Nanatsu no Taizai: Imashime no Fukkatsu

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before but it seems that battle shounen anime in recent years have been on the decline. Boku Hero no Academia became a big name that is able to carry itself but beyond that, there’s hardly any other that made a name for itself. Well, there’s Black Clover but that abomination is an example of giving battle shounen a bad name in recent years. Boruto has been an underwhelming sequel that looked more like a cheap cash grab for the franchise. Where does a show like Nanatsu no Taizai still stand?

To be fair, the series already established itself from ... some of its other projects like the first season, OVAs, and movie. It isn’t as long as some other shounen like Naruto, Bleach, or One Piece. In fact, it’s not even part of the “Big 3” as Westerners would call it. However, Nanatsu no Taizai does make a name for itself by developing its own ideas. The first season established the principle cast and felt more like a way to get viewers familiar with the story. In this sequel, the business really picks up as new dangers are unleashed into the world.

For those who don’t remember, the story picks up right after the first season as Hendrickson breaks the seal on the Coffin of Eternal Darkness. By doing so, he unleashes a group of powerful demons known as the “Ten Commandments”. Essentially, they are the central antagonists of this season. While we don’t know too much about them, it’s known that they hold a deep grudge against Meliodas for betraying them in the past. The first few episodes establishes their testament in power as one of their members is able to make Meliodas look like a jobber in a one-sided fight. This implies that the Ten Commandments are more powerful than anything Meliodas and his friends ever dealt with. In terms of characteristics, the Ten Commandments are known for their unique “Commandment” power and various personalities. For new viewers, you may be surprised at how much personality these beings show for their characters. It’s actually somewhat human for characters like Galand’s arrogance, Fraudrin’s manipulative nature, or Monspeet’s politeness. Unfortunately, there’s not much concrete characterization for the Commandments. I blame this mostly on the pacing because the manga explores much more about their past and roles.

There’s actually two sides of the coin regarding the pacing of the show. On the surface, it is indeed slow and some elements of the plot can really be condensed. I actually felt impatient after seeing the season focus so much on characters like Diane and Ban. The latter is actually more important but really should of been shorter than shown on TV. In addition, Meliodas’ past is explored only enough to give viewers an impression of who he is. In essence, it isn’t enough to show the more important side of his role as a “betrayer” to the Commandments. In addition, anime only viewers will probably question what it really means when certain characters call him a “demon” and “former leader”. The other side to look at is how faithful the anime adaptation is. Most chapters cover literally everything from the book with many chapters on a panel-by-panel basis. It’s loyal to the manga readers that really bought the show into what it is. Nothing is changed for fans of the manga especially those who are looking forward to certain scenes to be adapted.

Despite the season focusing on the conflict with the Commandments, new characters are also introduced from the good guy’s side. The most noticeable character is Escanor, the seventh and final member of the Seven Deadly Sins. He makes a hell of an impression that will make viewers hunger for more of his role this season. Other important support characters also make returns that may surprise you.

A-1 Pictures once again uses their resources to adapt this sequel although it actually impressed me for their work. There are certain episodes that really stood out that includes Escanor’s character debut, Meliodas’ confrontation with the Ten Commandments, and Galand’s rampage. Animation quality remains similar to the previous season although A-1 Pictures still falls into the occasional trap of awkward character models. There are also some scenes that didn’t feel as impactful as those in the manga especially in terms of character expressions. However, the battle scenes lived up to its expectations. This especially applies to climatic battles in the latter half of the show that also brings credibility of character power levels.

The music and OST is still composed by Hiroyuki Sawano although I’m a bit disappointed that most of it is just a rehash of the previous season’s. The new theme songs also sounds less impactful. Despite that, I think character voice mannerism should be given praise especially for the Ten Commandments. Yuki Kaji is able to voice two characters with very contrasting personalities. Others such as Escanor makes their personality stand out much more thanks to the modern talent of Tomokazu Sugita.

Nanatsu no Taizai: Revival of the Commandments is a battle shounen that is faithful but perhaps a bit too much for its own good. This series suffered from some pacing issues that I feel like some viewers will not easily forgive. Plus, some of the new characters didn’t really get the amount of charaterization it deserves. However, I would like to say to give this sequel a chance. It’s still part of the franchise that is committed to its ideas and continues to develop the main story as it’s intended. I just hope that when the next inevitable season comes, we get a real showstopper.

This season of Seven Deadly Sins was really a rollercoaster ride. The first half made me want to drop it but by the end I eneded up loving it almost as much as the first season.

Story: Just like the previous season, its all over the place. The power rankings are just whatever is convenient for the show at the time. Nothing really means anything. Its even more messy than last time. Its supposed to be like this as this show isn't meant to be taken seriously and its a lot of fun. Just be prepared to scratch your head at least twice every episode.

Art: Animation ... is very nice just like before. They work with a lot of cool darker tones and colours. Designs are all great, especially the new characters. No complaints at all.

Sound: I had watched it dubbed becasue idk I just prefered it. Sometimes the voice acting was cringey and off. Merlin's speech as quiet awkward at times. Sound affects were all very nice. Music was great, it fit the time and place and was still epic. The first theme song will probably be in my playlist!

Characters: They're all brilliant. I love most of them, especially Meliodas and Ban. This is what really kept me going and made me pick this anime back up.

Enjoyment: At times you will ask yourself "wtf am I watching" but at others you'll be laughing and enjoying it loads! If you're ok with things not always making sense and not reading into greater meaning, you may wanna give this show a go.

The downside of having high expectations for a show is that even if it's just okay, you end up disliking it. That's precisely what happened to me after watching Nanatsu no Taizai: Imashime no Fukkatsu. I had anticipated it to be exceptional.

The dramatic structure fell short, filled with too many backstories and clichéd drama. The dialogues were particularly unbearable, lacking depth and very predictable.

In my opinion, the characters in Nanatsu no Taizai have never been strong. Ban is consistently portrayed as angry, Diane comes off as a crybaby cute wannabe, and Eli is simply annoying. Overall, the cast is one of the weakest aspects of ... the show.

Despite its flaws, the art style and fight scenes managed to salvage the anime from being a complete disaster.