very entertaining. He's kind of like those two Varugas from Karneval, however unlike them, he is actually competent, and knows what he wants and how to get it. Though he hasn't been able to get it just yet, we'll see what happens as he continues to pull strings, all for the satisfactory of his former master, Akura-oh.
Let's talk about the leader of the Divine Assembly shall we?:
Akura-oh forgets about Yatori when he shows up at Kirihito's house (I mentioned earlier that Akura-oh is now in Kirihito's body), and asks him for a deal. While Akura-oh plans to stir up something within this deal, Yatori ALSO wants to stir something up as well, as he knows that Kirihito is actually Akura-oh, and while I do forget the reason as to why he wants to stir things up, I can think of 2 things. Is he plotting against him because of mistreatment or does he simply want more attention? ;) We shall wait and see.
In the 2nd arc, he "serves" under Jiro, manipulating him so that he could gain control over the Kurama mountain. He was also the person responsible for sealing up the Sojobo's soul, after tricking him with a letter believed to be from Shinjiro, that resulted in the Sojobo getting emotional, which left no defenses for him. However, his plan fails after Nanami gains control over the area with her newly crated barrier again evil.
So overall, I found Yatori to be very entertaining. He's kind of like those two Varugas from Karneval, however unlike them, he is actually competent, and knows what he wants and how to get it. Though he hasn't been able to get it just yet, we'll see what happens as he continues to pull strings, all for the satisfactory of his former master, Akura-oh.
Let's talk about the leader of the Divine Assembly shall we?:
Okuninushi was mentioned before in Season 1, where he lent Narukami his Lucky Mallet, which can shrink or grow any object. He is a Wealth God, and besides being the head of the Assembly, it's also held in his shrine. He is quite famous due to this.
His personality is very dramatic, flashy, and he manages to over-react a bit, but he is pretty charming. He can also come by unannounced at various moments of the anime. He is naturally charming, which attracts attention to the female gods, and Otohiko. However, he doesn't plan on giving back feelings, and doesn't think that yokais and humans should fall in love.
Though he doesn't have a lot of development, I found Okuninushi to be a very interesting character. I liked his role as the head of the Divine Assembly, and he does things with appropriate reasons. If more seasons come along, hopefully he gets more development, as he has a lot of potential.
Suiro's now up:
Suiro is one of the more prominent tengus that lives on Kurama Mountain, and is first seen in a flashback talking to Botanmaru about Shinjiro, but is first seen by Shinjiro (Kurama) in a illusion (unknown who casted it), but then makes his own physical appearance. He is much loved by his clan, as he is very kind and respectable. He is also really good at playing the flute.His personality is very dramatic, flashy, and he manages to over-react a bit, but he is pretty charming. He can also come by unannounced at various moments of the anime. He is naturally charming, which attracts attention to the female gods, and Otohiko. However, he doesn't plan on giving back feelings, and doesn't think that yokais and humans should fall in love.
Though he doesn't have a lot of development, I found Okuninushi to be a very interesting character. I liked his role as the head of the Divine Assembly, and he does things with appropriate reasons. If more seasons come along, hopefully he gets more development, as he has a lot of potential.
Suiro's now up:
When Shinjiro was young, he would always go to Suiro for comfort and protection when Jiro would be mean to him as he couldn't fly. Eventually, Jiro got word of this, and got sick of it. He then forced Kurama into a crevice that had Raijiuyu. Jiro then forced Shinjiro to fly out of the cave himself, or the Raijiuyu would eat him. When Suiro went to save him he was struck by lightning, therefore losing his wings.
Suiro is probably one of the sweetest anime characters I've seen as of late, You can see just how much he cares about Shinjiro, and he's very welcoming. Though he can't necessarily look at women at first glance, and this irritates Nanami when she first arrives until she yells at him, but it's mainly due to the fact he doesn't know how to treat one. It's understandable, considering women are banned from setting foot on the mountain, but whatever. He's still really sweet, and has a kind heart.
Last but not least, Jiro. I don't care about him. And much like Origami back in my Date A Live review, I'm not going to show a picture of him. Not because he's forgettable, but he's just simply a bad character.
