meu Darling Darling / Kisekoi sempre foi encantador, mas atingiu um novo nível com uma sequência mais criativa, tematicamente mais rígida e nesse processo, mais diversificado nas subculturas que explora. Vamos cavar as mudanças de produção que valeram a pena tão extraordinariamente bem! Foi, no entanto, um pouco de encapsulamento redutivo do que o trabalho original abrange. Lembre-se, isso nem sempre é um aspecto negativo, muito menos um desperdício. Se alguma coisa, você pode argumentar que é natural que as adaptações apareçam assim; É muito mais fácil projetar uma experiência firmemente focada com a previsão de publicações longas ou até acabadas, enquanto os autores originais que acabaram de começar o trabalho com o desconhecido. Certas séries foram comprovadamente melhoradas por meio de suas adaptações por causa disso, seja ao derramar elementos que, em retrospecto, eram um ajuste estranho, ou através de meras opções de ênfase. Novamente, não tome isso como críticas duras ao seu primeiro programa de TV, que era sólido em geral. Qualquer pessoa que o viu pode atestar que sua entrega variou de tecnicamente sólida a às vezes excepcional, com padrões de animação confortavelmente acima da norma do anime atual de TV. E, no entanto, a chegada de sua sequência demonstra a existência de um potencial mais amplo que eles não conseguiram explorar a primeira vez. Com um aspecto que você dificilmente pode culpar a equipe criativa: a contagem de episódios. Com um único curso para o seu descarte, a equipe disponibilizou a melhor opção para eles e prosseguiu em um ritmo medido, embora isso significasse que eles não chegariam aos arcos (os mais recentes da época), onde o mangá realmente atinge seu passo. Embora sempre agradável, Shinichi Fukuda O trabalho leva um tempo para se elevar de uma comédia romântica fofa que declara uma mensagem que soa bem, para uma onde essas crenças tocam em todas as páginas com o tipo de convicção que você não pode ajudar, mas se transforma em seus termos mais específicos. Seu respeito pelo primeiro nunca poderia ser colocado em questão; Mais de alguns capítulos da série, incluindo os estágios anteriores, são tão completos na representação do hobby que eles poderiam servir como tutoriais. Isso também se traduziu na primeira temporada do anime, oferecendo um olhar inquestionavelmente amoroso para a subcultura… ou melhor, na fatia presente no material que eles teriam tempo para se adaptar. Isso foi o suficiente para gesticular idéias como fãs proativos e criação derivada como maneiras valiosas de canalizar seu amor, bem como a reação contra a pressão social sobre o que deveríamos gostar. Enquanto esses são temas que naturalmente acompanham Gojo e Marin em seu romance, eles ainda não estão totalmente formados nesta fase. Os conceitos se sentem um pouco separados dos destaques da produção, e simplesmente nem tudo o que está conectado às realidades da maioria das pessoas dentro da cultura que ela explora. Esses temas são, em curto, o vestido de janela adequado para um fofo romcom.
Até certo ponto, essa estreiteza em sabor se resume à execução. Se eu lhe disser para fechar os olhos e imaginar algumas seqüências memoráveis da primeira temporada, sei que alguma combinação de representação volumétrica e saltitante do corpo de Marin em roupas acumuladas apareceu em sua mente. Esta não é uma tentativa de envergonhar pervertidas entre nossos leitores-em locais destinados à apreciação da arte, a perversão é uma espécie de distintivo de honra em primeiro lugar. O que quero dizer, porém, é que essas seqüências receberam um nível de entrega memorável e claramente pendente que a série não podia pagar regularmente. É uma irregularidade no valor do impacto (mesmo com o piso ainda sendo respeitável) que exala a falsa impressão de que esses momentos são tudo o que se trata. Diretor Diretorias: (監督, Kantoku): A pessoa responsável por toda a produção, tanto como tomadora de decisão criativa quanto supervisor final. Eles superaram o resto da equipe e, finalmente, têm a última palavra. No entanto, a série com diferentes níveis de diretores existe-diretor-chefe, diretor assistente, diretor de episódios da série, todos os tipos de papéis não padrão. A hierarquia nesses casos é um cenário de caso a caso. Keisuke Shinohara admitiu inicialmente assumir inicialmente que Kisekoi era apenas um colírio para os caras. Foi somente quando ele leu ainda mais que se viu profundamente atraído pelas lutas de Gojo como criador; Apesar de estar em diferentes campos, ele encontrou seu arco para ressoar com qualquer pessoa investida em fazer coisas. Foi também investigando mais a série que ele passou a apreciar o retrato dos sentimentos de Marin de uma maneira definitiva e igualmente importante-um contraste com a tendência danseimuke romcom de enquadrar as mulheres como objetos incognoscíveis de perseguição. Parece ser um sentimento compartilhado em toda a equipe, pois Aniplex Chief Producer Nobuhiro nakayama Recentemente se referiu à série que a energia de mais de uma série de shoujo tem mais de em que há mais de uma vez, que mais se referiu
