First Impressions / High School DxD

「聖剣、来ました！」 (Kiyoshi ken, ki mashi ta!)
“Behold, a Holy Sword!”

There’s something almost contrary and wayward about a show like this one. After all, the second episode of High School DxD was filled with none other than character drama, stage-setting and mythological explications – not the kind of narratives that you would expect from an ecchi comedy, which is broadly perceived as all fanservice and no plot! Xenovia (Taneda Risa) and Shidou Irina (Uchida Maaya), the newly arrived Church minions, were right at the center of attention and they have certainly brought with them an upsurge of hullabaloo this week! Xenovia, in particular, was a distinct standout, and her many verbal jabs were unquestionably marked with a ripping sense of acidity and tartness – so much so that it almost reduced poor Asia to tears!  It’s hardly a surprise to see such vehement animosity between the Church’s followers and the fallen Saint – back at Season One, it was the Devils, or should I say, Issei who lent Asia a helping hand when she was caught up in dire straits! In fact, Asia has been completely ostracized by the Church and she is now widely condemned as a “witch” – a blasphemer who has sided with the dark side! The Church’s rigid and patronizing ways were pretty unsightly, and Xenovia’s exemplar has only served to emphasize the outrage and horridness that prevail in their world – her ostensible condescension were felt early and throughout, to such an extent that you could almost see the burning rage in Rias’ eyes!

Issei’s steadfast devotion to his nakama has been made clear since day one, and it should go without saying that he’s not going to sit back and close his eyes to such blatant disparagement. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Issei is one of the few harem leads who is well deserving of all the affection he gets, and his unrivaled valor was prominently on display again this week. Not for the first time have I found myself “man-crushing” on Issei for the crazy things he says, and his headstrong gallantry to stick up for Asia was yet another fine example of his matchless machismo! “I’m her family, her friend and her nakama” – it’s as clear as crystal that Issei will not think twice about riding a shotgun for his friends, and the forthcoming face-off, one that pits Xenovia and Irina against Issei and Yuuto, could have been sniffed out from a mile off! Speaking of Prince Charming, the illumination of Yuuto’s thorny past was quite an eye-opener – it appears that his crossing with the Church shares certain similarities to Asia’s dreaded fate, and the former test subject was disposed of like a lab rat once his seeming avail has run its course! The Church’s modus operandi is far from commendable to say the least, and I don’t think anyone could blame Yuuto for harboring such bristling resentment for the “Excaliburs” – he lost his friends, his self-worth and everything that he once had to this cursed ordeal!

I have a sneaking suspicion what we saw this week is merely the tip of the iceberg, and it’s safe to say there’s more to the Church than meet the eyes – hidden agendas, ignominies and a good deal of mysteries that is set to be revealed on the horizon! But make no mistake about it, the latest happenings were not all somber and intense – as a matter of fact, the entire episode was sprinkled with luscious fanservice and great sidesplitting moments, starting with Rias sempai’s barefaced attempt to sex-up Issei every morning! The high-ranking devils, Shitori Souna (Takamori Natsumi) and Shinra Tsubaki (Kimura Akiko), were quick off the mark to bestow upon us one hell of an ecchi goodness, and their steamy get-together was certainly defined by some of the most flavorsome birthday suits – in all shapes and sizes, I might add! Issei, true to his reputation as a wannabe Harem King, was also at the forefront of the comical skits, and his brief exchange with Ddraig (Tachiki Fumihiko), the revered Welsh Dragon, was irrefutably wacky and hilarious. All that glib talk and his eminent goal to land a boob-kiss – or as Ddraig aptly called out, a shameless attempt at breastfeeding – tickled my funny bone right on the spot! It remains to be seen how Issei’s affinity with the Heavenly Dragon would evolve over time and I strongly suspect this will not be the last time we see Ddraig in action – an odds-on showdown with the Vanishing Dragon is bound to happen sooner or later, and needless to say, the extravaganzas to come can only be all the more majestic and larger-than-life!

