This review is spoiler-free.

As we all know, perceiving certain jokes as laughter-worthy is a purely subjective matter. Not everyone will enjoy the same type of humour, and no style of comedy stands head and shoulders above the others. With that being said, it is challenging to look Pop Team Epic in the eyes and wholeheartedly appreciate it for its absurdist comedy, even though I, for one, should be one of its most dedicated fans. I love and treasure random, dumb memes and gags that could kill you with their absurdity, yet, as is the case with Pop Team Epic, it does not offer any worth remembering. The show is not as funny or entertaining as it should have been.

In the same vein as its predecessor, the second season does not comprehend how to compose its gags. While references can be fun and ecstatic, the ones on display here are either very hit-or-miss or fall on deaf ears altogether. Merely mentioning or displaying an element from a well-known IP is not enough to garner respect. It is vital to morph them into content that interacts with the source material in some fashion and offers tangible substance. Surely, one could argue that these segments devoted solely to parodying genres, narratives and tropes from various types of media do a solid job of transforming these ideas and concepts into worthwhile skits. However, in my eyes, they are nothing more than a gimmick and take up too much of the scarce screen time. To top it off, they disappear off the screen without closure or any chuckles along the way.

This trend of concluding gags without punchlines poisons every single episode of PTE. It goes without saying that they are innately disorganised, nonsensical and haphazard. Their randomness and absurdity are what should make them charming. Despite that fact, their structure and how they progress leave much to be desired; they lack timing, delivery and flow. Their nature does not serve as any sort of excuse or way out of the harsh reality. Besides a singular instance, the jokes are shockingly wishy-washy. All of them follow a certain layout: they begin after the title card makes its appearance, advance by beating around the bush, introducing their ideas or repeating phrases, and abruptly end without dropping a conclusion. One could attribute this to the essence of absurdist comedy and the fact that, by definition, it does not follow specific norms related to crafting gags, which does have some merit. Nevertheless, even the most outlandish of skits need to end in a way that satisfies the addressee; something that ties up the entire gag and creates a funny, entertaining performance. The anime's jokes are super unimpressive, and PTE does not care one bit.

None of the segments that work as separate entities within the show, such as the infamous Bob Epic Team, the newly introduced B-Side and many others, warrant a reaction other than being taken aback, apathy and a loud sigh. They range from quirky yet unremarkable to deeply shallow, and the staggering majority of these are unfun to experience.

Once again, the sole highlights of the production are the visuals, the voice acting and the sheer creativity with which they ooze. While none of the content sparks my interest on account of its aforementioned issues, these three elements prove time and time again that they are beating with life, with blood running through their veins. Sure, the jokes may pack no punch and be mediocre in and out, yet they always manage to strike a chord with their vivid presentation. The art style and animation are forever changing and showing off their wit, and the voice actors have genuine fun when they deliver their lines. Their immense energy stands in stark contrast to the bleakness and absent-mindedness of the "narrative"; had the jokes been crafted with palpable care, in tandem with the other components, they would have created an experience that is at least a decent watch. That obviously never happened.

At this point, I am sad whenever I think about Pop Team Epic. Experiencing its endeavours on a weekly basis felt like a chore that you merely do not want to complete, but are forced to do. If you like it, good for you. I wish I could say the same.