Para iniciantes, é importante lembrar o contexto da produção dessa primeira temporada. Embora seja bem feito para os padrões de anime de TV, não podemos esquecer que seguiu a implosão absoluta da prioridade do ovo Wonder . Embora a ambição de Shouta Umehara como produtora de animação alimenta o que, sem dúvida, é o time de maior prestígio de Cloverworks, ele já exagerou o exagerado a ponto de se tornar também problemático. Ele não é de forma alguma um líder cruel que explora os outros, mas sim o tipo de precipitação que lidera mesmo as missões suicidas; Não se esqueça que a pessoa WEP enviou ao hospital era ele mesmo. Sua atitude na época é algo que está evoluindo gradualmente-de maneiras que mais tarde afetariam a segunda temporada de Kisekoi-mas mais do que qualquer outra coisa, foi a exaustão mental e física pós-Pós-Limpa que arrastou os padrões para o próximo projeto de volta à Terra. A primeira temporada de Kisekoi aceitou um limiar mais baixo de consistência e qualidade para a arte dos personagens e, notoriamente, apresentou dois episódios totalmente terceirizados (nº 03 para Traumerei Animation Studio e #07 para Lapin Track). É uma produção sólida, mas também a própria definição de retenção. Dado esse contexto, compreensivelmente. Eles superaram o resto da equipe e, finalmente, têm a última palavra. No entanto, a série com diferentes níveis de diretores existe-diretor-chefe, diretor assistente, diretor de episódios da série, todos os tipos de papéis não padrão. A hierarquia nesses casos é um cenário de caso a caso. Shinohara é discreto por natureza. O início da primeira temporada já foi suficiente para ilustrar que, mesmo quando ele está usando exagero, ele faz de tal maneira calculada que você toma sua entrega convincente por concessão. Através da técnica e da inteligência, ele usa sua posição como diretor para proteger a imersão do espectador de sempre quebrar. Ele pode não ser um realista rigoroso, mas tem o tipo de visão fundamentada que o obriga a retratar os holofotes figurativos da maneira como você mostraria luzes reais. Embora ele nunca tenha deixado de lado o senso de humor do trabalho original, foram outros diretores de episódios na primeira temporada que se apoiaram mais ostensivamente nela. Especialmente naquela época, Shinohara estava feliz em buscar um sentimento de transparência; Sendo autêntico no retrato das pessoas e no assunto, deixando o artifício para os outros. Após a liderança de um certo diretor que mais tarde foi colocado na vanguarda da sequência, mostrou um Kisekoi mais atrevido que estava disposto a brincar com a natureza ridícula dos personagens como 2D Os ativos 2D você pode brincar com . Mas, de um ângulo totalmente diferente, o verdadeiro destaque foi o oitavo episódio liderado por yusuke kawakami . No início, uma longa cena-chave animada por Kerorira mostra o tipo de representação carismática dos lençóis que, de outra forma, vemos apenas em cenas picantes durante a primeira temporada. À medida que você se aventura mais adiante no episódio, a representação de uma série mágica mais antiga faz concessões à autenticidade em favor da regra de Cool. Uma sensação de atmosfera muito mais palpável do que o que você encontra no restante do show oscila entre dread e vulnerabilidade quando um personagem se abre para gojo, depois muda tão rapidamente para Ao contrário da imperceptância de Shinohara, o storyboardstoryboard de Kawakami (絵コンテ 絵コンテ, Ekonte): The Blueprints of Animation. Uma série de desenhos geralmente simples que servem como roteiro visual do anime, desenhados em folhas especiais com campos para o número de corte de animação, notas para a equipe e as linhas de diálogo correspondentes. Mais é do tipo que orgulhosamente você o impede. Há um senso compartilhado de elegância que permite que ela exista na estrutura do diretor da série, mas a execução é muito mais ostensiva e aberta. Não procure mais, o avanço de Juju sobre sua identidade e sonhos, transmitido através de uma sobreposição clara de sua reflexão e uma roupa mágica. Todo o segmento final com Marin e Gojo na praia é um retrato etéreo dos primeiros; do primeiro amor, primeiros passeios na praia e pela primeira vez você é desrespeitado por uma gaivota, porque continua bobo mesmo com aquelas vibrações de outro mundo Kawakami e o resto da equipe o concedeu. O episódio apresenta, de cima para baixo, artesanato superlativo e entrega completamente memorável dentro de uma temporada em que os picos tendem a vir em um sabor singular. Diretor de Diretorias da Série: (監督, Kantoku): A pessoa responsável por toda a produção, tanto como tomadora de decisão criativa quanto supervisor final. Eles superaram o resto da equipe e, finalmente, têm a última palavra. No entanto, a série com diferentes níveis de diretores existe-diretor-chefe, diretor assistente, diretor de episódios da série, todos os tipos de papéis não padrão. A hierarquia nesses casos é um cenário de caso a caso. O ele mesmo aludiu a isso, como visto em uma das muitas entrevistas realizadas para o recurso Kisekoi S2 no Newtype, em setembro de 2025. Dado o seu estilo atencioso, mas, em última análise, silencioso, Shinohara nega humildemente ter o tipo de gravidade de seus colegas mais carismáticos. Embora exista um padrão nessa indústria em que o magnetismo se correlaciona com a extravagância, Shinohara está comprovadamente errado-como visto pela maneira como aquelas estrelas de renome mais publicamente cantam seu nome sempre que surgirem nas notícias, mostrando apreço por seu ofício de uma maneira engraçada. Pode não se destacar da mesma maneira, mas a precisão técnica de Shinohara é muito apreciada por aqueles que trabalham ao lado dele. E se ele fosse colocado em um ambiente mais favorável, com um pouco mais de experiência em seu cinto, ele poderia conquistar os espectadores com tanto entusiasmo. Sua grandeza pode ser mais complicada de entender do que com os diretores de estrelas mais abertos, mas seu charme não é menos. Exceto a substituição rara da equipe que se resume a melhor, o resultado mais natural das sequências é iniciar uma ligeira tendência descendente. Manter seu nível original ou mesmo uma ligeira melhoria está nos cartões, mas qualquer coisa mais esperançosa do que isso flerta com ilusão. Simplificando, é comum que os projetos iniciais sejam sinônimos com o investimento mais forte e as equipes mais potentes; Afinal, o compromisso de longo prazo da equipe qualificada é a mais complicada de proteger e, por natureza, as sequências vêm com uma base de fãs já segura ou a certeza de que a série não é um sucesso. Não é como se não houvesse exemplos de segundas temporadas sendo obras mais fortes e convincentes, mas você certamente não pode fazer grandes atualizações no departamento de produção como garantido. Já mencionamos alguns motivos que entraram em jogo. Vale