Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga

So who hated the first season's ending........AND the movie? Well, this second season VASTLY makes up for that... Kyoto Fujouou-hen erases what the first season finale did and makes it's way to a new conflict involving the resurrection of the Impure King, however with this going on, Rin Okumura has his own personal demons to deal with along with Bon's more family issues to wring in much more character development from the rest of the cast, what can LA say ALREADY but this second season MASSIVELY helped with it's characters with how they portrayed and developed the majority of it's main cast. ***** SOME SPOILERS AHEAD YOU HAVEBEEN WARNED ***** Because of that, let's dive into the characters a bit deeper. Let's start with Rin himself, Rin gains soo much character development, from his isolation that he was ousted as Satan's son, thus discrimination permeates the rest of the gang and it becomes even worse once they land in Kyoto due to Bon's religious sect having a deep loathing for Satan and thus Rin. His development also goes into his insistent on controlling his flames which is blockaded from how everyone sees him as a demon instead of a human wanting to protect his friends and everyone else around him. Next is Rin's brother, Yukio who goes through some personal demons of his own in the form of the main antagonist of the Kyoto arc and this main antagonist taunts him as to how a reckless brother like Rin gets special treatment while he had to work extremely hard to even get Yukio's own father's attention and his personal demons drives him through the anime. Bon gets the character development he NEEDED in the first season, as his delves into family and hierarchy issues with his father Tatsuma voiced by Jin Urayama, the leader of the Kyoto religious sect and his disconnect to his father and his way of doing things in defeating Satan through prayer?...or through brute force action?, but that is later explained by his father WHY he did what he did especially concerning the Impure King. Hmmm Shiemi and Izumo got a bit of character development in the form of their growing friendship and their beliefs about Rin, Konekomaru and Renzou also got the same things with their confused beliefs about Rin as well with varying directions on how they "tackle" the situation. LA might also add that we got the backstory of Shirou Fujimoto, Yukio and Rin's father with the Rin's Kurikara which is ALSO linked to the Impure King. Other characters like the Honjou sisters to Shura to Kuro to even Mephisto do take a backseat to these proceedings but nonetheless they do have a part in the Kyoto Fujouou-hen no mater how small. Favourite character?, for the first season was Izumo and Shiemi, but for Kyoto Fujouou-hen...goes to our resident Japanese ninja badass shameless fanservice girl Shura voiced by Rina Satou (sure she's support, but badass and has a stake in the plot concerning Rin and Yukio so she's somewhat important albeit a supporting character). Wow that's alot about the characters...and LA isn't done, because of all these themes these character goes through, from Rin's discrimination, Yukio's grudge with Rin, Bon's family and hierarchical issues with his father and the isolated beliefs of Konekomaru, Shiemi and Renzou on Rin being a demon all manifests and ultimately resolves themselves with the main antagonists especially concerning Rin and Yukio to their respective villains, Rin to the Impure King and how even though he's a demon, HE WILL DEFEAT Satan and the Impure King is essentially his literal environmental stigma villain, Yukio on the other hand has his own personal villain to deal with his problem in the form of Saburouta Toudou. LA just loves how Ao no Exorcist manages to balance out both the "monster villain" as well as the "human villain" and makes use of both of them to Rin and Yukio respectively, something not a lot of animes does well with multiple villains let alone doing the major monster villain correctly executed!. This anime not only has it's character development and eats it too, but it also delves world building wise, from Bon's religious sect to the lore of the Impure King, heck even some of the battles instills a bit of battle lore concerning the exorcism of demons and the entire elemental rock paper scissors format of defeating demons and LA just thrives in this kind of battle lore especially in a fantasy shounen anime like this. Ok, next would be the animation done by A-1 Pictures and ohh boy did they pull out all they could for this season of Ao no Exorcist, from the polished character designs and upped detail from the first season, the AMAZINGLY detailed and crisp and fluid fantasy battles and sure they use CGI, but they used it CORRECTLY enough it was hardly annoying at all considering how well the animation is and how much an upgrade this season is from the first season. What can LA say but, A-1 Pictures outdid themselves and that is no understatement. For voice acting, the majority of the voice cast did amazing with no annoyances at all. Special praise goes to Kazuya Nakai as Bon, Kazuhiro Yamaji as Saburouta Toudou, Rina Satou as Shura Kirigakure and the MVP's of this voice cast going to Nobuhiko Okamoto and Jun Fukuyama as Rin and Yukio respectively. STELLAR voice cast. What can LA say about Ao no Exorcist Kyoto Fujouou-hen, LA can't even think of any flaws to talk about, the character development is stellar and desperately needed and delivered, the lore of this season was amazing along with the interpersonal issues the character did manifested itself well with it's villains to it's themes it did subtly to the amazingly well done and fluid battles and lore to it, animation is top-notch and the voice cast is no better. If your an Ao no Exorcist fan, DEFINITELY WATCH this season, if you want to see an amazingly well done second season of a shounen anime, then LA without a doubt will say to recommended watching Ao no Exorcist as a whole including this season as it will not disappoint in many of it's elements. This is obvious but, Ao no Exorcist Kyoto Fujouou-hen is definitely in LA's Top 3 Animes of Winter 2017, without a doubt. *Note - LA has NOT read the manga for this season, thus this is PURELY LA's opinions on what this anime's second season has delivered, nothing more.

