Alright people. It’s time to return to more demon slaying. Sorry if you think it is the next season of Kimetsu No Yaiba. Nope, it is not. Because it’s just Orient S2. Yeah. The last time they leave us with a cliff-hanger for the next arc. Some big and epic battle against the Kishin on some island. Imagine if you have called samurais from all over the land in this huge conscription process to fight the evil demon who is as big as the island itself, imagine how much bigger the final battle with the final boss will be. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and see how this immense mission goes.
Episode 13
Musashi and co have arrived but when they want to see to big boss himself, Tatsuomi Uesugi, Kanetatsu has them arrested since they are suspicious and not affiliated with any band. Musashi tries to break free but is easily dealt with by Akihiro Shimazu. Then the big boss arrives via helicopter. Sorry, it’s just Naotora. This guy is a big shot and part of the Five Generals, the strongest Bushi in the land. Lucky for Musashi, Naotora claims they are part of his group. Naotora’s men babysit Musashi’s side and advise them that the Uesugi group isn’t going to bother with anything that doesn’t profit their house since they don’t take kindly to outsiders. This leads them to talking about this mission to slay Yamata No Orochi, the Kishin of Awaji. It is 1 of the 4 powerful Kishin, all born out of the same Black Kishin. This mission is to slay its offspring since its sire gets bigger from what it consumes. Of course Musashi and co aren’t here to hunt Kishin and to find out about Kojirou’s dad. Musashi sneaks in and bumps into a tattooed Bushi. They talk about family and all and he would like to prevent young Bushi like him from dying. But the situation is grave so he needs to get all the help he can get. When Kanetatsu comes to get him, Musashi then realizes he is Tatsuomi himself. Kanetatsu reports this intruder and since Musashi can’t state his rank and all, Tatsuomi will have him thrown to the barracks. Musashi is separated from Kojirou and Tsugumi as he is put into a room filled with several Bushi from different groups. The big ones are Katsumi Amako and Akihiro. Both sides trying to argue that they are the better group and hence will be the group leader. Also in this room is Michiru. When other Bushi hope somebody would stop the Amako and Shimazu side from fighting, Musashi thinks it is his chance to prove his worth as a group leader so he can see Tatsuomi to get more info. Hence the trio engage in a fight (using the back of their swords) to see who is the strongest. Katsumi and Akihiro both target Musashi first as he is the weakest.
Episode 14
Musashi is having fun fighting them until Akihiro pulls out his Kitetsu Blade and he lost. Even Katsumi loses. Musashi is super awed and wants to be friends with them. However Akihiro doesn’t believe him and thinks he is naïve. Plus, he thinks he has an ulterior motive and all. He hangs the losers out to dry that they are weak and aren’t fit to lead. Now that Akihiro is officially the leader of this unit, his makes it clear that his orders are absolute. You just do as you are told. Period. Of course Musashi disagrees with this blind subordination but as expected, Akihiro doesn’t give a damn about his opinion. Musashi fears everyone will be too afraid to speak up and worse, even Michiru thinks this isn’t a form of slavery. Musashi goes to see how Kojirou and Tsugumi are doing. Damn, their unit is so friendly! They’re partying hard! They’re so close that they probably forgot all about Musashi! Musashi is forced to peel potatoes. He meets another guy in the same unit whom everyone ignored, Kijinosuke Noguchi. This senor is pretty annoying… They soon learn they are under the platoon that is commanded by Kanetatsu. He looks more interested in doing taxes than fighting. When lesser oni start to attack, Musashi thinks he can show off by cutting their horns. Too bad it’s tough as hell. But who can slice them easy? It’s Kanetatsu of course. He got time to even argue with his subordinates about precision and order. When much more lesser oni pop up, Musashi tries to calm everyone down and give them hope but it all fell on deaf ears. Instead, when Kanetatsu gives the command and shows how he could slice them all easily, everyone puts their hopes on him. Oh Musashi, starting to think you’re not the star of this show? With other Bushi cooperating to take the enemies down, that is when Musashi realizes that everyone has been working towards the same goal while he was preoccupied of thinking about freedom and all. Yeah, you’ve screwed up big time, dude.
