REVIEW: Kyo Kara Moah Season 2

Written by Joshua Valencia

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Review by: Joshua ValenciaDirector: Junji NishimuraAnimation Production: Studio DeenLicensed by: FUNimation EntertainmentFor those tuning in, you can read our review of Kyo Kara Maoh Season 1 here.Kyo Kara Maoh Season 2 picks up directly from the first season. Though the main focus of the first season was to create a more unified world, there was still a great issue at hand. As season one closed, Yuri and the gang changed direction to search for ancient artifacts known as the “Four Forbidden Boxes.” Capable of destroying the entire world, these boxes become the focus of the current storyline.

The season opens with Yuri and friends in possession of one of them, this particular one dubbed “Hell’s Fire on Frozen Tundra.” Though they have one of them, there are still three more to find and, if they wait too long, other countries may start using these boxes as weapons.

It is a very simple formula that somehow provides just enough depth for the viewer to maintain interest. There are many mysteries surrounding these boxes including their history, their true power, and their greater significance to the Great Demon Kingdom. As can be expected, it is these boxes that set the Demon World ablaze, causing Yuri to make both friends and enemies.

Of course, Kyo Kara Maoh’s main focus has always been in the characters, and season two is no different, while still adding new characters and putting depth into old ones. Yuri Shibuya’s classmate and childhood friend Ken Murata turns out to be the reincarnation of The Great Wise Man, the right-hand man of the original Demon King. The ambiguous Bob is an enigmatic businessman who is actually the Demon King of Earth.

Even so, there were many problems associated with the character development in the first season, mainly in the pandering to a bishonen-craving audience. Thankfully, it isn’t as prevalent here. Though there are still “pretty boy” moments, they’re a bit more serious and thought-provoking this time around.

For one, the one-sided relationship between Yuri and Wolfram. While Wolfram often winds up with the short end of the stick, there are moments of life-threatening situations where these two will give their life for one another. That’s the kind of yaoi-pandering this writer can get behind.

The animation has improved considerably, especially for the action scenes. The first season sometimes felt like a slideshow of pretty boys across the screen. Here, however, it can be compared more to a hot-blooded shonen anime. Though the violence is still very tame in comparison, moments of death and peril are never too far away.

Not stopping with the characters, the core plot is given added depth over the first season’s basic story. For example, though the world is now on the side of the Great Demon Kingdom, it’s revealed that some countries are partners only for simple politics.

Unanswered questions from the first season such as why Yuri was chosen to be king in the first place finally become answered and there are themes of deception. That said, there are still episodes of filler that slow the pace of the anime, despite these improvements.

Sadly, there are no improvements on the actual DVD itself. Just as the first season, the DVD release is very barebones. Though the 39 episodes included are of good video quality, there are no special features. Though it is a few dollars cheaper than if you buy just the first volume, it is still a bit pricey. ($49.98 on Amazon at the time of this writing)

Overall, Kyo Kara Maoh Season 2 has an incredible amount of improvements that only gets brought down a few notches for not fixing some of the problems that plagued the first season such as the lackluster DVD and annoying filler episodes. Those who enjoyed the first season of Kyo Kara Maoh will definitely enjoy this season.