Review for Season 2: Just learned a studio of six people created the best fighting animation I've ever seen in my life. What I wanted from the series was a much more appreciated engagement with the characters, and yes, it's very little time to actually get there. Four episodes aren't nearly enough to flesh out a story… But I was wrong about that. It isn't a masterpiece in engagement, but it's an incredibly solid foundation for the character's because of their backstories. Instead of context clues, the writers delved deeper into the why's and when's of each person, and by god, now I'm locked inside theseries. It's a story that builds towards personal stakes, and how those destroy the world by sheer consequence of the minority. Give strong people the power to change everything, and a simple motive to do it for, and heads will instantly roll.
I took a pause from the series after the first season, but even still, the context is given to you even without fully remembering the first season. It's given organically, it isn't force-fed into the audience who might be coming instantly after, but it builds in what you knew, and recontextualizes more. The pacing, man.
It's the pacing which manages to build all these concepts on top of one another, and lead the story into a quest filled with obstacles that instead of being hyped up slowly, it just explodes. You don't need somebody to tell you how dangerous a person, or an enemy is, the series drops them into the gang, and absolutely demolishes everything in their path. I talked about the story, the characters, and their motives. The pacing, but now, what is it about those fights?
Imagine, a person is dropped into a scene, and as soon as we know their motives don't align, we don't need any other reason. The action just explodes, the choreography bursts with creativity, with an immaculate flow that can't be compared with anything else I've seen. Imagine looking at what a Dragon Ball fight tries to feel like, and actually pull off the visuals required for such an image. There are no shortcuts, there's no blur on actions, or a close-up to cut to and save money or time.
Each frame has a clear point, a clear hit, or need to be where it has to be. A character is launched, we won't get a monologue, or an analysis on what to do next. The character follows, and tries to beat the ever living sh*t out of the enemy with pinpoint accuracy, and the enemy will react and not let that happen no matter what. Instead of people saving their best movies for the end, they directly set them up, they execute them, and the damage is always seen on the sound design, on the faces, the reactions.
There's no time to waste. If a person got hurt, that's a window to keep destroying them. If there's two involved against another, both synergize and set-up attacks for the other to follow and keep fighting. There's air control, there are moves that cost too much physical power, and even when used in desperation, they might not work.
There are fights the heroes don't always win, there's loses, there are highs, there's self-destruction that doesn't do a dent.
I can keep talking about the dynamics, but I'll resume by telling you this is by far the greatest effort I've ever seen put to animation. It's the kind of animation you can't believe exists, that no human could ever in their right mind try to make, much less by a group of SIX PEOPLE. A miracle can't make something like this.
Apart from being an immaculate work of art, the story accompanying it is well worth experiencing. I care about these characters, and I want to see the protagonist win against all odds stacked against him. Specially since he doesn't even end on a good note for this season.
9/10. If the story was perfect instead of just good, this would probably land in the hall of fame in the animation landscape, at least for me.
Recommended
This show is superb, SUPERB. I came into this watching season 2 straight after season 1. I was coming into this season on a MASSIVE high. Season one if one of the best anime have ever seen. Season 2 did a great job at maintaining my love for the show. The animation is very much aligned to my taste. I still think Demon Slayer is the greatest feet in TV Show animation. I say TV specifically because i haven't seen enough movies to make this claim for all anime forms. This show however is my favourite.It is absolutely gorgeous.
The animation is this season is just as good. Ill be honest, some of the set pieces are even better. Its getting silly now how good the animation is in this show. I wont say much more as I said enough in the first review. These comments still stand so here is what i wrote.
''The animation here unquestionably gorgeous. The fight sequences are incredibly well done with attention to detail rarely seen anywhere else. The watercolour landscapes are to die for and oozes the artists care and attention. Every single hit you feel and they hit HARD. I watched most of this show aghast at the magnificence i was witnessing. Coming back down to earth now....ill be honest, I'm a little biased. I'm a sucker for anything hand drawn and I love watercolour. So maybe the gushing above is a little over the top but i don't care. The character art is also phenomenal and every character looks amazing in both story progression and fighting. There are just so so many things to talk about in relation to the animation. Its beauty is mind blowingly stunning. The animation is simply fantastic and with this alone, the show is top tier for me. Easily a 10/10, I would give it more if I could. However, the animation is not the only area which carries such quality.''
One thing I do want to mention in addiction to the above is the final fight of this season is the best fight i have ever scene in terms of animation. If extraordinary.
Music wise, I don't feel like it hit the stratospheric heights of the first but nevertheless it of superb quality. The music and sound is in a similar vein to the first. It is string orientated and fits the show perfectly and is a nice change to the overused EDM music in the background of any action sequence. I gave season 1 10/10, i give this season 9/10
Story wise, we get more of it here. I feel like more effort was put into tell the story at the forefront rather than the action taking centre stage. We get some backstories and actual context to the show we didn't get in the first. Despite this providing more story than the first however, i don't think it did as good a job of telling it as the first. Again, the story is still great, but i feel the momentum this show carries loses its way a little in the more story driven parts. Its trying to expand the world and characters across 4 episodes and although it made a bloody good effort, i feel like it tried telling too much in the time allocated to tell it. The ending however is excellent and very exciting. The dip comes in ep 2 to 3 I feel. Therefore, i will be given the story of season 2 8/10
Make sure you stay watching post credits in episode 4.
This show is still outstanding. I feel its a much watch for fans of action orientated shows. If you are into pure works of art in the anime medium, this is also for you. It the most beautiful looking shows i have ever seen and has some of the best actions sequences one could ask for
Recommended
Wu Shan Wu Xing: Xichuan Huan Zi Lin does a good job of wrapping up the loose ends of the episodes 4,5 and 6, which brings this story together in the 7th episode, leaving the audience fulfilled with this 2-hour ride, and giving us some nice cliffhangers to lead us into the final chapter(s). With a passionate push to polish this into a beautiful gem in the end, I believe we will be in for a hell of a ride the next time we get reintroduced to Fog Hill. This season does have some problems, like a juggling act with its story, butagain, the final episode did the rest of the season justice, so I can't be too hard on the criticism. Ultimately, the animation carries the anime, and does so beautifully in episode 7. That is why I watch Fog Hill, and so, I am happy with its presentation.
Animation 10/10
- It's different, but the settings, and vibrant color palette drive the tone of the anime.
Sound 8/10
- Great sound effects, setting sfx as well, and a cool ED (Chinese metal?), however, the voice acting is very similar, I personally find it hard to distinguish character from character.
Story 6/10
- It is a basic premise, with many sub plots, which is fine, but it is a bit much to fit in a small 2-hour season.
Characters 7/10
- For the number of characters in this season, they actually did a pretty good job fleshing out the main cast and making new characters relevant.
Enjoyment 8/10
- Episodes 4,5 and 6 were okay, but episode 7 really elevated this season.
I'd wait to watch Fog Hill of the Five Elements until it is completed. It's been 3 years since I watched season 1, so I didn't remember everything from then. I would generally recommend it to everyone though, because the animation and setting is worth it at the very least.
