Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki

Sidonia no Kishi has always been one of the most underrated anime series ever in my mind. Actually I'm genuinely confused as to why it isn't higher rated than it is because I swear I almost never see anyone say anything negative about it. It's an anime which is not afraid to kill off characters, has a storyline on an epic scale, excellent usage of battle CGI and probably the best sound directing I have ever heard. Overall it's an incredibly joyride from start to finish and I really wish more people would give it a shot.

--Story & Characters--
Continuing from where the first season left ... off, we once again delve into Sidonia's epic struggle for survival against the ever so frightening and mysterious Gauna. The theme and overall plot progression is generally just more of the same as the first season, but there are some differences.

For one, we have a new main character in the form of Shiraui Tsumugi, a human/Gauna hybrid called a Chimaera who joins Sidonia's side as their new trump card. She's basically a child put inside an infinitely powerful body, and the interaction between her and the other characters is very interesting to watch. Most of the people of Sidonia are afraid of her and fears that she'll turn on them, whereas Nagate and Izana try their best to make friends with her and teach her about the world.

The scale is also ramped up even more. Some of the battles of this anime, be it in space or inside a planet's atmosphere are simply epic. The guns and mechs are bigger but so are the Gauna. You can really feel the power behind every strike and just how dangerous everything truly is. As a result, Sidonia no Kishi provides the viewer with an incredible sense of urgency and sometimes also makes you feel like you're actually there yourself. There is also a lot more going on behind the scenes in this season as the Gauna have successfully infiltrated Sidonia in secrecy and are causing all sorts of havoc on the inside while the fighting is going on outside.

In contrast though, there are also a lot more slice of life-esque elements in this season in-between its momentary peaks of hyperactivity. This is partially because of the addition of Tsumugi of course since quite a lot of the time is spent on her character development, but also this season has a lot more romantic progression between Nagate and Izana. There are even some stereotypical romcom clichés used a few times over the course of the anime (just a little bit though) which arguably felt somewhat out of place but I didn't particularly mind too much.

--Animation & Sound--
Like I said before, I almost never see anyone say anything negative about Sidonia, but if there is one complaint I do in fact see every so often, it's about the CGI. Case in point, Sidonia's animation uses lots and lots of CGI. That much is a fact. Many people don't like this at all, and in fact I generally don't like CGI either but in this particular case... I don't really mind at all. First of all, the CGI is *way* better in this season than in the first one, and it honestly feels like it just keeps getting better and better the longer the season goes on. And in terms of the fight scenes, it looks simply amazing. Truly. It just feels like it fits the tone of the series like a glove.

And then... there's the audio. Oh boy...

I'm not even sure how to best put this, but I want to give sound director Iwanami Yoshikazu some sort of award for his contribution to this anime. Simply put, Sidonia's second season has without a doubt the absolute best sound directing I have ever heard in my anime career. It sounds *amazing*. I have gone back and rewatched certain scenes from this anime for the sole reason of listening to some of the battles' sound effects one more time. I have *never* done that before for any other show. Every punch, every blast, every crash into a solid object makes me feel like I'm having an eargasm. The amount of intensity and just pure power is enough to give you goosebumps. Ironic given that space is supposed be the one location where sound doesn't exist to begin with, but let's ignore that part.

And as the cherry on top, believe it or not but the soundtrack itself is just as epic. The opening theme alone is by far the best OP of 2015 thus far in my opinion, but also the usage of music throughout the anime is close to perfect. When the show wants to appear creepy, then the music is incredibly creepy. When the show wants to appear epic, then the music is incredibly epic. It always compliments the atmosphere of the visuals more or less perfectly, and thus it enriches the overall impression and experience tremendously. The timing of the music is also spot on, and as a result it makes every scene transition feel so much more intense, energizing and dramatic.

--Enjoyment & Overall--
Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki is without a doubt one of the best anime of the year thus far, and one I find almost impossible to dislike unless you have some serious issues with the excessive CGI usage. I find it very reminiscent of Shingeki no Kyojin except that it's sci-fi instead of fantasy, which only makes it even stranger to me that so few people have tried watching Sidonia given how popular Shingeki no Kyojin is. Anyway, the point is that Sidonia is one of the most captivating and just plain impressive series I've seen in a long time and I have almost nothing negative to say about it at all. Yes, the pacing is a bit uneven and yes, the CGI will turn off a lot of people but other than that... it's truly an excellent anime from start to finish. Especially episode 11 is probably the best episode of the year thus far.

Sidonia is a true space opera with an epic scale and outstanding directing. It draws you in, captivates you and never ceases to impress you with what it can do. The only problem is that now we have to impatiently roll our thumbs while we're waiting for the fateful day when season three finally comes around...

It's truly perplexing to see how often anime enthusiasts overlook Sidonia no Kishi (Knights of Sidonia). It's a show with a tried-and-true formula for mainstream success. With a dense bishounen protagonist that catches the fancy of all the female characters, a premise that warrants lots of over-the-top carnage and narrative twists, a simple setup that requires very little qualifiers to buy into, and even less thought process to grasp; it's easy to watch, easy to merchandise, and made for mass consumption. But for reasons beyond comprehension, it's only viewed by a few stragglers that come upon it by happenstance, with the only reasoning I could ... surmise behind its dismissal being the visual output itself. But even then, that's also taking into consideration many other titles of equal or lower audiovisual effort still managing to sustain a sizable viewership.

While I'm not inquiring into this audience disconnect as a reason to rush out to view this series, since I can't justify most of its content as anything noteworthy, I still do think that it registers high on the pulpy side of "turn your brain off" entertainment for those with a mild interest in checking it out. Well, that would have been my response had we been discussing the first season, as for this follow-up installment, there are a few shortcomings that it falls victim to that lessens its viewing experience. Where the first season played up the suspense of imposing figures lurking out in the vast vacuum of space, season two temporarily abandons that, and for what you may ask? Well, a gender-fluid harem... IN SPACE!

