Amagami SS+ Plus

Amagami SS had a great cast of girls to work with and it always left itself on a high note (well...5/6 times, anyways). Amagami SS+ though....while not bad (I've seen much worse in the harem genre), doesn't quite hit all the sweet spots that it's prequel series did.

(+) The animation was top notch and the character designs look a lot nicer. Even with whatever qualms I have with the stories, seeing the followups on the girls is really nice. I LOVED Haruka's story and it was easily the best one, including that ending. The secondary characters were just as fun as they were before. And ... we totally need more Jessica and Risa. :)

(-) On the whole, I only really enjoyed one out of six scenarios, which is a little sad honestly. Just a quick thought on each of them: by far the worst was Kaoru's, since it seemed to diminish her likability in some ways. Sae's was just too weird and overly cutesy, but not terrible. Ai also lost some likability, but still kept her personality as fun as before. Rihoko got a nice resolution that I think everyone wanted. Finally, Tsukasa's (is a lovely person with nothing to hide, I swear!) was good, but it didn't work her personality into it very well.

So overall, while not as charming as the first series, it's still a nice followup to the omnibus Amagami that came before it. :)

As a little side note, here's a most-to-least favorite list of the girls routes this time around:

#1. Haruka
#2. Tsukasa
#3. Rihoko
#4. Ai
#5. Sae
#6. Kaoru

Amagami SS+ Plus is the sequel of Amagami SS+. The series is more of a side story than continuation of the first season but still gives the excitement that made us want more of Amagami.

Story:
The set-up of the story is the same as the first season where it is divided into story arcs focusing on one heroine. The sequence is different in the first season whereas the last heroine covered is the first one in this sequel. As I stated before, this more of a side story in which they show different events happening after the end of each arc on the first one. I ... say it is more of a side story because there is not much development that may affect the series. But even though it is a side story, it is still good because it shows the lax side of the characters.

Art:
There is not much difference in the art as the first season. It is still good. The design of the heroines is the one that really stands out in the series which helps in rooting for the one. The backgrounds are also good but you most of the time, you will focus on the heroines instead.
And wait, there are also fanservice if you are into that.

Sound:
The opening and ending are both good. They may not be as good as the first season but you can still enjoy it. It is perfect for this series. The soundtracks for the scenes are also good that it helps in taking the emotions out of you.

Characters:
The set of heroines are good given that there are many of them. They have different personalities that you may love or hate. In terms of character development, there is not much of it. Their traits are almost the same thing that we know in the first season.

Overall:
If you watched the first season and you want more, this is a good watch as it extends the story of each heroines. It may not contain a lot of development but it is still enjoyable. The stories may give yo a few laughs and gives an excitement that you want for romantic story.

Amagami SS was an interesting take on the harem genre, with the main character rotating through different routes spanning two seasons. Amagami SS Plus revisits lucky man Junichi's world with a promise of additional content. However, given that viewers from Amagami already know that Junichi is 6 out of 6 (7 out of 6 if you include OVAs), what can another season's worth of episodes add?

I would actually classify this series as more of an OVA than a regular series, as plot-wise there isn't much to anticipate. As you are basically watching for more cute character interactions, this is primarily for fans of the original ... Amagami series. There is minor plot attached to each of the six arcs (in almost reverse order of the original season so you have to really wait for Haruka this time) but for the most part it's only just enough to give reason for the character interactions. If you liked the original and still want more of your favorite gal, this is where you'll find it.

Animation:
The animation is pretty much straight out of the original, granted a few additional backgrounds and such. If you like the mildly-understated character styling of the original then you'll be right at home here. If you liked the romance-based scenes in the original, there are definitely a few more of those here. If you're looking for the ecchi scenes, you'll find a good deal of it in the last episode- somewhat expected from any sento/onsen episode. My only major complaint is that Risa only gets a brief cameo appearance.

