First Impressions / High School DxD

OP2 Sequence

OP2: 「 激情論」(Gekijō-ron) by Zaq

「夏です！水着です！ピンチです！」 (Natsu-desu! Mizugi-desu! Pinchi-desu!)
“It’s Summer! It’s Swimsuit! It’s a Pinch!”

Splendiferous, transcendent and absolutely divine – this is what we’ve all been waiting for, and it hardly seems possible to start my review without first acknowledging the elephant in the room. I’m just going to address it straight ahead, no claptraps, fustian or whatsoever – that was one hell of an ending sequence, perhaps the very best that I’ve seen this entire year! High School DxD has set a pretty high bar for itself, and the first season has, no doubt, made quite a splash with its now-infamous ED! What we saw in Season One was certainly a tough act to follow – but let us not sell their latest effort short just because of its much celebrated antecedent. Credit where credit is due, it looks like the series might have surpassed itself once again – “Lovely♥Devil” is a marvel in its very own right and I may even go as far as to say it was just as majestic, if not more awe-inspiring than “STUDYxSTUDY”. I’m not going to lie – I have a pretty uncanny fetish for kimono and nothing could get me more amped than the sight of my favorite girls all robed-up! There’s just something about the Japanese traditional garment that I find irresistible and such a get-up has brought their prurient allure to a whole new pinnacle, the kind of sultriness quite unlike anything we’ve seen thus far! But that’s not all there is to the new ED and yes, there appears to be more than just one ace in the hole. For those of you who like their girls wild and rowdy, the fanfaronade of nekomimi was featured early and throughout, and there’s no two ways about it – “Lovely♥Devil” is a feline femme fatale that’s truly one of a kind! Whether it was the cutesy hip-rolling, a lustful game of Twister or the catchy tune itself – the new ED was quite a clambake to say the least, and High School DxD has proven once again that this series is the very quintessence of ecchi and fanservice!

Now that I’ve gotten such zeal out of my system, it’s time to make way for the plot and backstory of the big-picture narratives. Let me be blunt – you’re dead wrong if you think this is just another cookie-cutter swimsuit iteration! High School DxD is anything but ordinary and its fanservice galore is definitely no exception – from nifty little touches like a brewing Boy’s Love to the inevitable but glorious bitch-fight that transpired, this episode has the whole shooting match going for it. I’ve made clear right from the get-go that Rias is my number-one girl – but even I have to admit, Akeno is in a league of her own when it comes to the fine art of cock-tease! Whether its finger-sucking, ear-nibbling or a personalized backrub – everything about her, what she says and does, oozes sexiness like there ain’t no tomorrow! There is never a dull moment when Akeno is present and it seems like the green-eyed monster has finally moved into full swing – Rias is not going to take a backseat to anyone, not Asia and most certainly not Akeno. Their shameless attempts to sex-up Issei is as clear as a bell, and you could hardly blame Rias for failing to keep her countenance – after all, Akeno is no Asia and she is surely proving to be a real threat, both in terms of her superior bust size and the sheer audacity that she exemplifies! Nobody should be taken aback by the ensuing catfight that broke out and you could almost see all that coming from a mile off – to my greatest surprise, the real bombshell of the episode actually came from elsewhere and none of the above could even come close to what Xenovia has in store for us! “Could you make a baby with me?” – Similar to Issei, Xenovia also has a penchant to say the darnedest things and she is quickly establishing herself as a kosher mega baka! Do away with the foreplay and get on with the rough sex – I like where Xenovia is going with her grand plan, and the former Church minion has sure as hell made a great deal of headway in this rat race. Everybody wants a piece of Issei and what may seem like a pipe dream not too long ago might no longer be one – whether it has come to his attention or not, the wannabe Harem King has undeniably come a long way and his aspiration is, in fact, closer to reality than he’s willing to admit!