Picking up from where we left off, we follow our pussy-magnet Tanikaze as he continues the uphill battle against the threatening amalgamation of creatures known as the Gauna. And when he isn't fighting for the future survival of mankind, Tanikaze is winning women over with his autistic boyish charms. Thankfully, there's more going on this season than just that, as we're introduced to a new character that disrupts the status quo of Sidonia's community. The character in question is a chimera named Tsumugi; a Gauna/human hybrid made for the sole purpose of aiding humanity in the fight against the Gauna threat.
Similar in appearance and anatomy to the malevolent Red Gauna of last season, what separates Tsumugi from that anomaly (or any other Gauna previously introduced) is her humanistic tendencies. Having the behavioral pattern and intellect of a prepubescent teen and a sense of empathy equal to that of a human, she's essentially a girl stuck in a Gauna's body. Half of the intrigue of this season comes from the implications of including a species that, up until this point, were humanity's greatest threat towards continuous survival. A not-so-ironic twist on the matter that's immediately shown when the onboard crew is introduced to her, responding with abject horror at the partnership proposal announced by their superiors. Unfortunately, the ramifications of such a dynamic team-up were quickly glossed over. And as you've probably guessed by now, this was where the gender-fluid harem came into play.

This is perhaps the show's biggest downfall. Instead of the promised "Battle for Planet Nine" that the namesake alluded to, no such thing ever happens. What we got in its place was rom-com shenanigans and a small-scale skirmish towards the latter half of the season. No "battle," no epic full-on assault, just a damsel in distress mission and an excuse for Tanikaze to build up his harem. While there were a few cliffhanger moments and general "spookiness" revolving around the Gauna threat, the meat of this season ended up being unneeded slice-of-life pulp. A majority of the episodes were dedicated to introducing new future concubines-to-be that fawned over our lead, even when he exudes the behavioral shortcomings of a socially inept beta-male. This would be fine if it had led to something, but that never happens. It just became a series of cock-tease vignettes, all the while placing the actual Gauna intrigue as a mere backdrop.

Thankfully, the last handful of episodes brought the focus back to the core conflict. We may not have gotten the promised "Battle for Planet Nine," but at very least, the focus shifted away from the harem that hijacked the show up to this point. It was still an enjoyable viewing experience, but nothing ever quite hit the same "edge-of-your-seat" moments found in the first installment.

For anyone that followed this past season one, the mixture of CGI and cell-shaded animation shouldn't need much elaboration. At this point, it's become the trademark style that Sidonia is known for. For the most part, the animation output was relatively the same, although it should be noted that the frame-rate for the character movements themselves were improved upon. It didn't stop the uncanny valley effect from being any less distracting, but it certainly made the viewing experience far more palatable than what was previously offered. It's still not on par with any other series, but for the show's in-house standards, it was a step up.
Where Sidonia truly shines is with the CGI fights themselves. By not being bound to the limitations usually presented with 2D animation, the CGI artists were given the liberty to play with the character and mechanical models with far fewer restrictions. Since these battles are carried out by mechs and the Gauna creatures—two things with very otherworldly appearances—the computer-generated imagery complemented the fight sequences. There was weight behind every fight. A sense of tangibility that 2D animation often has difficulty emulating.

As previously mentioned, all the character suffered from uncanny valley, so naturally, they were far from appealing-looking. Just a bunch of creepy mannequins dressed up as "people." Coincidentally, this very issue ended up working out particularly well towards the Gauna's benefit. Being rendered entirely in CGI meant that the creators could make them as grotesque as possible. With a flaky yet malleable cartilage-like substance being used as their exoskeleton, these ungodly monsters had a dilapidated look about them that the likes of H.P. Lovecraft would take delight in. It's not that often that we get monsters with such fantastic screen presence. They're definitely some of the best that the 2010s has to offer.

Another area where Sidonia strutted its stuff was in the sound department, more specifically, the sound effects.

Everything, from the haunting choir wails of the background vocals to rumbling gargle of the rocket-thrusters, had volume behind it. Whether it was the deafening roar of explosions on impact, or the granular screech of laser weaponry cutting through metal and monster flesh alike; every sound in this anime was amplified, bringing the environment to life and placing you in the middle of the action. Whatever shortcomings the show may have had visually, it more than compensated in the audio department.
And like last season, the voice actors all turned in a suitable performance, with the biggest standout this time around being Aya Suzaki's voice acting work for Tsumugi, as she added a certain bubbly-childlike charm to the role. Her interaction with the other characters also meshed quite well despite being new to the ensemble.

And speaking of the characters, the second season carries over the same problems that plagued show from day 1.

There's only truly one character in the entire lineup, and that's Tanikaze. Everyone else is just reactionary NPCs. For any female character in the support role, that means being treated as mere love-interest variants awaiting the moment that our innocent Gary Stu woos them over. The only real difference in the lineup is the addition of the chimera, Tsumugi, but even she is reduced to being another love-drunk female infatuated with our protagonist. You read that right, even the Gauna/human hybrid want some of dat Tanikaze D!
Tanikaze's harem game is strong as fuck! If Kirito is the king of harems, then Tanikaze is the undisputed God! Nothing with a vagina can resist his awkward autistic charms. From chimeras to full-fledged Gaunas, if it's sentient, the urge to drop their coochie on him is too strong to withstand. He even made asexual people change their gender to female just for a chance to be with him. He's HaremGOD-sama, and he's coming fo yo bitch!

But despite potential love-interests crawling out the woodwork to greet HaremGOD-sama at every turn, the creators at least had the common decency to keep its focus on that of the appointed centerfold Izuna and her growing relationship with our primary lead. Of course, there wasn't any actual advancement between the two, but choosing to hone in on the initial sparks that started in season one at least showed that the creators understood that its audience had an invested interest in where their relationship status was heading next. And who knows, maybe with a third season, this too will come to fruition. Not that I'm holding my breath for that to happen. This show's character handling is far from anything I would even deem "riveting." But that's neither here nor there and what we got was one Gary Stu surrounded by a stockpiled harem brochure dressed up as "characters."

With a healthy dose of violence, harem misadventures, and occasional monster encounters, season two never had a dull moment, if only falling victim to multiple brain-cell reducing plotting along the way.

While not up to snuff with the first installment, season two of Sidonia still had its moments of effectiveness. It may not have been as consistent or nail-biting as anything season one had to offer but it's still a nice attachment to the franchise and one I recommend to those that were followers of the first.

Finally, the second season becomes available on Netflix as of July 3rd, and honestly I just plowed through all 12 episodes like a junkie with a drug addiction.

