Machikado has always excelled at it's comedy and the same comedy stylings that made it such a fun and unique watch in its first season are back in the second season. The same quick humor and attention to detail returns although this time with a slower speed outside of some of those comedic moments. There are still a lot of fun whimsical moments in the background and a lot of fun gags that interline with the anime quite well.
That said as good as the comedy and fun factors of the show are I think what really sets Machikado apart and make it shine are it's characters and the story. Both were already good in season 1 but it's nice to see the seeds of good writing be expounded upon in season 2 and have also see the growth of the characters as they bond with each other.
With Shamiko's character we get to see her grow into being a very dependable member of the group and while she still fails at times, she is far removed from her old role of struggling at everything and trying to best Momo. As Shamiko and Momo spend more time together and their bond grows closer Shamiko realizes what Momo means to her and rather than fight her she seems more interested in helping her and trying to aid her in her quest to find her missing sister. But this growth doesn't just extend to Momo but also extends to her other friends that she see's struggling, like Mikan. Despite her demonic nature she has morphed into a magical girl like role, where she puts herself on the line to help those close to her, whether it be taking the risks needed to go into her subconscious, or whether it be working herself too much in order to get information on Momo. Seeing the cheerful and supportive Shamiko grow and stop being much of a punchline is really wonderful to see and it's so satisfying seeing her blossom and become someone admirable and strong in her own way.
Momo has also grown a lot and I absolutely love her growth throughout the season. She was already fun as a kuudere who had an obvious preference and liking towards Shamiko but that seems to be even more clear in this season considering how jealous she gets when Shamiko does things without her, or when her friends are bonding together without her. Her complex mix of emotions from season one are back and are built on as she grows closer to others and her kuudere persona slowly fades away. It's also fun seeing that now that there are things that she really cares about and wants, she is no longer able to have the upper hand so often and sometimes gets bested. It's also fun seeing her accept her role of being a servant of Shamiko and the wonders of black Peach Momo.
The side cast is also really strong. Mikan gets more deserved screen time and her character gets a lot more fleshed out in the new season. We get to see her struggles and backstory on how her curse got to form and how the events around it effect her. Despite how pleasant and happy seeming she can be, there are issues that she has to deal with as well and I like how the show explores them. I like how the show was able to explore her loneliness due to her self-sacrificing nature and her curse.
Added to that the new characters that were added are quite fun. Lico is a great addition to the cast whose quirks and disregard for others is quite fun to watch. I also like how well her and Shirasawa's inclusion are able to flesh out the demon world and give examples of other demonic characters in the show, as well as give Shamiko an opportunity to see others like her.
Their existence is key in another way in that they showcase Sakura's plan for the city and the wonderful legacy that she left there. Demons were able to live there peacefully and happily and intermingle with the town without prejudice or negativity. Those that see a talking tapir aren't freaked out by him and just accept it as part of their day and move on. The conflicts of the light and dark clan don't span the city and they're both able to relax and be happy without having to worry about being attacked to much. And when they do meet they're able to share information and interact with each other peacefully and work together at times. Ultimately Sakura did a lot for the town sacrificing herself both to protect the town but also to help out the demons who lived there and keep them with a happy, stress-free life. And ultimately her vision is working out well and works out very well as a watcher. Seeing all of these different people with different backgrounds be able to enjoy life without strife is quite nice. And it's fun to see Shamiko herself have such a nice life now despite the curses that she had been under before. It's fun seeing all of the positivity she gets from friends, family, and all of those around her. And ultimately this creates one of those things I love to see from CGDCT shows. This wonderful world and community of everyone trying to help each other, root for each other, and just share wholesome and happy moments with each other. Even the scariest member of the cast, Shion is doing a lot to help the cast. It's such a supportive and nice environment and it's really nice to see how wonderful of a place they live in and how they're able to make things better.
I also have to mention I really love how the show looks. The art style is really rich and everything looks really nice in it. It's very colorful and looks very nice and fits the very cute manner of the show. It also knows to use other art styles when needed such as some psychedelic and wavy art style when dealing with Lico's amazing cooking. Overall it feels very shiny and it never feels like it's lacking in quality. The animation as well works well with being stylized and chopping working well with the fast paced humor that it has.
Overall Machikado is a top tier show that is able to have both a compelling story-line, fun and interesting characters, and a lot of humorous and cute comedy. It's a great show that's well worth the watch. I highly recommend it and at least in my opinion it's one of the peak shows in the CGDCT genre and one that any CGDCT fan should watch.
