Moyashimon Returns

Moyashimon Returns is the sequel to the original Moyashimon series. The original series was made back in 2007. The 1st season was pretty good, but they left some minor cliff hangers, but it was still satisfying. It was not until FIVE years did another sequel to the series arrive.
The Moyashimon series is probably one of the most under looked anime out there. I mean if you read the synopsis it basically says it's a anime about a college student who has the gift to see microbes. I mean who wouldn't look the other way if it's about a man who can see microbes ... and goes to an agricultural school. I see why people look down on this anime because it doesn't seem very exciting. But I gave it a try and was surprised by the outcome.

Story: 7
It's about a college student who has the gift to see microbes and he attends a agricultural university, which is just chalk full of microbes. Moyashimon Returns picks up where the 1st season left off. At first glance the story seems bland, but it's actually pretty funny how these characters get into crazy situations. It certainly is an original story, but it doesn't really appeal to many people, and is a reason why this anime is under looked.

Art: 7
The art in this anime is basic. There's nothing to fancy about it either. I do have to say the art from season 1 and season 2 changed, I personally think the 2nd season art had slightly better art quality. Overall, the art doesn't really stand out, but it's good enough art to make you keep watching.

Sound: 8
There's not much to say about sound. The anime opening and ending are actually really good! They are simple, calming, and cute to watch. It definitely gives a boost to the score!

Character: 7
The characters of the story are pretty basic, normal everyday college students. The good thing is that they all have their unique personalities that add onto their character persona. When the characters are together, it is really funny and entertaining sometimes seeing the situations they get into.

Enjoyment: 7
This show is actually really funny! I definitely enjoyed the comedy a lot! I think the 1st season was funnier than Moyashimon Returns, but this one was pretty hilarious none the less. People say it gets boring sometimes, and sadly yeah it sometimes does. The comedy, characters, originality, the supernatural element and the little bits of drama, are what makes this show enjoyable.

Overall: 7
Listen guys, I personally enjoyed this show and a 7 is a relatively high score. "Don't judge a book by it's cover" because honestly this show is worth trying out. If you don't like it that's fine, but it can be really enjoyable for someone else. This anime is definitely under estimated and tossed aside just because it isn't as exciting as some shounen series. Personally, this anime is very enjoyable if you have the time to watch and it's sad to see a pretty good series overshadowed by other ones.

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Possible SPOILERS 'cause I don't really care if I do spoil.
First time reviewing so here it goes:

Story--6
Continues right where it left off which that in itself seems...off. Sawaki's focus was taken away and was replaced by I'm not sure what. The story just seemed like two minor stories that just barely ended in a satisfying way. It wasn't horrible perse, but it was definitely mediocre-feeling in comparison to the 1st season.

Art--8
Still consistent art style. Saturated coloring and distinguishable character design. Oddly enough, I had trouble distinguishing Mutou though. I didn't realize she was such a drinker as well. She lost her tan o.o;; Their clothes ... kept changing as well which in theory can be seen both a good or bad way -shrugs-

Sound--8
Still fun music and all that. Though not in comparison to the 1st season. ClariS was used for the opening. Which I felt was too light-hearted/girly and not suitable for the series...but then again, for a sequel that seems to focus more on the women? Sure. Enjoyed the ending song though. Went great with the series and arguably could go with the 1st season if it wanted to.

Character--4
Seriously, what happened? What happened to their quirks? If you're starting off from where you left off, at least stay consistent to their personalities. It needed an OOMPH. It wasn't exactly there.

Enjoyment--6
Eh, I admit I got somewhat bored in the middle, but I stuck with it. If my attention span was worse, it'll be debatable if I dropped the series completely. Though I'm not one to drop a series so quickly, especially for a 11-episode one. It's still fun, but it lost some spark.

Overall--7
I came with expectations for a great series. It sorta fell flat. But I finished and I'm eh, lukewarm about it. Thank gawd for the microbes. They were the most fun of the series. Still the same more or less.

As a big fan of the original I was naturally very excited too hear they where making a sequel and I had high hopes that this series would be just as good as the last “how could they possibly screw it up” I asked myself . Well the anime industry seems eager to screw up everything they touch these days so the answer to that question came rather unwelcomingly in the form of Moyashimon Returns, a series that as flawed as a plane with a hole in the side and as hollow as a bamboo shoot. The only redeeming quality of this series is that ... it rotten corpse like body can feed the many bacteria and fungi that the show goes to such pain to educate us about. So what went so horribly wrong you ask well before that heres a quick recap of what this show about.