Jiro is currently the 4th chief of Kurama Mountain, and is a pretty tough leader. He is quite merciless and has banished many tengu due to the fact that they are not strong enough. He also wants to be the leader of Kurama Mountain because he is very strong, and due to the fact he wants power.
So GUESS WHAT BOYS AND GIRLS! HERE WE ARE WITH ANOTHER STEREOTYPICAL VILLAIN! The good news is that at least he manages to soften up after meeting Nanami, but it doesn't help the fact that he's a weak character.
Other new characters that we get to meet are the actual Kirihito when he was first sent into the Sprit World and encountered Akura-oh, the Sojobo, Mamoru, Nanami's shikigami who can also transform into a child, the Goddess of the Netherworld, and her cat assistant.
Animation
TMS Entertainment returns to animate this season, and they also famous for producing animation for Sonic X, Cardfight!! Vanguard, and Bakugan Battle Brawlers.
Overall, the animation for this series has not changed. It is around the same quality as the 1st season, and there isn't any dips, or well shown improvements. Some of the animation directors and staff did add some new touches, such as dot eyes in Episode 1 when Mamoru hatches. But other than that, it's still fairly consistent, and great to look at.
The score for this series was once again composed by Toshio Masuda, who has also done the scores for anime such as Excel Saga, Naruto, and Ai Yori Aoshi.
To be honest, the OST wasn't anything special this time around. There weren't really any new pieces that caught my eye, and it mainly focused on tracks I've heard before. Which were still nice, but I wanted some new pieces. I did like Suzuko Mimori singing the 1st season opening though, that was nice.
The voice work for this series is just as good as its first. With some stand-out performances with unknown voice actors to me, along with some great performances from veterans, it's definatley something to look forward to.
Like Death Parade, this season also got a Broadcast Dub from FUNimation for their winter season. Though I haven't watched as much of it as Death Parade, it's just as good as the 1st season, though has a couple moments here and there.
New highlights to join the awesome family this season in Japanese are Daiki Yamashita, Naoko Matsui (as Onikiri), Yasuaki Takumi, Shotaro Morikubo, Hiro Shimono, Daisuke Hirakawa, Ayaka Saito, Yuko Sanpei, Megumi Iwasaki, Yuri Amano, Kazunari Takeda, and Shuta Morishima (as Kikuichi, though he's also hilarious as Isobe).
Overall, the animation for this series has not changed. It is around the same quality as the 1st season, and there isn't any dips, or well shown improvements. Some of the animation directors and staff did add some new touches, such as dot eyes in Episode 1 when Mamoru hatches. But other than that, it's still fairly consistent, and great to look at.
Sound
The score for this series was once again composed by Toshio Masuda, who has also done the scores for anime such as Excel Saga, Naruto, and Ai Yori Aoshi.
To be honest, the OST wasn't anything special this time around. There weren't really any new pieces that caught my eye, and it mainly focused on tracks I've heard before. Which were still nice, but I wanted some new pieces. I did like Suzuko Mimori singing the 1st season opening though, that was nice.
The voice work for this series is just as good as its first. With some stand-out performances with unknown voice actors to me, along with some great performances from veterans, it's definatley something to look forward to.
Like Death Parade, this season also got a Broadcast Dub from FUNimation for their winter season. Though I haven't watched as much of it as Death Parade, it's just as good as the 1st season, though has a couple moments here and there.
New highlights to join the awesome family this season in Japanese are Daiki Yamashita, Naoko Matsui (as Onikiri), Yasuaki Takumi, Shotaro Morikubo, Hiro Shimono, Daisuke Hirakawa, Ayaka Saito, Yuko Sanpei, Megumi Iwasaki, Yuri Amano, Kazunari Takeda, and Shuta Morishima (as Kikuichi, though he's also hilarious as Isobe).
Verdict
Finally like Haganai Next, another second season that's just as good as the first. Though it had a couple of minor problems along the way, I still enjoy Kamisama Kiss for what it is overall. I'm really happy that I discovered it, and have really enjoyed it along the way. Hopefully, we have many more adventures to come.
Rating: 10/10
Positives:
Great story.
Fantastic characters.
Good animation.
Awesome voice work.
Interesting new character development.
Overall, a joy to watch.
Negatives:
None major.