Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga (Season 2)

 
Based on: Blue Exorcist manga series by Kazue Kato

Written by: Toshiya Ōno

Directed by: Koichi Hatsumi

Starring (Japanese): Nobuhiko Okamoto (Rin), Jun Fukuyama (Yukio), Kana Hanazawa (Shiemi), Kazuya Nakai (Ryuji), Kōji Yusa (Renzo), Yūki Kaji (Konekomaru), Eri Kitamura (Izumo), Rina Satō (Shura)

Starring (English): Bryce Papenbrook (Rin), Johnny Yong Bosch (Yukio), Christine Marie Cabanos (Shiemi), Kyle Hebert (Ryuji), Brian Beacock (Renzo), Miki Moran (Konekomaru), Kira Buckland (Izumo), Wendee Lee (Shura)

Okay, it has my attention for the moment. Something about an impure king? 

This is another one of those shows where I have to pay extra attention because things don't just flow organically for me. In season 1 we were immediately introduced to about five exorcist classmates and a couple additional teachers of the main character and each of them were important. I wasn't paying close attention back then, so I'm sad to say a lot of it was lost on me. I'll try to rectify that this time around. 

It seems that the left eye of the "impure king" was stolen, and Rin is sent along with his brother Yukio and teacher Shura to investigate. Their investigation largely fails as the culprit escapes with the eye, and thus they're sent to find the next one. 

It feels a bit odd for me to review an anime premiere, especially a short one like this, because not a lot happens. But I watched the first two and the second one gave me a lot of nice backstory into Ryuji's character, so I'll be excited to learn more about each of these exorcists and exactly what this "impure king" is going forward. 

Since this is a shorter season, I'll write the rest of the season's review in this same post when it comes time.

------

It was a great, chaotic, and exciting season! 

The large, ensemble cast still made it a bit hard for me to keep up, especially since I was regrettably not paying enough attention during season 1. Plus, a multitude of more supporting cast was added especially for the first half of the season: with the introduction of this "Impure King," a greater number of exorcists was brought it to support our main cast, and the workers of a certain shrine dynasty were also included. I found it all quite overwhelming. 

But once the more serious threat was isolated and better understood, the number of most-relevant heroes was slimmed down, and I had an easier time following. I was also able to connect better with the core characters from season 1 as I realized their personal journeys they were continuing on: understanding that Rin is the son of Satan and inherited his blue flames and coming to terms with this fast. For many of them it was liking learning that your friend was the son of a hired assassin who had personally killed your family and still uses that same sword. There was understandable animosity and anger, even though your friend wasn't the one who killed them and would never do so himself. You still hate the sword, hate what he represents, and would prefer to have nothing to do with him. 

I could easily sympathize with that plight and that brought the season's emotional arc home to me near the end, when it became more relevant and central again. At that point the Impure King was also more of an understandable threat, and our heroes were understanding more what they could do about this--how to stop this major demon from destroying a city. 

Rin learning to control his blue flames

The season finale represented a great high point for Rin, our hero. He finally learned how to produce and control the blue flames he's famous for. Previously they had been very dangerous for people to touch, but over the course of the series, his focus had been on learning to control them. Finally, in this finale, he had great need: he needed to kill a massive fungus growth that was encompassing a region, but without harming the people. All his training finally paid off, and he was able to will the flames not to harm people, while it burned away the fungus. I felt his success, and his friends felt it too: it was the final they needed to accept him as the son of Satan. Akin to learning that sword would never again hurt another person--or rather, affirming that the wielder has the skill not to harm anyone else with it. 

Overall, a great anime. I'm happy it was recommended to me, and I would further recommend it to anyone who enjoys the anime style!