Nisekoi:

If you are reading this review, I assume that you have completed the first season already. Whether you liked the first season or not, I would like to mention that I enjoyed the first season very much and was expecting a lot from the second season in terms of plot advancement, comedy and character development. But what a shame! The quality of the anime dropped a big deal in this season (and so did it's rank).

Story: 5/10
The second season is not about the pendant or developing relationships anymore. You can't blame the studio as it is just following the manga. This season is focused on Onodera's sister, Haru, who has apparently got a bad impression about Raku as rumors described him as perverted monster of a person.
The premise sounds interesting but Haru is not introduced until 7th episode. That's more than halfway of the season. If you skip till episode 7, you'd miss nothing!! Literally there is no advancement in the plot and each episode is just dragged on with no conclusion. The whole production feels like one big series of OVAs.

Art: 8/10
The only element because of which I was able to go through all 12 episodes was the eye dazzling art.

Sound: 7/10
LiSA's Rally Go Round is a pretty good OP, but I didn't really liked the voice acting.

Characters: 6/10
To be honest, I really liked the characters of the show in the first season and thought they were pretty funny. But this season made me literally dislike the characters. Raku is more dumber than ever. Most of the episodes are devoted to a single character, sometimes Chitoge, sometimes Marika. But when it comes to plot progression or romance development concerning anyone or the promise girl, there is no advancement from the first season.

Enjoyment: 6/10

"It's true there is no or very little plot development but Nisekoi is supposed to be enjoyed, it's damn funny"

"Nisekoi is the funniest anime I'v watched. It has much fanservice as well, It's a must watch"

I don't care whatever the Nisekoi fans will say, this season was really a waste of time. In terms of comedy, the first season was funny but in this season, the comedy is terribly forced and jokes are thrown just for joke's sake.

Nisekoi season 2 is watchable for big Nisekoi fans. However, if you weren't a fan of the first season, don't bother watching the second season.

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I don't usually write anime reviews, but after seeing one of my favorite rom-com harem series turn into donkey ass I feel the need to write something for this one and warn others about this atrocious series that ruined itself.

Ah, the story. This element might have singlehandedly brought this anime down. The 2nd season of Nisekoi has the "same" plot as the 1st. A Yakuza head's son by the name of Ichijo Raku has a pendant, and he doesn't know who has the key to opening it. The one with the key is his "true lover." Throughout the story we see a bunch of girls join his harem with different keys.

The first season at least had SOME plot progression, whereas in the 2nd season you might as well watch paint dry on a wall. In the 2nd season, its not about the pendant anymore, nor is it about him developing better relationships. Now, although you cannot blame the studio for merely just following the manga, the story is now focused on Onodera's sister who goes by the name of Haru. This ratchet little ignorant pitbull of a character gets saved by Raku from a bunch of gangbangers and refuses to believe that it was Raku who saved her. The only reason why she hates Raku is based off of the rumors she heard from others that described Raku as a perverted monster of a person.

Okay, premise is "alright," its safe for the audience to hope that we can see some character development within Raku and Haru right? Wrong. Not only does Haru get introduced in the 7th episode, which is more than halfway throughout the 2nd season, we get nothing before it! If you were to start at episode 7 in the 2nd season, you'd miss nothing. The episodes before are merely fillers. Even after Haru joins the harem, they are so focused on trying to push her to be the Main Focus that we get next to no character development between Raku and anyone else. It is now episode 11/12 and I have yet witnessed ANY genuine character development in the anime series except for the episodes that forced Raku and Haru together as the main dish, with a little spice of Onodera.

The Art is AMAZING. Only reason I made it this far was because of the art. It is merely eye candy, SHAFT always does a fantastic job with the artwork.

Sound is great! However nothing too special. I'd say its more on the better side because of how fitting the sound is with everything thats going on.

The characters? Oh right! This show was a harem right? Right right, we had characters other than Raku and Haru and Onodera.

Raku: The same thickheaded character as before. His blatant ignorance to everyone's feelings toward him makes one want to rip their hair out, but he cant be hated as a character. He is lovable and charming to the max when he gets screentime.

Haru: Eh, I see plethoras of comments talking about how shes the new ship with Raku but I don't like it. Her choices of refusing to believe that Raku is a genuinely good person is stressful to the audience.

Onodera: Onodera is more or less the same as the first season. We see more character development with her and Raku and thats good to see because they are the #1 ship.

Literally every other girl in the harem: They are now irrelevant and are on the anime purely for the comedic reliefs.

I wouldn't be surprised if the series gets dropped and a 3rd season never comes because I don't know what the mangaka, nor the studio is doing with this series. This show with its comedic scenes had so much potential to be a great comedic harem anime. Now however, the dream is lost. A 5/10 overall seems just about right, although theres this voice in the back of my head that is telling me that I am being too lenient. Lets hope the plot gets somewhere in the future. Cheers!

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Oh god this Nisekoi season lol.
If you enjoyed first season of this show, don't raise your hopes up, cause this season is like a filler.

Story:
The plot in Nisekoi is actually medicore. The first season probably entertained you by it's comedy and you can call it romance lol...
Second s. is worse, while it's still pretty enjoyable to follow it goes nowhere.
The end felt like it's just begging and honestly there should be 24 episodes not 12...
5/10

Art:
The art is very nice to look at.
8/10

Sound:
Opening is really good along with the ed. The soundtrack overall is at high level so you can just watch this season for art and sound if you're that kind of person.
8/10

Character:
While the characters are very likable some of their actions or decisions are questionable. Why wouldn't Raku notice that he just got a harem and every girl likes him but he's just like hmm...? In this season some female characters got development unlike males cough..mc..cough.
7/10

Enjoyment:
Was really hyped for this season. Damn such a disappoitment. It was really enjoyable to watch but it could be so much better.
7/10

Overall:
This season was medicore-good. It can entertain you but it doesn't progress much where first season left. If you have free time and don't know what to watch, Nisekoi; is a good choice.

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The sequel falls quite low compared to the prequel.
Nisekoi: barley gives any progression to the story. It's just 12 episodes filled with comedy.