*No Spoiler Review Ao no Exorcist is one of those show with interesting plot but goes downhill as the series progresses. Story 6 - The story to be honest is not interesting at all, unique plot idea but the setup and build up are so generic, the story is predictable and the executions were kind of sloppy. It holds down the true idea of the main plot. I seems like A-1 didn't put an effort on this series. Overall kind of fair story yet with rough direction and very cliched setup ( predictable ). Art 4 - After watching the 1st episode and the Opening at the end,it made me think that this show had a potential. The episode 1 is very well executed with good cinematography and heavily filtered by blue and the 2D frame animation cuts were so clean that made the series high quality. But after that the series went downhill, with very stiff animation and that very disgusting weird cgi on Episode 6 made me puke aaaaAAAAaaaaAAAA. Overall very bad quality for the series ( very disappointing ) Sound 8 - Sound is great to be expected having Uverworld on their main opening theme. Soundtracks are good too, but not memorable in my opinion. Characters 6 - Characters are kind of decent I guess, for me it seems the cast are off, It just doesn't help and to be honest makes the plot worse. Cringy interactions and sometimes very sloppy executions when it comes to major scenes. Enjoyment - 7 Overall 6 / 10 - I mean Ao no Exorcist is really not that bad but in my opinion, the series didn't work well and the potential was wasted. This Arc is very good but A-1 Pictures failed to show how good it is when adapted. ( stiff animation, sloppy executions, cringy interactions, and a very generic setup that is obviously predictable. I prefer more the Original ending of the 1st season than this one.

* * * THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS * * * I've seen a whole lot of super positive reviews about this season, so I'm here to wholeheartedly disagree and ruin the fun! DISCLAIMER: I don't mean to directly review the original source material for Ao No Exorcist, rather I am reviewing what the staff at A-1 pictures decided to do with it. If I say the story is bad, I don't mean in any way that the plot for Ao No Exorcist is bad, because it's not. Story - 2 Saying this story is flawed is an understatement; This showis drop dead boring. The staff seem inept of building tension let alone utilising it, and the pacing is abysmal. We end up with this action shounen that actually doesn't really have much action at all. I was also constantly irritated by little details such as the main characters overdramatic fear towards Rin in the beginning, however I do not consider these points worth expanding on. I do however think it is worth expanding on the chunk of season 1 that was dropped, I have no problems with source original content but if you're just going to warp the story at least consider providing some clarification to your viewers about what is going on. Art - 4 I don't know much about A-1's budget, but oh my goodness. If this isn't just a minimal effort money-sponge, I do not know what is. I recall 2 scenes throughout this anime that I am glad to say looked great, but the mediocre scenes heavily outweigh them. The last two episodes are a great example of A-1's magic, with a lot of movement and some beautiful backdrops, but unfortunately this does not deliver so much throughout. In particular, I would've liked some more interesting viewpoints during intense scenes, the scene in which Rin begins to consider himself a monster and breaks down touched me and I expected something beautiful, but I truly couldn't get into it with the poor visuals, and that is a shame. Sound - 3 The OST is pretty average all round, the best OST was stolen from season 1 but that's no big deal. What is a big deal is that the staff all suffer from some kind of auditory processing disease and lack the ability to use them correctly. Please learn how to time and sync OSTs A1, it is 2017, I could do this kind of work when I was 12. Characters - 5 Here we go, the characters! I'll tell you what, the designs actually aren't that bad, I always sort of liked the majority of these characters, I especially like Rin and the eyebrow girl. However the key word is "majority", because there are also character's like shura that I can't take seriously at all. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I also noticed the same issue from season 1 where there are too many characters who get little to no development, sort of resulting in multiple husks of characters that are easily forgettable. Take for example; Renzo's brother Kinzo who I thought had a cool looking design and amusing attitude, but of course I hardly got to see him at all after his short-lived introduction. The main cast of characters receive much more development compared to the previous season, although it is still lacking and interactions are often slightly uncomfortable to say the least. Overall Enjoyment - 3 Sure wish someone would exorcise me.