We all know for sure that Issei has his ways with the ladies – but who knew his charm and captivation extend beyond that of the X-chromosomes! Clearly, Free! is not the only show who’s playing up the fujoshi card and there appears to be a beautiful story of “bromance” brewing in the backdrop. A true Harem King says no to no one and his retinue of concubines certainly has room to expand – now how about adding a knightly blond bishie into the mix? Kiba Yuuto’s majestic speech was quite an eye-opener – his bare chest pretty much did most of the talking for him, and it was heartfelt, affectionate and above all, highly suggestive! Ecchi and fanservice were clearly front and center in this episode, but that doesn’t mean the crux of the storyline has been in any way hamstrung. As a matter of fact, things are heating up big-time, and the better half of this episode was consumed by none other than stage-setting and character exposition. One after another, a slew of heavy-hitters are starting to take the grand stage – Sirzechs Lucifer (Suwabe Junichi), Grayfia Lucifuge (Seto Saori), Serafall Leviathan, Azazel and the Vanishing Dragon, just to name a few! Sirzechs, in particular, made quite an impression in this episode and it seems like he might be a bit of a pervert himself – a diabolical idea that comes in the form of an oppai power-up, coupled with a spanking new way to put his Booster Gear to good use, I dare say Issei is going to hop on board of this one without so much as giving it a second thought! No question, the incoming summit is going to be where the drama and commotion converge. As the head honcho of the Fallen Angel, Azazel evidently has a role to play in this diplomatic arbitration – what’s not entirely clear is where Vali fits into the picture and his true intention has continued to remain somewhat of an enigma. I don’t think he’s looking for a flat-out confrontation just yet, but his keen fascination for Issei is also beyond doubt – the hosts of the Two Heavenly Dragons are going to be right at the forefront of the big leagues and needless to say, I can’t wait to see how all of their interplays unravel in the grand scheme!

Random tidbits:

tl;dr: @SeishunRC – High School #DxD NEW 07: Who needs swimsuits when you have gorgeous kimono, feline femme fatale, finger-sucking, ear-nibbling, Boy’s Love, frenetic bitch-fights and “let’s make a baby”? Oh, and did I forget to mention its brand new ED of the Century? #Anime
 
Full-length images: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 08, 12, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38, 39, 41, 42, 44, 45, OP1, OP5, ED1, ED2, ED3, ED4, ED5, ED6.

 

ED2 Sequence

ED2: 「らぶりぃ♥でびる」(Lovely♥Devil) by オカルト研究部ガールズ(日笠陽子、伊藤静、浅倉杏美、竹達彩奈, 種田梨沙, 佐倉綾音) [Occult Kenkyuubu Girls (Hikasa Yoko, Itou Shizuka, Asakura Azumi, Taketatsu Ayana, Taneda Risa, Sakura Ayane)]

Eyecatch & Preview

92 Comments

      2. Word, couldn’t agree more. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but I doubt it’ll turn up as RandomC’s pick this year. Divine, Stilts and I are the only writers who would even consider watching, much less blogging ecchi. RC’s Expectations Level for DxD is listed as “Moderately Low”, that oughta tell you something 😡

        Seishun
        Reply

  2. well at least it was relax ep give all that kiba show in 1st half & kick-off 2nd half with pool time fun.

    give now that issei got himself lots of awkward probs

    1.akeno want issei got rias jealous.
    2.xeno want issei’s “children”.
    3.oh issei finally meet white person face to face.

    yet while later be meeting 3 faction yea what a way kick-off the 2nd half.

    uchkaz
    Reply

  3. I’ve been asked which ED do I prefer; 1st season ED or 2nd season 2nd ED?
    The way I see it;
    1st season ED has more focus on the bouncing :p
    2nd season 2nd ED has more zoom-in shots on those curves 🙂

    From a different perspective though,
    1st season ED has a cameo by Isei & Kiba.
    2nd season 2nd ED, however, Show Spoiler ▼

    Techim
    Reply

    2. Well,if terms of ecchiness,this ED has definitely surpassed the 1st,as well as the girls’s movements.The 1st season’s ED has those nifty card images associated to every character though,and harem-king Issei 😛

      Eh,I can’t decide!They’re both great x.x

      MgMaster
      Reply

    2. There are actually a number of ways to make that dream come true though it sounds pretty immoral in some cases. One way that’s legal is if you convert to one of those religions that allows multiple wife’s like mormon, or islam. Or the other way is to move to one of those underdeveloped countries where the government really doesn’t give a crap what people do in their own lives. Or Move to one of those places around Eurasia or just outside of china where the laws are pretty nonexistent on wife number as a large amount of female trafficking goes on there. I heard some people around that area pretty much build a harem from scratch.