lembrar que esta é apenas a quarta tentativa de Shinohara na direção da série, e que as duas primeiras instâncias foram Black Fox (onde ele foi um substituto para o ocupado kazuya nomura ), além do colapso da husk de a3 que ele compartilhou o outro para o outro), além do strong-e-supass. Kisekoi parece que sua primeira tentativa de liderar um projeto sério, portanto, uma melhoria considerável na época da sequência é razoável. Especialmente quando, em comparação com essa depressão pós-Wep, este projeto chegou a um momento em que a linha de produção de Umehara e certas partes das malhas são… florescendo o máximo que puder, por enquanto está comprovadamente muito ocupado, digamos. Não é o ideal, mas claramente um ambiente melhor para um diretor de diretorias mais maduras da série: (監督, Kantoku): a pessoa responsável por toda a produção, tanto como tomadora de decisão criativa quanto supervisor final. Eles superaram o resto da equipe e, finalmente, têm a última palavra. No entanto, a série com diferentes níveis de diretores existe-diretor-chefe, diretor assistente, diretor de episódios da série, todos os tipos de papéis não padrão. A hierarquia nesses casos é um cenário de caso a caso. Shinohara nunca perdeu suas tendências, mas, como explicou na entrevista de Newtype acima mencionada, ele queria ampliar o alcance da expressão. Na sua opinião, as traições ocasionais da realidade objetiva tornam as coisas mais interessantes para espectadores e criadores. Armado com essa nova mentalidade-e a colaboração de um certo membro-chave na equipe da segunda temporada-ele partiu para o storyboardstoryboard (絵コンテ, Ekonte): The Blueprints of Animation. Uma série de desenhos geralmente simples que servem como roteiro visual do anime, desenhados em folhas especiais com campos para o número de corte de animação, notas para a equipe e as linhas de diálogo correspondentes. Mais e direcionar essa reintrodução para a série. Cercado por extrovertidos na festa de Halloween em que ele foi arrastado, Gojo é forçado a enfrentar suas inseguranças; Ele realmente pertence a eles e, na verdade, pertence a qualquer lugar em que seus interesses não se conformem às normas de gênero? Esses medos são entregues através do texto cronometrado com precisão à medida que nos aprofundamos em sua psique , mostrando sua excelência técnica usual, mas também o desejo de aumentar a gravação. Shinohara consegue esse novo desafio de evocar algo maior que a realidade material da cena e, ao mesmo tempo, ainda toca dentro dos limites de seu cenário de uma maneira divertida. Afinal, toda essa cena continua por minutos, pois você pode ouvir o canto favorito de todos ( haruhily ) no fundo. E assim, depois de fazer a transição dos medos de Gojo para uma sensação agradável de aceitação, o clímax da música deixa-a imediatamente girar para uma pergunta pública hilariante e misturada sobre se as duas pistas estão namorando. Abençoe-o agora e abençoe você Shinohara. Isso não é coincidência: ele chamou Dibs em seu personagem favorito o máximo possível, estendendo seus deveres mesmo além do próprio show. A equipe permitiu que ele desenhasse um lote de extra Ilustrações Para acompanhar as capas de músicas de rock de Nowa (por que ela tem um gosto tão bom?) Na segunda temporada, a ponto de o autor original adquirir seus esforços muito focados. E assim, quando a temporada terminou, ela desenhou agora no modo de oshikats… sobre o realista real Sukawa Além disso, enquanto falamos sobre o clipe acima, a maneira como os nomes e idades são listados certamente parece uma reminiscência de uma cena icônica da FLCL. Suspeito que um certo diretor de assistente da série tenha apresentado esse detalhe.
Assim como o final do episódio é excelente, o mesmo acontece com o começo. Essa estrutura é, em primeiro lugar, uma ótima jogada pela adaptação. Grande parte dos estágios iniciais da segunda temporada se baseia em pequenas mudanças do fluxo do material de origem, e acredito que eles conseguiram seus objetivos; No caso do primeiro episódio, nos receber de volta com algo que encapsula a totalidade do charme de Kisekoi, em vez de proceder como se nenhuma pausa tivesse acontecido. E assim, assim como o seu antecessor, ocasionalmente, a segunda temporada começa com um gênero ridiculamente divertido LED por kai ikarashi kai ikarashi bate-tate), que não serve a prática kai ikarashi baster
Embora fosse a chave solo animada por Kerorira, a abertura foi dirigida e storyboard por Yuki Yonemori. Sua integração encantadora de créditos de produção chama a atenção, embora eu acredite que o coração da sequência é da ênfase que ele colocou em materiais físicos
Não me interpretem mal: Kisekoi S2 é de sucesso exclusivo. Embora eu acredite que a divertida criatividade de Bocchi o impulsiona ao topo das obras de Umehara, há um argumento a ser feito sobre a precisão cuidadosa-não em desacordo com uma execução tão animada-na maior parte do Kisekoi S2, tornando a maior produção desta equipe. O próprio Shinohara considera os padrões de episódios como a estréia da segunda temporada de ser excessiva para a televisão. Ele não quis dizer apenas os aspectos mais visíveis, como detalhes e polimento da arte dos personagens, ou mesmo o grau de articulação da animação, mas também a luxuosa do intermediário e da pintura. O longo tempo gasto nos episódios anteriores certamente ajuda, embora o diretor também aponte que a alta linha de base da habilidade técnica reduziu bastante a necessidade de retomar, viabilizando esse grau de ambição. Talvez a melhor maneira de descrever seu sucesso seja que ele pareça uma temporada muito ajustada; Parte desse ser secreto, como ele revelou, um time tão bom que eles pregaram muitas coisas pela primeira vez. Um dos principais pontos que você precisa entender para apreciar a mudança perceptível no sabor entre as estações de Kisekoi é que Nara estava genuinamente em todo lugar, marcando junto com um diretor de diretorias da série: (監督, Kantoku): a pessoa