Time for hot Demon babes!
Even though it’s basically by itself this season, I decided that I couldn’t let the lack of a MetaFap digest post stop us from blogging the second season of (imo) one of the best ecchi shows ever: Highschool DxD. And partly because I really enjoyed the first series, and partly because I’ve actually read the LN that comes next, I think this is going to be a good series, with both good action and good fanservice. So how has the season opened?
As Expected!
When a series starts right off the bat with this, it’s probably going to be good…
As I said, I’ve read the LN for at least this storyline they’re working on, as well as the previous ones. And like I said for the OVA that came out a month or so ago, I think we’re seeing some good changes from Issei (Kaji Yuki). He’s still trying to be the Harem King, he’s still lusting after boobs, and he’s still a pretty unmagical demon, but he’s improving. He doesn’t seem as quick to dereliction of duty when he sees some oppai, and he’s getting more reliable for his Master, the lovely Rias Gremory (Hikasa Youko). So reliable, in fact, that he’s causing all the other girls to fall for him, including Asia (Asakura Azumi), Akeno (Itou Shizuka), and probably even Koneko-chan (Taketatsu Ayana). Well, maybe Koneko will take a little longer.
Showing them baby pictures will definitely help build the harem
So Where is the Story Going?
Kiba’s really being a tool, but I like the way it lets them characterize Rias
Unlike a couple of the shows I covered last season (OreImo and Samurai Brides), Episode 1 of DxD got right into the story presented in the 3rd LN. Somehow, Rias has decided that she’s going to live with Issei as well as Asia, and has moved into his parents house. And she also, somehow, finds an excuse to sleep in Issei’s bed every night. And of course, she can’t sleep with clothes on. But the real story starts when Mom brings in some photo albums while the whole ‘club’ is at the house. Kiba (Nojima Kenji) sees a picture of Issei playing with a childhood friend of his, with a holy sword in the background. And if I’m being honest, this starts him brooding and acting like an idiot. While it’s good that Issei finally gets to pass on the Idiot Ball to someone else, it does turn Kiba into a bit of a whiny brat. But I can’t say he doesn’t have a good reason, having been experimented on in the past, and left for dead in an effort by the church to manufacture wielders of Excalibur.
But now they’ve got new ones…
How Does It Look?
The show looks almost completely unchanged from the previous season, with animation by TNK and still Yanagisawa Tetsuya as the director. The OP theme is a new song by Larval Stage Planning, but this time, instead of the most memorable ED sequence ever with a song by Stylips, the ED song is sung by the four ladies of the Occult Research Club. While I’ll miss the pole dancing, the new animation is fairly nice, and the song seems worth listening to. Other than that, it’s pretty much the same Highschool DxD that you loved from the first season.
A Couple of Extra Observations
Main observation: Akeno is terrific.
I’m actually surprised and pleased that they’re doing so much of the story in-depth. No, it’s not the most amazing story, but after the travesty of Samurai Brides, I think my expectations were lowered quite a bit. But there are a few things that they’ve included early that I thought were interesting. First was Akeno’s sucking the dragon’s power out of Issei’s arm, which I didn’t expect to be so early. But because it was, and because it left a few things out, I’m kind of half expecting another similar scene. Second, Issei’s such a good guy, but does he really understand what harems do? There’s just that lovely irony that he’s got a harem, and he won’t touch them: he feels Rias is out of his league, and Asia he feels like he has to protect. Yet, either one of them would literally do anything for (and to!) him, especially with the way he’s changed for the better (as I mentioned above). And that’s just who he’s got for now. And third, I like how they’re bringing Ddraig into the show, again early on. The ‘talk to a flashing green spot on my hand’ part was a bit dull, but it got the job done.
Bonus MetaFap Section! (More NSFW than above)
Highschool DxD New has been about everything I could ask for. The story is moving along nicely, the look is still great, the action is still fun. About the only thing that’s not great is Kiba, but that’s the story, innit? I do like that they’re telling Kiba’s story, but from Issei’s, and the rest of the ‘club’s’ point of view, and that Rias is still her same self, at once strict and caring. I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.