So for those who don't understand this season of Blue Exorcist is based on the manga. After Episode 15 Season 1 goes into it's own direction with filler episodes. And while that's not bad the story line goes away from the source material. This is all well and good but any good writer knows how to foreshadow and build up a story line in the beginning of their series. The Kyoto Saga Arc heads in the direction of that because it is the author's story. Fillers are nice but they are rarely written by the author. Fillers can be designed to make a complete storyin the way one assumes a story to go. The best example is Fullmetal Alchemist the original series it goes in it's own direction but if your paying attention you can see that something is missing certain questions aren't answered and the flow of the story goes in a new turn. Which is where Brotherhood came in to pick up the original source. The same is happening with Blue Exorcist this is the original source material it doesn't deviate from what was originally going on. To get into this arc you need to disregard episodes 16 onward which are filler material. You can't go into this with the expectation that it will continue the plotline after the end of Season 1 it doesn't work that way. Nor might it follow what you've come to expect from the anime it follows what the original intention was. So while the fillers were good it's important to see this for what it is. And here we go finally leaping off once more into the pages of the manga. That's right this season of Blue Exorcist is based solely on the manga. I watched the first season and enjoyed it but I found it lacking something in the last few episodes. Like I said before it just wasn't consistent with where the plot seemed to be heading the story and the ending left me feeling empty. Once I learned that it was all filler material I read the manga and got the the point where the anime met the manga the Kyoto Saga Arc. I personally enjoyed reading this arc so when I found out they were going to be returning to the storyline of manga to continue the anime I was excited. Still it all depends on how the anime writers handle the story and how closely they adapt the material from it's original source in the anime. You can go in with the expectation that they will stay true to the source but there's only so much chance they will. I believe that Kyoto Saga did well delving into the manga and staying true the the storyline. In some ways it expanded but for the most part it was the arc as a whole. I enjoyed it. I laughed, I cried, and I got excited. This was Blue Exorcist we'd begun with in the past season the one that sparked my interest in the series and it was fantastic. Story: The story has finally headed to Kyoto the home town of Bon, Shima and Konekomeru. This is the point where we finally get to see where they lived and see their families. The Monk from the Cursed Temple is brought to light. Rin and the other ExWires head there to handle a problem with the ancient relics called the Impure King's right and left eyes. This storyline did not start out as a heart pounding epic it was more of an examination of what happened after Rin exposed his flames to his classmates in season 1 and how it was dealt with. It took the time to pause and see the point of view of the ExWires. Not to mention it dove into things that were foreshadowed in Season 1 and leaped off from there. This felt right it gave all the characters a chance to deal with the aftermath of that point. It's an realistic approach. Each of Rin's friends had their own point of view with what happened it wasn't a fast storyline this took time show the feelings of the ExWires and grasp more on who they each are. While it's been years since the last season and the deviation from the original story to filler material there are flashbacks that help remind you what happened before Season 2. They aren't in your face long pauses though they come at proper moments and connect things occurring. I like flashbacks to past scenes as much as the next person but when they take too long of a pause they just throw you out of the story. The handling of the flashbacks is well done. It's quick at times and give you enough time to remember this and that happened. This arc is thought provoking it takes time to really challenge the characters and their points of view. When you dive into the action of the storyline it's not too quick the beginning has established the characters quite nicely. The fighting is well handled and quite an enjoyable to watch. But the thing that makes this arc stand out for me is the character development leading up the point of confrontation. Combining the two together balances the arc and doesn't make it a complete fighting festival but gives a moment for the characters to really shine. We barely got to know Rin's ExWire classmates personally so this is the point where they really get to stand out and Rin himself really has a moment to dive into who he is and what he's fighting for. Yukio's own personal inner turmoil is touched on as well and it was fun to watch. Art: The art is quite lovely. It's similar to Season 1 but raises the bar to a certain extent with the details on the backgrounds and the characters. Thankfully unlike some