Story/Character:
Picking up where the last season ended it seemed to focus more on Nagate's personal life and his personal Heram, which brings up something I consider to be a flaw. For me, to have the full female cast fall for Nagate pulls away from the series plot, which is a shame since we only get 12 episodes with the possibility of not getting another season. We get it, he's a bad ass. 7/10

Art:
This is ... a major strong suit for the series, as it is very beautiful to look at. It may confuse some and it seems like the CGI is alienating and unattractive. Ignore this! It is done this way for a reason, and flows perfectly. The battle scenes was art by itself, and I was on the edge of my seat trying to take in as much as possible. 9/10

Sound:
Wow. This should be the standard for all anime! Everything sounded realistic, explosions, metal on metal contact, footsteps(Occasionally had to look over my shoulder to see if someone was there haha), etc.. 10/10

Enjoyment:
We need more anime like this! I've made it a habit to not binge watch a series as I want to get every ounce of enjoyment, but with this anime I had no self control. Each episode ended with a cliff hanger almost forcing you to the watch episode after episode. Was it perfect? No, but its flaws were apart of the show and was thoroughly enjoyable and addicting. 9/10

This series is entirely underrated, even I am guilty of thinking it was MEH(My Eyes Hurt) and dropped it after the first couple episodes when it came out last year. This was a mistake, and I'm glad I gave it a second chance it deserved.

Note: This is a SEQUEL and will include spoilers for the first season.

The story takes place shortly after the ending of the first season. The Hoshiijiro ena has been "moved" and early on a lot of backalley type set up goes around to make the viewer question the motives of certain characters. Besides all this the other main focal point of the story is a big one, and quite literally at that since it's the hybrid, Tsumugi.

By itself the story is not anything special, but it has set itself up to have some pretty stunning resolutions and encounters down the road. Watching ... the internal conflicts unfold within the show is almost as interesting as watching the huge space battles. The show does a really good job at keeping you surprised. It does also telegraph some short term things like a part where Nagate is fighting a group of Guana and he runs out of ammo and you just know what's going to happen, but it doesn't make it happening any less awesome.

Most of the main cast has not changed much from the first season and maintain their stock personalities. Tsumugi is obvious addition and is essentially a little girl with the body of a super monster. Her actions are clearly driven by her instinct to protect those around her and because of her curiosity. The show goes out of its way to really paint a full picture about Tsumugi and it does a good job, although at the expensive of the other characters.

Again the majority of the cast does not change much, this includes Nagate, who is still "the good guy" and Kunato who is still "The Schemer". However, this does not mean what they do is not entertaining. Kunato, who I found to be a glaring issue in the first season has brought a lot of intrigue to the second.

One of the real draws of the show are the battles. They are massive. It's rare for an anime to do something and make me think "wow, that's cool." The animation and art work during these sequences measures up to some of the best there is. However, some of the issues with the CG from the last season remains, especially awkward sluggish movement that makes no sense at all. It makes it very difficult to suspend your disbelief when there is sometimes sudden shifts in animation quality almost instantaneously.

There is a good balance between the tense action scenes and the more simply relaxing parts. I'm glad it didn't try to really be melodramatic about things and it tends to resolve smaller issues that arise within an episode quickly, while using them to build the major plot points they established for a better climax.

Speaking of those relaxing scenes. There is probably debate over whether those comedy segments with Tsumugi and friends really belong in a show like this where they are in constant danger of being wiped out and are humanities last hope and all that. However, I say that these segments are where most of your character development and the viewers connection to said characters happens. Again not like there is a lot of development in the first place, but it's those simple parts that make characters real.

The sound production and direction is the best I've ever heard in an anime and I can say this without a doubt in my mind. All the sound effects are crisp and not only fit what they represent but also the mood the scene is portraying as well. The music is also stellar as it fits whatever scale the show is currently running at. I know I often tout that good sound is sound you don't notice (because that means nothing is wrong with it), but great sound is sound you remember. You remember this.

Knights of Sidonia S2 is a huge surprise for me especially after what I considered a middling first season. However, the production value, overall chemistry of the cast, and just plain enjoyability has skyrocketed. This is clearly worth the cost of admission (seeing the first season) to get the full impact.

Sometimes a change in tone from the previous season to the next one can be a good thing for a series. This depends on the show in question. The writers want to take a different direction on where the plot is going and change the atmosphere. As long as they keep adding new elements to the story that doesn’t detract from what makes it suitable, that can be a welcoming change. Just don’t assume everyone will be 100% on board with it. The 2nd season of Sidonia no Kishi can be classified under this predicament.

Many anime fans were hooked by Sidonia no Kishi’s dark and ... oppressive story that they felt as though they were watching an anime with a mature tone, unlike many anime that came out during their seasonal run. It certainly felt that way with the apocalyptic setting in space that you usually don’t see very often. Unfortunately, not many people will see this sudden change with bated breath halfway through this season. For Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki, there is a Slice of Life/RomCom section to this season that takes up about eight episodes of the season. Not to say that these genres predominately occupy the first half, but it crops up more often than people would be used to in an anime like this.

The side that I have placed myself on whether I approve or disapprove of this tonal shift is on the positive side. We have grown to sympathize with the characters previously in an entire season that it doesn’t feel out of place. There is a good sense of genuine camaraderie between the character interactions that shows how close the characters are and drives them to survive in the hostile universe they inhabit. These can include romantic developments that end in humorous outcomes but still feel on-point to make us like the characters more. It is essential to create these scenarios at some point. The characters aren’t just archetypes to move the plot along; you must learn to appreciate the amusement generated by characters to feel any empathy towards them.

The addition of the new character, named Tsumugi, is one element of the comedic aspect of the 2nd season. She could be considered the comic relief to the series. However, she isn’t a stick in the mud in how she is treated in the story. Tsumugi wants to be liked by everyone in the human world. Her development with our primary and side characters is done with reasonable care, from how she interacts innocently to what many guana’s do that the humans are used to. Season 2 takes its time to create her presence in the story for us to accept her part of the role in it. It’s also remarkable that, despite how she doesn’t have many facial expressions to show off emotion, she still has about as many expressions as any other character in Sidonia no Kishi.

As previously mentioned, even though the first half is mainly comedy, there are still some serious plot devices thrown out in-between. They service the plot decently enough to continue it along. The last four episodes are where the story kicks into gear with a nail-biting climax that quickly gets you back into the epic journey that made me be engaged by the 1st season. A few moments in these last episodes are as intense as in the previous season. Thankfully it ends off better than the 1st season, which I felt was a little rushed in many areas. Instead of a half-baked attempt at closing up character plot devices, the show takes its time to give the characters some conclusion to their roles and what is to come off next in the next season.

The one significant improvement to season 2 from season 1 is the animation, especially with the CGI. The 1st season, while undoubtedly impressive in the action sequences and space backgrounds, felt lacking in the character animation movements and facial expressions. This has been a problem for many CGI anime shows that have recently started to diversify animation styles in anime. The 2nd season’s animation still has the same CGI animation techniques, but they improve a lot from the earlier problems by making the characters more lively and less robotic.