responsável por toda a produção, tanto como tomador de decisão criativo e supervisor final. Eles superaram o resto da equipe e, finalmente, têm a última palavra. No entanto, a série com diferentes níveis de diretores existe-diretor-chefe, diretor assistente, diretor de episódios da série, todos os tipos de papéis não padrão. A hierarquia nesses casos é um cenário de caso a caso. que ficou feliz em absorver suas idéias. E, no entanto, assim como a concentração de oxigênio na atmosfera pode flutuar, a densidade de partículas de diretor ultrajante (conceito científico real). Esses tendem a estar mais altos, é claro, nos episódios que a Nara direcionou pessoalmente e storyboard-significando #14, #19 e #23. Os reajustes exigem gravar duas histórias distintas, mas a entrega de Nara está tão confiante de que você não fica sentindo que não havia uma visão clara por trás dela. Claro, mudamos da continuação da batida da ROMCOM sobre se eles estão namorando para tramas focadas em cosplay e gênero, mas ambos são entregues através de misturas de estilos igualmente ecléticas. href=”https://bsky.app/profile/yuyucow.bsky.social/post/3ltrykeriyk2t”>his reminders that animation is composed of assets he can play around with. There’s that familiar sense of comedy built upon quick stylistic shifts whenever he can find a way to sneak it in; changing levels of stylization, of fluidity in the animation, and then subverting your expectations from an entirely new vector when you think you’ve cracked the pattern. Just like the Bocchi anime that episodes like this are so reminiscent of, it’s the consistent sense of surprise that becomes the glue between heterogeneous parts.
Since we talked about the opening sequence, we ought to introduce the ending as well. The closing sequence by VIVINOS is very reminiscent of their Pink Bitch Club series, taking Marin’s crush and her interest in fashion as an excuse to turn her into a bit of a menhera menace.
If we stop and appreciate the once again excellent animation, we can find plenty of examples of seemingly uncanny combinations of ideas leading to a richer outcome. With a director as quick to embrace cartoony aesthetics, you could assume that’s the route it’ll head in whenever there are comedic needs, but Nara successfully guides the team to get mileage out of less common approaches. Like, for example, ever so slightly dialing up the realism to make a sequence more amusing. As an embarrassed Marin storms away from Gojo, the level of lifelike detail in which the folds of his disguise are depicted—a bit exaggerated but not so much that they become a caricature—makes him look much creepier and thus funnier nesse contexto. Even when the application of a style is more orthodox, the ability to alternate between them will keep you constantly engaged. After all, the same visit to a sick Marin can have outstanding examples of precision in animation and inherently funny betrayals of space. In a season with many outrageous visual tricks, even the seemingly more standard sequences can be inherently fun to look at.
One detail we’ve neglected to mention is that all those scenes arrived by the hand of the aforementioned main animator, Naoya Takahashi. Speaking to Newtype, he simplified the evolution of his role as going from a tactically deployed weapon across important moments in the first season, to handling large chunks at a time for the sequel. This is not to say that he no longer handled climactic moments, since we’re talking about an animator with a hand in the very last scene of the season. However, it’s true that he halved his appearances so take he could take over many cuts whenever he showed up as either key animator or supervisor.
Applied to episode #14, that meant drawing key animationKey Animation (原画, genga): These artists draw the pivotal moments within the animation, basically defining the motion without actually completing the cut. The anime industry is known for allowing these individual artists lots of room to express their own style. for virtually every single shot in the first half; the only small exceptions being Odashi and the regular Yohei Yaegashi making cute guest appearances, in rather different ways. Nara is particularly effusive about Takahashi’s mindset, as an animator whose interests are tickled by seemingly troublesome cuts that he’ll complicate even further, but it’s worth noting that the entire second half received the same holistic treatment by Maring Song. Given that its animation demands are just as diverse, the challenge couldn’t have been any easier.
Even with those assistants and the help of a solid lineup of 2nd key animators, having the episode’s two animation directors penning every single cut in the first place is quite the ask. And keep it in mind: it was an ask, not a spur-of-the-moment happening but a foundational idea in planning Kisekoi S2. Those Newtype features confirm as much, saying it was an episode conceived to be animated by a small team. While this one is noteworthy in how far they went with it, the desire to keep animation teams small is a defining trait of Umehara’s production line in recent times. From a creative standpoint, there’s an obvious reason to chase that goal: the natural sense of cohesion and full realization of a better-defined vision that you can get out of small teams. And from a management level, the idea that you may be able to offload this large a workload to just a few people—at least for certain tasks—is a dream come true.
While it’s positive that viewers have started paying attention to the composition of teams (who is part of them, their size, roles, etc), many are a bit too quick to assume that seeing fewer animators credited is immediately a sign of a healthier, straight-up superior production. Instead, they should be asking themselves if such a team was a natural fit for the production circumstances, and whether the level of ambition and quality standards match their possibilities.
