Nanbaka ONA:

Yes, it’s true that it’s a major shift in tone away from all the light-heartedness of the first season. Yes, it’s true that the side characters are focussed on a lot more as opposed to Rock and Hajime who barely get any screen-time in the later episodes. And yes, it’s true that a lot of the sparkles are gone. But who cares? This is still an amazing anime.

Some of the secondary characters get such good development that I went from disliking them in the first season to cheering them on in the second. (Yep, that’s you Samon!) We got to see a lot more of Liang, Upa, and Qi, and I’m glad we did. Seeing another unit besides the 13,13 unit was a nice change, and gave their characters loads more depth. The antagonists introduced felt a bit random at first, but I think it's more of a 'wait and see what their motivations are' in this case.

The sparkles were much reduced in this season, but there plenty of vibrant colours and wacky effects nonetheless. The characters still have all their weird quirks and random comedic moments – and they’re just as fun to watch as the first season.

They didn’t change the op and ed (besides the singer for the op), and for that I am grateful. You don’t fix something if it’s not broken, and both were perfect.

It is sometimes hard to know what Nanbaka’s actually going for. It changes from almost realistic to wildly fantastical in the blink of an eye. The antagonists become more and more shounen-like (meaning that they never ever stay down, and truth be told this was quite annoying at times) and the protagonists seem to reveal more special skills (some of which are basically super powers) by the minute.

The plot from the first season is never really expanded on, and the ONA ends on a massive cliff-hanger – you’ve been warned. You’ll be tearing out your hair once you hit episode 12 and scouring the internet for any sign of a third season.

Regardless, watching it is pure fun. The fights are gorgeously animated, the backstories are surprisingly deep, and the banter is hilarious although much more infrequent than before. Maybe it’s not quite worth scoring a 9/10, but I loved it so much I just can’t bring myself to score it any lower.

My advice to you: go for it. Comedic or deep, action-packed or banter-filled, it’s definitely worth watching. XD