With a healthy dose of humorous and dramatic scenarios mixed in, I would say this season is a great sequel that does not trump the 1st season, nor is it a lesser season. Different facets to it make Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki unique in the series, making it more than just a typical continuation. That is something to admire for. We don’t know where this series will head, but with one good sequel on the belt, the chances of continuing this good trend are of a higher margin.

Grade: A-

ALRIGHT!

Since this show has a ton of complications and complex (ooh so deep) stories. I'll sum it up to something rather simple.

This action packed space sci-fi comedy romance harem (lel) is wrapped in conspiracies, 3d mech action, space-stuffs, and the constant war between humanity and Iguanas! (I mean "Guanas" *cough*).

So the Second Season is a continuation of Nagate (our ace pilot) and his struggles with:

1- His trans-gendered best friend who loves him (//spoiler: who now lives with him)

... 2- His tentacular action-packed Iguana friend(*cough* Guana) who acts like a kawaai airheaded cutie who's clingy (//spoiler: lives with him too)

3- His ex-gf who's been turned(assimilated) into an evil Iguana, now out in space and trying to gut him and humanity into small Iguana-bite size snacks

4- Oh and maybe his XO (//spoiler: who now barged in and lives with him too)

Nevermind his struggles, this show is filled with comedy, romance, mech battles, Iguana-packed action and a (soo) deep story of humanity's challenge to survive against the Iguana attacks

Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki (2015)

It is great how within a year of season 1 that season 2 just improves so much more than I could imagine. This is if I am totally honest my favourite Mecha show. It feels real with the struggles and emotions and relationships. It is dark and space often is shown as much brighter but not here they show how it is just vast and empty generally. Sidonia itself not having anything like a hyperdrive makes it feel more tense with how the journey must go. The effects are shown on military actions on the civilian population like when ... they use the thrusters.

The art carries over and improves. It is a much more intense season and should be recognised for that.

The OST for this is spectacular. CD bought absolutely.

Characters are newly introduced and we get some great expansions on existing characters. The romance side of things develop well towards conflict between the girls but it doesn't take up a lot of time thankfully in this show.

It must be mentioned that the best girl is in the first part of this and it is the accommodation clerk who is awesome. Absolute gem.

The season was greatly enjoyable, the action, the comedic scenes, the romance, the general activities of people doing things. I even love the halfway pictures showing sights of Sidonia.

I would absolutely recommend this series to people. Also for the record, the identical group of girls are great but Shizuka Hoshijiro is the best girl.

I loved the first season but this season was disappointing. The first season was a thrilling space epic with growing undertones of dystopia as you learn more about how the society and government works. It was also a coming of age story and all around solid anime. The second season delves heavily into some strange love triangle/slice of life story.

It was really a genre switch I wasn't expecting -- it tilts more towards the 'slice of life' and away from the horrifying space epic side of things that I loved so much about the first season. If the first season never happened, maybe I'd view ... this season as some quirky space mecha show. But in relation to the first season, the follow up was awful.

Tanikaze's interest in the ... third 'person' (the part that makes it so strange) is understandable, to a point. But the childishness of the third person and the absurdity of it all really cheapens any potential for interesting plot/character development because of the relationships the three have, and kills the entire second season for me. Tanikaze's drawn out interest and how the whole thing is allowed to happen in the context of the society/shady government we were introduced to in the first season is just ridiculous.

Intro: This is a review for both season 1 and season 2 since they are close in sound/animation/story/characters/enjoyment quality.
Sidonia no Kishi is an entertaining anime series, with thick plot armor but still enjoyable.

Story: 6/10
The premise is fairly interesting having a lot of potential.
The story is set in a distant future where humanity is almost extinct and the last traces of mankind are living in a spaceship trying to survive the alien (Gauna) attacks.

The story is fast paced since the spaceship is under constant danger of Gauna attacks and the humans are trying to take the offensive in the Gauna war. These Gauna creatures are ... rather interesting since they are portayed as having superior intelectual capabilities(although they don't prove it), having the ability to mimic the human body as well as other various diffrent abilities.

Why was a 3rd gender created? What is this 3rd gender person attracted to and does it think like a woman or a man? This "3rd gender" has no genital organs, being able to change it's genitals to male/female based on their mating partner. That only comes out weird, since females have female mentality and are attracted to males and males have male mentality and are attracted to females, this 3rd gender has no place.

In the second season, unfortunately the anime jumps from action to harem for about 4 episodes, it is not very bad but not good either.

The creators overdid the Hoshijiro drama, keeping to bring back her human body after she died, just to add some drama and show some "touching" moments. I think in the end, the copy of Hoshijiro will somehow recover her original memories, even if the original Hoshijiro is dead.

Unfortunately, everything is unclear, not much is explained about the Gauna, the way these creatures are/were created, their origins, their motives or exactly how humanity was driven to the brink of extinction, leaving the viewer with many questions that will probably never be answered.

Characters: 4/10
The characters come in great numbers but they are all a mess, none of them receive any decent characterization, background story or solid character development. I will not go into details since it is not neccessary, hoping an eventual 3rd season will solve the character problem.

Animation: 8/10
I personally enjoyed the animation, it is fluid and the art is nice and well suited to the show theme but the character art is blunt. At first the animation may feel weird since it is 3DCGI but as soon as you get adjusted you will like it.

Sound: 8/10
The 1st season has an amazing opening theme, nice ending theme, good background sound and good voice actors.
The 2nd season has a decent opening theme, amazing ending theme, good background sound and good voice actors.

Enjoyment: 8/10
For some reason I don't know, even if the show is not very good, I really enjoyed the series, especially the fight scenes.

Overall: 6.5/10
A fairly good mecha/space anime that is more than entertaining, fast paced and can easily be finished in one sitting. With that in mind, I recommend giving this anime a go.

I've recently finished watching those series, and I can say that I strongly enjoyed the experience.

This anime strongly relies on CG graphics which are being used for pretty much anything. for example, character bodies are CG, although their faces look like they could've been hand drawn (but I suspect those are CG too).

The graphics are stylized to look similar to anime, and somewhat resemble visuals used by Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series on Playstation 2. So it is not like a CG episode from school rumble (ep 17, season) or subpar CG monsters from Ga Rei Zero.

Visuals look okay, the movement is more ... fluid compared to first season (which had some seriously robotic movement), and frankly I quickly got to this style very quickly. Of course, there's a room for improvement (for example, Guilty Gear Xrd Sign (which is a fighting game with 3d characters) looks significantly better), but the anime looks good. I could easily see that most of the visuals are computer generated, but the visuals were enjoyable nevertheless. Given the huge number of various mechanical and man-made structures, at this age the anime probably wouldn't even happen if someone tried to hand-draw all of this.

