Ranked #587

Kyoukaisenjou no Horizon II

Kyoukaisenjou no Horizon II is the next chapter in the extremely popular series. As someone who really enjoyed the first season, I was jumping with joy when I heard there was a second season airing.

First off here’s a little warning, people who have watched the first season will understand when I say this, the story can get really hectic and confusing from time to time. The author, Kawakami Minoru, of the light novel this is based off of loves to write thick volume after volume and there is no way the anime can cover the huge amount of material present in each volume. That’s why I was a little disappointed when I saw this season was only going to be 13 episodes. Seeing the size of the volumes now I wouldn’t be surprised if the next season is 24 episodes. Back to my original point, it would be beneficial to look up minor details about the plot because a lot of it gets skipped over and it might leave you confused.

Story: 9

To me the story is one of the strongest points in this anime. The historical references in this futuristic anime are quite amusing and interesting. Many battles from our real past are reenacted with an outcome that can be seen a mile away but it still manages to wow you by how it’s all played out. Many people are turned off by the over the top ecchi and claim this to have no plot but I can assure you it has a great story. Now that I mentioned the ecchi, I should warn you that there is quite a bit of it. Expect to see a lot of abnormally large bouncing boobs every few seconds. To me it is glorious but some can be easily turned off by that. The comedy is another strong point, Tori is usually the one providing the comic relief in a ton of wacky different ways. This season he seemed to be naked 90% of the time. There is a lot of dialogue in certain scenes with little to no fighting, but I think everyone would agree that the battles are the strength and livelihood of Horizon.

Something that confuses me is that MAL hasn’t listed this as a romance; there is a TON of romance in this. In the first season we saw the development between Tori and Horizon, this season we the love between two other characters. I think the romance is well done and fits perfectly in the story.

Art: 9

Like I stated before, the battles are the strong point in Horizon, largely due to how magnificent they look. Each battle is wonderfully animated and really adds to the story very well. The character design is very nicely done, the characters have a great and unique look to them, it is not completely different and unique compared to most anime these days but it has its own appeal. And by appeal I mean boobs. First thing you’ll see when you see a female character is her over the top chest. To me they are big but not big enough to turn me off by the unrealism. As a fan of ecchi I thought all the fan service was drawn perfectly pertaining to my taste.

Sound: 8

This was the only department in where I thought the second season failed to live up to the first season. I’m not saying the music wasn’t good or anything, it just wasn’t anything different or better compared to the first season. Daiji na Koto sa was my favorite track in the first season and I was quite pleased when they played it again in this season. The music in the battle scenes was epic and perfect in all the right ways. You could feel the pressure of each battle by just listening to each track.

The voice actors also did a very solid job. Jun Fukuyama is one of the most talented VA’s out there and his work as Tori is no different, his voice fits Tori’s personality perfectly. The rest of the cast did a similarly fantastic job.

Character: 9

First thing I’ll say is that I love and I repeat, I love the characters in Horizon. Tori is a fantastic lead, he is that classic wacky and perverted lead who loves to goof off and mess around with others. But when duty calls, he doesn’t take a second to hesitate and assumes the role of a leader and pushes everyone around him to do their absolute best. These are the shining moments for me during Horizon, to see him serious about what needs to be done. Even in these moments Tori still manages to make you laugh in some way. This leads me to one of the things I disliked about the second season. The supporting cast got a lot more screen time this go around and most episodes Tori had little to no interaction with anyone else. This really did develop the rest of the cast well and I believe strengthened the anime. I just wanted more Tori. Horizon had a few lines in the majority of the first season and that stays true for the second season. We get more Tori x Horizon scenes so fans of the first season rest assured.

Enjoyment: 10

Week after week I had this marked on my calendar as I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. Watching the romance develop with other characters was interesting and seeing the funny interactions between each country was hilarious. The battles were the strong point and even though some episodes had long and somewhat boring dialogue, the battles usually made up for them.

Overall: 9

I nearly gave this a 10 but a few factors kept me from doing that. Even through its flaws and at times confusing plot, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is an absolutely must see anime. It works a ton of different genres and blends them together almost seamlessly.

At the current pace of the anime we can expect quite a few more seasons. Like many others I’m holding my breath until a third season is announced, it is well known how popular this series is in Japan just by looking at its sales. We can sleep easy knowing there will be another season, I just hope they with a 2 part season with 24 episodes.

I’ll end this with my favorite quote of the series.

“It's where all parallel lines meet. Where conflicting ideas are reconciled. It is... above the horizon.”

-Horizon Ariadust read more

"Why is her butt so round?" Man has pondered this question since the dawn of the First Age. As we look upon the history of earth - whether it be during the construction of the pyramids, the French Revolution, or the day skin tight spandex was invented; the answer to this question has been sought. Thousands of years into the future, when humanity has fallen from the heavens, this very question will be answered. "Who cares? Lets make her my girlfriend." Backed with his army of loyal friends, Tenzo Crossunite embarks on a journey to obtain a Big Busty Blonde of his very own.

Story

The beloved ninja takes center stage this season as he attempts to woo a certain well-endowed English woman while Musashi simultaneously defends England from an invasion by the Spanish Armada. The overarching plot is still present as Horizon and Toori continue to pursue the automotons scattered emotions, but though it is present, Tenzo's antics greatly overshadow it. The setting is infinite, the romance is touching, the story is interesting ( if not cliche), what more could you ask for? Oh wait, that's right...

Art

The first season of Horizon bore a seed. Not just any seed. It was the Money Tree Seed, which blessed Sunrise with unlimited cash. Where did this cash go? It went into crafting this wonderfully animated sequel. From fanservice to fightservice, everything in season two is well animated, choreographed, and directed, leaving nothing to be desired. Unless you dislike the art style and design in general. And to those who dislike those skin-tight tight body suits and balloon chests I say - I respect your opinions but they are wrong. If you're going to hate though, I'm sure you can hate on the...

Sound

Wait what? The music of Horizon is exceedingly fitting and filled with a kaleidoscope of variety? Well shit. I can't really complain about the up-beat and carefree flutes accompanying the daily lives of Musashi's student council, nor can I jeer at the soft-tempo'd yet emotionally rending melodies setting the mood for romance. Hell, I could say I actually liked the determination felt as Ketsui wo Himete paced alongside the rising action, and the euphoria I felt as the song resonated in tune with the climax of the episode. The ONLY tracks I could say that underwhelmed me were the English themed ones. Yet with this minor gripe in mind I can personally guarantee the OST will save you from anything.

Characters

When you have a pervert whose sadness will be the death of him, a ninja who's emotions are depicted by his hat, a mechanically armored half dragon eroge enthusiast, an all knowing erotic dancer, and a flat chested werewolf it's hard to keep the other 300 members of the cast interesting. Wait, shit. They're ALL that interesting. Whether it's our lovable protagonists, or the equally lovable antagonists, care is taken to show both sides of the story. You could hardly call the antagonists villains if they didn't oppose the main cast for the sake of history recreation. Honestly in the Horizonverse the main cast are kind of the bad guys. What with the whole "Conquering the world" thing Toori's got going on.

Enjoyment

Something of this level isn't churned out mechanically. Great care and detail is put into crafting every scene perfectly. Laugh worthy comedy, magnificently choreographed conflicts, beautifully integrated music, and compelling characters are thrown into a vast and detailed world to pursue their own goals. And you know what? I enjoyed every fucking second of it. Why exactly is it again that her butt is so round? I forgot because everything else in the series was too mind-blowing. read more