      Haseo
      Reply

  6. Been looking forward to the pool scene for a while and the show delivered big time – especially with the white hot Xenovia character design. She looks even better than in the LN illustrations! If sexiness rather than “power level” determined which evil piece(s) was (were) required to make a servant, Rias would need a mutation piece for Xenovia. Of course that could be said for the other girls as well. 😉

    Can’t wait to see how they illustrate another of my favorites who should debut in the next episode: Show Spoiler ▼

    daikama
    Reply

    1. The girls tend to deliver big time, but this is above and beyond. Just about everyone is after him. I almost expected Lucifer to hit on him, instead he gives Issei the idea of using boost on Rias breasts. This may not end well for Issei, but then again…

      Bear
      Reply

      1. I almost expected Lucifer to hit on him, instead he gives Issei the idea of using boost on Rias breasts. This may not end well for Issei, but then again…

        I think Ise needs to “worry” about Yuuto more than Sirzech’s. Covering your comrades back is one thing, but Yuuto seems to be taking that concept to an entirely different level to Ise’s dismay.

        Besides, there is NO WAY Grayfia would ever allow Sirzech’s to do something rash like that. If he did, there’d be a sudden opening for a new maou. An angry Grayfia is one of the most terrifying things in the HS DxD universe.

        As for transferring boost on to Rias’ breasts, I guess it could turn out “badly” (depending upon one’s view point) if it caused Rias’ bust to turn into something like the cow demon’s from the Maoyuu Maou Yuusha anime. LOL

        daikma
        Reply

  7. Oh my he who sows ecchiness reaps cockblocking…
    Issei, you are about to begin to find out the real minus of being harem king – namely that girls keep getting into way of each other in the race to your pants.
    Rias, Akeno, Xenovia ended up with Mutually Assured Sex Denial, with issei suffering Collateral Cockblocking.
    Also, Xenovia and her bona fide baka antics FTW!

    ewok40k
    Reply

  9. Sorry, to say this Seishun, and I know that I’ll get downvoted to oblivion, but I think I’d prefer it if you didn’t feel the need to post a screenshot in nearly every sentence you write, especially if we’re talking about the same screenshot. There are a few instances of that. To me it hurts the reading flow. Of course it’s my own fault for clicking on all of them. 😉

    Regarding this latest episode:
    Damn, that ear nibbling by Akeno-senpai. *nose bleeds*

    Oh, and in before the “real” review/summary in broken english by the master of “give” and “cue”, Mr. Klan aka B.I.T.W aka etc. 😀

    boingman
    Reply

    1. That was not supposed to happen, it has been edited. Thanks for letting me know.
      Why would you get downvoted to oblivion? You’re just voicing your preference, nothing wrong with that :3

      Seishun
      Reply

      1. I think there’s still the “blond bishie”/”bare chest” one, unless that’s how it’s supposed to be.
        I am just wondering if your episode postings would read different if you didn’t feel the need to post so many screenshots. It’s not the amount of screenies, it’s the way they’re placed that slighty bothers me.
        Regarding the downvote, obviously I am in the minority with my opinion, so there will be ppl who downvote to make it disappear. That’s okay.

        boingman
        Reply

      2. Not at all, I just chuck them in however I like after the post has been written! Thanks, have edited that as well, this is what I get when I getting less than 4 hours of sleep. I haven’t had time to review/edit this post to be honest, let me do it right now and sorry about that 😡

        Seishun
        Reply

  10. Xenovia’s pretty dense, in the way that she can’t read the mood at all. Can’t wait for the Show Spoiler ▼

    Also, I love how they show Azazel in the opening and the initial scenes. He looks like a badass villain Show Spoiler ▼

    Andro
    Reply

    1. Xenovia is far from dense, she’s the same as Asia brought up in a church environment which makes them incredibly naive about how to act.