Sure, it is a romance anime. But comedy has dominated it. No wonder it's called Nisekoi (False Love) because there isn't any in it. Yeah yeah, the girls are head over heels in love with Raku but does Raku have a clue? NO. Did he get a clue in season 1? NO.

Though there is a slight progress in the story but that is more related to the past of the character and a hint of the promise. That's all there is, 1.5 episodes about the story.

There you have it. Nisekoi: is meant to be enjoyed as a comedy anime with really cute characters and splendid animation. If you're looking for some good strong romance, you're in the wrong place.

Characters:
New characters are introduced. But they get little importance aside from Haru Onodera.
Among the old characters, whole episodes are devoted to a single character. Sometimes, it is Chitoge, sometimes Marika etcetera.

A few episodes also show more of them in it. But as far as character progression, romance progression, the promise girl is concerned, that's a no go.

Enjoyment:
Yeah, I enjoyed the series. Since I like comedy and good animation, Niskeoi: was a nice anime to watch every week. But not an anime that I would watch as soon as it was available. It's the type you'd watch when bored and free, unlike another anime this season (Oregairu Zoku).

Nisekoi: does little to progress the story set in Nisekoi. It is full of comedy and filler type episodes. Not much progress about the promise. Mild story progress, nothing that important.

Don't get me wrong, I really like the anime but I also want them to move ahead with the story.

RakuXOnodera FTW!!!

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(This has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!)

Nisekoi: has a strange title when you stare at it. It is the second season of an anime that is quite popular, but instead of giving it a number or some kind of continuation phrase, it simply adds a colon to the end of its name. It seems quite out of place, perhaps making you wonder, “Why is that even there?” Traditionally colons in sentences are used in conjunction with lists or highlighting something specific. Or to put it another way, a colon is used when wishing to speak about a relevant thing or set of things. But Nisekoi: has nothing after its colon, and the reason for this becomes obvious when thought about briefly: there is “nothing” to say about the show. While this spells certain doom for the anime as a whole, it at least provides the audience with an interesting question pertaining to expectations.

STORY

Nisekoi: takes place shortly after the first season ended. Chitoge, Onodera, Tsugumi, and Marika are back, with everyone still semi-vying for Raku’s attention.

Nisekoi (the first season) is a series infamous not only for the nonexistence of romantic and relational developments but also for the insane amount of plot stalling it performs. The first season did this so much to the point that the anime had become synonymous with “keeping the status quo.” Nothing ever progressed because the anime did not want it to; expecting it to do otherwise was almost unfair given the direction it purposefully went time and again.

With this in mind, think of a grocery store chain called “Nisekoi:” and determine what it generally contains. There are fruits, vegetables, chips, drinks, meats, breads – a never-ending amount of food can be found within such establishments. A person is allowed to expect this because he or she managed to visit its parent grocery store, Nisekoi, sometime in the past. Along the same lines, it doesn’t generally contain cars, clothes, expensive jewelry, computers, and many other objects because grocery stores focus instead on selling products that pertain to their specialty. Now, this does not mean that a grocery store cannot sell these items; it is just that it is known not to. In other words, a person doesn’t go to a grocery store expecting to find the latest sapphires for sale because that is not what a grocery store was designed to offer.

How in the world does this relate to Nisekoi:, the anime? The second season suffers from what is known as “misplaced expectations.” This is a phrase that is defined as expecting “A” but receiving “B” despite the signs pointing towards “B.” For anime, these signs include the themes, any type of foreshadowing, what the characters represent, genres the show finds itself in, or any other kind of indicator for how the events will unfold. Like someone flabbergasted that he or she did not find diamonds at the grocery store, a person who has “misplaced expectations” when watching a show is not looking strictly at what the anime did but instead what he or she wanted it to do.

“Misplaced expectations” are most often associated with sequels, as it is here with Nisekoi:, because there is already a foundation with which to work off of. Normally a sequel is viewed after the previous seasons have been completed, meaning the audience has already been exposed to certain ideas or details. New projects or unfamiliar territory should ideally be approached with no expectations whatsoever but since sequels have already had some of their signs propped up, it seems as if there have to be some expectations that are simply unavoidable.

Thus a difficult dilemma is raised: what is the audience “allowed” to expect? Certain aspects are easier to agree on: Chitoge’s new romantic feelings towards Raku, a return of the cast, and the same brand of comedy are parts of the anime people can nearly unanimously expect to find in the second season. But what about progression of the plot? As has been said, the first season had quite the array of “convenient inconveniences,” so perhaps one should not expect to see any sort of movement of the narrative or the relationships between the characters. Indeed, the structure of the narrative – how the various tales are segmented in an episodic nature – demonstrates the anime’s slice-of-life-oriented framing and subsequently unwillingness to press forward. Yet one can look at it the opposite way; since there was notsuch progression, one might expect to finally see it after so long. Some of the best episodes this season, such as Chitoge reconciling with her mother, Shuu confessing to his teacher, and the investigation of Onodera’s backstory, were executed so well because they subverted the very expectations the anime had set for itself.

Since expectations vary so wildly in degree and importance, the conclusion is that all anime should be viewed through a lens that holds no expectations whatsoever, with the show being looked at for what it attempted and accomplished. To put it differently, in order to avoid “misplaced expectations” one should abstain from having expectations to begin with. In Nisekoi:’s case – as a slice-of-life construct featuring harem, romance, and comedic elements – it performs at a respectable level. The events are sporadic yet relevant; the characters are given appropriate screen-time to interact in multiple combinations; and the comedy manages to be a mixture of visual gags, misunderstandings, and over-the-top personality quirks. At the same time, the anime fails in key areas: the romance is subpar due to repetition, not all of the new additions to the cast feel as “part of the gang,” and there is very little in the way of themes.

So while Nisekoi:’s plot may not be something worth remembering, the interesting topic that ensues because of it certainly is.

