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Sep 21, 2024
After watching the first season of Seo Kouji's Megami no Café Terrace and enjoying it (mostly), there were a few things that I wanted to see improved in the second season. For the most part, the second season was indeed a progression on the first season, and the anime remains a solidly upper-tier harem show featuring a likable MC and a good mix of women seeking his affection. However, some areas were improved more notably than others.
1. Humor -> The first season often felt quite stiff and a bit cliché when it came to the comedic aspects. On the contrast, the second season improves considerably
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in this department. Many of Ami's (the main source of comic relief) slapstick gags are actually funny and the addition of the second set of girls in Valentina, Ririka, Moemi, Hekiru, and Mao adds a further element of chaos and motivation for the main cast. There does tend to be a bit too much focus on Hayato's, ahem, nether regions at times, albeit it's not like this is much different from real life regardless of sexuality.
2. Romance -> This is the main area where there was a bit of disappointment in S2 after some promising developments in S1, particularly with Akane and Riho. While there were no doubt some special moments between Hayato and the girls, it did seem like a sizable chunk of it was forced to a degree. Akane remains the most upfront and forward with her affections, but it also doesn't seem to resonate with Hayato as much since it's clear he doesn't want to be pressured into relationships with anyone. Ami and Shiragiku get some additional development this season, although not to the degree that'd I'd say either of them are the favorites. The same can be said of tsundere Ouka, whose bombshell at the end of the season was really her only standout moment in S2. Riho is probably the strongest candidate following this season, as we learn more of her backstory and there seems to be some genuine moments of monogamy between her and Hayato. With that said, Shiragiku, Akane, and Riho getting locked into a three-headed fight for Hayato's affections puts a bit of a damper on his individual romances with the three of them. Overall, I'd like to see more one-on-one time between Hayato and each girl that feels natural should a S3 be released and the story receives its conclusion. These are adult characters, after all.
3. Fanservice -> While S2 certainly does not shy away from the more risqué bits much like S1, the censorship was to the point that it became distracting at times in its bluntness, which is not a great thing for a show that uses ecchi as one of its selling points. There did seem to be a bit of decline in the quality of the artwork and animation as a whole, although not necessarily enough to detract significantly from the overall product.
4. Backstories -> Another aspect that was improved/maintained from S1, as we get more complete background information on Riho, Akane, and Ami in particular. Akane's band could use some more presence in the show as it gets relegated to offscreen in S2, and perhaps some of the other background characters like Ouka's sister and (unapologetically) the confectionary seller ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). Also we still don't really know much about Shiragiku other than that she was a friend of Hayato's in childhood and was close to his grandmother.
As a whole, Megami no Café Terrace S2 delivered on most of its promises and remains a recommended watch for those looking for an enjoyable, non-high school harem romp. This is a story that needs an end, so I do hope it will get additional adaptation to find out just who is the mother of Hayato's daughter and the progression of romance leading up to that...
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 1, 2024
I went into this show with very little expectation, expecting another typical harem rom-com where it seems there's very little reason for any of the female leads to fall for the male lead and (obviously) lacks maturity (RaG comes to mind). To my pleasant surprise, this was not the case, despite some (predictable) instances of fan service and the clichéd beginning to the story involving Hayato's deceased grandmother and the café she left behind which provides the setting. Very much in the vein of The Quintessential Quintuplets with a competitive edge, but with a nice dash of slice-of-life minus the high school tropes that have
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been seen time and time again thanks to the maturity of the cast.
To cover the characters, the male MC is *gasp* actually someone who I could see having people attracted to him. Sure, being tall with reasonable looks doesn't hurt, but he's also successful, motivated, and isn't afraid to push back when he feels its necessary. He knows when to be supportive and knows when it's time to get serious. Hayato might be one of the first harem protagonists that I wouldn't mind grabbing a beer and shooting some pool with.
As for Hayato's surrounding cast of multi hair-colored girls, while some tend to fall into the typical tropes associated with the genre – Ouka being the tsundere, Ami being the goofy athletic (Yotsuba Nakano type), Shiragiku being the childhood friend dandere – I must give a shoutout to Akane and Riho. The former is an artistic tomboy type with a notable streak of confidence, but has a girlish shy streak when approached with anything regarding her personal life that is actually adorable. The latter first appears as somewhat of a tsundere, but later is revealed to be the hardest working of the bunch, continually trying to find new ways to support the rest of the girls and Hayato. These two rise to become (in my opinion) the stars of the first season, and make for interesting competition.
The primary obstacle towards enjoyment of the series will be undoubtedly getting through the first few episodes. Without spoiling it, you will probably immediately dislike most of the girls at the start, but they quickly – one-by-one – improve. Another downfall would be that the comedic aspects of the show are rather rough around the edges and repetitive, but I'm not sure this show is structured to really lean on the comedic aspects in the first place. The aforementioned ecchi content is definitely there – some may lament some of the censorship choices – but they are not overdone to the point of saying "ok what's the point of that"? The romantic subplots are actually enjoyable to watch develop (although they are somewhat limited in the first season) and tease the potential of something better – much like the first season of Quintessential. Overall I'd say that the show is on the higher end of harem animes overall, is generally well animated (excellent character designs) and does well to exploit some of the genre's tropes while toppling others. Will be awaiting eagerly to see what kind of new messes that Hayato and the girls get in season 2 this upcoming summer.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 18, 2024
The first season of Shin no Nakama offered a promising fantasy slice-of-life tale centered around a refreshingly forward and mature relationship between the main pairing of Red and Rit. Unfortunately, the second season veers off this course substantially and instead opts for an ill-advised attempt to increase the stakes, seemingly betraying the "slow life" theme of the story.
The introduction of Van (the new "hero") and his – to put it lightly – annoying fairy counterpart in Lavender makes the show nigh unbearable at times. The kid is simply a lost cause to his very core and his repetitive religious fanaticism is horrible to watch. Lavender's
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banal trash talking makes for a doubly unpleasant experience. To center the second season around this sociopathic idiot really ruins the good-natured fun that made the first season worthwhile in the first place. The pacing of the show falters because of this overloading of the narrative. Van is really not worth the time being spent by the Zoltan crew or by the Cardinal that employs him. The reduction of Red and Rit to mere side characters in this mess removes much of the enjoyment that was to be had in the first season. Where did the narrative surrounding the Demon Army go?
Ruti's arc presents one of the lone bright spots in this otherwise disappointment of a season, focusing on her struggles to adapt to the "slow life" that she has opted to pursue with hopes of living normally, but even this is undermined by the dabbling with Van.
Visually and sonically, the series really does not make many changes from the first season, further emphasizing the downfall of the storyline. While it is understandable to alter a few things and provide more motivation for the Hero's party to get involved (even if they wish otherwise), one can't help but feel that the viewer's enjoyment was sacrificed to do so.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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