Same crisp artwork from last season, and the animation has taken a step up. Some of Kenshin's moves, and other fight animation, were better than the OG. All the animation was high level. Even 3D renditions like the Rengoku were blended in smoothly and didn't seem obnoxious at all. Fine work by the animators.
The character designs didn't change from season 1, and the buttload of new characters introduced were well done. I think there was sttill a minor issue that also plagued season 1. They seem to really tone down the OG characters. Misao was nowhere near as adorably flakey. Cho didn't seem as brash. Even Shishio didn't seem as menacing. But if you'd never seen seen the OG, you'd never notice, as these characters are still portrayed brilliantly. It's only a minor shift in the tone of the entire franchise. It's not bad, only different.
The narrative mostly followed the OG, but seems to have gotten a little more world-building flesh put on its bones. The writers do it in a way that doesn't drag the flow of the story down. And they did a nice job of wrapping the season up without some horrible cliffhanger at the end. Well done indeed.
The VA work continues to be mostly skillfully done. With so many new characters, there are a couple 'mehs' tossed in there, but they aren't terrible. For the most part, the direction uses the cast well. Along with decent animation and fair use of the soundtrack, their work was acceptible.
Still, a masterful revisioning of the franchise. This is about the same level as the first season, and I'd grade it at 95/100 for a full A, even with my minor personal quibbles. Definitely worth continuing the journey with our wandering ronin.
