There have been a few sequels to anime that have been shameless filler in recent months. None of them were worth the hype that initially sprouted upon announcement. However, they were story-driven narratives that people took very seriously and wanted to know how the story and world would continue with the following season. One that didn’t fit into this category was the sequel to the popular harem anime from 2014 called Nisekoi. An anime that doesn’t take its story or characters too seriously and has a sequel that is mostly comedic filler is just a continuation from the start.
Let’s not pretend that we thought the story in Nisekoi was something to be held in regard as outstanding because even the show dispels that notion. It wanted to be a dumb romantic comedy that, in some places, satirizes the genre with Shaft’s over-the-top artistry and nothing more. So, what the 2nd season brings to the table for fans of the series is simply a continuation of those hilarious and cute moments that made them adore the characters. If filler was to be seen primarily on seasons based on purely comedic anime, such as Nisekoi, I think people wouldn’t be as annoyed by them as they did with, say, the 2nd season of Psycho Pass.
With that out of the way, Nisekoi: as it is called, is, like I mentioned before, just more Nisekoi in that it just gives us more comedy and cutesy scenes involving the girls and our main protagonist. They are more or less the same in terms of the quality of the jokes coming from season one to season two. However, some set the bar up high than season one did with the hilarious dialogue between the characters. Thanks to the new characters they introduce in this season, which I’ll expound upon later, that opens up a ton of fresh possibilities they throw out to create even more crazy scenes.
Shaft’s animation still boosts these jokes up a notch with the vibrant character expressions that pop up every minute. They are every bit as pleasant as they were in the first season. I’d say it’s about the same quality of humor from the animation tricks when comparing the two of them. Great would be the right word to describe the quality itself, not excellent, as there are a few jokes that flow off and taper off to nowhere.
What minor changes there are in Nisekoi:, they introduced two new characters that are noteworthy to mention. Chitoge’s mother, Hana Kirisaki, has a decent arc in the middle of the season with Chitoge. It is formulaic as one could get, but Nisekoi knows how to turn something formulaic into comedy gold through and through. Finally, there is Onodera’s little sister, Haru Onodera. Haru’s brand of sisterly love antics of protecting her sister against Ichijou is always hilarious and adorable to see. Everything about Haru in Nisekoi has made this season worth the wait after only seeing a little of her in the OVA.
Did I enjoy my time with this new season of Nisekoi? Indeed I did. Did it satisfy my endless curiosity about how the romantic development between our hero and his love posse? No, because I never had any, to begin with. The matter is that Nisekoi has never fully taken itself seriously once you do the math of how often they’ve delved into the sillier moments than the serious tearjerkers that rarely happen. Comedy comes first in the world of Nisekoi, and seriousness comes 2nd, and that’s fine as long as you do it right. Nisekoi happens to be in that category, and its 2nd season further proves that sentiment.
Grade: A-
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