Circling back to Kisekoi S2, then, we can say that episodes like this manage to maintain—and occasionally even raise—the project’s already impressive technical floor despite the small team. And what about the larger picture? Did this approach eventually push the production off the rails? Although things got tighter by the end, we can now say that it weathered the storm without requiring the level of unthinkable individual feats that protected the likes of Bocchi. In that regard, it’s worth noting that Kisekoi S2 showed an interesting level of restraint. Small teams of animators, but never as far as this one episode. A mere two episodes with a singular animation director, instead opting for duos as its default. Part of this comes down to the improvement of CloverWorks’ infrastructure (not to be confused with their planning) that we talked about earlier, but it’s also about that evolution in Umehara’s mindset; away from his most aggressive tendencies, less allergic to the concept of compromising, and instead interested in finding ways to minimize the negative effects from that.
It’s another one of Umehara’s favorite weapons that takes over the show with the next episode: character animation ace Tomoki Yoshikawa, who makes his debut as storyboarder and episode director. If his peers viewed Nara as a very entertaining aberration, Yoshikawa embodies straightforward excellence in his breed. As an animator, Yoshikawa’s work feels performed in a way that few artists’ do; so specific in its posing and demeanor that you feel as if the characters were actors who’d just been briefed by the director. And now that he genuinely occupies that position, you get that philosophy applied to an entire episode—often through his own redraws. The way people interact with objects and people’s gestures constantly stand out as deliberate. The way he accomplishes it makes his ostentatious brand of realism not particularly naturalistic, but its technical greatness and sufficient characterfulness justify its braggadocio air. Perhaps this is the horseshoe he shares with Nara: one, a director so imaginative that he gets away with making the artifice painfully obvious, the other, an animator so good at articulating characters that he’s happy with showing you the strings with which he puppeteers them.
Despite yet another charismatic lead artist having a visible impact, Kisekoi S2’s overarching identity is too strong to ever disappear. Instead, what happens is that the two tendencies tend to mix with each other. Yoshikawa’s deliberate acting doesn’t risk coming across as too clinical and serious, as his precise posing occasionally becomes a source of humor as well; for an obvious example, a binoculars-like shot is followed up by the type of silly pose that Marin is likely to adopt when her nerdy side takes over. The switches to blatantly cartoony animation can occur without ditching the calculated staging, and for that matter, without ditching Yoshikawa’s pen either—he personally key animated some of them as well.
The real highlight of the episode, though, is in Amane’s backstory. At this point, it should be obvious that Yoshikawa is more than a cold, technically proficient animation machine. He once again shows that much with a stunning flashback focused on the main duo’s new friend and his encounter with crossplay, which helped him forge an identity he’s finally comfortable with. Through some of the most ethereal drawings in the entire show (many by Yoshikawa himself), we witness his first experiences with makeup, wigs, and dresses. We see neither his face nor reflection, but it quickly becomes obvious that it’s because his past, regular self was one that he’d never been comfortable with. It’s impossible not to feel the contrast with his current persona, highlighted by all the cuts to the present clearly showing a happy face after so much obscuration of his expressions. The Amane of right now, the person cosplaying a female character while hanging out with Marin and Gojo, is the self that he loves and proudly projects outward.
This type of conflict is by no means new to Kisekoi. After all, Gojo’s own insecurities are also rooted in traumatic rejection over his gendered interests; and of course, Marin being a widely beloved, popular girl with some very male-coded hobbies is the flipside to his situation. Up until now, though, none of those situations had been presented in such striking fashion. If we add to that the way that Kisekoi’s exploration of otaku spaces widens—and this is only the beginning—the message of acceptance that had always been attached to the series starts feeling more meaningful.
The following episode ventures further in that regard. Although it’s the first chance for the production to take a bit of a breather, one aspect took a lot of work and it very much shows: the depiction of PrezHost. As is the norm with this season, an in-universe work briefly depicted in the manga becomes a fully fledged production effort within its anime adaptation. The beautiful designs by WEP’s Saki Takahashi and the evocative compositions it dashes out when necessary sell the appeal of the series, though it’s the concept itself that feels most important.
Even though Kisekoi rejects conforming to the preconceptions about what individuals ought to enjoy according to their age or gender, constantly doing so while only ever portraying danseimuke fiction (or types of work otherwise largely tolerated by men) would make its plea for acceptance ring rather hollow. This makes their fancy depiction of a shoujo manga turned popular live-action drama such a great choice, because it feels like it understands what teenage girls and families alike—including some boys, awkward about it they are—would get really into. I have to admit that, given the extremely obvious Ouran vibes of this fake series, I’d have loved to see much more overt mimicry of Takuya Igarashi’s direction; at best, Mamoru Kurosawa’s storyboardStoryboard (絵コンテ, ekonte): The blueprints of animation. A series of usually simple drawings serving as anime’s visual script, drawn on special sheets with fields for the animation cut number, notes for the staff and the matching lines of dialogue. More and its SHAFT flavor merely evoke vibes that feel like a distant stylistic cousin. That said, beautiful animation dedicated to something that strengthens your whole series’ message is hardly a reason to complain.
Between WEP’s early moments of excellence and his work across the 22/7 short films, Wakabayashi earned himself a reputation as a breathtaking director, the type that invites you into ethereal spaces where mundanity feels divine. Mind you, there is still plenty of room for delicacy and elegance across his boards here. Within an arc that strongly emphasizes collective work and the reliance on everyone’s specific skills, episode #17 allows the fundamentally subdued animation to do the talking; Gojo’s expert movements contrast with Marin’s well-meaning flubs, yet she’s the one who irradiates confidence with her body motion when she’s in her field. The intricacies of seemingly mundane animation tell us a lot, just by swinging from one of Marin’s beastly lunches to Gojo’s delicate eating as drawn by Shinnosuke Ota. Even that otherworldly vibe of Wakabayashi’s direction is channeled through the depiction of light, dyeing the profiles of the lead characters when they’re at their coolest and most reflective.