The sound is... alright, but music is good. The anime starts with an opening, which resembles some sort of military march and almost sounds like a parody (for various mech/sentai series), but there's absolutely amazing battle theme that frequently repeats through the series and serves as some sort of leitmotif that spans the entire story.

The reason why I liked the anime is because it has a bit of everything in it, and at the same time and doesn't pull any punches. There are bits of comedy. There are jokes worthy of ecchi harem anime. There are conspiracies, there are villains, and the people die for real with no warning, sometimes horribly. Things just happen, different facets of life are shown one after another without any kind of emphasis on them. There are no people screaming moral statements on top of their lungs here (like it happens in typical shounen). There are no overly dramatic moments where series would try too hard to make you feel sorry for someone. Even the protagonist doesn't exactly feel like he's an irreplaceable, because in the end I realized that the story is not about him or his friends, but about the whole ship.

This somewhat indifferent mixing of bits and pieces of different genres, showing each facet of life on the ship without trying too hard to concentrate on any of them, make the whole story feel real and believable. Things just happen, they are what they are, and there's a bit of everything. I could say it even resembles "Planetes" somewhat.

In the end, it was definitely worth watching, and if you have opportunity, I would recommend to give those series a try.

For those who enjoyed the first season of Sidonia no Kishi, the second season does not disappoint at all. The focus is shifted more towards further plot development, more complex plot twists, answering many of the question-marks raised in the prequel and there is also good usage of flashbacks to learn more about the backstory.

Moreover, there is an apparent higher degree of character development. The addition of further slice-of-life moments and the expression of more feelings by the characters results in them becoming more attractive and likeable. We get to see and hear more about them, their inner thoughts and the drive behind ... their actions. This also gives room to an increased usage of comedy, drama and romance (with some non-detrimental harem in it) that is very welcome to break the monotony of constant battles and action.

Naturally, the elements of action, combat and survival are still there and the battles, while fewer, are way more epic and larger in scale. The CGI feels way more refined this time around and the visuals, landscapes and battle scenes are very beautifully made.

All in all, a great sequel that builds even more anticipation for season 3. If you enjoyed the first season, do not miss this one either, a very good watch!

Let me start off by saying this show definitely wasn't what I expected. It excelled in areas I didn't expect and it fell flat in others where I wish it wasn't the case. Let's break it down-

Story:
The story in the first season was much more intriguing and mysterious. There was so much going on and I really liked how things were not spoon fed to the viewer. I will admit--I thought two of the main girls were the same person until about episode 5. Aside from all the detours such as clumsily written cliche dialogue and trying to hook up with the main character, Sedonia ... itself and the gauna are fascinating. I wish the show had more of a focus and direct narrative because it had all the elements of a great anime. What held it back, for me, was the lack of character development, the cliche and bizarre relationships these thirsty space girls have, and lack of a gauna narrative (they were merely rendered as the bad guys with no purpose). The gauna concept is amazing and really cool. I wish there was more development about them or a really cool twist like the guana are sentient beings and the human race committed genocide first. I am hopeful for the movie sequel to tie up all loose ends and answer these bigger questions.

In season 2, the story took a sharp turn down. The story became more about these silly ecchi shots of the girls and how they want a relationship with Tanikaze, but treat him like dirt anyways. I really thought that cheapened the show and the overall delivery and punch that it had in season 1. It became so clear that this show was made by a boy for boys. I think the show had so much potential and it just pandered too much to the fan-service side. Especially when it came to the guana hybrid. Things got weird as fuck, let's be honest.

Art Style:
The whole CGI thing really isn't my taste. I did not like the art style of the characters and the animation style at all. I honestly could not stare at the show the entire time. I had to multitask. The art style and design and movement of the characters was unsettling. However, I can appreciate the the amazing battle sequences and I gave 100% attention to those. They were really well done. The anime really nailed it when it came to epic battle scenes, panned out cinematography shots, high quality renders, lighting, texture, etc. In short, some scenes had me in awe. I really enjoyed the epicness that the major action scenes brought. So even though I do not like full CGI anime, I completely appreciated the quality and effort that was shown in this show.

Sound:
It was great. The opening and ending themes were awesome in the sense that they were crafted for the show. I appreciated that.

Character:
Characters fell flat—as I mentioned in the Story section. The main character, Tanikaze, had zero character development in both seasons. His personality consisted of “i love food” and “blush @ boobies”. Yea, he kinda sucked. Of course he is amazing at piloting and he is OP in everything he does on the battlefield. Overall, I wasn’t too annoyed with him or really any of the characters. They just lacked backstory and development and I found it hard to care about any of them The show failed to answer all the big questions surrounding the characters--especially the captain, the immortal counsel, and all the inner turmoil. Like I said, I am hopeful for the movie sequel.

Watch this show if you love epic mecha fights. I am a fan of Gundam Seed, Guilty Crown, and Code Geass. I like mecha shows in that regard. But both had better stories than Knights of Sidonia. For me, great media at its core must have a powerful story. If the story doesn’t have weight, the rest—no matter how great each individual element is— falls flat.

Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki

Story 8: This season starts off where it left off and their mission is to wipe out the Gauna nest in the Lem system

Art 8: AGAIN I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH. Many people don't like CGI, but they did a beautiful job at making this anime. The fight scenes were amazing and something small, but when the knights took off, what great animation that was. Footsteps, gun shots, and even explosions were on point.

Sound 8: Voices were the same, the into and closing were great. There were lots of great tracks throughout the ... anime.

Characters 8: As the story went on the characters developed more and more. We saw more of Nagate's personal life and his past too. Only problem I see here was that Nagate gets his own Heram [Which TBH we all saw coming]
Enjoyment 10: I love this series, Just amazing. The ending of each episode left me with such a cliff hanger and I loved it.

Overall 8.4: Don't let the CGI scare you, this anime is great and a must watch.

Thanks for reading !!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTkpQcHBnyh/?taken-by=geek.workshop

Knights of Sidonia:

"What an incredible journey it has been". I would say that I have watched enough anime to the point that I can have a valid view on a series and after watching a myriad of anime from garbage to great,this is by far one of the greats.

I have just been watching seasonal anime to the point that I just couldn't anymore,with horrid communities forming around good anime,tainting it, therefore, I decided to take a break and watch something I had not thought about,something that peaked my interest that was rather under the radar or "underrated" and so Polygon Pictures take on Knights of ... Sidonia was my weapon of choice.