Sound:
Unlike the original, you get one fixed OP and ED for the entire duration of the series. The OP and ED, both by the same artist, fit fairly well into the general atmosphere of the series, with the OP being a bit more upbeat. The only animation difference you're going to get is during the ED where different heroines mouth the phrase "Suki dayo". Otherwise sound is pretty much the same as the original - same BGM and same VA cast. If anything, you get even more Haruka/episode as you essentially have two Morishimas. Her Engrish is actually somewhat superior to quite a few other VAs.

Story:
The director here had a tough challenge. How do you fit an entire season's worth of character interactions without boring or confusing the viewer who pretty much already have a fixed idea of the conclusion of most of the arcs? For the most part, I was satisfied with how the stories in each arc went. They didn't go back and rewrite events in the original and they didn't pull a Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien ~ Next Season (drastic personality change). What they did do is present new circumstances under which the character personalities could shine.

Each arc takes off after the events in the first season (minus the flash-forward scenes as in the case of Haruka). In some arcs, you have a continuation of dating (fights, challenges, tension...) and in others you get to finally get to the confession/dating. You even get some more of the flash-forward finality scenes, which I kind of liked. However, you really can't compete with the story in the first season, as it's not possible here to replicate the tension of the early getting to know each other period. Despite this, there's more than enough to keep those who liked the original watching.

Character:
If anything, you learn that Junichi was always a little pervy (Rihoko arc). That aside, the personalities of each girl shows through as they are pushed into new challenges, be it getting lost or getting a rival. In most cases, the interactions are a bit more static, since in most cases Junichi is already dating the girl, but the particular situations make it interesting nonetheless. Again, I'll be rooting for an Amagami SS Plus OVA with more Risa.

Value:
This is not nearly as must-watch as the original, but the additional content is worth checking out if you liked the prequel. Not all arcs are even as the endings of the first season left more room in some story lines than others. Overall, this does a good job of balancing the progress in the different arcs and giving some more screen time to some nice, familiar faces.

This review covers Amagami SS+, as well as the first season. It is also spoiler free.

Amagami SS is a series that tries to play romance in a different way using an omnibus format. Unfortunately it fails to deliver engaging, interesting, or otherwise fun stories for the viewers.

Despite the low rating I'm giving this series, I wouldn't say I hate it - I just find it incredibly boring.

STORY:

This is a romance anime in an omnibus format. If you are not familiar with that term, it means that there are many girls and many arcs, and each girl gets her own arc. You can think of each ... arc as a parallel universe because they have their own endings and there's no continuity between each arc.

Anyway, Because of this, it's hard to rate the story as a whole, but we can talk about the arcs on average. Each arc is 4 episodes long in the first season, and the second season has continuations to each arc that are 2 episodes long. Unfortunately none of the arcs are really that interesting. Everything always goes well. They don't really take the time to develop any kind of drama, and if they do, it gets resolved really quickly, failing to justify the length of each arc. The romance is poorly done in each arc - it just isn't interesting. In fact, there's situations when it can actually be creepy and overdone. And one thing that is particularly jarring is that the arcs take place in the same timeframe every time, the main character has the same backstory in all of them, and they always end in the same event, with it just playing differently. You will probably find yourself rolling your eyes each time they repeat what happened to the main character at the beginning of each arc.

The humor falls on its face most of the time. It doesn't come off as natural, and it just follows the typical troupes you would find in a romance comedy anime. There are some exceptions to this, but in general, the humor is not well done.

ART:

The one thing that can be highlighted from this show is the art. While this part of the review can only be objective, I really enjoyed the character design. The girls just look really cute, and the backdrops are detailed. They didn't slack off in this area.

SOUND:

The sound is nothing special. If you have played VNs, you will notice that it has that same "type" of music. In the first season, each ending was sung by the main girl of the arc. Sometimes they were OK, sometimes they were average. They were never BAD, but I wouldn't say music was this anime's biggest department.