animes they were able to stay consistent with the designs of the characters from Season 1. The style of the drawings fits the new techniques but you can still see everyone for who they are. One thing I didn't like was the dimness of the color palette used but it wasn't too much a bother once you get used to it. Still the past season was so vibrant and this one was more dim I wish they'd kept the brighter colors. Nevertheless it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of story. On a side note Rin's flames look even more vivid now and the various new fighting techniques were well animated. Characters: The main characters of Season 1 were great as ever. There was a real chance to get to know Rin and the other ExWires at a level you didn't in the past. If you enjoyed them in the past season it will be the same in this one. One thing to say which I had to learn when I read the manga it's important to be open and look at things from their point of views to understand reactions. That's all I'm saying. Anywho this really gave each of them a chance to stand out to show new sides to who they were. Particularly with Bon, Rin and Yukio. Also a bit on Shiemi too. By the end of this season it felt like all of the ExWires have grown in this arc in one way or another. You think you know all about a character from the beginning but they continue to surprise you. The new characters are interesting. Some stand out more than others. They fit well into the story but you don't really get a chance to get to know many of them. Of course one needs to remember that this is one purpose. Rin and his team at the main group this is their story so it's only natural to see the focus still on them. Not to say the new characters weren't enjoyable. Bon's father Tatsuma is my favorite new character in this arc. He did show up in flashbacks in the past season but this is our first chance to see him face to face. He's an interesting character with a deep involvement in the plotline. His personality makes him a lot of fun to watch and he's some one you easily want to see achieve whatever goal he has. A few of the characters have connection to an important character of this arc so they themselves play a part in the story which draws them in more. It's really interesting to get to know the people Bon and his friends grew up with. The villain is lacking something but I felt that way reading the arc. He's more of a catalyst for the entire arc not exactly a main player but definitely involved enough to make him a threat. Still he's fascinating and he does come with questions. Since this is merely one arc and only an introduction to the new characters there isn't really a lot of time to get to know them. The main focus is one of the Exwire classmates this is their arc above everything so unless you dislike those characters I think it's still fun. Sound: The music fits well with Blue Exorcist and makes it more enjoyable. The Opening is perfection. It's elegant and vivid placing bits and pieces of the story without giving away what is going to occur. The song chosen was perfect it fit well with Blue Exorcist as a whole. But I just simply loved the animation put into this season opening it reintroduced the characters and foreshadowed the new story without giving too much away. Not many openings can do this well. Some give away too much. The Ending music was beautiful while the animation lacked something. It was nice but it just wasn't as well done as the opening and it just doesn't stand out much. Which is a shame because the ending song was perfect. Enjoyment: I personally loved this arc. I thought they did an excellent job adapting the Kyoto Saga it's not the best arc ever in the series I'll grant it that but it's still a good one. I liked seeing the story flow through the episodes rather than being a few snapshots here and there of the daily story of ExWires. Now they are getting to the point where the main story is occurring. Picking up the pieces of the past and heading towards a future. This arc really got me invested in Bon and I loved how the anime focused really deeply into his development and didn't let Rin and Yukio our main characters overshadow his moment. This arc took time to show the personal point of views of the ExWires and so you get the chance to get to know them at a deeper level than the surface. The anime did a beautiful job capturing the focus of their development and then jumping into the battle they must face together. It showed the connection this group of teens have and just how important it is to the story. That's what was important about the Kyoto Saga always. Just who are these characters and how are they going to handle their futures. Will they unite or will they break apart. I was satisfied with the way things concluded and I have high hopes to see things continue because this is merely one arc. It's the longest one thus far in the story but it isn't even the beginning. It leaves off with you wondering what will happen next and hoping for the next one. If you feel like something is lacking or your not satisfied with the ending then I encourage you to pick up the manga and head from there. This is merely one arc and yeah it's not the longest ever but it's one the beginning of what's to come.