However, what I enjoyed the most, was the story and lore. I'm not sure how many people are going to truly grasp the deeper layers of this story and what the creators are trying to tell them about religion in our real life world. It has a very gnostic approach to religion and world history in general. This world is supposed to parallel our own, but unless you know a little something about gnostic and esoteric thought, you're not really going to catch it. That's probably why some people hate the story. But, fortunately for me, I am a gnostic, so I get where they are coming from, and probably where they are going from here. Which makes it a lot more entertaining than if I just approached the anime as a fighting anime with churchy elements to it. It's actually a really deep anime if you get the imagery and messaging hidden behind the story.
This season also did a lot to make me like the characters more. Specifically Arthur and Obi. Although, I would say they spent a little too much time on side characters that aren't really central to the story. If you're going to bring in people like Inca, Ogun and Juggernaut, then bring them in and progress their stories. The anime did a fantastic job of really making me hate Inca off the bat, and then she just mostly disappears outside of a few appearances. Ogun was SICK as a fighter, but he only gets one fight, and then he's gone. This habit hurt later episodes especially surrounding Juggernaut. If he's not around much, then what ultimately happens with his fight in the Nether becomes less impactful. (Though still very well animated. I'll give it that.).
And there were some elements that we completely unnecessary to the story and were only added to create needless side drama. Such as Maki's situation with her military family. That wasn't necessary at all and made little sense. The anime has always portrayed her as an OG of FF Team 8, but suddenly she's made to seem like a newbie fighting for approval and the right to belong. That role should be for someone like Tamaki or Vulcan or something. Again, it wasn't devastating to the story, but just like Tamaki's lucky lecher gimmick, it doesn't add anything to it and isn't needed. And that gimmick STILL isn't needed even though they tried to increase it this season for comic effect. I didn't laugh once.
But, these are small issues to an otherwise great anime. It's got a great cast of characters, great animation, an intriguing world that it only getting more intriguing, villains you can actually hate like Haumea and Dr. Giovanni, dope fighters like Benimaru, Joker, Maki and Arthur, lots of action and an air of mystery to it. (Slight Spoiler) And at the very end, they showed they aren't going to go the "One Piece" route with everybody being invincible no matter what. It may have only been adjacent to the main cast, but at least you know with all this fire and violence that the "good guys" can actually be permanently maimed or die. There has to be consequences or there's no suspense.
Story: 9
Art: 10
Sound: 7
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 9