CHARACTER:

So the character design is nice, but I have mixed feelings regarding their personalities and interactions. I think most of the characters, other than the MC, can actually be pretty likable on their own, but everything falls to the ground when they start interacting with each other, or at least when they interact with the MC. I wish we could see each character do their own thing a bit more often without having to involve the MC so we can get a better idea of what they are like. Many characters have good backgrounds, interesting personalities, and hobbies. But we can never see that because the series doesn't take the time to develop each character. When one of the girls show up, the MC is almost guarantee to be with them, and if they don't they aren't doing or talking about anything important.

ENJOYMENT:

Ultimately, how I rate an anime is mostly decided by how much I enjoyed it. It can have the nicest art in the world or the most bombastic music ever, but if it wasn't enjoyable, it's rating will go down.

And Amagami SS fails to deliver any kind of enjoyment. With the comedy failing to deliver, the romance being so poorly done, and the character development being boring and mostly non existent, I found myself checking how much left of each episode was left when I was watching it. This is never a good sign.

OVERALL:

I sincerely find it hard to justify a score bigger than 2. The biggest problem with this anime is how the arcs develop and they always end up being boring. If you want to watch a romcom, rest assured the market is full of them, and only watch this when you have exhausted all your options.

I came to Amagami SS+ Plus to get, as the title says, more of the same. I got, however, a very nice surprise.

Amagami SS focuses on each girl's route, while Amagami SS+ Plus focuses on the afterthought. Junichi has to deal with different situations regarding his different relationships, which is interesting to see.

Don't get me wrong, it's still a harem anime, and you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of it, but this time around there's more on the table. While some situations seem outlandish, some others not so much.

If you enjoyed Amagami SS, you'll enjoy Amagami SS+ Plus even more. It gives ... a sense of closure, and you'll definitely get that feel of "Happy I saw this".

Hahaha... this second season, i love it, for Morishima-sempai's arc, Ai Nanasaki's arc ....and the funniest at all... episode 13. I can't stop laughing like crazy man when watching it!!!!

The only bad thing that this anime leaves in the person is the longing and sadness that it ended! What a well written work! And, regarding the continuation of the stories, Haruka's was the coolest and the one with the best dramatic writing! In addition to being my favorite character for being the prettiest and funniest, she conquers anyone with her friendliness and charisma. Sae in second because her development after dating was very high and well written too. Even showing what happened between them in adult life. It was certainly the cutest arc. Tsukasa's arc was also very good and was the most complex ... with a big plot right at the end of the first episode of the season. Kaoru's I considered weaker compared to the first season but it was the most adventurous arch by the couple. I found the arc strange because the character was libertine at times but at the time of intimacy she was a nun, unlike Ai's arc who continued shamelessly in intimacy which appeared to be something more natural, in the end but for me it was the second worst arc again because both didn't have that much chemistry with the protagonist, thus, losing only to, precisely, the arc that I wanted the biggest development because in the first season there was NO romantic development AT ALL and again [SPOLER DE LEVE] (despite being a spoiler light it was obvious that the romance was going to happen so I won't even hide it) it left a lot to be desired, even though they got to make it official at the very end! [END OF MILD SPOILER].

Risa, who had the enormous sin of appearing in only one episode and who had the potential to be the best character in the series, does not even appear in the second season, except in the first two arcs serving as a stalker for the couples, to appear only in the 13th ep.

And here's a tip: the last episode, the 13th, has no story, and nothing interesting. It's just a slice-of-life fan-service of the girls going to a spa house. So if you want to skip it, do it without hesitation.

***This is a spoiler free review***

Words of advice, if you decide this is an anime you wish to watch, I STRONGLY encourage you watch its first season, Amagami SS first as it will add to the overall enjoyment of this season.

Amagami SS+ is the continuation of last season’s Amagami SS. It is a direct sequel and follows roughly the same episodic format of its predecessor. Each female lead is given a two episode arc that once completed, goes back to the beginning of the timeline and focuses on another female lead. These episodes are meant to provide closure for last season’s episodes as not every ... female was given a canon ending.

