Kami no Tou: Ouji no Kikan

For someone who has been following the webtoon for a couple of years, the sudden announcing of season 2 has left me confused but also hyped because it was so far apart from the first season. Nevertheless, so far the start of season 2 has been great from my perspective, they are following the webtoon accordingly and the choices in terms of pacing are alright.

In terms of animation, I do agree with the consensus that the animation isn't as unique and fleshed out as season 1 but if that was the cut off for the series to continue being animated, I will happily watch it ... as it is now. The action so far has been well animated and we should be patient before we can judge it fully if it was well done or average.

In terms of character building, so far it has only been 3 epsiodes but they are clearly showing everyones motivations and aspirations with a few subtle hints here and there for us who have read the source material.

In terms of story, back when I read it the first time I was left with a lot of questions on why we completely changed settings but believe me, from here on out it only gets better and better. Consider that this anime season in the webtoon is season 2 which is drastically differenet from season 1 which is considered a prologue to the story. The direction behind Viole's character is one of the best things in this show for me and hopefully they do it justice.

Overall I will give this season(so far) 8/10 because the animation is alright and the story's adaption is being handled well and I will definitely follow this till the end.

This season noticeably slows down compared to its predecessor, impacting its overall pacing. While the intention to expand the world through supporting characters is clear, the execution feels excessive. This approach detracts significantly from the main storyline, leaving little screen time for the central characters in each episode. If this trend persists until the finale, it could jeopardize the show's chances for a third season. As it stands, the series risks receiving a lower overall rating, estimated between 6.80 and 6.50, primarily due to this imbalance.

On a positive note, the art style stands out with its above-average quality, earning a solid 2-star rating. The animation ... also impresses, receiving another 2 stars. However, the current storyline progression falls short, warranting a negative rating of -6 stars. For viewers seeking a balanced mix of world-building and character development, adjustments in the series' pacing and focus could significantly enhance engagement and satisfaction.

What is the point of producing an anime that looks like the fanart retracing of an already poor looking comic?

I was charmed by the first season's vibrant aesthetics, poetic BGM, and the arbitrary but somewhat fascinating worldbuilding, but season two made me realise how much animation quality was important for me to enjoy this series.
What we got now is something that looks like the cheapest, most generic run-of-the-mill isekai seasonal you could imagine, where (save a couple seconds in fight scenes) not even main characters deserve to have proper shadowing and detailing of their faces, and animation fluidity is something I myself could replicate using ... MS Paint.

Plot wise the time skip was also very jarring. We know the conclusion of S1 was dramatic and with lots of plot holes, but after a six-year timeskip I did not expect to bear through the shouting of an annoying new mc and a very slow plot pacing, with three episodes spent on a single uninteresting exam floor. An example of where a similar situation was instead well handled could be Oshi no Ko S2: the plot is excruciatingly slow so far, but I'm still watching and enjoying the show because production quality is through the roof, making even a super boring administrative quarrel suddenly interesting.

I did try to read the webtoon of ToG for the first chapters of S1 and S2, but got shivers at the quality of drawing. I know this series has a huge fanbase but I fail to understand how something with such immature aesthetics and meandering dialogues could become so popular. Again, a done right example of this could be Jujutsu Kaisen: I really don't get the hype and don't like how basic and messy the drawings are in the manga, but I did enjoy the anime a lot because that's a work of art of an adaptation, not just animation and production-wise, but also when it comes to make everything, from barebone scenes to cardboard characters, look and feel so much richer and sexier.

If you're going to make an anime when the source material is a full color comic and there already is a videogame adaptation, it better be something that stands out artistically in some way, otherwise what's the point in watching it?

A lot of people say the plot is gonna get good soon, but at this point I'm better off bracing myself and reading the comic because at least there won't be random cuts to the dialogues and sub scenes.