Episode 15
As Tatsuomi and Naotora talk, the latter feels he is find invading Awaji without him. But Tatsuomi has a different mission for him. It seems Obsidian has been found and there is a possible traitor from within to take the Uesugi group when the attack on Orochi begins. He has Kuroko Usami look into it and once she finds that traitor, they go in for the kill. Has Musashi run away? Yeah, he is feeling so pathetic about his big talk and no show, he thinks he has to get out. But Katsumi finds him and talks to him. He can guess what happened but is confident he can become better. Katsumi believes in him and knows how he feels since he tried to stand up for them. Musashi is super awed he is such a nice guy but soon learns he wants to be a unit commander because Awaji was his home and was driven out when the Kishin invaded. Now that Musashi is back, Katsumi trains him. Where that nice guy persona gone to? As Michiru observes them, we are soon told that she is the traitor because she is the daughter of Yataro! Yataro claims he must retrieve Obsidian in 5 days before Orochi finishes its meal. He has high hopes for Michiru to locate Obsidian and she’ll know since her crystals will react. Her jobs is to kill the host and take Obsidian. We hear Michiru narrate she is his 3000th daughter after he created a string of failures. Because he named her, she wants to live up to his expectations. However she is now conflicted about Musashi. Because he remembered her name and expected nothing from her. So she’s in love with him? Is that why she lies to father she hasn’t found Obsidian’s host yet? As Michiru joins in the training, their crystals react and they become some weird flying crystal. This attracts everyone’s attention and this might alert Yataro. When Kuroko manages to stop this farce, she claims to Tatsuomi that Michiru is one of the suspects. But she has an idea. Tatsuomi claims Musashi as the spy and hangs him out to dry. This forces Michiru to do something that would save him. But as part of Kuroko’s plan, this only gives away Michiru’s identity. They will let her lead them to enemy’s base. Tatsuomi briefs his Bushi about taking down Orochi. Those who can even bring down a horn will be given a flying castle of their own. Everyone is motivated for this. Especially the Shimazu clan. However Kanetatsu tells them they will have to sit this one out since their members were suspicious and can only go into battle once they are cleared. This doesn’t sit well with them since they will have no chance at glory and need to find a way they are not related to the traitors. Michiru makes her move for Musashi.
Episode 16
Yataro talks to a fellow Obsidian Eight about the location of Obsidian. It is unfortunate she is deep within the Uesugi group. It is suggested that some will attack the Bushi while Yataro concentrate on retrieving Obsidian. After Michiru frees Musashi, Akihiro is also here but he wants Musashi to talk about everything to prove that he has nothing to do with the Shimizu clan. Despite his goal is to ascend to a position of authority, Musashi finds it weird he doesn’t look like he cares about it. Flashback shows Akihiro’s groupie talking about the clan had plans to get rid of them since Akihiro can’t wield a Kitetsu Blade. They are expected to be killed off at Awaji. Hence they need to prove themselves by breaking a horn from Orochi. Talking oni soon descend. They say hi to their sister Michiru and make the big reveal that she is all acting nice and sweet but is finding the right time to kill Musashi. He refuses to believe it since Michiru is a nice girl. Will he now since Michiru herself admits to that truth? She did all this just as to get approval from her father. Yataro makes his hologram appearance to remind Michiru to kill Musashi so he can retrieve Obsidian. Realizing that Michiru is in the same predicament as he was, Musashi takes Michiru and run while assuring it is not wrong to want your family to care about you. But too late, the oni devour her. Luckily the other Bushi arrive to prevent her from being completely devoured. Kuroko uses her Kitetsu Blade to stop Michiru’s bleeding. The oni devour one of them to become bigger and stronger. Then more oni swarm the place and start attacking indiscriminately. Musashi disapprove of this cannibalism so Yataro lectures him about the law of nature, survival of the fittest and the true nature of prosperity that allows the monopolization of resources. Hence he is okay with his children in devouring the weaker ones who will serve as nutrients for stronger ones. This means Michiru is now a traitor and shell serve as nutrients for her other siblings. He also gives the Bushi’s way of battle as another example of this. Tatsuomi agrees with Yataro’s argument but the only difference is that he also places importance on family and sharing. He uses his Kitetsu Blade to channel his powers to the other Bushi. Now they are stronger and faster as they take down every oni. Later he wonders how the oni got in since there was a protective barrier in place. He is going to get his answer now as Shirou admits he is the one who let them in with his Kitetsu Blade’s power and strikes him.