ANIMATION

Although this rarely happens – and by coincidence, it has happened twice within the past five reviews – this section will be kept shorter than usual. Per SHAFT ideology, Nisekoi: adopts a less-movement-more-style direction in terms of its art and animation. Characters are often standing still, with multicolored lights and colors surrounding their backs while their faces take on a wide range of reactions. The designs maintain their same flair, with Onodera’s plain yet cute looks, Chitoge’s beautiful blonde hair with accompanying red ribbon, and Shuu’s silly cat mouth signifying his carefree nature, with everyone having both school and casual attire to match the correct occasion.

CHARACTERS

Due in part to Nisekoi:’s everlasting preventative measures, the characters likewise often find themselves not developing. Being a slice-of-life outing, this is usually the case; characters do not normally experience drama or introspection of the same level as a psychological thriller, so it is understandable that the majority of their character istheir “character.” Onodera is still her extremely shy yet vastly determined self, Chitoge remains as the typical “tsundere” (with more “dere” than “tsun” this time around), and Marika is as overly obsessed with Raku as she has ever been. However, there are moments where the show provides further insight into the cast. These were brought up previously: Chitoge has the relationship with her mother mended, Shuu adds another dimensionality to his person through the heartbreak he embarks on, and Onodera’s past reveals just how genuine and sweet her feelings are for the boy she loves so much. These are the exceptions, not the rule, but divulging beyond what the characters normally offer was a definite boon.

In relation to Chitoge’s small plotline, the show actually introduces four new characters, namely Hana (Chitoge’s mother), Paula (Tsugumi’s friend), Haru (Onodera’s sister), and Fuu (Haru’s friend). What is interesting is that Marika seems to be missing a new connection, which leads to two problems that the anime has in regards to the newcomers: their non-harem presence and their eventual nonexistence.

First, they are not directly related to the harem. Their inclusion seems nonsensical, since their relation to Raku is nearly nonexistent. To an extent this is understandable since there are already four women on the list. But careful consideration reveals that the new characters are there to highlight aspects of the veterans; Hana brings out Chitoge’s more personal and vulnerable side, Paula demonstrates Tsugumi’s transition from tiger to cub, and Haru makes it abundantly clear how kind Onodera is. Fuu is, once again, an exception. She has implied feelings towards Haru, but she is hardly around long enough to discuss. This is all well and good, but the problem is that none of these girls improves upon the harem nature of the anime. In fact, some even regress it; Hana refuses to mention some important detail regarding Chitoge and Raku’s childhood whereas Haru literally forces Raku away from Onodera. Disrupting arguably the most important facet of the show is nothing more than a negative.

Second, their removal from Nisekoi: leaves it in an awkward position. Essentially, the new characters, after being introduced and used for their singular purpose, leave the stage to never be utilized again. Fuu’s case is the extreme, with her making around two appearances at most, but this also holds true for Hana, Paula, and even Haru. They show up, do their business, and are never heard from again. It not only makes it difficult to really care about them but also makes them feel less important, as if what they do manage to take part in while they are around holds no merit since, like them, it is quickly forgotten.

SOUND

The opening theme is a big bundle of fun. The whistling, the back-and-forth singing, and fast beat keep the song from ever slowing down, upping the playfulness it provides. Alongside the incredible range of the main vocalist, the piece is not only fitting but a joy to listen to as well. The ending theme is arguably stronger than the OP, matching not only its playfulness but improving on overall catchiness. The “la’s,” very simple beat, and various vocalists working individually and in harmony gives the track the feel-good vibe it was undoubtedly aiming for. Beyond the main OP and ED is a bonus opening theme that precedes Onodera’s magical girl romp and a slew of ending themes – nearly one for each girl – to shake up the formula time and again. These pieces are not as impressive but their inclusion is certainly not unwanted.

The rest of the soundtrack is mostly filled with background tracks that coincide with the present mood. Standard fare such as jazzy tracks for the laidback times, weird onomatopoeia pieces for the happy ones, and Nisekoi:’s signature guitar plus accordion for those heartfelt moments can be heard. As an OST, it is not as involved or worthwhile as the large amount of EDs to choose from but they at least serve their purpose well enough.

Voice acting for the anime is somewhere above average. Special shout-outs are deserved for Kana Hanazawa as Onodera for her recognizably cute voice, Nao Touyama as Chitoge for her often frustrated speaking, Kana Asumi as Marika for her super-girly way of talking, and Ayane Sakura as Haru for the perfect younger sister performance.

ENJOYMENT

This anime has another reputation, in that the girls are quite popular. Not just one of the haremettes but all of them are usually seen in a positive light. Sure, everyone has his or her favorite – mine is Onodera – but everyone in the game of love is quite entertaining to see. Onodera’s blushes are the best, Chitoge’s faces are hilarious, and Marika’s calm demeanor despite being downright bonkers would always make me smile.

Yet, there was something missing this season. The characters are the same and so is the comedy, but the “magic” never felt present. The main cause of this was due to the shift in perspective; Raku was almost always in the center with the girls revolving around him whereas the second season felt a bit too all-over-the-place. That is, instead of the girls “competing” with one another it felt more like “taking turns,” defeating the purpose of the harem in the first place. It is even worse since the anime does not and will not fully commit to one path anyway, making individual exchanges feel pointless.

And despite my harping, I liked Haru’s character. Seeing her so evil towards Raku, based on perhaps one of the most ridiculous misunderstandings of all time, was quite comical. In a way, she acts as the anti-haremette, where she does not want anything to do with him but he always seemed to dote on and care for her more so than any of the other girls. Seeing her flustered beyond belief while ever so slightly becoming comfortable with his presence was likewise a lot of fun to see.

Nisekoi: causes people to harbor many valid and invalid expectations when moving from the previous season to the next. Disregarding them entirely, one will find a fun little anime, with some comedic characters, nice music, and stylized art. Unfortunately, the charm from the first season is lost in translation, the plot is lackluster, and the newcomers are rather weak. To summarize, here is what should have been added to its title: “Nisekoi: Not Sure Where to Go from Here.”

