7 Seeds 2nd Season

I know the first season had a ton of mixed reviews and I was pretty iffy about it as well, but I enjoyed it regardless. The second season though was a good chance to expand on ideas in the previous and show some actual character development that was much needed.

I binged the whole second season as soon as it came out and honestly I can confidently say that it was a lot better than the first season. In my opinion, characters were given more life and the main characters of this season were given a lot more screen time to show their character development. The ... pacing in this season also seemed to be a lot slower than the first season where it seemed like I was meeting a new set of characters per episode or the characters I had finally learned the names of were constantly changing environments (which to be fair is more or less part of the story).

SPOILERS AHEAD

Most of this season takes place on the groups' adventure through a ship they found. They discovered it was the last, unidentified, shelter that was able to flip vertically in water and remain afloat. They quickly find themselves in a predicament where they are stuck inside the ship and have to find a way to get out (there is a lot more to it once you actually watch it but I'm avoiding key plot points.)

Personally, their time inside the ship was my favorite part and i'm glad it was spaced out through multiple episodes. We were really able to see the characters personalities and see how much they have changed/grown since season 1. They have adjusted to the new world and working to make the best out of their situation. We see characters arguing over different perspectives and opinions about the world they live in and how to handle different situations. We learn more about the characters' past (some more than others) and some unsolved problems were answered in this season.

Unfortunately or fortunately, this second season also did not conclude the anime. The "ending" definitely left room for more and I hope this anime gets a third season, though I am sad that it will probably be at least another year till it gets released if it even gets confirmed by netflix.

I really wish people gave this show more of a chance, but I do understand why it gets some of the more negative reviews.

*No Spoilers*

Summary:
This review if for Part 2 of 7 Seeds, which was produced by a different studio than the first season. 7 Seeds (Part 2) is an anime adapted from Yumi Tamura’s manga of the same name. The story takes place in the future after meteorites destroy Earth as it is today, and the characters wake up thousands or some unspecified number of years later to a brand new climate, environment, geography, etc. This part of the story has a much more organized plot and focuses on developing the characters which make it far more enjoyable and fulfilling than Part 1. You may like this ... anime if you are interested in a compelling story with interesting characters and a unique post-apocalyptic survival plot. This season is slightly above average in quality, but the downside is that you must watch Part 1 first which is far inferior.

Story: 7/10
The source material (manga) is interesting with solid pacing and character development coinciding with the plot. The challenge with this anime in Part 1 is that it was adapted terribly; however, this part is much better-paced and not as staggered. The story is much less jarring and flows much more smoothly. In addition, the plot is more straightforward and it focuses on certain characters rather than all the characters in ten different locations. This part seems to be a better adaptation from the manga, which I have read parts of.

Art: 5/10
The art is average in Part 2. It seems slightly less choppy than in Part 1, although art is definitely not the show’s strong suit.

Sound: 5/10
The soundtrack, openings, and endings are average, although I do enjoy the intro song with its unique dissonance. Some scenes have fitting background music, and the voice acting is alright. One character (Hotaru) has an annoying voice, which may be because of the character’s age, but it seems very fake. Otherwise, the voice acting is average.

Character: 7/10
A major flaw in Part 1 was the lack of character development. They were all just plot devices. Part 2 changes that significantly. The protagonists and even “antagonists” are fleshed out and developed over the course of Part 2. Instead of the weird two-minute character arcs found in Part 1, Part 2 shows the characters’ journeys with internal struggles throughout the adventure. Overall, the characters seem to be truer to their portrayal in the manga, which helps them to be more realistic and important. The characters are also more relatable without being as over-the-top or cliché. And, Part 2 helps to illustrate why the characters behave the way they do in Part 1.

Enjoyment: 7/10
Part 2 is a much more enjoyable story from start to finish. There are parts of Part 2 with the same flaws as Part 1, but it is a more cohesive story that makes the viewer care about the characters. It’s too bad that Part 1 was such a poor adaptation of the manga, because the actual story is intriguing and the characters are cool, which can be seen in this season.

Overall: 6.2/10
This was a tremendous improvement from Part 1.

Story: 2 | Art: 4 | Sound: 6 | Character: 5 | Enjoyment: 2.5 | Overall: 3

For some reason the 2nd season of 7 Seeds seemed to be more liked by most people than the 1st one, though I have the opposite opinion. Sure the visuals/art is more improved but the story is so slow and pointless compared to season 1 where they're figuring out what's going on, adapting to the situation, meeting and learning about other groups, and discovering the backstory of the characters and the original organisation.

Here in S2 we basically just get the 2 guys leaving their group and wandering around, soon ... meeting the main group and hang out with them. Then they all sail off to spend half the season trapped in an old ship they decided to enter, and once they're finally out it's almost all for nothing other than a boring conversation between them. I guess they do try to focus more on the characters, yet even with an open mind while watching the emotional moments just didn't work at all. I think part 1 did a lot better at trying to set those tones when it needed to.

So yeah season 2 just didn't do it for me. I know season 1 isn't the greatest either so you're not expecting too much here, but the series had a lot of potential and at least part 1 had more of a story, with things going on and introducing us to this world, which I appreciated more than just having half of part 2 stuck in a ship.
-15/02/2022 (edited 19.02.22, 06.02.23)