Machikado Mazoku: 2-choume

"Don't think this means you've won!" - Yuko a.k.a Shamiko To this day, it's easily surprising how a show like Machikado Mazoku a.k.a The Demon Girl Next Door could even earn the sequel effect, I thought that J.C. Staff's Summer 2019 anime adaptation was a one-and-done deal that was the epitome of a TGIF comedy SoL that was just essentially "The Daily Lives of Highschool Boys" but turned on the affluent Mahou Shoujo a.k.a Magical Girl themes that mangaka Izumo Ito has managed to do well that's enough to stand out on its own, much less being a Houbunsha Manga Time Kirara property (which means thatthis is also a CGDCT-themed series). And that's what exactly happened 2.5 years later with Season 2, which is more or less the same as you'd expect of Season 1's (which you should've watched that before this, obviously) overall quality. The concept (or shtick) of Magical Girls is absolutely nothing new, except how Izumi Ito managed to fill his series with a brush of a plot truly makes it stand out more than just your typical CGDCT series, and back in 2019 it definitely felt so for a refreshing change in the always stereotypical nonsense plot that so many CGDCT series just attempt to make a quick buck with characterization being the strongest suit given the theme, that it ends up being mediocre or decent at best. At least back then when shows like Doga Kobo's Winter 2017 anime Gabriel DropOut were the hot new trend and epitome of CGDCT series done right IMO, this show came in at just about the time to continue capitalizing on that trend (which was 2 years old at this point), and it definitely made waves, just not with a huge fanbase that demanded attention. It's easy to see that the series was largely forgotten as a "here-nor-there" show, and with the good reason that it's a fairly niche show in its own right, that if you were a fan of 4-koma (panel) manga adaptations in general, this would naturally fall in the radar among so many others in the same crowded space that it's hard to pick and choose which one is the "best" amongst them all. And this is certainly the case with Machikado Mazoku with the Shadow Mistress Yuuko Yoshida, her immediate family with Ancestor Lilith, and the Magical Girls Momo Chiyoda and Mikan Hinatsuki, continuing on their corporate journey together. The sequel season adapts Volumes 3 and 4 of the manga, and the only new characters to grace Season 2 are the co-workers at Yuuko's workplace at the Asura cafe: the waitress, huli jing fox Lico, and her manager, the demon tapir Shirosawa. NGL, I actually like Lico's unkempt pervasiveness at being shameless about her cooking that is different trying than mentioning about food. Like, the food sounds dangerous, disgusting and lethal until you actually try it and let those mixed results seep in like the garbage that you're feeling, and whether it turns out good or bad, you're the fool, the guinea pig to actually try out her claims, because she's the wackiest character ever displayed so far. The tapir manager Shirosawa is a nice and kind demi-human no doubt, but it's his health that gets in the way of having a weak backbone that shows his age, making it his repetitive comedic act. Both characters add the splash of comedy into an already bare-bones comedy-cum-plot show, and for what it helps to add to Season 2, I'd think that it's decent enough, if not getting to the point of repetitious boredom. At the end of the day, as already mentioned in the beginning, if you liked Season 1, then you'll definitely like Season 2 here as well as everything is kept the same as before with the "just enough" J.C. Staff quality and a somewhat meh OST this time. Don't get me wrong, Season 2 is decent, but the prequel had a much better offering that's musically more inclining and fitting of the series (a la Season 1's OP still being the best of the bunch that's still memorable to this day). Still though, the only thing that I feel that Machikado Mazoku is strong in, is the character dynamics and wistful storytelling that's comforting comedy and makes you feel inclusive and in tune with the plot's movements. Make no mistake that Season 2 is just as enjoyable as the prequel, if not a tad less enjoyable being more of the same thing that honestly, doesn't add much for a sequel season that IMO honestly is not needed at all. But here it is, and I hope that it provided you with more Shamiko × Momo moments of fun. "Don't give up, Shamiko! There's some fun to be had as your Shadow mistress journey prolongs a bit more!"