However, those are merely the gifts that you’ll find hidden within the bushes—or rather, in a very exuberant, colorful jungle. Wakabayashi and episode director Yuichiro Komuro, an acquaintance from WEP who already did solid work in Kisekoi S1, meet this sequel on its own terms. Stronger comedic edge, but also the incorporation of different genres we hadn’t explored before? Playful emphasis on the farcicality of animation assets, as well as a much higher diversity of materials? If that is the game we’re playing now, Wakabayashi will happily join everyone else. And by join, I mean perhaps best them all, with a single scene where Marin squeals about her crush being more densely packed than entire episodes; horror buildup, an imaginative TV set, slick paneling that breaks dimensions and media altogether, and here’s a cute shift in drawing style as a final reward. Wakabayashi may be playing under someone else’s rules, but he’s far from meek in the process. Episode #17 is out and proud about being directed, with more proactive camerawork than some hectic action anime and noticeable transitions with a tangible link to the narrative.
For as much as episodes like this rely on the brilliance of a special director, though, this level of success is only possible in the right environment. This is made clear by one of the quirkiest sequences: the puppet show used for an educational corner about hina dolls. The genesis is within Wakabayashi’s storyboards, but the development into such a joyful, involved process relied on countless other people being just as proactive. For starters, the animation producer who asked about whether that sequence would be drawn or performed in real life, then immediately considered the possibility of the latter when Wakabayashi said it could be fun. There’s Umehara himself, who’d been watching a documentary about puppeteer Haruka Yamada and pitched her name. The process this escalated into involved all sorts of specialists from that field, plus some renowned anime figures; no one better than Bocchi’s director Keiichiro Saito to nail the designs, as dolls are an interest of his and he has lots of experience turning anime characters into amusing real props. Even if you secure a unique talent like Wakabayashi, you can’t take for granted the willingness to go this far, the knowledge about various fields, and of course the time and resources required for these side quests.
And yet, it’s that emphasis on clinical forms of animation that also makes it feel somewhat dispassionate—especially after the playfulness of Wakabayashi’s episode. The delivery is so fancy that it easily passes any coolness test, and it certainly has nuggets of characters as well; watching the shift in Marin’s demeanor when she’s performing makes for a very literal, great example of character acting in animation. But rather than leaning into the fun spirit of a school festival, the direction feels very quiet and subservient to an artist who can lean towards the mechanical. It’s worth noting that the most evocative shots in the entire episode, which break free from its cold restraint, come by the hand of Yusuke Kawakami. Those blues are a reminder of the way he already stole the show once, with that delightful eighth episode of the first season.
Kisekoi S2 is certainly not the type of show to dwell in impassionate technicality for too long, so it immediately takes a swing with another fun episode captained by Nara. A leadership that this time around doesn’t merely involve storyboarding and direction, but even writing the script as well. Given that the animation director is Keito Oda, it ends up becoming quite the preview for the second season of Bocchi that they’re meant to lead together. His touch can be felt through the spacious layoutsLayouts (レイアウト): The drawings where animation is actually born; they expand the usually simple visual ideas from the storyboard into the actual skeleton of animation, detailing both the work of the key animator and the background artists. and the character art itself, with scenes like the one at the karaoke feeling particularly familiar. A noticeably softer feel within a series where the designs normally lean in sharper directions.
Even though Nara mostly plays with regular tools for this episode, the same eclecticism we’ve been praising so far is all over the episode. At no point can you be sure about which technique, palette, and type of stylization he’s going to deploy when depicting Marin’s struggles. This helps spice up an episode that is otherwise a simple breather. Weight gain scenarios in anime rarely lead to a fun time; you don’t have to start considering whether they’re problematic or not to realize that they’re formulaic and repetitive. However, within a show where bodies are meaningfully explored and thanks to Nara’s amusing resourcefulness, it becomes yet another entertaining episode.
Additionally, there is a reason why we said that the director mostly uses regular tools in episode #19. The highlight is a sequence built upon a 3D scan of a real park, in a process that took 9 months to complete. Although there are technical points of friction like Marin’s lack of a projected shadow, this was a tremendous amount of effort applied to a fundamentally compelling idea. Within regular comics, a sudden switch to a series of identical panel shapes feels unnatural. In the context of a series about cosplay, that’s enough to tell that someone is taking photos. But what about anime (and more broadly, film) where the aspect ratio is consistent? A solution can be to reimagine the whole sequence as a combination of behind-the-camera POV and snapshots that don’t reject the continuity.
While on the surface it might seem like a more modest showing, episode #20 is—in conjunction with the next one—a defining moment of Kisekoi S2. Director and storyboarder Yuuki Gotou is still a bit of a rookie in this field, but may prove to be one of the best scouting moves for the team. Alongside the small changes in the script, the direction toys with the themes of the series in a way that casually solidifies the entire cast. Gojo and Marin attend a cosplay event and come across acquaintances, including multiple friend-of-a-friend scenarios. Those involve someone who, in the manga, is merely mentioned as having been too busy to attend. In the end, we don’t know much about her, and she doesn’t even register as a person. What does Gotou’s episode do, though? It transforms the manga’s plain infodumping about cosplay culture into a fake program that stars her as the host, which makes the eventual reveal that she couldn’t show up more amusing and meaningful; now she actually is a person, albeit a pitiful one. The delivery of the episode is enhanced by similar small choices, in a way that is best appreciated if you check it out alongside the source material.
