「絆」 (Kizuna)
“Kizuna”

With the spring season quickly coming to a close (it’s summer already? Oh times flies) every show is quickly gearing up into climax territory and Tate no Yuusha is no exception. With powers acquired, friends reunited, and old rivalries set aside (mostly), it’s now time for putting one four-eyed loudmouth in his place. Will it live up to expectations? Remains to be seen, but hey, positive thinking!

While the buildup to the grand Kyo showdown this episode was certainly better handled than Raphtalia’s claim to fame last time, the same issue just keeps on happening: this season has a serious pacing problem. The premise and backstory for minor characters like Yomogi for example can work fine in practice, but they need more than a single week’s worth of exposition to have any serious impact, particularly when paired with other major developments. Cram it all into one episode and you wind up with what Kyo is right now, an enemy without any real purpose besides giving the hero something to do. It’s quite a shame too because Tate no Yuusha has some good ideas floating around in the current season story arcs in terms of its multiverse, the conflict which doesn’t really need to exist between Naofumi and L’Arc’s party, and the impact actual world travellers have on different universes. A single season in hindsight just isn’t enough for what Tate no Yuusha is going for here, especially when compared to what we got before.

The one positive from all of this, however, is that at least all loose ends will be wrapped up before the inevitable third season wait. Besides Kyo finding certain doom, it’s not unreasonable to think L’Arc and Naofumi will come to some form of agreement thanks to Kyo showing the waves can in fact be generated. Since, you know, what can be created can obviously also be destroyed. This then naturally leads to the return of Naofumi and friends finding a way back home, and with it coming back new and improved and ready for dealing with their world’s variety of waves. Also fellow hero stupidity, never forget that. Honestly not a bad fit for the last two episodes, and while there will be plenty of commiserate over at the end regarding this season overall, what’s left should be plenty to help send things off with a bang.

After all, that remaining animation budget had to have gone somewhere.

 

Preview

4 Comments

  1. It is official, Kizuna is my fave char right now.
    Common sense is strong with her, as well as sense of doing right thing (TM).
    Lecture she piled on Glass and co (with L’Arc cheekily leaving to attend affairs of his kingdom) was absolute-freakingly-fantastic!
    Communication, cooperation instead of fighting… I love her!

    ewok40k
  2. Wow they are absolutely butchering this arc. I wonder why so many good animes get terrible 2nd seasons.

    They literally sped thru 10 chapters worth of material; great battle scenes, important character and relationship development, and proper pacing.

    Really wonder what goes on in those studio meetings. I would hope they’d want to do the source material justice, so I gota wonder if it’s just their budget or some other external factor. Fukin RIP

    Duranvolt

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