OP Sequence

OP: 「高鳴る」 (Takanaru) by 藤田麻衣子 (Fujita Maiko)
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「玉依の運命」 (Tamayori no Sadame)
“The Fate of the Tamayori”

If “sealing” the Onikirimaru had sealed the deal, there would obviously be no need for a second season! Hiiro no Kakera kicks off the second part of its story with what is essentially a recap episode, which may help ease new viewers into the franchise and give returning viewers who didn’t want to rewatch the first season (read: me) a quick and dirty refresher to get the plot in order. The story really is not that complicated, with a fairly standard fantasy-oriented issue driving the gears. This comes with the mandatory world-threatening powers and factions that fight over it, all making for a show whose plotlines run in a linear fashion. Kasuga Tamaki (Miyake Marie) returns as the Tamayori Princess, the guardian entrusted with keeping the world’s spiritual balance in check with her five guardians, Onizaki Takuma (Sugita Tomokazu), Atori Mahiro (Okano Kousuke), Komura Yuuichi (Nakimawa Daisuke), Oomi Suguru (Hirakawa Daisuke), and Inukai Shinji (Shimowada Hiroki). Opposing them is Logos, the mysterious organization led by Aria Rosenberg (Isomura Tomomi). That’s the barebones premise, and I have to call it for what it is: generic.

So why watch?

I’ll reiterate that plot is not Hiiro no Kakera’s – or any otome game adaptations’ for that matter – strong point and never will be. For audiences who want a well-fleshed out storylines with complicated twists and thought-provoking dialogue, this is definitely not the show they should be watching. Shows like Hiiro no Kakera are heavily character-driven and I would almost categorize this as a slice of life based strictly on what its strengths are and what its pacing is most similar to. Solely going off its cast, HnK is pleasant to watch and makes for an easy way to pass the time – what made the first season such a gem had nothing to do with the story or the production values Studio DEEN poured (or didn’t) into the series. Even in its angsty moments Hiiro’s characters were solid and their interaction stayed consistent even with fluctuating quality. And I’d take consistent writing over Guilty Crown any day.

Unfortunately, this recap episode isn’t the greatest indication of what Hiiro no Kakera is capable of, even though some the flashbacks do show snippets of some of the highlights of the first season, particularly with Takuma and Tamaki. The series has heavily hinted at their eventual romance, so the culmination of their moments in this second season will be something to look forward to, if Studio DEEN actually does grow some balls and decide to go through with the pairing. It is a rather dangerous territory to navigate through due to the fanbase each male leads have, so even the mere effort to imply a single OTP is fairly commendable. I don’t doubt the show will continue to impress in the character department and I can only hope the confident manner the producers directed the cast will only carry over into the second season. If so, Hiiro no Kakera will most likely deliver once again, and with the plot looking like it’ll rev up starting next week and what looks to be the integration of Kutani Ryou (Nomiya Kazunori) into the main cast, Hiiro no Kakera: Dai Ni Shou is looking like it’ll go above and beyond what its predecessor was able to do.

Full-length images: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 16, 20, 21, 24, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 36, Preview 02, ED 02, OP 02, OP 05.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「君だけを」 (Kimi Dake wo) by 喜多修平 (Kita Shuuhei)
Watch the ED!: Streaming ▼

Preview

14 Comments

  1. It was a recap, still nice cliff hanger at the end with Baba-san talking about a “sacrifice” Also Vier, not enough of her. A TamakixAria ending Lol just teasing don’t be upset. Go guys, go and win the princess and get the freedom. A really nice watch with its sof mood and colors.

    Yes!@
  2. hmm… felt that they could’ve done a recap episode before the actual start of season 2 like how Hakuouki started theirs. quite a waste of an episode really. not that i didn’t enjoy seeing more Takuma per se, but just saying. =P

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