The immediate continuity in the events links that episode to #21, which also underlines the essence of season 2’s success. I’m sure we’ve all witnessed discourse about anime’s self-indulgent focus on otaku culture at some point. The very idea of acknowledging its own quirks and customs is framed as an ontological evil, though really, those complaints amount to little more than cheap shots at easy targets that people can frame as progressive, refined stances. Were they truly that thoughtful about cartoons, people would realize that such anime’s common failing isn’t the awareness and interest in its surrounding culture—it’s the exact opposite. Anime isn’t obsessed with otaku, but rather with going through familiar motions and myopically misrepresenting a culture that is much broader than we often see. Every late-night show that winks at a male audience about tropes they’ll recognize is blissfully unaware of the history of entire genres and demographics; and for that matter, about the ones that it’s supposed to know as well, given how many gamified Narou fantasies fundamentally don’t understand videogames.
Due to Marin’s choices of cosplay and the unbalanced presentation of the first season, Kisekoi risked leaning a bit in that direction as well. But with a series that genuinely wants to engage with the culture it explores, and a team willing to push its ideas even further, that simply couldn’t come to pass. The most amusing example of this across two episodes is Marin’s cosplay friends, as women who feel representative of distinct attitudes seen in female otaku spaces. From the resonant ways in which proactive fandom is linked to creative acts to the jokes they make, there’s something palpably authentic about it. Nerdy women don’t morph into vague fujoshi jokes, but instead showcase highly specific behaviors like seeing eroticism in sports manga that read completely safe to people whose brains aren’t wired the same way. Kisekoi S2 gets a lot of humor out of their exaggerated antics—both #20 and #21 are a riot about this—but these are just one step removed from real nerds you wouldn’t find in many anime that claim to have otaku cred.
This exploration continues with the type of fictional works that motivate their next cosplay projects. Just like PrezHost felt like a spot-on choice for a group of regular teenagers, an indie horror game like Corpse is perfect for this nerdier demographic of young adults and students; if you wanted to maximize the authenticity, it should have been a clone of Identity V as that was a phenomenon among young women, but their slight departure still becomes a believable passion for this group. And most importantly, it looks stunning. Following the trend you’ve heard about over and over, a loosely depicted in-universe game becomes a fully-fledged production effort led by specialists—in this case, pixel artist narume. It’s quite a shame that, no matter how many times I try to access the website they made for the game, it doesn’t become something I can actually play.
The purposeful direction of Haruka Tsuzuki in episode #21 makes it a compelling experience, even beyond its thematic success. Though in a way, its most brilliant scene is still tied to that—Marin’s subjectivity being so clearly depicted is one of the ways in which Kisekoi pushes back against common failings of the genre, after all. When she misunderstands what Gojo is buying, diegetic green lights flash green, like a traffic light signaling his resolve to go ahead. Marin’s panic over the idea of getting physically intimate coincides not just with a camera switch to show an adults-only zone of the store nearby, but also with the lights turning red. She doesn’t exactly feel ready… but the more she thinks about it, the lights switch to pink. If I have to explain what this one means, please go ask your parents instead.
Season 2 thrives because of this broader, deeper depiction of cosplay as an extension of otaku culture. As we mentioned earlier, it makes the message of acceptance feel like it carries much more weight; with a palpable interest in more diverse groups of people, the words of encouragement about finding your passions regardless of what society expects you to do have a stronger impact. Since the preceding season faltered by focusing on arcs where these ideas were still raw, while also introducing biased framing of its own, there’s a temptation to claim that Kisekoi S2 is superior because it stuck to the source material even more. And let’s make it clear: no, it did not. At least, not in those absolute terms.
There is an argument to be made that it better captures the fully-developed philosophy of the source material; the argument is, in fact, this entire write-up. That said, much of our focus has also been on how Shinohara’s desire to increase the expressivity and the arrival of Nara have shifted the whole show toward comedy. Kisekoi has always had a sense of humor, but there’s no denying that this season dials up that aspect way beyond the source material. That has been, as a whole, part of the recipe behind such an excellent season.
And yet, we should also consider the (admittedly rare) occasions where it introduces some friction. If we look back at episode #20, one of the highlights in Gotou’s direction is the goofy first meeting between Akira and Marin. Since we’re taking a retrospective look after the end of the broadcast, there’s no need to hide the truth: Akira has a tremendous crush on her. However, their entire arc is built upon everyone’s assumption that she hates Marin, as she gets tense and quiet whenever they’re together. The manga achieves this through vaguely ominous depictions of Akira, which would normally be read as animosity but still leaves room for the final punchline. The adaptation mostly attempts to do the same… except their first meeting is so comedic, so obvious in the falling-in-love angle, that it’s impossible to buy into the misdirection. Every now and then, it’s in fact possible to be too funny for your own good.
If we’re talking about the relative weaknesses of the season, episode #22 is a good reminder that outrunning the scheduling demons—especially if you enjoy taking up creative strolls to the side—is hard even for blessed projects. Conceptually, it’s as solid as ever. Marin’s sense of personhood remains central to everything, with her own struggles with love and sexuality being as carefully developed (if not more) than anything pertaining to Gojo. Being treated to another showcase of Corpse’s beautiful style is worth the price of admission, and you can once again tell that Fukuda understands nerds as she writes them salivating over newcomers’ opinions on their faves. It is, though, a somewhat rougher animation effort despite all the superstars in various positions of support. While the decline in quality is only relative to the high standards of Kisekoi S2, seeing what caliber of artist it took to accomplish an acceptable result speaks volumes about how tight things got.