Story: 7/10

Amagami SS+ tries very hard to provide appropriate closure to each character’s romance, but some come off too forced due to the restricted two episodes per character. An example is from the ending of Haruka’s arc where Junichi makes a very bold confession that I believe no human would ever attempt. I also found myself reverting to my old preferences of character choice from last season as I still found Haruka way out of Junichi’s league and Sae was still a pill to listen to. There are however some really great moments such as Ai’s ending and Rihoko finally manning (err womaning) up to confess to Junichi. The season does have arcs that outshine others but overall it’s enjoyable across the board.

Animation: 8.5/10

The animation is a step up from last season as the production values have been very kind to the overall visuals of the show. Each character seems more defined and much more attractive to see. Backgrounds are drawn very well and each setting is very detailed.

Sound: 7.5/10

Once again the voice acting is very well done by the Jap cast. Each female lead is voiced by the same actor as before and retains their individual quirks that made them lovable in the previous season. My gripes still remain with Sae as she is just a pill to listen to for over 40 minutes. The opening song is very catchy and well done. Music during the episodes fit well and provide adequate atmosphere.

Characters: 9/10

There is not much I can say that has changed in the character department from last season. I still loved all the characters and they act the same as the previous season. I have newfound respect for Rihoko, returning ughness for Sae, and a liking for Haruka’s outgoing personality. Each character’s personality is unique and a joy to watch fold out. The male lead Junichi is also more likeable in this season as he seems more approachable this time around.

Overall: 8/10

Even though I ended up scoring this season with a score lower than a 9.0, I still found myself really enjoying the closure provided for the entire cast. Every arc was fun and enjoyable to watch and I cannot wait to go back and re-watch the first and second season in the future.

Enjoyment: 8.5/10

Thanks for reading my review! If you liked my writing style, would like to see some other reviews, or just want to talk, please stop by my page!

Sincerely,
Awesome Drummer

Amigami SS+ is the sequal to the anime Amagami SS adapted from the visual novel Amagami. Season 2 is not adapted from the visual novel unlike it's predecessor, and mainly focuses on the continuation of each girls relationship with the MC Tachibana Junichi. It tells the story of how Junichi tries to continue his relationships with all the girls despite Ai's anxiety caused by him preparing for college, Sae's lack of time for him due to her being focused on the cultural festival, Haruka wanting to get married after her graduation, Kaoru wanting to further extend their relationship and take that next big step, Rihoko ... still unable to express her obvious feelings for him and Tsukasa running for student council president, all told using a 2 episodic format allocated for each heroine. First of all the second season is better than the first season, it has more interesting arcs and some really wholesome moments here and there, now granted the first season does have those as well, but that one was a lot more cringe and annoying to get through. Don't get me wrong this one still has cringe moments and that dreadful final panservice episode that was absolute unbearable and cringey to get through , shit was probably just mixed in to cash out, hell if you're making 2 seasons of anime based off a visual novel then you definitely need to cash in other wise that's a failure for the studio. Let's talk about the cringe moments next, there are still here, a lot less than the first one but still here, incidentally the first one had some moments where I had to pause and come back or take a quick break in order to get through certain episodes ahem ahem Sae arc and Nanasaki end ahem ahem, but fortunately this season wasn't like that despite still having cringe moments it wasn't unbearable that I had to pause or take a break to get through episodes, this one felt a lot more comfortable and entertaining unlike it's predecessor. Finally though this anime was decently entertaining by generic harem romcom standards, it is still a generic romcom that was only made because the first one succeeded back at it's time, but honestly for me this second season didn't have a necessary purpose for it to be made, it was only a cash in from the studio's part, hell the story was just an afterstory of characters with a already decent ending that many romcoms would die for instead they're out here ending with the characters too shy to confess to each other jeez this why is the genre is ass and we only have a few good ones, anyway as I was saying not to take anything away from this anime but honestly there's not really much to take away about Amigami hell the two seasons weren't good they're mediocre at best, and this second season is completely unecessary in terms of story fr we didn't need to see this but they still made it cause they needed more mulla hmmp whatever. Also I forgot to mention but the animation and the artstyle are the same, the characters are also the same, furthermore there is no new character development with the girls since they all just stayed with Junichi anyway and we already confirmed thats what going to happen in the first season.





