Imagine an alternate world where several individuals have amazing super powers, be it immortality or control over fire. These Kings share their power with other individuals, known as clansmen. Through a delicate balance, they somehow bring prosperity to Japan. Now not all the Kings are happy with the status quo and some are instigating a coup so to speak. The story is told through multiple characters though mostly through members of the blue, red, and silver (or white depending on the source) clans. This season picks up directly after the events of the movie K: Missing Kings where we see the rise of the new red King. There is still no sign of the silver King Shiro and his clansmen, as well as those of the red and blue clans, are desperately holding back an onslaught from the green clan, who are bent on changing the world order forever. Given the turbulent past between the clans, will anyone be able to counter the seemingly endless tide of the green Jungle?
Animation:
Back when K was released in 2012, there really wasn't any challenge to the animation quality expect perhaps UfoTable. This is true today as well as the gap in animation quality between K and other ordinary shows remains vast. Expect gorgeous panoramic detailing in a multitude of different sceneries. The show has superb lighting and effects; sharp reflections literally move as the camera pans. There is also extensive and playful use of colored filters and lighting, which gives the show an especially unique feel. Other than some occasional CGI usage, this is literally the epitome of what we can expect today from a non-movie work. The cast of K is very large, and it only grows larger in this season. However, all the clans other than the Silver clan have a uniform and/or assigned color and thus the only possible confusion is between members of the same clan; and really a lot of the supporting members of the red and blue clan don't matter- as long as you get the #2 and #3 from each clan down you're good to go. The superb animation doesn't stop with the scenery as characters have a great deal of detail all the way from the styling on their outfits to the playful smirk on Reishi's face when he draws his sword.
Expect excellent choreography throughout a multitude of adrenaline-filled battles with both magical and melee elements. Effects are sublime here, probably epitomized by the shiny clashes of fierce blades. There is a bit of blood and not all characters will make it through the season though the show spares the viewer from some of the more violent wounds. Rarely will you see such variety and innovation in attacks and abilities in a single show. There is a bit of ecchi as well ranging from very obvious panty shots to a lot of bouncing on the part of Seri. Neko gets plenty of innocent cat-like behavior as well- not really ecchi but enjoyable in its own way.
Sound:
Yui Horie gets the honor of starting the show with a playful, brass-heavy piece, which also happens to have a pretty nice, if slightly dark melody. The show ends with a guy song with a cool vibe but mediocre main melody. The superb BGM of the original show is further refined here. Many of the new tracks build meaningfully on top of melodies of the original show. The BGM is composed of a lot of different instruments but works to create a uniform, clean and modern sound. Some tracks make use of piano and stringed instruments while others are just trendy, with extensive use of percussion and electronic instrumentation.
One of the reasons I originally picked up K was the high-powered sound cast, and it only grew stronger this season! First and foremost, Mikako Komatsu has had a lot of great roles since the original K, but I firmly believe that Neko is by far her best role- suggestive yet playful, occasionally strong yet fragile; her character here has it all. In addition to the ridiculous combined male talent pool of Daisuke Ono, Tomokazu Sugita, Mamoru Miyano, and Jun Fukuyama, you even get Houchuu Ootsuka, instantly recognizable as Jiraiya from Naruto. Miyuki Sawashiro gets an expanded role in this last installment, as does Yui Horie as 11-12-year-old Anna. In addition, surprisingly, we get Rie Kugimiya playing a guy, definitely a side we haven't heard too much of. Wow, what a list... and with a story that actually makes sense the characters finally come alive and give merit to the powerful cast.
Story:
The main pain point of the original K was the confusing nature of the story, where much of the setting was left unexplained. Though I still don't get how the kings system brings prosperity to the nation, a great deal of the other open questions is finally resolved in this series. It explains the horrific Damocles down that left a crater in Japan, Neko's true origins, and the history behind the Kings system among other things. What makes this installment particularly pleasant is that this is all explained organically while continuing down the central, linear plotline.
The show can be broken into two main arcs, which would require a spoiler tag to fully explain here. In any case, each arc is executed with great care and precision; it took what went well in the K movie and applied the same treatment to the arcs. The show is full of interesting twists and alliances- in a normal show you have usually two or three sides, this show has many more clans and yet keeps everything tidy and manageable. Though some of the final battles felt a bit anticlimactic, the overall pacing was very good. The final resolution is a bit rushed, and a fair amount of conclusion is told through images in the closing credits. Regardless, it does have a feeling of completion, which is particularly welcome after watching numerous open-ended shows this season.
Character:
While this show won't win any awards for depth of character, you do get a bit more of a feel for some of the characters. My review for the original show mentioned how a lot of supporting characters felt underutilized despite being fairly developed, this season made full use of those characters; you'll see plenty of Anna as well as various supporting blue and red clan members. This season also introduces a handful of important clansmen of the green clan, which serve as the antagonist for the season.
Given the huge cast and complicated nature of the whole story, there isn't a lot of time left for character development; all characters are essentially static characters. Though we learn some interesting tidbits about characters, such as Neko, there isn't a whole lot to laud about in this category. If there is a positive, it's that the story doesn't center on the silver king Shiro, which was one of my largest gripes around the original show. In summary, expect many passable and entertaining static characters.
Value:
K is a beautifully drawn show with good overall production values. K Return of Kings successfully brings the franchise back to an understandable level while executing an engaging and action-packed plot. The characters aren't the strongest but it's forgivable given the sheer scale of the story and brilliant animation. If you haven't given up on K yet, here's your prize for sticking with it.