      Xenovia gets some pretty crazy idea’s and misunderstandings at times Show Spoiler ▼

      Show Spoiler ▼

      Newhope
      Reply

      2. Agree. Xenovia’s not dense (though she is a kind of a “power-idiot” in combat). She’s just has a severe lack of knowledge about RL socialization. FWIW, I posted a more detailed explanation about her below.

        daikma
        Reply

  14. Oh man,when Akeno get’s going there’s little stopping her.And yea,it was interesting to see how different Rias’s reactions are when Akeno’s her rival instead of Asia.She definitely see’s her as an actual threat of stealing her Issei.Let’s see:

    – They both have an amazing figure.
    – They’re both very seductive.
    – They both have their almost guaranteed moments alone with Issei – Rias at his home and Akeno when draining the dragon’s power.

    For this episode however,Akeno’s barrage of sexual assaults on Issei kind of caught Rias by surprise while she managed to keep her trollface composure so while looking at it from neutral ground I’ll have to give a few extra points to Akeno here.I still can’t decide between them though,but then again,neither can Issei!As such,I’ll continuing to support your wish to become a Harem King,Issei.After all,if you can’t decide,just take them all!

    Don’t even get me started on Xenovia though,she almost got one over both Rias & Akeno this ep.And damn,that swimsuit!

    MgMaster
    Reply

  16. THIS! THIS!!! *puts on Akeno goggles* THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR! Akeno in attack mode!!! *o* eyegasm! EYEGASM I TELL YOU! Damn you Issei for being so lucky! First Rias now Akeno! T_T Learn how to share you bastard!

    shamaticgrl
    Reply

  19. Xenovia gets the eco-award of the week. More women should follow her example: Safe the environment by wearing less artificial fiber. Now if only it wouldn’t increase the carbon footprint of all the men who are panting after her it would be perfect.

    bearzerger
    Reply

  20. Rias got too complacent with just Asia living at the house and with knowing others want Issei for his power. Akeno wants Issei too but it’s different for her – she wants all of him. Not just his power, not just his libido – she wants everything.

    Arakan7
    Reply

  21. In the first episode I got angry that the studios split the Akeno affair/Rias angry scene. Now they rectify the mistake by making an additional dragon power sucking session.
    https://randomc.net/image/High%20School%20DxD/High%20School%20DxD%20NEW%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2015.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/High%20School%20DxD/High%20School%20DxD%20NEW%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2016.jpg
    Akeno is just practicing her blowjob technique for when the time cums (Get it?).
    Xenovia’s “Let’s make a baby” antic was one of the best, something that Akeno didn’t thought about it until she mentions it. xenovia rocks when she says straight to the point, “He was only trying to plant his seed in me!” Her slutty-ero levels are OVER 8000!! Xenovia deserves 9000 Seishun points.

    Now I got 2 complaints:
    1- The “Vulgar-Thunder Priestess & Virgin-Crimson Princess” insults were omitted along with the long Devilish Cat-fight.
    2- Gaspar included in the Ending!!!!! It just Wrong!!!!!!!
    Many men will regret fappin when 8 and 9 is out.

    Gp01025
    Reply

  24. Yes this episode was what I could expect from DxD fanservice it’s sad that the series is only going cover 2 volumes instead of the 3 that this arc is….but I hope DxD comes backs and has a third season.

    Kyon12
    Reply

    1. Season 1 covered two LN volumes so it’s the same thing. LN vol 05 has a lot of fun events (to be spoiler safe), but there’s no way it could be adequately covered in this season as well. I sincerely hope they don’t try to squeeze it into this season, but rather leave it for a 3rd Season. Maybe I’m wrong, but I get the impression this is quite a popular LN series so I don’t know why they just didn’t make this a 24 episode season covering LN volumes 3-6.