Episode 17
Shirou makes himself known to other Bushi that he killed Tatsuomi. He has his sword and look at his chamber. It’s overflowing with blood! Damn, he got so much blood?! When all the Bushi get mad and link up to fight him, it seems their link has been severely severed. This is thanks to Shirou’s brother, Seiroku whose ability is that. Seiroku wants Shirou to finish the job by eliminating all the Bushi. However he is not interested in these boring people and is interested to meet Musashi instead. Since he still needs to carry out his role, Shirou uses his power to swap out Musashi. In return, a head of Orochi attacks the place. Musashi and Michiru are in an alternate dimension where they meet Yataro. He wants Musashi to hand over Michiru to be disposed of. He won’t. So Yataro will kill him Michiru begs father to spare him and promises to find ways to extract Obsidian without killing him. At first Yataro looked like he believes her and acknowledges her as his daughter. But Musashi can sense something amiss and true enough, the bastard is going to kill Michiru but luckily Musashi blocks the attack. However Yataro turns her into stone. This is her true form. Then some explanation how he used and implanted a Kitetsu fragment to create dolls like her. Since he is still talking about a child’s worth to a parent, Musashi disagrees and vouches for Michiru’s true feelings that she also cared about him. So did his words reach Yataro? Because he turned Michiru back. Too bad, she no longer has memories of the Michiru we know and is a retarded doll. Musashi fights him but his anger cannot get the better of this fatty. Just when Yataro is about to kill him, Michiru instinctively stabs him. Yataro is mad that some memories in the body still remain and vows to beat it to her until she no longer defies him. With time up, Musashi is swapped out. Seiroku is also about to finish Kanetatsu but lucky for him, time is also up. The brothers retreat just in time when Naotora’s group just ride in for reinforcement and Naotora beginning to clash with Shirou. In the aftermath, the place is destroyed. Many Bushi considering to desert. Kanetatsu pleading to Musashi that they need Obsidian in him to defeat Orochi.
Episode 18
Kanetatsu brings Musashi and co to some underground secret room. He tells of the tale when the first Kitetsu Blade was brought into this world into the hands of the Bushi. That Kitetsu Blade was from Obsidian. Now even after she has passed, her soul resides somewhere and it is said those who possessed her soul will have her powers sleeping within their body. Kanetatsu brings out a treasure that contains Obsidian’s blood. If he drinks it, his body can be like hers. Musashi refuses because it’s too yucky so Kanetatsu forces it down his throat. Sorry for all that squirming since Musashi is trolling us as he feels nothing! So it was all a waste, huh? We see Kuroko making simultaneous plans to slay Orochi, destroy the Obsidian Eight and rescue Tatsuomi. However Naotora is against this and threatens his team won’t join in this operation as their resources are already stretched thin. Either they focus on rescuing Tatsuomi or they pull out from this operation. Thanks to Yataro’s spies, they know their plan. However Shirou and Seiroku relief Yataro from his mission to retrieve Obsidian because other members deemed him a failure. The attack on Orochi begins as the Bushi are making a huge fire close to the island. But this is just a distraction because when Orochi puts it out, the smoke allows a small group of Bushi in which Musashi and his groupies are part of to infiltrate the island to blow up the mines that serve as food for Orochi. Of course Seiroku expected this and has monsters guarding the mine. Thanks to the Shimazu clan, they are dealt with in no time. With Naotora group joining in, looks like that mission briefing was an act to fool the enemy. Musashi’s side has laced the mine with explosive but this is when Shirou comes into the picture. He teleports those mines all over Naotora’s ships! Boom! Seiroku thinks he has won and makes contact with Kuroko. However she has the last laugh as Naotora’s side is still alive and all the info they feed to the spies are fake. It seems they know all their spies among them because of the dead giveaway of them disrespecting the clan’s crest by walking and standing over it. Seiroku doesn’t think there is anyone who can challenge but he is wrong because here comes vengeful Kanetatsu as his challenger. He will shatter his Kitetsu Blade to destroy the infection that is severing the Bushi’s link.
Episode 19
Kanetatsu’s great will for revenge has him destroy Seiroku’s Kitetsu Blade, restoring the link between the Bushi. Although he goes on the offensive, Seiroku still has another trick up his sleeve. Using another Kitetsu Blade, it seems thin sutures have found their way latching onto Kanetatsu. This allows him to do whatever surgery on him like blinding him, breaking his joints and burning his skin. Seiroku tells of his story that he was once a Bushi too but they kept piling the expectations and hardest jobs on him. Of course Kanetatsu doesn’t care about that and can only see he broke under pressure. Kanetatsu then uses his own Kitetsu Blade to cut himself, casting and purging off all the sutures in this seemingly suicidal move. Kanetatsu is taken by surprise that Seiroku is an adept swordfighter as he makes quick slashes on him that are too fast for him to react. Kanetatsu remembers his talk with Tatsuomi who claims Kanetatsu is the strongest because of his abilities. That is why Tatsuomi envies people like him. And also Tatsuomi believing in Kanetatsu that he can be a leader and hope to the people. Hence Kanetatsu makes a daring move to take Seiroku’s stab but this makes him close enough for him to thrust his sword into him. That’s one general down. Now we turn to the fight between Naotora and Shirou. Naotora thinks they have met before like 10 years ago but Shirou doesn’t remember nor does he care. Naotora then says Obsidian is useless because she is the source of the Bushi fighting each other and she should be better off dead. Shirou knows this is bait to make him mad but takes it anyway. So he teleports him and his Bushi deep underwater where they’ll be crushed by the ocean’s pressure. However Naotora manages to cut them out from this watery prison. When Naotora fires all he’s got at him, Shirou deflects them back at full force. The Bushi can’t fathom what kind of colour his Kitetsu Blade is so Shirou shows it was once white but then got dull from everything.