Random tidbits:

  • All the serious conversations must occur in the steam room – Can you make out who’s bigger? Souna’s not especially well-endowed, so that’s one for Rias and zero for her steamy rival!
  • Hair-sniffing spotted! – I’m sure she smells damn good! I can’t be the only one who wants to give Rias sempai a thoroughgoing snuffle right?
  • “I’m helping a guy suckle! I When I did I fall so low?” – I’m going to have to side with Issei on this one. Boob-kissing is a great joy in its very own right!
  • “I have to protect Asia and her feelings” – Does that make Asia a cock-block? And here I was thinking a Harem King is allowed to bed more than one girl!
  • I have a very bad feeling about this secret door – I smell trouble and it could very well be a trap!
  • “Gotta love the mirror finish!” – I think it’s white! The fine art of peeping has been perfected by Issei.
  • “Life’s problems tend to sort themselves out” – Issei mysterious client continues to be an enigma. Koyama Rikiya (Fate/Zero’s Kiritsugu) has such a sexy and soothing voice!
  • “Shake Your Bon-Bon, Amen!” – Not only does she have an exquisite ass, Irina has also shown quite a personality, frivolous and caustic at the same time!

tl;dr: @SeishunRC – High School #DxD NEW 02: Hair-sniffing, steamy sauna action and waking up next to two naked girls! You are grossly mistaken if you think that’s all there is to High School DxD. #Anime
 
Full-length images: 03, 06, 08, 09, 10, 11, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 35.

 

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73 Comments

    1. I’m pleasantly surprised to be honest.I mean we had a decent story in S1 too but this looks like it’s gonna be even better.With a good story and some of the best fanservice out there this is turning out to be a really good show by more standards than just those of us pervs 😀

      One of my friends that’s not really into ecchi but doesn’t exactly hate it ever actually praised Highschool DxD for it’s plot(no,not the PLOT – we all know that can’t get enough praise).

      MgMaster
      Reply

    2. It’s not like fanservice for some reason excludes any plot. You could take the most plot heavy anime of all time and take away their clothes to make it full of fanservice, but that wouldn’t for some reason remove the plot.

      DxD has plenty of serious story, even some of the characters have pretty serious problems. But it’s still a comedy, so there will of course be a fair amount of fun harem situations.

      Znail
      Reply

    5. As they always say, the perfect blend of plot and backstory ;P
      I really like where the story is going, Xenovia and Irina have made quite an impression, and Issei gets to be a badass – great entertainment, indeed :3
      I’m also quite surprised no one has made the “Unlimited Blade Works” joke yet. That’s so yesterday, I guess 😡

      Seishun
      Reply

  2. Dat ass….and also dat plot….Irina sure is hot.
    And I realise that I shouldn’t watch SnK after watching this. Goddamit I half expected Yuki Kaji to go ‘Oppai!’ in SnK.

    Lysimac
    Reply

    2. Must be the twin-tails and that exquisite ass of hers :3
      LOL Trust me, you’re not the only one! Eren would become a real man one of these days and he’ll go “Oppai” 😛

      Seishun
      Reply

  6. Irina and Xenovia (Zenobia?) are such a nice addition to the cast…
    Irina’s mix of frivolous flirting and fighting zeal makes her perfect candidate for turning into another haremette (and she will fill the childhood friend niche, perfect!).
    Xenovia on the other hand is a fantic to the core, trying to guilt Asia into sacrificing herself in a ritual execution as atonement for “falling”. While this makes her much less likeable, it generates nice conflict and it allows Issei to take up protecting his harem again, and sets up a nice double-duel!

    ewok40k
    Reply

  8. kiba had sword battle hammy freed til freed call back from someone & yet issei got pillow grab by rias & asia in the morning?

    oh issei got call from his dragon arm about beware of white dragon give issei i can take it & be the harem king.

    club meet wonder where kiba due to rias reveal more kiba was experiment for excalibur swords give sword make into seven pieces give test subjects we’re going be “discard” give kiba escape almost snow buried til rias rescue him.

    then rias & akeno meet with student pres & vice about church members in town then lead issei & asia meet two female church members give orange hair was one from his kiddie pics.

    next day church members had meet with rias about 7 swords give 3 are missing yet those two were holding holy swords give wonder rias if plan work fallen give in her family names will not work with fallen.

    well almost all set til blue hair saying that hurt asia that got issei full defend the asia so now spar battle with issei & kiba vs two church girls.