      The anime already cut what I think is an fairly significant scene – Ise giving swimming lessons to Koneko (Asai as well). The reason is that Koneko comments on how Ise is a “gentle heavenly dragon” in contrast to all the prior hosts and illustrates that that Ise cares about his female comrades in more ways than just bust size.

      I guess the director felt that there wasn’t time for that scene, but I would have liked them to fit it in somehow. Leaving stuff like that out can give non-LN readers a wrong impression about Ise.

      daikama
      Reply

    1. Btw, is it not interesting. How a former Church Member, knows this kind of Bath suits 🙂 i was hoping more Asia’s Bath suit. it is common suit…

      You really should not press to much on this “Holy” to “Ecchi” (to be kind) Turbo Button. But of course, it is your decision. We are no Hidden “Ecchi” under the frock, pretty please

      Germanguy
      Reply

      1. Part of Xenovia’s “charm” (at least for me) is how utterly clueless she is about RL stuff like that. This was her first swimsuit, which she had trouble putting on (why IDK). So rather than “knowing about it” ahead of time (i.e. shopping for a specific swim suit design in mind), I suspect it was something she chose on impulse at the store (LN mentions Rias buying a new swimsuit and I imagine some, if not all, of the other girls went along as well).

        Her personality is very straightforward and she thinks in very “practical” terms. She probably felt that type of bathing suit was very “functional” since there was little material to get in the way of movement = better for swimming. Same thing with her scene with Ise. She wants a kid so the “logical”/”practical” thing to do is ask the one “acceptable and available source for genetic material” outright, and start…err, working on achieving her goal right away. No point wasting time ;).

        Follow up conversations on this topic are in the same practical, really “scientific experiment” type manner. Her “research” methods and commentary about boys and relationships are hilarious IMO.

        My point is that in terms of Xenovia (and Irina) IMO it is not a case of “Holy” to “Ecchi”, but rather “severely isolated upbringing = clueless about RL = makes embarrassing comments/clothing choices/etc. without realizing it.”

        daikama
        Reply

      3. Well, nice Explanation.
        But, she knew that “making Babies” is only allowed between married Couple. So what she is doing right now is Wrong, and she should know this.
        I know, they make her a bit “ecchi” for this Anime. But When she was wielding the Sword for the “Light” her Persona was not that “Dark”. Oh Well, lets stop her. I wish she would behave like Asia. Well, Asia strip too. But only in reaction of not losing to Rias…

        Germanguy
        Reply

      4. @Germanguy: The spoiler “safe” (I hope) answer is that in-universe (i.e. not applying RL morals/viewpoint, but instead looking at it from the HS DxD world), you have to keep in mind that there are different societal views for Devils, Humans, Fallen Angels (though they pretty much go along Devil lines), and Angels (not to mention any other societies).

        From the “Devil” point of view, it’s fine. If/when Ise becomes the “Harem King” (high class Devil with his harem), he would be expected to have kids with his consorts (harem) along with Rias. Probably same thing for Fallen Angels though their society is seems to be even more lax.Obviously for the Angel faction there is a lot restrictions/conditions on that stuff or they will “fall”. There are very few new Angels (half-Angels are extremely rare).

        There’s another reason as well – the population of all three major factions was decimated by the previous war. The Devil faction needs to replenish its numbers, especially “pure-bred” devils (mentioned last season), and Devils (especially “pure-bred” couples) have a very hard time conceiving children (guessing that’s an offset for longevity. Otherwise, a couple might have 200+ kids!).

        The other problem is, IIRC correctly, there was some meaningful dialog left out. Xenovia tells Ise something to the effect that she’s willing to do bear most of the burden in child raising, but she expects Ise to be around and interact since she feels that it’s important for child to have both parents (if possible). She comes across much more responsible (leaving the child out of wedlock issue aside) in the LN. She’s given things a lot of thought. BTW, She’s part of the uber rich Gremory House so financial support isn’t an issue.

