Of course, the broader details of what I loved about the first season carry through; as a tokusatsu fan, this show pushed all those buttons perfectly, including adding a couple more phenomenal costume designs, and the action was just as top-quality as the first season. I love the overall style of the show, too; its slightly psychedelic colour pallette and general approach to set design reminds me of lots of shows that put it in good company; the Monogatari franchise and Kiznaiver are the two that immediately spring to mind. And the sequel's OP is just as much of a high-octane earworm as the first one.
But, like the first season, it's the finer details of the story that tie it all together and elevate it to impressive heights. 'insight' is just as dripping with thematic weight and complexity as the first season, and I actually think it's going to take a little while for me to really process all of the themes and ideas found across these two seasons. It expands on so many of the societal ideas that I found so fun to see in the first season, simultaneously validating the core of the show's themes while giving room to give those ideas a truly critical eye. It's a timely story in a lot of ways, exploring ideas of mob mentality and online culture in ways that, while taken to an absurd extreme, feel incredibly relevant to the world we're in now, while never feel preachy, and while giving a truly balanced, nuanced view on the issue that I wouldn't have expected from a goofy superhero show.
And, like the first season, the person tying it all together is Hajime Ichinose, who has thoroughly cemented herself as one of my all time favourite anime protagonists. Like the first season, she's the heart of the show, and her hyper-optimistic mindset, the way she always thinks the best of everyone in every situation, despite all evidence saying otherwise, is something I feel like people could genuinely learn from. But this season continues to add to that, matching that optimism and open-mindedness with an always surprisingly measured and thoughtful approach to the situations she's in. Genuinely, and I don't recall ever saying this about a character, she is someone I would aspire to be more like. And, like the first season, it's her who pulls the threads together to give this show, both seasons of this story, one of the most thematically successful and satisfying climaxes to a story I've seen in a long time.
This is the sort of show I want to write essays about. It's a show that I probably will. It's a show that captured me in a way I didn't expect it to, and which I feel comfortable giving pride of place in my 'nines' list, the works I consider to be my favourites, the shows that connected to me in a way most don't. I've loved every second of this ride, I'm a little sad to be done with it, and I'm glad I finally gave it the time to give me that opportunity.
Gatcha!