Don't think this means you've won, JC Staff! If you've known me, you know I've been very, very vocal on my dislike of the first season. So seeing me give this show such a high score must have been quite a shock, but believe me when I say that the second season of Machikado has been a remarkable improvement over the first. The improvements are obvious once you start the first episode. Oh my God, I can actually follow through the show. The biggest, and by far the most important change is the pacing of the show. It's actually at regular speed now. Now, I do loveme some fast paced anime (Kotobuki is one of my all time favorites), but my God first season was downright incomprehensible at times at how fast it went. Thank goodness the team finally came to their senses and made Machikado S2 actually understandable when played regularly. My second biggest gripe with the series, namely Momo, has also seen some significant improvement. In fact, she went from my least favorite character to up there with my most favorite right after Lico, Mikan, Shamiko, Tenchou, Lilith, Ryo, Joshua, Seiko, Ogura, Anri and Uga. (Hey I liked her more than Sakura) Actually going through some character development and transforming from an otherwise really dull stoic character into more of a tsundere with some obsessive tendencies does wonders in making her all that much more interesting. She does have some funny moments (at last in a comedy series) and is just fun to follow through. Of course, as I always say, CGDCT shows are carried by its characters. Now at last, characters who were introduced far too late or had too little screentime in S1 (namely Mikan) finally have their time to shine and they do bring a lot to the previously stale Momo-Shamiko only dynamic. New characters like Lico and Tenchou also make their appearances relatively early into S2, bringing all that much more into everyday SoL scenes with the whole gang. All in all, without invoking cast bloat, Machikado's rich cast easily elevates the show, in my eyes, compared to the otherwise dull two-man show from S1. Although, what's most fascinating about Machikado is its overarching plot. While S1 featured some aspects of it, over there it felt more of an unnecessary intrusion and detracted heavily from the SoL aspects of the show. Now, it is woven in naturally and does not detract, nay, is vital to the whole experience. Instead of just having a flashback to Shamiko in the hospital, you actually get to see how it affects her and the people around her, as well as how she handles these situations. It's great stuff and it's a testament to both Ito's stronger grasp on the whole series as the manga went on over the years, and JC Staff's commitment to realizing her vision. If there is any major gripe I have, it's that at times the anime feels too faithful to the original manga. A lot of jokes especially are taken straight from the manga and they aren't adapted to fit the anime medium better. Things like a panel breaking to show water leakage, or oversized speech bubbles and sound effects all feel clumsy in the anime. Faithfulness to the source material is one thing, but the inflexibility the staff shows when adapting it for TV does lessen the impact these jokes otherwise had in manga form. Still, Machikado S2 has got to be the biggest improvement between successive seasons I have seen. It is an incredibly well made CGDCT show that successfully differentiates itself from other Kiraras with its surprisingly grim overarching plot that is ever so fun to follow week after week. Ganbare Shamiko! Work hard for that coveted third season!

Machikado delivers yet again for season 2 with great episodes from start to finish and picks up where season 1 had left off from. Season 2 not only has the light hearted comedy and demon girl/magical girl shenanigans it has the plot development the fans have been waiting 5 whole years for and boy was it worth the wait. Each episode went by so quickly and before you knew it the season came to a close. So what do we get this season compared to season 1? we get to see Shamiko develop her powers more, we get to learn more about Mikan and Momo andeven some new side characters are added into the mix.

This is a good, solid, and easygoing anime. It feels like it’s made for kids, but adults won’t get bored either. It’s easy to watch and chill with, especially if you’re not expecting some deep storyline. Though there is a story, it’s simple, almost unnoticeable, but it ends on a happy note. Just the way it should. The art is on point. The characters are likable, the scenes are well-made, and the visuals show real care. You can tell the money was spent wisely. There’s really nothing major to complain about. It works perfectly as light, enjoyable entertainment. For kids, it’s great. For adults, it’s anice way to relax, either alone or with the family. No one’s going to be bored. It’s not a blockbuster or anything groundbreaking, but it’s solid entertainment. Definitely recommend it, just like the first season. In fact, I’d say the second one might even be a little better, the silly main character doesn’t mess up as much this time, which is a nice bonus.

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