Pros:
-More entertaining and bearable
-Less cringe moments
-Couple of decent afterstories for Haruka, Kaoru
and Tsukasa
-Kept the same animation and artstyle
-Has some fluffy moments





Cons:
-The return of your favorite perverted beta male no personality MC Tachibana Junichi
-Cringe moments are still here
-This sequal didn't need to be made since the story was already done, and the only purpose of Amigami SS+ is fanservice and to be a cash grabber
-Cringe af and annoying episode 13 [ if you're going to watch this anime stop at episode 12 thank me later]
-No new character development
-Garbage OP and ED




Overall Amagami SS+ is a sequal to a run of the mill harem romcom, that only exists to be either fanservice or to make more money, though it is better than it's predecessor because it has less cringey moments, made 3 arcs more interesting plus it does have better more memorable instances, not too mention really fluffy scenes as well. Even so being slightly better than Amagami is not really a achievement that this second season should be proud off. To all of you who are looking for some romcoms to watch I don't really recommend Amagami SS and Amagami SS+ since they're you're run of the mill harem romcoms, if you are looking for some really good visual novel adaptations you outta try Clannad and Clannad afterstory, Higurashi, the fate franchise and Steinsgate. If you're looking for good romance anime then you can try Sakurasou, Rascal does not dream of bunny girl senpai, Your lie in april, School Rumble, Ore Monogateri, Kimi No Todoke, Romeo X Juliet, Clannad Afterstory and Maid Sama. I give Amagami SS+ a 6/10 for my overall anime rating, Cyranical signing off.

In Short: Amagami SS is the greatest Harem Anime ever.
Each character is given plenty of screen time and is fleshed out in a way that is very natural. Unlike many anime of the sort, we can see how the mc would pick each girl and how compatible they are. This change from the generic harem route is refreshing and will make every other show seem dull in comparison. The formula that Amagami chose for its storytelling is so unique that if done by any other show, would be seen as a copycat.
The myriad of routes taken by the show has made me view ... the very concept of love in a new way.
It is no understatement to say that this show is a rollercoaster of many different emotions, and you will be thinking about it long after you have finished it, its OVA's, and its second season. I promise that you will think about Amagami every time you watch another harem anime, it's just that memorable and unique.
If each arc was the same quality as that of the first and 2nd to last of the first season, this should probably have been the greatest romance in anime.
Another part of the show that I feel as though I must point out is the genius idea to create a different ED for each arc/girl (much in the same way that Rascal Does not Dream of A Bunny Girl does, except Amagami takes it a step or two beyond that). I'm sure that this wasn't easy for the creators and I am very happy that they did it, it makes each arc feel unique, and using the same OP brings them back as part of the same overarching story about the many ways love can form and show its colors.
While the art and animation are nothing to really write home about, I find that the overall story and thought-provoking nature of Amagami easily make up for that. Also on that note, I would rather have a mediocre, more realistic art style than one that is oversaturated or hard on the eyes. This more realistic art style also fits with the more grounded and true idea of love that the stories portray.
Overall, this is an amazing show that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to pretty much anyone interested in romantic anime, as I believe it to be an underrated staple of the genre.

Amagami SS returns once again for a second season, this time making my complaint about the shortness of each character's arc even worse by having only 2 episodes devoted to each love interest. And these arcs pick up after the first season, meaning if you want to pick up one after the other, it'll make for a very kaleidoscopic viewing order. For fans of VN novels, I suspect this anime will be perfect viewing material. I, however, found this style frustrating and conflicting to the emotional core that should've been the point of the story. At this point I can't empathize with our protagonist Junichi ... Tachibana. Yes, getting dumped on Christmas Eve was a way to start the story, but where it is taken from there is more crucial, a point this anime seems to miss. 6/10