SUMMARY

Story: Fine, abstaining from “misplaced expectations” leaves a slice-of-life narrative that finds strength in its events and comedy but weakness in its romance and themes

Animation: Fine, okay art style, nice character designs, about average actual animation

Characters: Fine, the originals return, with some receiving extra attention compared to the rest, and newcomers arrive but leave little impact

Sound: Good, good OP, great ED, nice array of other OPs and EDs, okay soundtrack, above average VA work

Enjoyment: Fine, Onodera and the other girls are fun, as is Haru, but the “magic” is no longer present

Final Score: 5/10

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I liked the first season, and I somewhat became disappointed at the 2nd.

The second season was full of high expectations after a successful 1st season, with a lot of anime fans arguing with who the promised girl is, who opens the locket, what team or girl or waifu they represent. It became a fan-seasoned service, and the plot was messed up.

No plot is present except SOME episodes. If you read the manga, you'll probably think "what happened with the second season?!" or something like that. The chapters of the manga are scattered in different episodes. Rally Go Round is one of the best opening themes I've heard so far, and well, other than that, nothing changed in the series.

Although some are disappointed, I enjoyed it, mainly because I'm an avid reader of the manga series. The main topic of the whole series did not play a huge part at the season (the locket and who the promised girl is)... well in some episodes, the locket made an appearance.

To summarize, nothing improved in this season, except the opening theme. I hope the anime bounces back in season 3 since there'll be a lot that will be tackled (a new character, new arcs, and well, an improved storyline).

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Nisekoi: is a series that's a little difficult to judge. It doesn't do anything particularly new or groundbreaking for the genre, but it doesn't have to. This sequel series to last year's Nisekoi is still just as fun to watch as it's predecessor, and that's all that really matters.

One of the biggest differences between Nisekoi: and Nisekoi (S1) is the tone of the plot. While season 2 definitely has some standout moments, the drama surrounding Raku's childhood promise and what's in his pendant has been significantly toned down, as the series instead chooses to focus more on the comedic side of things. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing -- It simply depends on what you liked most about the first season. If you enjoyed seeing the characters interact and poke fun at each other, you'll most definitely enjoy the majority of what Nisekoi: has to offer.

On the other hand, if you were hoping to finally discover just who holds the (quite literal) key to Raku's heart, you may be slightly disappointed to hear that there's not much development on that front. Personally, I feel this is Nisekoi:'s greatest fault -- Quite a few of the episodes have a "filler" feel to them, and the overarching story of the series never really moves forward. Thankfully, the main characters are still just as entertaining to watch as they were before, and there's a handful of new characters who join the cast this season.

Normally, new characters would be a good thing; they keep things fresh, while providing a new dynamic for the main cast as a whole, right? In Nisekoi:'s case, that's not exactly true. The new characters are neither as fleshed out nor as fun to watch as the main cast, and I found the few episodes that feature them to be a bit of a drag. That's not to say that they're bad characters as a whole -- They just seem to appear out of nowhere with no real motive or explanation, and that made it hard to actually care about them. What bothers me is not that the characters are annoying or interfere with the story, it's that they're introduced but never expanded upon.

Of course, this doesn't apply to all of the new characters we meet this season -- Not at all! It's only 2 or 3 of them that serve little purpose. Chitoge's workaholic mother, whom only appears in two or so episodes, stands out to me in particular as a wonderful new, albeit short lived addition to the cast. Her relationship with Raku is quite amusing to watch, and her strained interactions with Chitoge allow us to see an entirely different side of the titular gorilla-girl heroine. Haru Onodera, Kosaki's feisty little sister, seems to be somewhat of a divisive character; you'll either love her or you'll hate her. Lastly, Paula McCoy and Fuu are forgettable at best, as they don't really contribute anything worthwhile to the season as a whole.

One of my favorite episodes actually focused on Shu, Raku's best friend. Usually relegated to comic-relief, it was a breath of fresh air to see him get some much needed, yet somewhat unexpected character development. My absolute favorite episode, however, was episode 11. A true treat for any Onodera fans, episode 11 features Kosaki in the spotlight, and it's both hilarious and heartwarming. Seeing things from Kosaki's perspective also proves to be welcome change of pace, even if the first half is a bit silly. It also helps that episode 11 also features some wonderfully detailed animation when compared to the other episodes this season.

On the more technical side of things, the art, sound, and animation of Nisekoi: are wonderful, all on-par with the first season. Nisekoi:'s art is extremely pleasing to the eyes, and just like the last season, there's a plenty of unique scenery. The animation is exceptionally well-done all around, though there are occasional dips in quality. The OST is mellow and whimsical, fitting nicely into each scene. The opening credits feature some of the most unique visuals I've seen in a while, and the song itself is very catchy and energetic. The ending songs frequently switch around depending on what character starred in the episode, but they're all equally pleasant to listen to.

In the end, despite a couple of issues with the story and a few bland characters, Nisekoi: is still a highly enjoyable ride all the way to the end -- it's my personal favorite Spring anime this year, and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it to any fan of the series.

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When the second season of Nisekoi was announced, I was expecting for it to finally have the revelation. Now that I've finished it, I am so disappointed as I was given 12 episodes that has nothing to do with it. All of the episodes can just be considered OVAs as it has no concrete connection to the "main storyline" of the anime.

BUT! Don't get me wrong, it still lives up to the genre it belongs, which is RomCom. It succeeds in bringing romantic scenes and comedic ones. It's just that it pains me that this show lead me towards nowhere.

This is a review(duh) so let's start talking about where it shines the most and finish it with where it fails

ART&ANIMATION
The art and animation is better than the first season's, which is saying something because the A&A in the first season is already good enough. In this season, we're given much more detailed backgrounds that is a must-see for art lovers. The fluidity of the animation is smooth. Colors are vibrant and clear. Character designs suit each character and are well done (Haru's hair is a wreck, though).

SOUND
Soundtrack is OK, nothing special. OP is one of those rare ones that I don't skip. Some episodes have a different ED but I can't think of a reason why as for me, most of them are skippable. Voice acting is also OK, nothing special.

