Coming from season one, I did not think that it was possible for season two of Oregairu to be better than its predecessor. I was proven wrong.
While the first season was more focused on Hachiman fitting in with the Service Club and becoming friends with Yukino and Yui, season two is more focused on him trying to maintain those relationships. He realizes that he has something that he wants to keep in the first few episodes after talking to Hayato. Hayato wants to keep his friend group intact--so much so that he is willing to try to block one of the guys his the friend group from asking out one of the girls in it. Hachiman begins to realize what the consequences of his self-sacrificial methods. He has the Service Club he wants to keep, and his methods could end up blowing that up if he calculates wrong.
Adding to the equation this season is Iroha Isshiki. She becomes important in the second half of this season. She originally comes to the Service Club asking how to end her Student Council Presidental campaign. After that request, she starts coming to the club more often with more requests, she seems to also love to annoy Hachiman.
This season is much for satisfying to watch than the last for many reasons. The main reason being that Hachiman is finally growing as a young man. In the last season, Hachiman did whatever he wanted without any thought about how everyone would react. This season, he finally starts to rethink doing the reckless things he did in season one. While he still acts like it, he is no longer the loner in class. He is no longer friendless. He is not unimportant and is cared about by people other than his family. The Hachiman of this season is different from the one of the first season; now Hachiman considers others while thinking of methods of solving problems assigned to the Service Club.
Yukino also finally changes, opening up her ‘shell’ and letting Yui and Hachiman in. In the first season, we saw glimpses of this, but Yukino starts to finally let her guard down (sometimes) around her two friends. Yui also has found a group of friends that she can fully be herself in. While she already is part of Hayato’s friend group, the social dynamics of it often lead her to being a side character and a follower. In the Service Club, everyone is equal, including Yui (even if she defaults to letting Hachiman and/or Yukino leading). To put it in her words, she is “in love” with the club. Neither Yui, Yukino, or Hachiman want the Service Club to go since it might jeopardize their time together.
The main question for Hachiman throughout this season is ‘How long can this last?’. He has never had anything like this in the past, and he does not want to give it up now. Yukino and Yui also share the same concerns. They also have to make sure to not live in the past, since they still have their future ahead of them. Hachiman finds himself in the same position Hayato is, but is doing more to find out what to do next. Hachiman knows that the present is not everything--he is a pessimistic realist after all. What he decides to do from here on out could affect the rest of his life.
The main concern from last season--the animation quality--has been more than fixed for this season. I am not much of an ‘animation’ guy, but the animation quality this season is stunning. It might be just because I am comparing it to how cartoonish it looked in the first season, but I really like how it looks. I guess feel. (the studio this season) is making up for how it looked in the first season (when Brains Base was the studio). The animation in this season matches the overall feeling this season has. The most notable parts are the ones where movements are very fluid, along with scenes that feel cinematic. I am glad feel. is the studio for the upcoming season.
Like I said with my review of season one, this season of Oregairu is a must-watch. If you are reading this and have not watched season one yet, please watch that first before watching this. The second season of Oregairu is one of the best anime I have ever watched.