The first series of Moyashimon took place at an agricultural university and centred around a first year student named Sawaki Tadayasu, after arriving he is taken under the wing of the eccentric professor Itsuki Keizo after he discovers Sawaki has a special gift: that he can see all kinds of microbes, Not only that, but they dont look scientifically accurate but instead like cute chibi creatures with smart mouths. Throw in two degenerate but likeable losers, a cross dressing best friend, a dominatrix like girl and some good writing and you have Moyashimon, a simple and weird yet highly enjoyable anw ime that while not very successful and gathered something of a cult status.

So many years later with the studios all out of new ideas they decided to give it another season, this of course having nothing to do with the massive success of Arakawa Hiromu`s (Full metal alchemist) new manga Gin no saji (silver spoon) which is also set in an agricultural university, yep their completely unrelated, just a coincidence...

So anyway what went so terribly wrong with this sequel you ask, well to understand that you have to know a little of what was so good about the original. The first series was no masterpiece, it was no emotional roller-coaster that took you to far of worlds but what it was, was a quirky, fun imaginative series that was highly original in climate of rip offs and carbon copies. The story knew exactly what it was, a weird and humorous tale of a bunch of losers and rejects learning about microbes from a man who may or may not be insane and all the wacky hijinks that this in-tales. The characters where likeable and given just enough depth to make them relatable and for us to care about them but never so much that it ruined the comedy or messes with the tone of what is a pretty silly series.

Then this series came along and right of the bat I knew something was wrong, for some reason they started this like it was just another episode of the first season, despite the fact that the original aired 5 years ago, they just jumped right in without taking any time to set up what the hells going on or whose who, if your new to this or haven’t seen the original in a while then your fucked plain and simple. Then as the first few episodes go by the problems start to emerge, they somehow thought it would be a good idea to remove the humour from this series and replace it with, well nothing, and then have some stupid sub plot about the professor having a secret room and have one of the female characters try to find it because she doesn’t like it when people keep things from her, for some reason, even though shes keeping things from other people all the while the main character does nothing except utter awkward dialogue but it okay because the story goes nowhere and is devoid of any humour or life, oh wait thats bad. Everything about this series feel rushed and like it was trying to appeal to mainstream audiences by removing all the quirkiness that made the first series so good. Also for some reason Sawaki the main character is ignored for much of this series, I mean I know he wasn’t the strongest main character in the first season but at least the story followed him, as it should hes the main, but in this it follows everyone but him giving him and in turn the story this bland feeling that seems to emulate from the whole series.

Then the dumbest thing ever happens one of the characters Hasegawa is forced to go to Paris by her rich father to wed a child-hood friend against her will, so the guys gather up some money and try to rescue her from her forced marriage. Do I even need to explain whats wrong with this, how did we get from a weird and fun series about microbes to serious drama and running trough france trying to stop a woman from getting married, a women who constantly complains about being a “bird in a cage” while she drives in a limousine through the French country side, yeah life’s really been a bitch to you, watch you dont hit any peasants on your way out, bitch.

Its amazing that they didnt realise that you cant have serious drama mixed with a comedy about a guy who can see microbes , okay writers, those dont mix, they just fuck with the tone and make things awkward, right got it, moving on. So next the even more dumbest thing ever happens they introduce a character called marie who`s father owns a winery, everything about this character is pointless, badly written and just distracts from the story. For some reason it goes to great lengths to tell us about her problems which despite like 3 episodes or something mentioning it I still don’t quite know what the hell she was moaning about, something about her father or wine or who gives a fuck, literally why did they think this would be interesting to people who enjoyed the first season or anyone for that matter. Half this series is wasted in a pointless sub plots and mindbogglingly strange decisions with the story and the other half is just unfunny, rushed and poorly written, damn even the editing was jarring and getting on my nerves did this series do anything right except, with the microbes of course they still fun.

I mean how much more could you possible fuck up the second series than this one did, all the jokes what little there are suck, the characters are flat with the life and uniqueness from the first season sucked out of each, the story is a confused mess that skids all over the place and feels nothing like the light hearted, creative series that I so enjoyed, the main characters does nothing while boring side characters that we dont give a shit about whine and complain about stuff we also don’t give a shit about. It a mess plain and simple, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, fans of the original stay away, everyone else just ignore this and watch the original.