Mar 26, 2023
If specters, demons, ghosts, yokai, and any other manner of supernatural beings exist and are able to interact with humans; how would they interact with and affect human society? I think this is the question that Kyokou Suiri is getting at. The series does not attempt to answer this question in a grandiose kind of way with supernatural creatures attempting world domination. Instead it looks at it from a much less intense but nonetheless dramatic angle— covering such themes as supernatural romance, revenge, and murder.
Story:
While the first season focused a lot of time on the Steel Lady Nanase arc which many people did not
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enjoy, the second season follows several short individual stories, each taking up only a few episodes. This keeps the story feeling fresh with a new mystery to look forward to after each arc. In her typical fashion, Kotoko Iwanaga leads the viewer and indeed the other characters to believe one thing is happening while subtly dropping hints for when she makes the grand reveal of the truth at the end of the arc. This leads each arc to a close with a satisfying conclusion. Kyokou Suiri’s primary means of conveying the story is through conversation and flash backs of "what-if" scenarios. If you easily get bored of listening to characters talking in one room for an entire episode (albeit with a few of the aforementioned "what-if" scenarios thrown in) then this anime is not for you. That being said, if you enjoyed season one, then you will like season two.
Art & Sound:
I have no complaints nor anything to applaud regarding the art and sound. The opening is nice to listen to and fits the series well. The voice actors did a good job which is important in a series with so much talking. The art style and animation have no obvious flaws. It’s overall decent with nothing special or concerning to note.
Characters:
Our protagonist, Kotoko Iwanaga, is someone who takes her status as the goddess of wisdom seriously and will help the supernatural beings with their problems. However, she feels little obligation towards human society and mostly does what she wants regarding their affairs. She is smart with good reasoning skills. In addition, she can be very funny, especially when teasing her boyfriend, Kurou Sakuragawa.
Kurou mostly just follows Kotoko and goes along with her schemes. His unique abilities are an important part in many of Kotoko’s plans and they help her get to the truth of the mystery. His cousin, Rikka Sakuragawa, is also important to the story but spends most of her time running away from Kotoko and doing things behind the scenes.
Neither of these two really experience any character development through this season, but it doesn’t really take away from the series since it has a story driven by events, not the feelings of our protagonists.
Enjoyment:
I found Kyokou Suiri Season 2 to be a pleasant watch and better than the first season. Viewers that like mystery and supernatural elements will certainly find this series to be something worth their time but should be aware of the lack of a large, complex overarching storyline and the reliance on dialogue as a means of storytelling. One thing that makes this series enjoyable is the story does not get so complicated or contrived that it becomes hard to follow.
Overall:
Kyokou Suiri is an anime that only some people will be able to enjoy. If you do not fall into this grouping, then it is unlikely that you will enjoy this series. That being said, the second season does improve upon the series conventions established by season one and this makes it more enjoyable overall.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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