Episode 20
Shirou badmouths those with blue Kitetsu Blade as being common and weak. He is going to let Naotora burn in his lava but instantly it hardens. Naotora reveals the secrets of being a blue Kitetsu Blade wielder. Basically they contain ores that powers the Kishin. Hence they control the elements. So if they can master it, they literally control the battlefield as they would have Kishin-like powers. Naotora uses both his water and fire elements to get Shirou but he slices it and then teleports them to somewhere with no interruptions. Naotora is glad for this because he can unleash a technique that will only kill him rather than his comrades. You see, long ago Naotora’s comrades were massacred by Shirou. He recognized it because of his rare white Kitetsu Blade. Hence he has been honing a skill to not cut down a Kishin’s horn but to kill the Obsidian Eight. Naotora is so fast that Shirou didn’t see it coming and gets sliced. Although Shirou escaped, his Kitetsu Blade so he is out of the game. This means Naotora’s side claims victory although Naotora views this as a draw since using that move, he has injured his arm and won’t be in action for a while. Now we return to Musashi’s group who are fighting their way to face Yataro. The Shimizu side is taking the lead and telling the weaklings not to get in the way. Of course Katsumi shows why he isn’t a weakling and pulls off a few cool moves. He never did this since they were under strict orders. Now that Akihiro hasn’t given any specific orders, he can get a little creative. Before they get to the final boss, Akihiro warns everyone their goal is not Yataro but to cut a horn of Orochi. It is obvious they are out for glory so scorn them for all they want. Just don’t get in their way. They still think the rest are weak especially Musashi who just recently learnt about the energy linking move. Musashi admits his weakness but hopes to help them because he is awed by their teamwork. Is he trying to score some brownie points by saying all the Shimizu clan’s names? Awkward! Now they face Yataro but looks like he has become one with the Kishin. After sacrificing all his daughters, he transforms into a huge ugly Kishin mother. So he thinks he is some oni god now, huh? Just an ugly demonic monster if you ask me.
Episode 21
Holy sh*t! All the other Bushi get wiped out just like that?! Yeah, don’t blame Katsumi and his retainers for shaking so hard in their pants. Looks like this is going to be another job for the Shimazu. However Yataro’s swords and barriers are interfering and keeping them from linking their power. This is where Musashi comes in to cut all those interferences so they can have a better linking chance. With a few near death experiences, they manage to link and send their power to Akihiro who then destroys the horn. Yataro is done. However something strange is going on. The horn turns out to be worthless and all the stones are being shipped into Orochi. This is bad news because the initial plan is to starve and weaken Orochi. If that Kishin replenishes, they will easily wipe out the Bushi trying to exterminate them. Seeing which, they’re already having a hard time cutting through its barrier. So while Musashi and everybody try to plan a new strategy, Akihiro isn’t happy they’re being irresponsible because, uhm, they’re laughing? This leads to an argument with Haruhisa who is the eldest brother. Haruhisa accuses him of trying to hog the glory and doesn’t care for all of them because he didn’t even come to their aid when their lives were in danger. He believes all Akihiro cares is himself and that they are just tools to help him seize the clan’s throne. Akihiro admits to that and gets punched. His brothers are done with him. As they try to fight the next wave of oni, it seems the Shimazu clan wants Musashi to be Akihiro’s replacement. As they link up their energy to him, Akihiro tries to steal it but fails. The brothers accuse him of wanting to steal glory as Akihiro claims he can do it himself. Musashi tries to apologize for taking his place and can tell it was his dream to destroy the oni’s horn with his brothers. Flashback time as we see the brothers in a much cordial and closer relationship. Akihiro declined the role of taking down the oni because he doesn’t want to stand out and would rather follow Haruhisa as the leader. Well, something’s not adding up here.