Thanks to the small structural changes to the adaptation, this episode is able to reinforce the parallels between Akira’s situation and the world’s most beloved cosplayer Juju-sama (sentence collectively written by Marin and her sister). Sure, Juju’s got a supportive family and has been able to chase her dreams since an earlier age, but there have always been hints that she holds back somewhat. As a cosplayer with utmost respect for the characters, she never dared to attempt outfits where her body type didn’t directly match that of the original. This is why we see similar framing as that of a student Akira, feeling cornered before she stumbled upon a space to be herself. Nara may be an outrageous director, as proven by how quickly he unleashes paper cutout puppets again, but you can see his a subtler type of cheekiness in his storyboards as well; cutting to Juju’s shoes with massive platforms during a conversation about overcoming body types is the type of choice that will make you smile if you notice it.
On top of that thematic tightness and meaningful direction, episode #23 is also an amazing showcase of animation prowess. Separating these aspects doesn’t feel right in the first place; the compelling ideas rely on the author’s knowledge about the specifics of cosplay, which are then delivered through extremely thorough and careful animation. The likes of Odashi and Yuka Yoshikawa shine the best in that regard, though it’s worth noting that the entire episode is brimming with high-quality animation—and most importantly, with respect for the process of creating things as an expression of identity. Be it the Kobayashi-like acting as Juju storms out during a pivotal conversation about that, or a familiar representation of cosplay as a means to reach seemingly impossible goals by Hirotaka Kato, you can never dissociate the episode’s beautiful art from its belief that making things can allow us to be our real selves.
Again, it’s no secret that an episode like #23 was produced under strict time constraints; perhaps not in absolute terms, but very much so when you consider its level of ambition. In the context of not just this series but the production line we’ve been talking about all along, what’s interesting isn’t the achievement itself, but how it relates to an evolution we’ve observed before. Umehara’s more considered stance and CloverWorks’ improving infrastructure have been recurring themes, but there’s been one key piece of information relating to both that we’ve been keeping a secret. For as much as we’ve referred to this team as Umehara’s gang, which it very much is, you may have noticed that earlier we talked about a separate animation producer—the position that Umehara held in previous projects. So, what happened here?
As he has alluded to on Twitter but more extensively talked about in his Newtype interview, Umehara is not just aware of CloverWorks’ changes, but also quite hopeful about its up-and-coming management personnel. In his view, most of them are just one piece of advice away from figuring out the tricks to create excellent work. And yet, being the animation producer, he tends to be too far from the trenches for those less experienced members to come to him for advice… unless things have gotten really dire. That is, to some degree, simply not true; Umehara is too emotionally invested in the creative process to separate himself from it, no matter what his position at the company is. However, it’s correct that production assistants are more likely to go to their immediate superior rather than someone two steps above when they’ve simply got some doubts. And thus, Umehara has been the production desk for Kisekoi S2, whereas Shou Someno has replaced him in the producer chair.
The first-hand advice Umehara has been able to give will surely be meaningful for the careers of multiple production assistants. And just as importantly, Kisekoi S2 has been an excellent lesson for him. Right after the broadcast of episode #23, and even acknowledging the lack of time, Umehara expressed his delight about what the team had accomplished for the one episode where he was not at all involved in the management process. That future he dreamed of, where the quality of his production line’s output could be maintained without his constant presence, has finally come. Chances are that it could have come faster and less painfully if he hadn’t been so afraid of delegation before, if this team’s well-meaning passion had been channeled in more reasonable ways. Whatever the case, this feels like a positive change if we intend to balance excellent quality with healthier environments… as much as you can within the regime of a studio like this, anyway.
Our final stop is an all-hands-on-deck finale, with Shinohara being assisted by multiple regulars on the team. Though they all made it to the goal with no energy to spare, the sheer concentration of exceptional artists elevates the finale to a level where most people would never notice the exhaustion. The character art retains the polish that the first season could only sniff at its best, and the animation is thoroughly entertaining once again; a special shout-out must go to Yusei Koumoto, who made the scene that precedes the reveal about Akira’s real feelings for Marin even funnier than the punchline itself.
More than anything else, though, the finale shines by reaping the rewards of all the great creative choices that the season has made beforehand. In contrast to the manga, where Corpse was drawn normally, having developed a distinct pixel art style for it opens up new doors for the adaptation. The classic practice of recreating iconic visuals and scenes during cosplay photoshoots is much more interesting when we’re directly contrasting two styles, each with its own quirks. The interest in the subject matter feels fully represented in an anime that has gone this far in depicting it, and in the process, likely gotten more viewers interested in cosplay and photographyPhotography (撮影, Satsuei): The marriage of elements produced by different departments into a finished picture, involving filtering to make it more harmonious. A name inherited from the past, when cameras were actually used during this process.. Perhaps, as Kisekoi believes, that might help them establish an identity they’re more comfortable with as well.
Even as someone who enjoyed the series, especially in manga form, the excellence of Kisekoi S2 has been truly shocking. I wouldn’t hesitate to call it the best, most compelling embodiment of the series’ ideas, as the lengths they went to expand on the in-universe works have fueled everything that was already excellent about Kisekoi. It helps, of course, that its series directorSeries Director: (監督, kantoku): The person in charge of the entire production, both as a creative decision-maker and final supervisor. They outrank the rest of the staff and ultimately have the last word. Series with different levels of directors do exist however – Chief Director, Assistant Director, Series Episode Director, all sorts of non-standard roles. The hierarchy in those instances is a case by case scenario. has grown alongside the production line, especially with the help of amusing Bocchi refugees. Despite a fair amount of change behind the scenes and the exploration of more complex topics, the team hasn’t forgotten they’re making a romcom—and so, that stronger animation muscle and more refined direction also focus on making the characters cuter than ever. Given that we’re sure to get a sequel that wraps up the series altogether, I can only hope we’re blessed with an adaptation this inspired again. It might not dethrone Kisekoi S2, but if it’s half as good, it’ll already be a remarkable anime.
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