Eighty Six Part 2 started off slower than the first season, and I’ll admit I felt that pacing shift right away. But even with the quieter beginning, I found myself just as glued to the story, maybe even more so, because by now I was deeply invested in these characters, their pain, and the world they’re trying to survive in.

Where Part 1 was about shock, grief, and discovering the truth, Part 2 feels more like the quiet aftermath. It’s about what happens when everything breaks, what’s left to hold onto when you’ve lost your identity, your purpose, your home. The squad members are physically alive, but emotionally fractured, and that weight carries through every scene.

What I appreciated most was how the anime took its time to show the toll the war has had on them. The introspection, the silence between characters, the feeling of not quite belonging even in a safer space—it all felt painfully real. The world gives them a moment of peace, but it doesn’t feel like relief. It feels like limbo. And I loved how that emotional complexity was handled.

Shin’s arc here particularly was explored so well I want to give the author a standing ovation. In Part 1, he was defined by loss, by carrying the ghosts of his squad, by hunting his brother to kill him (save him) like it was the only thing left for him. But in Part 2, after finally surviving, he’s left with something even more terrifying: nothing. He doesn’t know how to live without war, without a mission. He walks through this new world numb, detached, almost like a ghost himself. And that quiet emptiness? It’s so subtle but devastating. Watching his quiet struggle to find meaning, not just to keep going, but to actually live, was one of the most powerful parts of this season.

And Lena… I loved seeing how much she’s changed. She’s still the same at her core, but now she’s fiercer, more grounded, and commanding. She leads with heart but also strength. Watching her evolution, especially in contrast to Shin’s emptiness, just made their eventual reunion even more impactful. Their bond remains one of my favorite parts of the series, it’s not romantic in a traditional sense (yet), but it’s deep and emotional.

The supporting characters continue to shine, and their camaraderie is still one of the anime’s emotional backbones. The way they hold each other up, even when they’re breaking inside, makes everything hit harder.

_And then… that final episode. Honestly, it’s one of the best anime finales I’ve seen (and overall episode of all time)._The way everything came together, the emotional weight, the payoff, the visuals, the music—it was all perfectly earned. It didn’t just wrap things up; it gave closure and opened the door to hope. The moment Lena and the group finally meet face to face after all that battles? I felt EVERYTHING. I was screaming and crying, it wasn’t just emotional, it was cathartic. Two people who had only connected through voice and loss, finally standing in the same place, looking at each other, and seeing each other, it was quiet compared to all the epic moments, but it said so much. That one moment made all the buildup worth it. Beautifully written, beautifully animated, and completely unforgettable.

Also can I talk about the action?? Every battle feels tense, raw, and personal. The choreography is tight, the stakes always feel high, and every fight pushes the characters further, emotionally and mentally. There’s a weight to every bullet fired and every move made. The standout battles, especially toward the end, don’t just look great, they mean something.

Ultimately, what sets Eighty Six apart is its emotional depth and its willingness to tackle complex, painful themes with grace. It’s raw, thought-provoking, and incredibly human. It left me thinking for days, not just about the story, but about the real-world parallels it draws.