To put it simply: mangaka Kenjiro Hata's Tonikaku Kawaii a.k.a. Fly Me to the Moon was a masterpiece work then and is STILL a masterpiece work now.
Hot on the heels of studio Seven Arcs and director Ikehata Hiroshi's adequate showing back in Fall 2020 for its premiere season, Tonikawa is back for the much-awaited sequel, progressing the relationship of the married couple of Nasa Yuzaki and Tsukasa, along with the memorable side characters of the Arisugawa sisters Kaname and Aya, as well as Chitose and her band of maids.
But there is one person that anchors this sequel in an influential way that exposes part of the mystery of the series: the old grandma of Tokiko Tsukuyomi, Tsukasa and Chitose's legal guardian. If you can recall, Tokiko only briefly shows up at the start of the Yuzaki's marriage life in Season 1, revealing herself to the married couple, but seemingly like an annoyance or thought, since all that the couple needed was her stamped name on the legal binding marriage document to acknowledge the marriage. The relationship between wife and guardian was iffy back then, since we didn't know how deep the connection between both characters would turn out to be. And now, with Season 2, the worrisomeness of Tokiko is justified by the fact that she knows that Tsukasa is some sort of celestial being, someone who would transcend time and the universe. But Nasa would still be the one and the same gigachad you know from Season 1, that love is stronger than the universe, and belief is his heart of the matter when it comes to Tsukasa.
Otherwise, there is not much difference when it comes to comparisons between both seasons, with the same staff team from the prequel now helming the sequel in the same unchanging fashion. Although the OST got a refresh for the sequel, I've gotta admit that I take back what I said about Season 1's OP being a banger, it's that for sure, but to me, it's alright. I actually prefer Season 2's OP a lot more due to its down-to-Earth vibes with Tsukasa's VA, now paired with the music collab that's done with Neko Hacker, which is a more palatable song. The ED...I'll take it or leave it, since my feelings of the manga-to-anime conversion are a bit more grounded now as compared to the "fan bias" lashing out back in Fall 2020.
At the end of the day, it's still Tonikawa at the heart of it all, and it remains one of the best rom-coms of the modern era, whether you've picked up the manga since Season 1's end or are awaiting the arrival of the sequel 2+ years later. I have enjoyed the manga once through and have surpassed the anime's stopping point, though the adaptation has gotten a 'tad better this time.
Still, check out the anime adaptations first before going back to the manga, the expressions are much better the second time around.