        Hopefully this will clear up some of your concerns.

        daikama
        Reply

  27. High School DxD starts off its new arc with an awesome new Op and Ed and some entertaining harem action!

    I really like the new Op and Ed. Sure, it reuses some scenes, but at the same time it adds to them to such a degree that it’s not a complete retread of Symphony. But Lovely Devil is the real treat of the pair, and much more of a worthy successor to Study X Study. There’s no pole dancing unfortunately, but we still have the DxD girls dancing erotically in tight outfits and in smooth animation. And we also have some talented Seiyuu’s on vocals, which I’ve always liked in my harem anime. All in all, a great way to cap off the DxD’s new arc.

    Azazel finally truly makes his presence known to Issei and the Occult Club, though his true motivations in hanging out with Issei remain unknown. Does he want Issei’s Sacred Gear? Or does he seek to use Issei to fulfill his own ambitions? In any case, I’m expecting the negotiations at the school to give more insight into Azazel’s motivations and character, and hopefully give Issei a chance to show that his holding his own against Kokabriel wasn’t just some fluke.

    It’s official, Kiba’s in the harem. I wish for Issei’s sake I could say I was joking, but a guy vocally dedicating his life to you, and pretty much shirtless in a locker room, is a major flag. The only person Kiba’s shown that amount of loyalty to is Rias, and while I’m sure that loyalty is completely platonic, I can’t help but see some undertones with his loyalty towards Issei. I’m looking forward to seeing more bromance between these two, even if Issei would want to avoid it like the plague.

    It looks like it’s finally all out war for Issei, with Rias and Akeno seriously going at it. I can get why though, as compared to Asia, Akeno is a real threat. She’s daring and forward, to an absurdly higher degree than Rias is, and her power, beauty, and sex appeal is almost at or even equal to Rias’. Not to mention she’s Rias’ best friend so I can see Rias feeling partly betrayed by the fact that Akeno is gunning after Issei as well. The “Buchou” part of Rias is probably shocked she didn’t see it coming. I’m hoping for some more catfights between the two in the coming episodes and maybe we can even get Asia in on the action?

    It was very nice seeing Rias jealous for once, and struggling in a way that’s probably very foreign to her. Rias wants to monopolize Issei, or at least have his affections primarily directed towards her, and while she’s willing to partly share him with Asia, that’s probably because she feels that Issei doesn’t in any way see Asia in a romantic or attractive light. And considering his actions to try and maintain her purity despite his own perversions, I can see why she’d think that. But Akeno can rile Issei up just as well as she can, maybe even better, so the position she thought she had unopposed, that of Issei’s “Number 1 Woman,” has finally come under attack. I’m very interested to see how Rias will react to this, and if she might just start becoming more daring so she can beat Akeno.

    Xenovia… well, she’s an oddball. She has trouble remembering why she even joined the Devils in the first place and her new goal in life to replace her devotion to the Church will certainly bring more trouble to Issei. I wouldn’t put her into the harem, since her wanting sex has less to do with liking Issei and more to do with wanting a strong baby. Though I can see her attempts to sleep with him both infuriating the rest of the harem and giving the two some time to truly develop a relationship.

    We finally get to properly meet Albion’s Wielder, Vali, and I’m sure the next episode will start giving us some more information about his character and what he’s after. And if the Op is any indication, a major focal point of this arc is going to be Issei having to go against him, maybe under the orders of the Fallen Angels? In any case, I’m an eager anticipation!

    Frontier
    Reply

      1. @Bear: Don’t sell Akeno short, she’s an “S” AND and “M” ;). You’re correct that the “affair points” has something to do with her increased interest in Ise, but don’t forget that it was Ise rescuing Rias from Raiser that sparked her initial interest. Akeno genuinely likes Ise and sees him as something special.

        daikama
        Reply

    2. I just got back from Tokyo this afternoon to be honest – so as you can tell, I’m a little bit behind on my blogging schedule T__T
      Fairy Tail and Majestic Prince will come first, but I’ll get to DxD very soon, no worries! Thanks for bearing with me, love you guys :3

      Seishun
      Reply

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