I have done many reviews on first episodes and Knights of Sidonia has a pretty solid one. It introduced us to a rather bland character who is fleshed out based off his situation and doesn't prove to be annoying. The plot and world building in the first episode is minor but its use of dramatic progression sliced through with subtle,understated comedy really did engross me.

Now speaking about the fact that this anime is almost entirely cell shaded CGI, I honestly thought that I would drop the series for that specific reason, but I have watched enough anime to know that they can redeem themselves in other ways,however, Polygon Pictures did one hell of a job making this anime visually pleasing with the exception of a couple awkward angles,weird character representation and random frame drops. I can totally see why the studio went this way.
The CGI makes for enticing battle scenes,pseudo realistic animation sequences and beautiful scenery,aswell as the gorgeous Tsumugi. One gripe I have with the anime especially in season 1 is the weird way the studio made use of lighting on surfaces but that is just nit picking at this point and I didn't notice it when it came to season 2.

The audio is by far one of my favourite parts about Knights of Sidonia. The musical score is magnificent,with a couple dedicated "Knights of Sidonia" tracks which carry over the emotions of the plot in perfect harmony,the dramatic musical sequences were my personal favourites apart from some of the battle scenes where vocal orchestra take over your ears and give you shivers down your spine.
When it comes to the OST you either love it or hate it,I personally skipped it every time as I feel it messed with my vibe when watching the anime especially due to the fact that I was binging it,the ED on the other hand is brilliant in both S1 and S2 and added a good ring to the end of each episode.
The voice acting,awwwwww maaannnn the voice acting is really good. Toyosaki Aki and Suzaki Aya are brilliant Voice Actors who just breathe so much life into the characters they voice. Suzaki Aya even voices multiple characters throughout the series and does an incredible job making them all feel different yet have a sort of relation to them especially in tone.

Now for the verdict. This anime really played with my heart strings,I am pretty versatile when it comes to genre and when it comes to mixing romance and sci-fi, its not very often that they get it right. With Knights of Sidonia,they don't quite get it right but the characters make everything in this series and they are not afraid to show it. This anime is rather old school in its plot progression as it relies almost solely on its characters and that is something that I absolutely love about this series.
Subtle hints to the plot direction told through how characters interact with one another and even down the the subtleties of how characters portray themselves in the anime which is strongly supported by the CGI in all honesty,it is enviable, something that isn't done enough.
This anime gives off some Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu vibes which is especially great if you have watched it before. This anime really makes you think about it and when I say "it" I mean "knights of Sidonia" specifically,it doesn't cause you any existential dread bulls**t unless you really want it to,but it immerses you into its universe,helps you forget about whats happening around you in a good way.
I am so incredibly glad that I spent a couple night of days binging the s**t out of this anime because it really reminded me that there is still a reason to believe in humanity,even if it isn't particularly what you asked for.

Visuals/Style&Design: 8/10

I wouldn't care too much about this category but for those who do.

The CGI is great,an incredible amount of assets are implemented throughout the anime so you don't just get the same old boring designs all the time,other than the generic suits we are gifted with some well designed outfits which seem fit for a vision of what the fashion would be like in such a situation.Character design is relatively good compared to others in it's segment but the anime puts emphasis on how these characters develop and how this is quite literally showed through their character designs.
The Gauna,mech and tech designs are very good and actually surprised me as they all seem very much mechanically functional and come off as "logical".

Audio: 9/10

This is Knights of Sidonia's strongest category coupled with characters,the audio direction by Iwanami Yoshikazu is some of the best I have ever heard in an anime,this is especially noticeable in season 2,it carries over the emotions of the scene so perfectly and fits the anime like a glove.
As I said before the voice acting is incredibly solid,all the characters feel real,even the side characters.
When it comes to general sound effects this anime will have you knocked off your boots,the sound effects from Tsumugi's movements down to subtle distortion effect added in cockpits all make the anime sound believable.

Characters: 9/10

Tagged along for the best part of the show as they make Knights of Sidonia,"Knights of Sidonia". All the characters are layered deeply including many aside the main cast,character building and interaction really immerse you into the series. I am afraid to write more about this category as it may never end so I will end it here.

Plot & Worldbuilding:8/10

I found the plot interesting enough to make me watch the anime. It is pretty unique as it has a lot to build upon,however it was the characters specifically that made me stay to watch the anime and not the plot.
Worldbuilding is gradual but very well paced,I felt that by S2 I was satisfied with what we were given and am adamant in wait for S3.

Is it worth your time?

This anime is most definitely worth your time,however, I would only recommend this to a person who is experienced when it comes to anime and manga as this is one of those anime that newbies will hate and degenerates will by far enjoy. {I may be wrong about that}
If you have read to this point I am very grateful to you and you have my many thinks but if you are still skeptical about giving this anime a go,I would strongly recommend at least watching the first episode before you completely disregard it,you will not regret it.

Overall:8.5/10

Attack on Titan in space is dope, man. I mean, there's no getting around that this is Attack on Titan in space, though. Humanity was destroyed in the distant past by giant mysterious creatures and now the last of humanity lives in an enclosed space that these giant creatures keep attacking, and our heroes must use specialized weapons to defeat them. It's AOT.

But, like AOT, it's really good, so who cares? It's not as good as AOT, but it's still good. There's a certain suspense you feel with these kinds of survival animes. You live vicariously through the ... cast, imagining what you might be doing in this kind of grim situation and environment. That's the main draw.

It also has many subplots that keep you intrigued, such as Captain Kobayashi's motives, Ochiai's grand scheme, the love triangle between Izana, Nagate and the various forms of Hoshijiro. The Hoshijiro and Nagate relationship has got to be one of the most unique setups I've ever seen in an anime and it looks to only get more complicated heading into Season 3. (Whenever that comes out.).

My only real knock against this anime is the crappy 3D animation style. I love 3D when properly applied like in Land of the Lustrous, but, poor 3D animation really removes you from the story when you look at it. Fortunately, this was limited really only to dialogue scenes, and the action itself is also smoothly animated and exciting to watch. Oh, and the other thing is the cast is thin on truly memorable characters.
The cast is likable, but not memorable. Outside of perhaps Hoshijiro/Tsumugi/Benisuzume.

But, I definitely am looking forward to a season 3 on this, whenever that occurs.