Episode 22
Akihiro continues to steal the energy from the rest but he manages to destroy some oni horns. The brothers continue to ponder Akihiro’s fixation on glory so it’s time for another flashback. When they underwent the sword trial, Akihiro was the only one who possessed the red aura. Their father the clan leader made him the leader despite Akihiro vouched Haruhisa was way better than him in everything. Hence father had both of them in a sword duel. The outcome was obvious. Akihiro easily beating Haruhisa. Akihiro still refused so father made an official announcement that Akihiro will be the master and that nobody in his family can defy his orders. Plus, now that Akihiro is made to lead, he cannot fail. Later the brothers talk. Akihiro never wanted it all but a sad Haruhisa revealed the opposite. He wanted it all so badly but what can he do? The outcome has been decided. Now Akihiro orders everyone to stay back and just link the energy to him. The brothers view this as an insult because it’s like he doesn’t think any highly of them anymore. When Akihiro is about to go in for the kill, an Orochi head devours him! However they can tell he is alive as their energy is still inked. With Orochi replenishing, the Bushi are ordered to retreat since they will get decimated. Musashi tells Haruhisa to go rescue his brother. The latter seems reluctant as he reveals how much he hates him. He thinks had he inherited the red aura, he would’ve done a better job at leading. Musashi then says he’ll be the leader once Akihiro is dead. Is that what you want?
Akihiro is inside and about to resign to his death fate thinking others would be happy if he is dead when Haruhisa rescues him. As Haruhisa blames him for not having faith in them, Akihiro reveals he doesn’t want them to die and put them in a safe distance. That is why he went in fighting alone. Because he cannot save his comrades and go for the horn at the same time. A dilemma that has been eating him since. With the brothers hearing this, now they claim he worried about something silly. So what if their link is broken? Just link up again! Because Akihiro has no energy, the linking fails. Musashi offers to do it on his behalf but Akihiro remains adamant that he must do it otherwise his life would be meaningless. This is a role he has taken from Haruhisa after all. Also, if he fails, there will be no more reason for him to stay with his family. With one final push, Akihiro destroys the horn. Now that the nutrients have been stopped, the other Bushi take this chance to cut off the Orochi’s horns. Oh my. THIS IS SO EASY?! Now it rains a massive amount of Kitetsu. Akihiro tries to credit everyone for this although he was the one who dealt the final blow. The brothers can take heart that they will be part of all kinds of legends. They also credit Musashi for helping to get them back together. Now the final mission to rescue Tatsuomi begins and this is the group that Kojirou and Tsugumi are in.
Episode 23
Something feels off. The Kitetsu isn’t being absorbed into their swords and is heading somewhere else. The focus is on the team rescuing Tatsuomi. Musashi feels worried and tries to join in the mission. Apparently everyone else too. Yeah, what else missions are there to do? Sorry folks but the rescue team trolls us since they’ve brought back Tatsuomi in one piece. Another easy mission. Tatsuomi talks to Musashi and says Michiru was talking about him. Although she can’t remember him, his name somehow evokes some sort of feelings. How is Musashi going to save her if he doesn’t know where she is? Oh well, there’s a huge crater in place of the mountain. In the centre is a black sword. And who this ugly knight wielding it? This is Yataro and the sword is Michiru. If you’re wondering why Orochi was easily defeated, that’s because Yataro absorbed all the Kitetsu and now they are in their ultimate form. He relishes his experiment has finally succeeded. Because his brotherhood failed to find Obsidian, they turned to creating one with her powers. Shirou also did the same but Yataro outdid him. Yataro has now evolved and is on a different level. Yeah, he is going to massacre all of them! Worse, the Bushi can’t use their powers because he’ll just absorb them. Just like how Obsidian did. As Musashi fights him, he could hear Michiru’s voice. She is glad to be finally of use to him. Although she regrets doing hideous things, it is nothing compared to her father’s acceptance. However, she too feels she has some sort of forgotten memories and this is making her confused. Yataro continues to massacre the Bushi. Before he hits Musashi, time suddenly stops. What’s this? A young Michiru crying alone? Musashi goes talk to her. He can tell she is trying to pretend to forget about him. He sees her memories of being created by Yataro but was abandoned after being disappointed for creating another garbage. Michiru is shocked Musashi didn’t console her more. Hey, he doesn’t know either. She realizes he too is the same lonely person as she is. But thanks to him, she now knows the world is much bigger than it is and wishes they can be together. Well, only 1 way to find out. Travel with him. With Michiru agreeing, she now has all her previous memories back. Since Michiru can’t just transform back into herself, they need to find a black stone inside Yataro, the source that has turned her into a sword. Musashi can do it since he possesses Obsidian’s power. Since he drank her blood, he should be able to master it completely. Time to power up for the finale!