CHARACTERS
We've got two new characters to add in Raku's entourage of high school girls, Haru & Paula. However, they're unnecessary as they add no value to the story. This season showcased the minor characters more than the main characters but most of the time, it just doesn't work. There's no real character development that helped progress the main storyline. Sure, there were "some" character development but for what?

STORY
This season feels like a bunch of fillers set on 1-cour. The story concerning the pendant is gone. It strayed from the main storyline which really made me disappointed. There's even that one episode that's about magical girls that didn't make any sense at all. However, there are strong episodes that are commendable like episode 10&11. It tells us the stories of some characters and I really loved how realistic and relatable they could be.

ENJOYMENT
Truth be told, the second season of Nisekoi is an utter disappointment for those awaiting of what will happen among Raku and his harem. It has its fun moments but that's not going to compensate for its lack of plot development.

The only thing I could say is that if you're going to watch this to satisfy your eyes, then go because this one is worthy to satisfy them. If not, then don't even bother.

Overall = 5.6(6)/10

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I was surprised by how much filler was in this. There was like 4 good episodes maybe? The arc with Chitoge's mom was good. Onodera's and Raku's past with each other is fleshed out in one episode. Everything else felt mediocre (not to mention those magical girl designs were ugly af...) and the thing that bugged me the most was the focus on minor/new characters that I didn't really care about. I'm also pretty tired of Chitoge hitting Raku, and he seems to be getting blander. There was basically no relationship development besides Chitoge's acknowledgment that she likes Raku. Onodera's little sister Haru was okay and got better, but she was stupidly judgemental and quick to conclusions for most of her screen time. Overall I guess I don't regret watching this but I wish shaft had used their time better. I think I would describe this season as cheap.

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There have been a few sequels to anime that have been shameless filler in recent months. None of them were worth the hype that it originally sprouted upon announcement. However, that’s because they were story driven narratives that people took very seriously and wanted to know how the story and world would continue with the next continual season. One that didn’t fit into this category was the sequel to the popular harem anime from 2014 called Nisekoi. For an anime that doesn’t take its story or characters too seriously, to begin with, and have a sequel that is mostly comedic filler, that is just a continuation from the start.

Let’s not pretend that we thought the story in Nisekoi was something to be held in regard as outstanding because even the show dispels that notion. It wanted to be a dumb romantic comedy that in some places satirizes the genre with Shaft’s over-the-top artistry, and nothing more. So, what the 2nd season brings on the table for fans of the series is simply a continuation of those hilarious and cute moments that made them adore the characters from the beginning. If filler was to be seen mostly in seasons based on anime that are purely comedic, such as Nisekoi, I think people wouldn’t be as annoyed by them as they did with, say, the 2nd season of Psycho Pass.

With that out of the way, Nisekoi: as it is called is, like I mentioned before, just more Nisekoi in that it just gives us more comedy and cutesy scenes involving the girls and our main protagonist. They are more or less the same in terms of the quality of the jokes coming from season one to season two. However, there are some that set the bar up high than season one did with the hilarious dialogue between the characters. Thanks to the new characters they introduce in this season, which I’ll expound upon later that opens up a ton of fresh possibilities they throw out to create even more crazy scenes.

Shaft’s animation still boosts these jokes up a notch with the vibrant character expressions that pop up every minute. They are every bit as pleasant as they were in the first season. I’d say it’s about the same level of quality of humor from the animation tricks when comparing the two of them. Great would be the right word to describe the quality itself, not excellent as there are a few jokes that flow off and taper off to nowhere.

What little changes there are in Nisekoi:, they introduced two new characters that are noteworthy of mentioning. Chitoge’s mother, Hana Kirisaki, who has a decent arc in the middle part of the season with Chitoge. It is formulaic as one could get, but Nisekoi knows how to turn something formulaic into comedy gold through and through. Finally, there is Onodera’s little sister, Haru Onodera. Haru’s brand of sisterly love antics of protecting her sister against Ichijou is always hilarious and adorable to see. Everything about Haru at this point in Nisekoi has made this season worth the wait after just having a taste of her in the previous OVA leading up to this.

Did I enjoy my time with this new season of Nisekoi? Indeed I did. Did it satisfy my endless curiosity on how the romantic development between our hero and his love posse? No, because I never had any, to begin with. The fact of the matter is that Nisekoi has never fully taken itself seriously once you do the math of how often they’ve delved into the sillier moments than the serious tearjerkers that rarely happen. Comedy comes first in the world of Nisekoi and seriousness comes 2nd, and that’s fine as long as you do it right. Nisekoi happens to be on that category and its 2nd season further proves that sentiment.

Grade: A-

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Nisekoi 2, my review

Ok, so here are my ratings:

Story: My verdict, a Fair 6.
Art: My verdict, a Mediocre 5
Sound: My verdict a Good 7
Character: My verdict a Mediocre 5
Enjoyment: My verdict also a Mediocre 5
And last, Overall: My verdict a Poor 3

So, what was suppose to be a 20 something episode was reduce to just 12.... cu'z I could have sworn that this was suppose to run for that amount of episodes as indicated in MAL after watching the first episode on April 11. Anyways, the anime basically has become what we can say is from good to bland, on the first sequel it was good, since we the audience where made to focus on the locket that the MC has during the first 9 or so episode, ok so along the way we were made to forget the locket and focus on the MC guy and MC girl.....and it was very funny when the harem, one by one where added into the mix. As the 2nd sequel was introduced, this was the part were things becomes cliche and suddenly I find myself watching something that is the usual, the story itself basically is as the same as the usual harem based anime and the MC guy's role is no longer that good anymore the only consolation in this mix was the MC Girl who is now in love with the guy but still is wasn't enough to make the sequel that exciting, cu'z characterwise she is still this usual tsundere who never make enough attempt to confess her love for the MC guy, so I guess the story alone basically is fair enough to have such score (up). In the art category, well things are still the same, I still don't dig as to why Tsugumi would still be sporting a guys uniform that is not the school's standard issue, I still don't dig as to why Tachibana still wore her former school uniform that makes her look like a grandma, I still don't dig that long tie that we see in front of the girls school uniform, I mean is it as noose to hang themselves with, and there are still no fanservice in this anime, so it was all MEDIOCRE (up).On the sound category, I'd say i kinda like the VA's who did Raku, Chitoge, Tsumugi, Onodera and Tachibana's voice, also I like the sequel's OST, so it's all good (up). What is enjoyable about this sequel........well, it was basically the fact that it was a run of the mill harem based anime and it nice that studio Aniplex has limit it to just 12 instead of the usual 20 something anime, since it was MEDIOCRE all the way (up) and Overall it was just simply poor (up) since there were no big development that has happen.......not even the introduction of Haru, Fuu and MaCoy can make up for for this sequel's overall in fact it can be compared to like eating Meat and Potatoes in 4 succeeding rows where you become tired of it but you eat it anyway since there are no other choices, so should studio Aniplex and Shaft make a 3rd sequel???????If there won't be any major developments like finally getting to know what's inside the MC guy's locket then maybe they shouldn't .

