SPOILER FREE I want to preface this review by saying this is all opinion based. I'm not saying these are facts but just my own thoughts and views on the show. I'm not here to give an objective critical review and I ain't qualifed for that lmao I actually rewatched season 1 a month or so before this season started airing and let me tell you, I was HYPED. Now, 24 episodes later the season has concluded. Did it meet my expectations? No, it didn't. It FAR surpassed them. I'm a sucker for anime with strong moral lessons and boy did this season scratch that itch for me.

Let's break things down a bit:

Animation/Art:

This season the studio changed from the infamous WIT studio to the arguably more infamous MAPPA. While initially, I had my worries based on what happened with Attack on Titan I was instantly reassured upon watching the first episode. The style is still there, the feel is the same and hot DAMN this show has some BEAUTIFUL shots/sequences. There was also very little use of CGI in this season which is always appreciated. Overall the quality stayed the same if not improved in my opinion.

Soundtrack/Voice Acting:

The soundtrack for season 1 was a high bar to beat and whilst I won't say this season accomplished that, it certainly maintained the level of quality. The music here is great. There's no room for argument there. The track/scene pairing was very good except for one fairly important scene, but I can overlook that. Thorfinn's voice is the same as the previous season which is both good and bad. It works well because I strongly associate the voice with his character, and now the season is done I feel this even stronger. But, he does have a slightly younger-sounding voice than you'd expect from him which can be a little jarring at times, especially once he gets his beard. Other than this though I have no complaints. All characters sounded amazing and unique, absolutely perfect casting here.

Story/Setting:

We take quite a drastic jump from last season. Juxtaposing the violent, bloody battlefield with a peaceful, bountiful farm. I know a lot of people hated this change in tone but I personally loved it. It was the perfect setting to explore and develop Thorfinn's character. This leads me to the story. We initially view things from Einar's point of view, with his story taking up the entire first episode of the season, only introducing Thorfinn at the end. This season revolves around these two and their life on the farm. It focuses on their inner struggles and how their relationship grows and changes throughout their time there. I loved this angle. It felt like we were learning about the farm and exploring it alongside them, which from an immersion point of view is great. I like this especially because it directly contrasts the approach from season 1 where we feel disconnected from Thorfinn's thought process and experiences after jumping around different battlefields. I could explore the specific events but I can't be bothered and I don't wanna spoil anything. Overall the story/setting was amazing to me and I loved all the developments it brought on.

Characters:

Thorfinn's character is handled really well in my opinion. We are able to see all the slight changes he undergoes and his thought process which goes alongside that. This lets the viewer feel connected to his character and also gets us invested in what happens to him. I love the message that is being conveyed through his character and I genuinely find it really inspiring. I won't go into details or anything but I love this kind of message and how the series explores it. The side characters here are all (for the most part) really, really well done. Einar being a new addition and also playing a massive role in the series made me sceptical initially but he's great, a big contrast to Thorfinn in mentality and in the life he's led. The weakest character for me here was probably Arnheid. She's fine don't get me wrong but I wasn't as invested in her character as the series wanted me to be.

Summary:

I love this series. I've had such a great time watching it over the last five months and I can't explain how much I'm gonna miss this. It's got the music, the visuals, the story, the characters, and a great message. Can't recommend this enough. Thanks for reading :D