Episode 24
Holy sh*t! Did Musashi go Super Saiyan! Gold Musashi! The irony that his Kitetsu Blade couldn’t stop Yataro’s strike. And even though he lost an arm, he stopped it with a single finger! Wow! Musashi reveals the simple truth. When he gathered everyone’s energy, it didn’t go through his Kitetsu Blade but his body. So it only makes sense, right? Musashi easily defeats Yataro but before he is going to destroy his stone, Michiru wants to talk to father first. It seems Yataro failed to understand her till the end so she feels sad. Then she reveals destroying the stone will also destroy her since she is made out of it. She will meet the same fate as him. The irony she couldn’t leave him in the end. But Yataro says it won’t since half of her body is real. Hence only he will die since he used forbidden arts to fuse himself with a Kishin. Michiru then says she hates him and lists down why. However even so, he is still her father. Yataro in shock. Perhaps those were the words he wanted to hear for a long time. Just when Yataro realizes that she is not him and completely a different person, too late to want to know more. Time’s up. Because damn, it looks like a joke when Michiru quickly says goodbye and then he dies! In the aftermath, Michiru is detained. Tatsuomi has not heard from Obsidian Eight since and it feels there is more than meets the eye because they didn’t kill him when they had the chance. Then a great big party before the groups go their separate ways. Akihiro and his brothers get their own castle but the bigger prize is that they’ve earned their freedom and father won’t control them anymore.
Tatsuomi talks to Kojirou and Tsugumi. He confirms the signature belonged to his late father. However he has no records of any Bushi named Jisai so it could be this scroll could be another temporary alliance. Tatsuomi is willing to summon the other Five Generals to help investigate this matter. Tatsuomi is doing this because he sought Musashi’s help to see the Five Generals and drink the blood of Obsidian as it is split among them. He agreed but had 2 conditions. One of them to investigate further about Jisai and the other is to free Michiru for a day so he can date her and bring her to town?! Oh well, it was worth it to see her smile. After all, Musashi declined to join Tatsuomi or Naotora’s group as he is already in Kojirou’s group and wants to make it the strongest. See, he hasn’t forgotten. Of course we now reach the bittersweet ending as Michiru knows she has not much time left. After all, she was just an extension of Yataro but being with Musashi, she got to be truly herself. She hopes he will find that treasure in her place. And just like that, she vanishes :'(. Musashi sad but he remembers Obsidian’s words to come see her for answers. Yeah. He’ll do just that. Just wait and see. Tatsuomi and Naotora are a bit worried because even though a member of Obsidian Eight is dead, they will always somehow find a replacement. And that potential candidate could be Katsumi as he is snatched away. Musashi and his groupie continue their journey.
Beating Around The Bushi…
Imagine the mission to find more info about Kojirou’s dad takes a big roundabout detour in this season and at the end of it, what do we get? Nothing closer to any answer! It feels like a big slap in the face but oh well, we’ve got one big adventure and destroyed a Kishin so I guess not all is lost. But now that they have earned some respect and levelled up in many ways, at least future endeavours would be much easier since they at least have the qualifications to seek help from the Five Generals. But that is another story for another day.
Honestly, I felt this season detoured a bit. Well, perhaps it would’ve been boring if it was just straight up Bushi vs a big Kishin sub-boss. This sequel feels a lot less so and it concentrates more on the Bushi and other human characters. Good thing or not, personally I am still not impressed with this season. Still felt like a draggy arc with all the human drama and not much of a Kishin hunting going on. The latter felt like just a sideshow and just to provide some obligatory action parts and because to remind us that is what this series’ main plot is.
Basically, this season puts the focus on 2 characters: Michiru and Akihiro. Their drama will be occupying a big majority of this season. Firstly, it feels odd that this huge mission to take down Orochi has the Bushi being split into different regiments. Not sure about the logic behind this because can’t they stick to their own groups? Sure, maybe they want to have each regiment have equal number of soldiers because not all groups who decide to join this have a huge army. Some are just like small time Bushi from some small time village. Not sure if diversity is part of the reason but obviously when you put different platoons with different ideologies, there are bound to be conflicts and clashes. Classic case as in Musashi’s group. I mean, who the heck is in charge of splitting these Bushi into different squadrons?! Do they even have time for that?! That’s why this whole mini group thingy feels a bit weird because eventually you still have those Bushi from the same group grouping together. Not that it really matters anyway.