Story: 9
Art: 6
Sound: 10
Character: 7
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 8

Season 1 and Season 2 of this show are directed by different people and it's very evident. The tone of this season is simply different. Whether that means better or worse is a matter of personal preference, but it's definitely different. The quality is down a bit as a whole but we're still left with a watchable experience closer to good than bad even if it fails to live up to its predecessor.

Art-

As with most Season 2s of anime, the art is largely the same as Season 1 so if you liked it then you'll like it now and if you didn't then you ... still won't. I echo my comments from my Season 1 review, which summed up would be this has overall well above average visuals and some flashy, cool looking moments but this show definitely goes overboard with its use of CGI. Sidonia itself is a very pretty place on the inside.

Sound-

The voice actors are largely the same as in Season 1 so my rating wouldn't change there, but the music is definitely not as good. The new opening and closing themes aren't nearly as catchy as the original intro and there isn't a single song from Season 2 that I wanted to add to my playlist after the fact. To be fair, nothing made my ears bleed either but ultimately the music was unspectacular and at times quite generic. The anime seems well aware that the original theme was better too, as they choose to use it on more than one occasion near the end of the anime in particularly epic moments.

Character-

The story is definitely where the quality took the biggest dip from Season 1 to Season 2. The new director clearly wanted to take things a different way, as several events happen very early on that completely sever important plot points from Season 1 that, presumably, were intended to be continued upon. ALL of the following unresolved plot points from Season 1- Placenta Hoshijiro and Tanikaze's fascination with it, Kunato as an antagonist going through an emotional crisis and the presence and motivations of the Immortal Council- are completely wiped out in the first couple episodes and are never touched on again. For viewers invested in those plot points from Season 1 it's very difficult not to feel disappointed if not a bit insulted with the speed and manner in which these story elements were handled.

An important new character is introduced in this season as well and the specifics as to how this character works are not clearly established and the viewer is definitely required to suspend their disbelief. There are are several other moments, especially in the ending episodes, in which a viewer must suspend their disbelief as well. Tanikaze can get slammed into an asteroid hard enough to leave a massive crater on its surface but neither he nor his garde sustain any meaningful damage because he was, of course, piloting the "new model" constructed from "superior materials".

Pacing issues and overall issues with the tone of the anime definitely exist as well. The opening couple of episodes deal with the Gauna and then the very long, character focused middle section of the anime kicks in and Gauna are not relevant again until the ending few episodes. The sense of urgency, desperation and fighting for humanity's survival present in Season 1 is significantly diminished in Season 2 where the pace is much more relaxed and the development of interpersonal relationships is clearly the primary priority. Gauna are just kind of there to deal with when the characters are ready, but not before they bond and spend time together and all that good stuff.

Also, there is a repeated instance of an outright sloppy continuity issue that really irks me. A supporting character loses their eye in an action scene but then Tanikaze receives a Facetime-like transmission from the character and, voila, they have their eye! But then when Tanikaze goes to meet the character in person they do not have their eye. But then, in a later scene, when a different character goes to meet the character in question, they once again have their eye. The anime cannot make up its mind! This is the kind of inexcusable mistake that destroys immersion and speaks clearly to rushed or understaffed production and a lack of proper quality assurance to spot these things before release. Nothing like this happened in Season 1.

Enjoyment-

The Knights of Sidonia universe interests me as a whole. I like the setting, I'm fascinated by what the deal is with the Gauna and it is simultaneously humorous and maddening to watch every female in the anime want to get with Tanikaze while he is either completely unaware or has no interest whatsoever. This does still feel like Knights of Sidonia so there were definitely moments I quite liked, but the tone is definitely different than it was, there are many unanswered questions and in a number of ways Season 1 and Season 2 feel disjointed, as the new director simply was not interested in continuing with several key plot elements from Season 1. Die hard fans may find this season frustrating to watch and I can fully understand and respect that. More casual viewers will probably still find enough to like here to make it through, but I cannot see any universe in which one could argue Season 2 lives up to, let alone exceeds, its predecessor.

Overall-

A watchable experience with a few bright moments that is plagued by an overall dip in quality, more fan service than Season 1 and an overall shift in tone that I suspect most viewers will not prefer. Not a complete failure by any means but not the follow up I'd imagine most Knights of Sidonia fans were hoping for.

+Visually nice still
+Addresses the lack of character development and interpersonal relationships present in Season 1
+Valiant effort with an epic, albeit a bit cheesy and convenient, ending

-Key plot elements from Season 1 completely thrown away
-Sense of urgency/desperation largely destroyed
-Heavy CGI usage
-Many unanswered or unexplained plot elements
-Fan service

OBJECTIVE RATING- Mid to Strong 6, Weakest possible 7
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT RATING- Weak 7

Started watching it soon after season 1. I was hoping to discover more about Gauna origin, Ochiai's past, how did Ochiai managed to make parasites and enter Kunato's body and whatnot. Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki does not explore either of these but the series progresses further where Kobayashi tries to push the boundaries and close the gap between humans and gauna.

Although, the series check marks all the generic space mecha gundam boxes yet there is certain je ne sais quoi to it. I enjoyed it thoroughly and never felt that I am just dragging myself just to complete the series.

I'll recommend it ... to people it has a good production value since it is coming from Netflix and storyline is also pretty captivating.

Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki, or Knights of Sidonia: Battle for Planet Nine. But how I would like to put this show is, and I am quoting from Obi-Wan Kenobi, 'another happy landing'.

Yes, yes and yes to this season. The studio did an absolutely fantastic job of carrying the series from the last season up from the rubbles of its own flaws. I am happy, I am so so happy the studio didn't just give up on this series and actually took care of it, that's because I love the concept of the show and I saw huge potential for what is to come. ... However, if you read my review on the first season, it didn't do well for me and I was left disappointed as they did not go the mile to make the first season solid and left it weak and shallow. Thankfully, with this season, the managed to pull through the letdowns and even managed to tick some of the boxes I was hoping it to do. From the explanation of unexplained cases from where the first season left off to the amazing character development throughout the show. The pacing, humor, and execution of scenes just feel so much better this season. I am also appreciative of how they handled the more lively side of the show, more towards the Slice of Life part, the studio does a great job on making our main characters solid, deep and all-around just wonderful people to love. Even the fight scenes, my gosh, they did an even better job than the previous fights on the first season. Additionally, they made Kunato, the character I fucking hated in the first season, such an interesting and somewhat 'nice' person. At first, when the parasite invaded his mind, I was like 'aw shit here we go again' thinking there is just only going to be trouble. But I was so wrong, it turned him into somewhat a drone of Ochiai and actually helped in the advancements of Sidonia. That, a surprise to be sure but a welcomed one. Even the supporting characters are so lively and funny and actually contribute to the main story rather than being extras. There are those few fan-service moments that, I feel, makes the show more casual and is something the audience can take in. Definitely ship Izana and Nagate, those two love birds. But even Yuhata isn't all that bad. Tsumugi? She's just a lovely person all around.