    B.I.T.W.
    Reply

  11. I can picture seishun going nuts while blogging this… and here’s the real catch, i can picture him going nuts all the way this season… watch the heart dude, contrary to popular belief, boobs can kill ya. XD

    n30nl16ht
    Reply

  17. Just gonna nitpick for a second Seishun: Issei’s dragon is the Welsh Dragon, not the Red Dragon. Did they make the distinction yet in the anime? Red Dragon comes much later, and he’s a lot bigger… in a lot of ways :X Still, great post! Love this show!

    Aex
    Reply

    1. Also:
      “I have a very bad feeling about this secret door – I smell trouble and it could very well be a trap.”

      If you don’t already know and didn’t do that double innuendo on purpose, your intuition is uncanny! Almost scary!!

      Aex
      Reply

  20. Season 2 pulls out another winner with an episode filled with a heaping helping of both plot and fanservice!

    Kiba’s quest for the Holy Swords is gearing up to be a major focus of the second season, at least for the first half, as we learn about Kiba’s origins and why he is so fixated on destroying the pieces of Excalibur. With all these new details about Kiba, I’m left wondering whether much of his kindness and nice guy routine were a front to hide all the pain and anger of his past. Being used and tossed aside by a side that claims itself to be better than “Devils,” I can understand Kiba’s hatred. Though I have my reservations regarding his quest, especially since the majority of the swords he wishes to destroy are in the hands of the church and church affiliates. Trying to destroy them could incite a major battle between the Church and the Devils, though whatever may happen I know Issei will still have his buddies back.

    This episode marks the first “casual” conversation between Issei and Ddraig, learning a bit more about Ddraig and his history, and so far the two look to be on their way to becoming strong, if ill-matched, partners. Ddraig actually strikes me as a pretty cool guy, considering he’s okay with partnering Issei despite how a pervert who wants to suckle breasts isn’t his first choice in a partner. I’m looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops over the course of the season.

    Despite what Ddraig said about those wielding him being popular with women, I think he failed to take into account that Issei’s perverseness may counteract the effects. I mean, aside from a few exceptions, most women are repulsed by Issei and that hasn’t really changed since he’s awakened his Sacred Gear. Heck, I’m sure the girls of his school prefer pairing him with Kiba than actually seeing him in a romantic light. Not to mention that his current Harem only has two official members in Asia and Rias. About the only time I can say the Sacred Gear has helped him with women is in leading Rias to make him her pawn, but that was more because she knew it had potential instead of being charmed by it.

    I have to say that the scenes with Xenovia and Irina had me less thinking about how they may be potential harem members and more how messed up the Church is. From the sheer joy Xenovia seemed to take in offering to kill Asia to send her to God to Irina acting like a psycho before she attacked Issei, at first glance they appear to be a one step away from being as bad as Freed and that’s saying something. I’m all for being allowed to believe what you want to believe, but religious extremism is a definite no-no.

    Still, there’s hope for Irina since it appears part of the reason she came back was to see Issei so there’s probably something there between those two, if only one-sided on her part. Xenovia is trickier, and I’m very much interested to see how her relationship with Issei will progress from here. But first things first, its time for Issei to teach these Holy Sword users a lesson, by way of Dress Break!

    Frontier
    Reply

  22. I thought picture #27 was supposed to have Rias’s eye change color. what happened? The thumbnail shows her eye changing color, but the actual picture has her normal eye color.

    someone
    Reply

  23. I don’t usually comment but DAMN YOU Seishun!!! You just made me watch the entire season 1 in two days!
    Don’t be so modest, you’re officially my favorite writer and you’re excellent, maybe the best among the current RC bloggers! I LOVE YOU AND I LOVE DxD! Keep it up, my friend!