Before we all label Kishin as the main antagonists, we must also reflect on ourselves and that is why Akihiro and is brothers are for. Yup, their drama seeks to bring out the best and worst aspects of being a Bushi of leadership and power struggle. That is why they start off looking like arrogant dicks. Of course as we can see from a mile already, they aren’t total jerks and have a lot on their plate, especially Akihiro bearing some sort of burden that he was reluctant to in the first. Fate handing him a cruel responsibility and the only way he can cope about it is to act like a heartless jerk. It’s the only way to protect his brothers. And as also you can see coming from 2 miles away, they will have room for improvement once they realize the most basic thing that is important to them. We’re back to being band of brothers again. Oh right. Gotta thank Musashi somehow for not letting their relationship crumble apart, no?
And then there is Michiru who is this season’s pivotal plot because yeah, it is established early that she is a spy for Obsidian Eight. How can such a cute and innocent looking girl become the antagonist? Because they don’t really do. And that is why another prolonged drama of her feeling conflicted because she met such a kind soul AKA Musashi. That’s right. It’s that kid’s name again. Without meeting him, it is obvious she would not have such conflicted feelings and would’ve been the perfect tool her father had been creating. Alas, we can’t have such a cutie do that and even dying from it and that’s why Musashi playing her saviour for the umpteenth time to crack and free her from the shackles of loneliness. She just wants acceptance, right? Well, forget your father. Because your boyfriend’s a lot better! HAHAHA!!! Michiru becoming part of the gang feels like a potential to increase his group. Because the ending credits animation trolled us to see Michiru being part of the gang so we really believed she’ll join them. Alas, it was not meant to be and that could be just a dream because I don’t think Kojirou’s bike can take an extra passenger and hence they have to kill her off. Haha! Yeah, what a waste after Musashi went through all that crap to save her just to have her character get killed off like that. Like as though they just want father and daughter to make amends and then close the case forever. RIP, Michiru. I guess in the end, it will always just have to be that trio, huh?
As for Musashi as the main character, he doesn’t do much this season and I still he is a weak character. Sure, can’t blame him about the Bushi thingy since he just began his adventure. So forgive him for not knowing the basics like the energy linking thingy (which personally feels like some lame power up move if you ask me) and there are much more stuffs he doesn’t know. But you know what? Because he is main character, he doesn’t need to know all that. He’ll get by somehow. Oh yes, he also has Obsidian’s power inside him so that saves a lot of time. In the sense that when plot convenience calls for it, he can just summon her power or whatever and do the impossible. That’s why being such a weak character, he is still so important. No wonder he is so casual in everything too. Yeah, he’d be a great counsellor than a Bushi seeing the kind of advice he gives to others that gives them hope. Yeah, this guy admires just about everything and is so awed. So now at least he has a mission to get the remaining blood of Obsidian so he can have the key to all the answers. Or does that feel like another troll? Because by drinking all her blood and getting her full powers, Obsidian takes over his body and is back, b*tches! HAHAHA!!! Sighs…
Unfortunately for Musashi’s travelling companions, Kojirou and Tsugumi feel so negligible for the most part. I guess this is why they tear Musashi away from them and put him in a different group so this season could focus on those aforementioned plots and dramas. Because it feels so disjointed like as though it could have been Musashi leaving the duo behind, taking a detour and going on this Awaji Island mission himself before reuniting with them waiting and resuming their journey. It really felt like that. And so the duo being put away from the spotlight so they won’t interrupt all those important stuffs this season wants to show us. So as not to make them totally useless, hence they’ve been given the seemingly easiest mission of rescuing Tatsuomi. Even so, they didn’t show us how but I guess with no boss-like characters in the way, don’t want to waste our time further, huh? Well, glad their friendship still intact in the end, right?
Splitting the Bushi into smaller groups, I suppose it is another way to introduce some new characters but as I have already said, aside from the Akihiro clan, everybody else felt unimportant. Even the Amako side feels like second tier. Just because he is a prince and a got a little entourage of his own, het got a little bit more of screen time than the rest. Eventually I don’t see them do anything much either. Perhaps that’s why the final scene of turning him into a potential Obsidian Eight for some shock factor. Otherwise, nobody remembers this kiddo. But I guess this is still better than the rest that completes the group. You still remember that senor guy? Not even sure what his f*cking role is and I thought he was going to be some intelligence expert but this Frenchie or Spanish weirdo feels more like comic relief. Sorry, I take that back. He is too insignificant for me to even notice to be in that role. And then there is a couple of gun totting chicks who are complete forgettable too. I don’t even know their freaking names (Mamori and Shige Tanegashima, was it?). I guess this group lacks hot chicks so they put them in there but I don’t see them do anything of importance. All I know is that they’re supportive of Musashi but even so, didn’t think this would be harem or romance potential. They’re just… Argh, not sure why this group has such insignificant characters!
