The art style is neither realistic nor overly basic. It is, however, extremely suggestive. If you're a fan-service enthusiast, you will definitely be pleased. While the seductive nature surrounding many of the female characters may have coaxed some comedic elements out from the other characters, I do believe it detracted, slightly, from the plotline. That being said, the animation was fluid and well-made without any significant deviation throughout the season.
I watched the English DUB of this show and can confirm that the voices harmonized with their respective characters well. This was not the case in S1, but seemingly over time, significant improvements were made. The background music fit each scene well, as did the OP/ED. The sound effects relating to the preparation and cooking of dishes was superb. It caught me off-guard in S1 but I was prepared this season. Thankfully, I was not let down.
The characters did not develop appreciably from S1, they were neither basic nor complex. Nobody, including Souma Yukihira, seemed to evolve over time. He and many of the other characters simply became better culinarily but no effort was given to display growth in other aspects - there was a distinct lack of well-roundedness. Using the same formula from S1, the show focused too much on building each character into a master chef rather than expounding upon their personal feelings, thoughts, and desires.
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara is a decent sequel to Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Souma. I feel somewhat disappointed because this season had the chance to fix some of the issues found in S1 and didn't. I won't be re-watching Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara for the time being. It isn't a terrible season but it failed to impress - it's the very definition of average.