-SCORES-

Character- 7/10: Solid characters, well built and well developed. While I do wish we get more of an insight into the supporting characters, I do hope they keep it up in the third coming season.

Art- 8/10: SOLID 8 AS THEY COME.

Writing- 7/10: So so so sooo much better, scenarios make sense and they aren't in a mess like the first season. There is still a few questioned unanswered but I hoping all of them will be put to rest in the third season.

Sound- 8/10: Somewhat cheeky intro I must say, there is the grand opening part like a real medieval kingdom soundtrack to the disco part of 'Knights of Sidonia ah, ah, ah'. From the first season to the second, they still did a great job on the sound effects on the machines and stuff.

Overall, I am so happy they at least made this series grew into what it is now from the first mess of a season. While I am only the show a 7, I am confident it will climb as the third season arrives, I have a soft spot for this series and I really do enjoy a great space anime.

Decent to Strong 7

I would have assumed that being a sequel, the room for improvement would be pretty high since many sequels ride off the hype the first gained. However, I could have never been more wrong to assume going into this second season.

Plot:
This season by far has a much more structured plot than its predecessor, it contains more key events and captures Sidonia going on the offensive rather than defending against the Gauna. (which was predominantly seen in the first half of season 1) Season 2 also engages in many more support characters than in season 1, which means less characters are killed in order ... to contribute to the 'plot' or simply for shock factor. I also noticed that because the sequel decided to engage in more support characters, there were more peaceful/comedic scenes in Sidonia than on the battlefield which gave it a Slice of Life feel or sense of relief from constant action.

Art & Sound:
I'd assume if you've reached season 2, you don't care about the art style or sound as much since you're either more responsive to the action, character development or plot. This season is no different from the sequel as far as Art and Sound so there's no worry about changes in art style. However, my initial comment from my review of the first season still stands: The benefits of using 3D CGI rather than 2D far outweigh the consequences.

Character Development:
As stated earlier in the review, the plot of this season is much more structured; character development is no different. I feel they are engaging in character development much more than in the first season where they'd kill a lot of support characters for shock factor or for contribution to the plot - I see that a lot less in this season; In fact, if a character (such as Tsugmi/Izana) is injured or on the brink of death, they choose to let them live which essentially improves their character development ~ which in Izana's case, she was injured in battle so she opted to amputate her limbs in order to apply mechanical prosthetic limbs.

Another segment they seemed to improve in character development is that they made use of the side characters: Numi and the Hunato siblings by allowing Doctor Ochiai to apply himself and his Gauna minions inside their respective characters. This meant they saw more screen time than in season 1 and also contributed more to help move the plot further.

Enjoyment:
This was a much easier watch than season 1 by far since it mixes more scenes in Sidonia with the battlefield. It had nearly no filler content as far as I am aware which also helped make it easier to watch.

Short Review: minor spoilers regarding characters

After the excitement of Season 1, I immediately went on to watch Season 2. Alas, it is not quite the hardcore sci-fi war epic Season 1 promised to be. Season 2 is 50% bizarre alien dating simulator, 30% shonen action fantasy and 20% futuristic dystopian drama. It is a significant step down from S1 for me. Though it may work better for some (as the rating on this site shows, that S2 got overall higher score than S1).

Like I said in the review of S1, there is a special charm to how the original author/mangaka Nihei handles sci-fi details ... in his works. In his masterpiece "Blame!", there is an ever-present existential dread and anxiety despite the thrilling actions in the front stage. That is because at the back of the audience's head, once one understands the Lovecraftian implications to everything happens around Killy and Cibo, one is bound to feel insignificant in the larger scheme of things. Is the whole quest futile? Can loved characters even die properly or for good? You never know whose memory/personality the next interdimensional entity Killy encounters might inherit.

In Season 1 of Sidonia, this sense of existential dread is somewhat in the front stage, and the common shonen/space opera tropes are handled with mature reserve. You know something far more sinister is happening to the fate of humanity on a larger scale than what our naive chosen one Nagate can comprehend. This makes what happens in the backstage far more interesting than the MC's expanding harem (which I did not mind that much in S1).

Alas, Season 2 decided to center its narrative focus on the MC's bizarre budding romance with the human/alien hybrid, Tsumugi, who interacts with him by a sentient tentacle that looks terribly like a "Johnson". Izana, the once gender-neutral best buddy of the MC, now develops deep feelings and female parts for him. You think the MC will make a sensible choice with Izana, who risks arms and legs for him? No, he acts like Shinji in NGE, not only with Izana but also with all other women who want a piece of him. Think anime fans and furries are weird? You probably haven't seen Sidonia Season 2. Perhaps one can argue the MC's space harem is an interesting concept with subtle transhumanistic debate hidden somewhere, though I doubt that is the reason such harem became the center of S2 (cute elements and fan service from the said harem sell better than existential dread, for sure). That said, it's not impossible to appreciate the character development here. It's just often tonally off for me. To be fair, Tsumugi is likeable.

Battle sequences in S2 are also impacted by this creative choice, from a certain point onwards you know the MC will never be truly in danger under the protection of his super tentacle space waifu. The sense of insignificance in the vast space/infinite battleground from S1 is heavily weakened here. Also, the subtitle for Season 2 "Duel on Planet 9" is also somewhat misleading, as space battles take a backseat for most of the season. The promised great duel that determines the fate of humanity is also postponed to the movie finale.

In the meanwhile, a coup is taking place in the backstage, with the evil scientist Ochiai and the Captain both showing their hands. The ambiguous implications of their power plays and controversial choices kept the entire season from falling apart.

The art in Season 1 has the signature crudeness/roughness Nihei is famous for (which adds to the atmosphere quite well), but now in Season 2 most of the roughness is gone, replaced by typical CG cleanness which makes certain elements look washed. Fortunately more elements retain Nihei's artistic vision. Soundtrack in S1 is good if not too outstanding. The opening song in Season 2, however, immediately rub me the wrong way. For a show about existential dread, that song is way too triumphalist (it's not even a parody of the national anthem antics, just a serious propaganda song).

In the end, Season 2 ended with an exhilarating epic battle and is still a decent show. My disappointment mainly comes from the quality drop compared to S1.