Other powerful characters like Tatsuomi, Kanetatsu and Naotora show us why they are leaders and a force to be reckon with. The antagonists are rather okay and crazy in their own ways but ultimately still feeling like one dimensional villains since they hate humans and align themselves to the Kishin. After all, it feels there could be more human-like drama and development if the antagonists are humans, right? Don’t see anyone trying to reason with a Kishin. Since the rest of Obsidian Eight still have yet to show their faces, if guys like Shirou and Seiroku have such badass power and they’re not even the top echelons, imagine how much more powerful the rest would be.
The action scenes still don’t impress me either this season. Even with more Bushi, it just felt like they were some colour coded people (yeah, Bushi of the same band dress and look similarly one kind). That’s why that energy linking thingy feels like some lazy fighting technique. You just power up and pass all the energy to the final person who is the anchor who will then unleash the most powerful cumulative energy. Sum greater than the parts I guess? The only interesting one is Seiroku’s sutures ability as it is refreshing to see someone who doesn’t just swing a sword. Sure, the Shimazu clans use their feet as novelty too but Seiroku’s illusionary threads look very dangerous and, uhm, yeah, painful. I don’t know, I just couldn’t help feel Kanetatsu’s pain when he bore the brunt of that special ability. Even though there was a reason, but I still feel disappointed the Kishin of this season didn’t put much of a fight. It felt so easy when Orochi got defeated like as though it wasn’t the main boss anyway despite the whole operation talked like it was like the big final one. It’s like saying if you get rid of their backers, these Kishin are basically useless? Yeah, those damn Obsidian Eight getting in the way and making things complicated by harnessing the Kishin’s power themselves.
Also not impressive this season is the art and animation quality. Still looks pretty average and stiff as in previous season. Worse, they used a lot of recycled scenes during the battle sequences. Even so, the quality rendered feels like they skimped a lot of details. Yes, certain scenes look simplistic enough and you wonder they were rushing or had no heart in it. Or both. Heck, all those unimportant and lowly Bushi soldiers look the same too. Maximum utilization of cut and paste! But the only visual I’m impressed of is Kuroko’s lacy design in some parts of her clothing. Such intricate patterns would be a nightmare to animate if not for modern animation technologies, no? Remember last season at the end of every episode, they had a short segment of the characters doing some funny stuff? Well, they still have them but I think there were like 3 episodes that had that and the rest didn’t have those. Not enough time for a few seconds of jokes? Probably a good thing too since I didn’t really find them funny. Don’t want to distract us from the drama, eh?
Nothing to complain for the voice acting. New ones joining this season include Youko Hikasa as Kuroko as the only one I recognized. I thought Takahiro Sakurai was behind Akihiro’s voice turned out it was Kouki Uchiyama (Shigaraki in Boku No Hero Academia). The rest are Tomoaki Maeno as Tatsuomi, Kengo Kawanishi as Haruhisa (Rei in 3-gatsu No Lion), Gakuto Kajiwara as Amako (Asta in Black Clover) and Tarusuke Shingaki as Seiroku (Kariya in Fate/Zero). This season’s opener is Break It Down by Sota Hanamura & Lil’ Fang. It is rock based and although it fits the action pace of the series, personally I don’t find it suitable to my liking. The ending theme is also another rock outfit. But still, didn’t quite like Irochigai No Ittaba by Gakuto Kajiwara as it sounds pretty generic to me.
Overall, this season still feels pretty meh like the last one. It still feels mediocre in every aspect. It got distracted with some human drama than focusing on fighting on the Kishin. At this rate, it’s going to be a long ride and adventure to eventually rid of all the Kishin. Not that it matters to me at this point. Anime newbies might find it okay but if you are a veteran like yours truly who have been watching anime for donkey years, I expected better. Even though I have set low standards for so many current animes. Not sure if this is going to get another season down the road but those who are interested can still follow the ongoing manga. Oh wait. Looks like this season caught up to the manga so there isn’t much to follow up for now. Yeah, so maybe 10 years down the road when they have accumulated more chapters and stories, they’ll surprise us with a third season. Until then, can we get back to real demon slaying? Next season of Kimetsu No Yaiba when?
Chua Tek Ming~*Anime Power*~ !LiVe FoR AnImE, aNiMe FoR LiFe! 