The Dangers in My Heart Season 2 was an incredible run from start to finish, and I cannot believe how far we have come since the “cringe” start at the beginning of this series. This season has provided a ton of fun, quite a few laughs, quite a few pay-offs, and some emotional moments as well. Apart from the sheer sweetness of this series, Kyoutarou’s growth has been incredible to watch, and as someone who shares some of the same traits as him, like being an introvert, some of his character growth really resonated with me, and he continues to be easily my favourite character in this series. It is so early in the year, but it is already an anime of the year contender for me.

I tend to like most romance anime that I have watched, but the one wall that they almost always hit is never really escaping the “Will they, won’t they?” phase of the show. Characters meander and the story progression goes at a snail’s pace, which in due time, makes the story lose its charm. A big reason for that is the caricatures and tropes of the characters that are in love. For example, whenever the main female character is a tsundere, all we see is her punching the dude or denying her feelings. In this show, there is no such annoying trope, and the dynamic between the two leads is a breath of fresh air. It’s just two somewhat socially awkward teens just getting to understand one another, without the progression being too dragged out. Of course, I also love seeing the female lead be taller than the male lead, as it is just a unique touch to the whole dynamic.

Another aspect of the series I really enjoy are some of the subtleties to the character growth. The characters feel somewhat realistic, in that they physically grow, something normal for their age of course. Kyoutarou grows a little taller, his voice deepens a bit, and Anna might be a bit excited, but it was never a huge deal. The characters understand more about one another at a nice pace. What was unknown at one point gets learned later on, such as when Anna understands how Kyoutarou would retract back into his shell when he was in certain situations, or Kyoutarou would understand how Anna would feel at a particular time. When they talk to each other, they might stumble on their words sometimes, but when it matters, they know exactly what to say. Overall, I really enjoyed how the show never got “in your face” about the character growth.

Kyoutarou has been a pretty relatable character to me to some extent, especially with his introversion. Kyoutarou's challenges with socializing and public speaking kind of resemble how parts of my life have went. I was a pretty chatty kid, but as I grew into my teenage years, for some reason I got more reserved, and I had stage fright and a fear of public speaking. Yeah, I took drama classes, and classes that required me to talk with others, but I was not, and still am not the most talkative person around in the slightest. Whenever I saw Kyoutarou talk to his inner self, while it might feel somewhat cliché, it always was executed perfectly because it acknowledges that a lot of the time, the biggest thing holding someone back is themselves. Deep down, they know they can do whatever they set their mind to, but they sell themselves short. Like people say, sometimes a person's worst enemy is themselves, so whenever Kyoutarou achieved something substantial, I was so proud of him.

As for the other characters, there aren’t any real weaknesses to the cast. Anna of course is a very cute, somewhat awkward character that put a lot of proactive care into developing the relationship further. Most of the other characters were really fun to watch, and support the main duo very well. They all know about Kyoutarou and Anna’s blossoming relationship, but they always let the two grow by themselves (save for that flash mob group), even if they would sometimes create situations where that was possible. The parents, relatives, friends, everyone in their social circle were so supportive, and happy whenever both Kyoutarou or Anna were successful, to the point where it would always warm my heart. No unnecessary family drama, no unnecessary love triangles, just friends and family being wholesome and supportive. Moeko and Kana probably had the best moments as side characters, but there is not one bad character in this series. No, not even the perverted guys. Sure, it might be a bit exaggerated, but people at that age always have something dirty to talk about.

The visuals and directing were for the most part, very solid. The blurriness does get a little much at times, but it never hindered my enjoyment. The staff did a fantastic job of really having the emotional moments hit hard. Kensuke Ushio, who worked on the music, continues to show that he is one of the best in the business right now, right there with Kevin Penkin and Evan Call, possibly Hiroyuki Sawano as well, at really elevating the show to new heights.

It has been nothing but joy watching this show every week. I never thought a romcom could surpass Kaguya-sama: Love is War for me, but this has been something truly special. The sheer state of giddiness I would be in before starting each episode was a testament to how much of an impact this show has had on me. Whether or not we see this series return anytime soon, it’ll still hold a place near and dear to my heart, which was in danger almost every week of watching this.

'There's no guarantee we have a tomorrow together, and if there isn't, then maybe I should try for what I want a little."