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Waifu Wars: The Harem Strikes Back!

Nisekoi: is the sequel to the infamous herald of harems, the show that triggered one of the greatest waifu wars in the history of our world. Which team are you on? Team Chitoge? Team Onodera? Maybe you're a rebel and you're on Team Marika or Team Tsugumi, but you're all wrong, cause Team Onodera all the way!

Either way, don't expect Nisekoi: to have any substantial and developing plot. It is Nisekoi after all. This season is basically a giant filler season, and it's basically just an attachment to the first season, as there isn't any relevant story line. This season is the "Motto To-LOVE Ru" of the Nisekoi series. It's basically just a bunch of short stories that the characters go through, while introducing some new characters that Raku can add to his collection.

The most impactful character introduced in this season is Onodera's little kid sister. While she does have some characteristics that may piss off some viewers, I found her to be the anime embodiment of my own little kid sister, and thus, I'm very biased with this season.

Nisekoi: is a fun and non-serious season to the overall story line. While it is by no means as good as its first season, it's still something that I believe anyone who has seen the first season should still watch, since it's still your everyday Nisekoi humor and characters being dense as hell!

Pros:
- Besides the lack of story, nothing's really changed! You still have your amazing and colorful cast of characters with their compelling attitudes and hilarious interactions with each other.
- Still hilarious! There were many moments where I nearly completely bursted out laughing. This season focused mainly on the comedic values after all.
- Still got that quirky and cheerful OST that sets up the lightheartedness of the show really well.
- This series actually has a surprising amount of character development, even for side characters.
- The shorts are actually really entertaining.

Cons:
- Despite the development that the characters go through there is NO ROMANTIC DEVELOPMENT!!! Just characters admitting that they like someone but doing absolutely nothing about it.
- 12 Naruto episodes.
- The density is back!

Story: 2
As mentioned many times, there basically is none. However, the shorts are either really entertaining or heartwarming, and they do contribute to some character growth. This season isn't exactly episodic, and the characters don't magically forget everything that happened before. Hopefully, just like To LOVE Ru did, Nisekoi will take the little developments that the characters went through with these shorts to make a kick ass third season.

Art: 6
Still the beautiful art that we all know and love. The character designs are beautiful. Every member of the Raku Harem is attractive in their own way and have their little quirks about their design that make them so, such as Onodera's shy design and Chitoge's brilliant smile, etc. It's also very in touch with Shaft Studio's art style, like the fabulous and outrageous head tilts!

Sound: 5
The OST is very catchy, as well as the OP. There isn't really anything special soundtrack wise, but the voice actors did a splendid job as always portraying the mood of their characters. HanaKana nailed Onodera's shy nature and Touyama brought out Chitoge's tsundere but delicate characteristics amazingly. I can't imagine any other voices for the characters.

Character: 7
As you can tell, I believe that the characters are the best part about Nisekoi. They are all so recognizable that even though Nisekoi is a pretty new anime series, they characters have become very iconic. This season definitely developed them a little bit more and introduced some new and interesting ones to help the main characters' development. I hope that the new characters will be able to shine more in future seasons. I even really like Raku, the extremely dense protagonist, because even though his denseness makes me want to punch him, he's still a really good guy and kind hearted, so I can't help but like him.

Enjoyment: 5
I don't care if the story is crap or the romance isn't going anywhere, it's still Nisekoi. Facial expressions ftw!

Overall: 5
While it is a let down compared to the first season, it's still worth watching for the humor, and let's be honest, comedy and waifus are the only reasons needed to watch this series.

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Hey there!
-Before you read this review I'd like to mention that I am also up-to-date with the ongoing manga which this anime is based off of.

I guess you can say that Nisekoi right now is one of those mainstream anime because of the various heroines that star in the show with their somewhat diverse personalities and scenarios around them.

With that comes a lot of more or less equal hate and love of the story.
Honestly, I have no idea how this anime got a lot of the attention due to the story so it's most likely because of the " Moe-factor " or the grills. ( Who doesn't like all 'em grills am I right? )

But I'm not gonna judge just from the anime's take on it but the series as a whole which also includes where the anime adapts itself from which is the manga.

And having read the manga and anime. I can say that the story is so-so. With the story alone I don't think it would even survive this long. But in today's ocean of anime adaptations out there. I think that this anime really made the manga come to life. I proudly admit that having shaft produce Nisekoi was the best possible route the series could've taken. Having read the manga I can say that it was quite normal and boring. But after going through all those chapters and seeing it on screen moving in such a beautiful way was amazing.

I understand why this series got a mediocre score compared to the first season but I think if people read the manga and then watched how Shaft made this so-so story into a work of art, this anime would easily pass the 8+ score.

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Yay, more girls joining in Raku's harem. The joy. Isn't 4 girls enough for Raku? Seriously...All 4 girls are in love with you Raku, for crying out loud.

