The first season of Shoshimin: How to become Ordinary was mundane and calming, but left me with a sense of curiosity at what was coming next. This second season departed from more of the slice of life elements, and went into a more full-fledged mystery anime. Maybe some would wonder why this series did not start with the more high tension mysteries to draw a bigger crowd in to watch it, but to that, I would say that this season only worked so well because of the slower elements of its predecessor, as well as the character building from that.

Before the events of this season, we know that Jougorou and Yuki split up, and through the events of this season, we learn just how much they are attached at the hip. Everything that happens feels like it is a destined event to eventually get them back together, because, as “ordinary” as they are trying to be, they are drawn to mysteries, and cannot look away from them. To me, their relationship is one of the most interesting around, and when they work together on something, they are as formidable as can be in how sociopathic and cold they are.

As for the mystery itself, it is a very intriguing way to go about it. Firstly, everything that happens in the story is important in some way, whether it is foreshadowing, character development, or just a seemingly random detail to something, which I really enjoyed. Secondly, when we watch a mystery anime or a mystery novel, especially ones that involve a culprit, one would want a definitive answer right? Yes, the anime provides the viewer with some, but that is not the focus of it. Who the culprit is does not matter in the grand scheme of things, but it is the process, the way the beholder sees the environments around him that is of greater importance. The way the anime is directed and framed makes it feel like you yourself are in the shot with the detective, and perhaps, YOU are the detective, and you’ll come up with an answer. The anime will give you some, but the answer that you came up with yourself could be just as valid, and some things you’ll just never know. It always leaves you curious.

To compliment the already amazing storytelling, I was in awe with how the already great looking visual direction from the first season was elevated to even greater heights in the second season. If it was not already clear from the opening song visuals, the effort in the backgrounds made the mysteries as immersive as they could be, so much so it made it feel like each episode was only five minutes long. It makes a big difference when an anime commits to a visual style that works with the genre perfectly.

(Through its use of three-dimensional space, as well as having its characters "inside" the environment that they are investigating, it adds to the sense of presence and immersion for both the characters, and the viewer. Many of times, I found myself lost in the environments that the show depicts, feeling that I was in there with them as an observer)

The centerpiece to my liking for this anime would have to be the cute and cunning Yuki Osanai. What’s not to like about her? She loves sweets and is so passionate about them, and always teeters between being adorable and being the biggest menace you have ever seen, absolutely mauling poor boys like the wolf she is. It has been a joy to watch her little revenge tales unfold between both seasons of the anime. Also, by golly, her voice actress, Hina Youmiya has been killing it recently with her voice acting performances. I do not think there could have been a better casting than her with Yuki.

The relationship between the two main leads was also very endearing, and handled in a subtle but impactful way. As the mysteries, backstories, and the rest of the plot got told, Jougorou and Yuki’s relationship and developments, whether they were together or separate, slowly but surely blossomed into something quite special.

Spoiler, click to view

Not going to lie, almost teared up here on this scene. Knowing that these two are not usually the most emotional people, seeing them in a vulnerable state meant a lot.

In my review of the first season, I began with this:

Shoshimin: How to Become Ordinary is quite a curious title. With it being a mystery anime, even just its title leads me to question things. “Shoshimin”, is translated as the petite bourgeoisie, which refers to someone in the lower middle class. So indeed, that might be what constitutes an “ordinary person” in a financial sense. Who or what is trying to be ordinary though? The characters? The whole plot itself?

After watching this season, I still do not have a proper answer for this, but I do find it worthy of note that while both Jougorou and Yuki are always tangled in mysteries and cases, when they themselves are not the subjects of the case, they rarely influence the end result from the culprit. If by chance, they did however, they would never do it intentionally. Their detective prowesses are not foolproof, and that is what it means to be a normal person. Early on in the first season, it was said that “an ordinary person must never stand out. They must spend every day in peace and do everything possible to avoid anything that interferes with that.” Whether or not Jougorou and Yuki followed this motto, only they really know if they did. In the end, we as the viewer are merely the observer. I do like how questions are unanswered though, because it lets us stay curious.

Overall, this season was a marked improvement to the first in terms of the tension, as it stepped outside the mundane mysteries from the first season. Every episode had me thoroughly immersed, and I grew to love the characters more and more, with the excellent dialogue and visual storytelling. To sum up my feelings toward this season, I will let Yuki do the talking.