    Kimijima
    Reply

    2. Oh man, stop making me blush, thank you my good Sir. I hardly think I’m that good – far from it to be honest, but I do try my very best and I’m glad you like my work :3
      Keikaku doori, ufufu~ I’m trying to make everyone into a slave for Rias sempai 😉

      Seishun
      Reply

  25. Seishun, the preview for image 27 and the large version of image 27 (which you linked to with the words “burning rage”) do not match. You must have uploaded the wrong image for one of them, because the preview has someone with red eyes, but the full-sized image has Rias with her normal blue eyes.

    Wanderer
    Reply

    1. +20 Seishun Points!
      I’m glad someone notices. It’s intentionally to be honest, I love Rias sempai in both forms – blue-eye and red-eye, so I decided to include both. There are only 36 spots for screen caps though, so I combined those two in one spot just to make space for the rest 😛

      Seishun
      Reply

  28. Random thought, could this show ever work in a gender swap scenario?

    Like, if all the hot female demons were hot male demons(ala the Free! guys) and Issei and Yuuto were female(ie. Yuuko is the beautiful class idol, and Issei’s the biggest fujoshi perv in anime).

    zztop
    Reply

  31. Among the many things I like about the adaptation of this series (like the “plot” and “backstory” =P) are battles that are given more detail and shown accordingly. Thus far in the story, there have been a few battles that were not described in the LN and simply alluded to like Rias and Akeno vs. Raynare’s fallen angel lackeys or Kiba vs. Riser’s 3 pawns from season one. In this instance, it was the brief skirmish at the beginning Kiba had with Freed. It was nothing spectacular but gave the overall story that much more life one would expect from an anime adaptation. It was just nice to see on screen.

    Now for that steam room scene…my god! That scene was so full of oppai goodness. Rias and Akeno are enough to give me a heart attack but add Sona and Tsubaki – I’m amazed I survived. Now Rias is my favorite and Akeno is up there too, but I just have this soft spot for Sona. I love her character design and I think its nice to have her slender build among the many well endowed females in the cast.

    Lastly we get to the proper introduction to Xenovia and Irina. Quite the impression they made on Issei and company – especially Xenovia. Poor Asia, she is such a sweet girl you can’t help but feel for her and understand Issei’s outrage. That scene was hard for me to watch since so I adore Xenovia and Asia.

    The next episode should have one of my favorite among many scenes involving Xenovia and Irina in HS DxD – and it’s not even an action one.

    RifuloftheWest
    Reply

  32. I agree with Rifulo, and even had to go back to check about the fight between Kiba and Freed. Which they barely touched upon in the light novel, but that small skirmish between the two was a bit of treat seeing it animated and expanded upon. I also can’t get over how well Freed was played by his voice actor. It made that scene even more delightful, but I can clearly say the same for the rest of the series. The amine is off to a great start, and as always they’re rather faithful to the light novels. I remember reading comments on other sights that people think Irina’s personality is a bit different from the light novel, but I don’t feel the same. Irina is another character who’s personality I think brings out the original from the light novel as well as Xenovia. So far, I am quite happy with how the anime is rolling and I hope it continues. This is clearly my favorite series right not period, as I’m almost caught up with the light novels. It’s just that good.

    Also I was curious about what this season was going to adapt, but after some searching it appears that the anime season will cover volume 3 and 4 of the manga. Which made me a bit peculiar, because the opening focuses on volume 3 and Kiba’s arc. Well, I found out that’s because this is the opening for the first part which focuses on the excalibur arc. Once this arc is finished, there will be a second opening that will cover the events of volume 4. Since I was beginning to fear that volume 3 would take up this season, but luckily that isn’t true. Though, it’s awesome that this season will be getting two openings and endings. Well, they sure are making the fan’s happy. I just hope this keeps up with the same level of quality we have now.

    Hyosuke
    Reply

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