(There will be some SPOILERS in my review)


Story: (4/10) (SPOILERS)
The story continues from the 1st Season as the hunt for the key to his locket continues.
That plot synopsis alone is kind of misleading to me. This season didn't really have anything to do with Raku's locket. Well, if you count the episode where Onodera's little sister stole his locket and eventually returned it to him. Other than that, nothing. This season alone is just Raku spending time with one of the girls, mostly Chitoge.
The plot have not changed. However, compared to the 1st season, the plot here is worse. Probably because due to the fact that this season didn't really focus on the plot at all.


Art/Animation: (9/10)
If you watched the 1st Nisekoi then you're already familiar with the animation for this season's Nisekoi because it did not change. I'm not complaining or anything because the animation is great from the start.


Sound: (7/10)
I don't know if this is just me but I didn't really find the OP great or even good. The OP song is Rally Go Round by LiSA. I loved her OP songs in SAO and Fate/Zero but for some reason, I didn't find it anywhere good at all. Please I want ClariS to sing the next OP if there is going to be a 3rd Season.
Again, there are a lot of ED songs used in this season compared to the 1st season. There's now 7 ED songs and I only found 2 of the ED songs great. 1st is the ED song sung by Chitoge, Kosaki, Tsumugi, and Marika. I found that song great and worth listening to. The 2nd ED song which I thought is great is "Sleep...zzz" by Chitoge. I honestly want Chitoge to sing more ED songs because her singing voice is beautiful.


Characters: (6/10)
The characters are pretty much the same as the previous season. Only 1 character got a character development and that is Chitoge. In the previous season, Chitoge is a full-blown tsundere girl. In this season, Chitoge is still a tsundere but she's starting to show more of her "dere" side or her soft and kind side. Raku is still a same old idiot Harem god. Onodera is still a same old dandere. Too shy to reveal her feelings to Raku. Tsugumi is still a same old kuudere and Marika is still a same old non-violent yandere girl.
There are new characters that were introduced. One of them is Onodera's little sister, Haru. Another tsundere girl but not as violent as Chitoge. It took a whole season for Chitoge to show her "dere" side but it took Haru a couple of episodes to show her "dere" side. Another character introduced is Paula, colleague of Tsugumi and a foreigner (possibly American). This girl wasn't put in Raku's harem nor did she ever fall in love with Raku. Thank god. Like I said in my first review, the reason why I didn't rate the characters a score lower than 6 is because these characters are hilarious especiialy Haru and Marika. In this season, Marika is way more hilarious, earning her a 2nd spot on my favorite characters list. (behind Chitoge).



Enjoyment: (9/10)
In the previous season, my enjoyment rating was perfect. However, in this season, I'll only give it a 9. Even though Marika is way more hilarious, it's really not enough to make it more funnier than the 1st season. That's the main reason why I enjoyed Nisekoi in the first place. Well, romance is another reason.



Overall: (7/10)
Compared to the 1st season, this season is slightly worse. It felt like a huge filler and again, the story didn't go anywhere. The ending felt like a typical normal episode but it did make me happy because I'm with "Team Chitoge". The lack of episodes is also what made this show slightly worse than the first season. Why is it that this season only had 12 episodes but the first season had 20? If you were hyped up for this season after watching the 1st season then don't. You'll most likely be disappointed.




Pros:
-Great Animation
-Hilarious characters
-New characters introduced were ok


Cons:
-Mediocre story
-Soundtrack is slightly worse than the 1st season
-Most characters are the same
-Comedy is slightly worse than the 1st season
-Raku's locket, for the most part, is irrelevant in this season
-Lack of episodes

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When you were watching the first season, did you ever think the following?

"Man, this anime is great! But you know... it has a bit too much plot development. It feels like Raku is going to have to pick a girl at some point, and I really don't want that to happen because endless fillers with no progression are the best. That progression with Onodera especially needs to go; that was really uninteresting. Can we just throw a little sister character in there that gets in the way of all potentially good Onodera scenes? And while we're at it, can we add a few more girls? Like, there just aren't enough girls that like Raku in this anime. Plus we really need to cut down on camera time for each character, you know. We're making them too interesting. OH I almost forgot, every character should ALMOST confess and then get conveniently interrupted, to preserve this dull stasis. And throw out that crap about Raku having to pretend he's in a relationship with Chitoge. I mean, be sure to remind the viewers that it's apparently still happening, but remove all of that tension with Claude and the opposing families. It's just too stressful, and getting in the way of moar girls."

Well, I certainly didn't. Admittedly, I like a lot about Nisekoi:, though the reasons for that were established in the first season. The girls are cute and interesting, and had (past tense) a decent amount of plot development. But for some reason, the producers decided to bust out every rom-com cliche in the book for this second season, and in the end it felt a bit like To Love-Ru with out the ecchi (so... not much of anything). It was enjoyable, but completely lost the gripping feeling I had in the first season to watch just one more episode before going to bed.

The tension of every scene in the season 1 was so well put together. Raku desperately trying to appeal and appear single to Onodera, while having to fake a relationship with Chitoge. The anime really only needed those three characters as part of the love chart. You shouldn't expect any of that beautiful tension in this season. Each episode is basically a vignette of a particular character, experiencing one scene with Raku. It's a bit more than that at times, but it definitely doesn't feel like an evolving and continuous story anymore. It's just five girls hiding their feelings for Raku. (Really, five? Did we need another generic rom-com? OK I'll stop.)

As I said earlier, this season is only a 7/10 to me because of the support of the first season. Without the first season, this would likely be a 5/10. I still think it's enjoyable, but just be warned that you won't see the pleasantly surprising pace that you're likely used to.

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I dislike this season because:

1) episodes has been reduced (1st season have 20 while this time only 12)

2) there is too much filler in this season

3) many part of the episodes are not connected to earlier episodes

for those enjoyed the 1st season, you can continue watching this 2nd season but don't put your hopes too high as it might disappoint you...

What's That I Hear? #Team Chitoge, #Team Onodera (And So On, Too Lazy To Mention All The Teams) So Which Team Won This Season? Let's Find Out In The Review Below

Story: 7/10 This season literally didn't have any story to it. All episodes were split into two different stories = split story series it was this season. But the split stories were good with some being related to the main female characters and new characters along with some old characters. I think the manga might end with Raku being with Chitoge (This is not a spoiler. It is something I imagine might happen in the near future.)

Sound: 9/10 Now this is something I have to give credit to cause there was separated ED for each main female character = Chitoge had her own ED and so did Onodera along with the other characters. The OP was pretty good and some music tracks in anime were good

Characters: 8/10 The characters aren't special in any way as always they are just like how there were in season 1 but this season we get to see the different sides of few characters along with some side characters and addition of 3 new characters.

Animation: 8/10 Animation was splendid for me this season (I think I am exaggerating a bit here) I really liked the art style, chibi design done and background design. Also some chitoge faces were really worth watching the show.

Enjoyment: 8/10 It was pretty fun for me as there were unexpected things happening every now and then (Not like 1st season) I tell you one thing there's alot more fun you can expect from this than the first season. So happy watching laughing

Overall: Another good anime to watch when you are bored/tired from you work and school/college related stuff

Overall Score: 8/10

Personal note: I suggest you buy the blu-ray to enjoy the animation and at the same time donate some money for the animation studios

Personal note 2: Don't expect story development from this season cause it ain't happening. Just enjoy the show for it's comdey.

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*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

The first season was funny, romantic and adorable. This season on the other hand feels different. Not necessarily worse, just different.
Before anything else- please keep in mind that there are minor and major spoilers in this review, furthermore, if you haven’t seen the first season yet ( for whatever reason ) please don’t read the review due to huge spoilers.

Story ( 6.5/10 )
The story starts where it ended; Chitaki being in love with Raku. However she is completely aware of it this time. Long story short- this is also how the season ended. The reason why the first season was so adorable , funny and romantic was due the relationships that were being developed. This season on the other hand has no character development. Instead they throw two new girls at you, in hope to spice up the relationships.

This anime went from a romantic/comedy to a harem. The reason this development is so disappointing is because of the first season. The first season didn’t feel like a harem until the ending, they simply spend so much time around character development.

You might ask yourself, is there really no character development at all?
The first few episodes showed potential, however after the well known ‘magical girl’ episode it went all downhill.
Just like the first season there were moments of hope, moments of ‘is this ship finally going to leave the harbor and set sail?’. However just like the first season these events got interrupted by the most cliché things ever. It was funny at first, but it almost feels they are going to drag this story on forever.

Every single episode after felt like a filler with no purpose. The episodes were divided into two chapters of the manga, which made Nisekoi: no longer a story based anime, but gave it more an episodic nature. It honestly didn’t fit the anime after such a promising first season. The comedy however stayed funny.

Don’t get the wrong idea about Nisekoi: though - it might not be as romantic as the first season. But it’s still worth your time if you enjoyed the first season. Apart from the lack of story and romance it's almost the same.

Characters ( 6/10 )
As mentioned earlier in the review, we are introduced to two new characters, Paula the assassin and Haru, Onodera's little sister.
To be fair- they are likeable( just like any other character in this show ), but this development makes the anime so much more complicated then it should of been. Older characters get less screen time and basically made the developments in the first season irrelevant.
That being said, the characters in Nisekoi might not be unique but they are likeable nonetheless.

Art ( 9/10 )
Topnotch, just like the first season. Really flawed characters, pretty backgrounds and really polished art overall. The reason why this anime can be considered as a comedy is also due to it’s unique way of expressions (which in this case really helped the anime).

Sound ( 7/10 )
The opening and endingsongs were enjoyable and the soundtrack played during the episodes themselves was good aswell. Really nothing to complain about.

Personal enjoyment ( 7/10 )
You might ask yourself, why did you still give Nisekoi an 7 despite all the things you’ve written?. To be fair, this anime is a good example of wasted potential, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Even while character development might be lacking and the story seems to be going nowhere, I did enjoy Nisekoi:.

Is it as good as the first season? That is up for you to decide, I personally dislike harems due to their nature to never pick a girl and keep on dragging the story for countless of episodes. However if you do enjoy harems Nisekoi might be your piece of cake.
I would enjoy a third season to be fair- but not as much as I was looking forward to the second.

Thanks for your time, if you got any questions or recommendations to make my reviews better feel free to PM me.

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That's it? The last episode didn't feel like a finale. I kept thinking as I was watching it, "I thought this was the last episode but how can it be?" I loved this season aside from the first and last episode. They both felt like filler episodes. Maybe I'm just not a Chitoge fan, but I find her episodes a bit boring. Haru and Kosaki on the other hand are perfect. Haru somehow has stolen my heart and made the show even better. I like Marika too (although she was hardly in the season) and Tsugumi is amazing. The magical girl episode was so different but one of my favorite episodes. Overall, very bad start and very bad ending.

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Nothing. Absolutely no plot development whatsoever. This entire season was like an OVA because you're expecting progression from the first season - but nope. You don't find anything out and somehow every single episode is a filler episode. Sure, it isn't necessarily a bad series, but this season was VERY disappointing and underwhelming, especially after that first season. Every episode felt dragged out too.


I can't tell if the first season was animated this badly or if they had a step down in quality. Honestly, if you pause an episode at any point with a character on screen, they were pulling a weird face or had an eye facing the wrong way. Accompanied by that, there is very rarely a scene with more than one character moving at a time, and it is like the characters are talking to statues and then they swap places, only the one talking is allowed to move.


The music in this is why it got such a high rating - the op and all the different eds were all amazing songs and were well animated. It feels like that is where all the effort went into - there wasn't a single song I did not enjoy, and they were all animated well - very high-quality audio and very good choices.


Chitoge Kirisaki (Ojou-sama, Half-san) - The fake girlfriend of Raku to prevent a war between their families' gangs breaking out.

Kosaki Onodera - (Dera-chan, Onee-chan) - "Don't let go no matter what, okay?".

Raku Ichijou (Young Master, Second Master, Raku, Ichijou-kun, Beansprout) - "I may just be a "fake" boyfriend, but if anything happens, I'll be the one to protect you. So don't worry".

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