Reikenzan: Eichi e no Shikaku

In short, the second season of Reikenzan seems to be vastly different than the first one. The first season was more like the protagonist's journey to become a powerful disciple, and on his journey we get to know more about the friends he make, see his training arc etc. It was more happy-go-lucky in tone. The second season however feels a lot more darker. We get to see the protagonist coming back to his village and facing some issues there, and while trying to solve them we see how our hero has to play a lot of mind games, and even some big real battles! ... Heck, at one point we see a damn bloody battle that turns it into a horror show! Of course, the comedic tone is still present there, but it's much darker this time.

Story:
If we consider the story, it might fail to charm a big part of the viewers who enjoyed the first season, and that's understandable. The tone of the story shifted heavily, and that will cost dearly for some of the audience. I however enjoyed it. It is not anything spectacular, or might not be on par with the first season, still it felt enjoyable.

Art:
This might be another deal breaker for some, since the character designs changed a lot, sometimes to the point when some of the previously established characters felt unknown. The first season had the character designs in a, let's just say, pointy style. A lot of sharp angles were present as a facial feature, and it felt kind of unique. The second season's character designs are smooth, and instead of those pointy angles we see round edged broader faces. The same studio is behind both seasons, and the difference between the airing date of these two seasons is not even that much, just a year. Yet they feel so different. Still, they didn't look anything near being bad. The background environmental arts are beautiful!

Sound:
The BGMs are good, nothing special but doable. The opening and ending tracks are okay. The sound effects are, again, nothing special.

Character:
A very small part of the characters from the previous season returns this time, and the saddest thing is that the most fan favorite character Oubu has more like a cameo in this season. Ouriku, Rei and Bunhou were the main focus, along with two new and (almost) main characters (and I beg your pardon since I totally forgot their names, but you'll know the ones I'm talking about, nothing spoilery here). Ouriku-Rei-Bunhou's characters were already developed the previous season, so all we get to see is how they act this time. The only growth we see is that of Ouriku's. The two new characters that I mentioned were more to the comedic aspects of the story, and I enjoyed their onscreen presence. As for the others, they were merely there for the plot.

Enjoyment:
I will say it, I enjoyed it. The mind games that Ouriku play were interesting, and some of the actions he takes were pretty amazing if if they were brutal.

Overall, even if I won't say it is as good as the first season, it still gets close to it. Different, but enjoyable. Looking forward to a third season if it ever comes out.

REIKENZAN (2nd season) :

The show gives me spiritual vibes, well, that's because 'spirituality' is one of the core theme of this show. I've never found a show where the protagonist wants to be a...

May sound hypocritic coming from me (I watch 'ecchi' shows), this show is very special to me. It motivates (one of several emotions) me to move towards spirituality, which I've always been inclined to. The protagonist [Ouriku] reminds me of myself (although he isn't a degenerate). This show shows the realistic approach towards spirituality, especially the one we see in most eastern countries.

It seem to me as another anime ... with your typical protagonist who wants to achieve something & he is the great in whatever he does. This may be true, but...


Why you should watch REIKENZAN (1+2 seasons) :
- Ideal Protagonist (~closer to my ideal) (gave 10 because of MC).
- Playful protagonist (plays tricks ; his conversations with other characters) :D
- Adventure and Comedy
- Concepts on getting strong/powerful
- No sloppy dialogues
- A bit of fan service


CHARACTERS :- As a character, ORIKU's development was superior throughout the episodes. ORIKU is definitely a man one should aspire to be. BUNHOU & REI who are supposedly the other (main/side) characters who are fun to watch & most comedy takes place among these characters. Other characters are good too. watch it, it won't disappoint. Even without OUBU, this is as same enjoyable as the first season.

I'd rather not mention this, but someone uninterested in spirituality (less/no knowledge of spirituality ; can't tolerate topics like isolation and death) may not like this show, but I hope everyone give this show a try, cuz every show brings some emotion out of the audience.

This show shouldn't be underestimated for its rating. I dare say this show deserves more than 8 rating on MAL. This show for me is a hidden gem. Well, that's my opinion. :D

(10/10) for the protagonist.


Thank You!

This is much weaker than the first season and has a different feel. I debated giving it less than 3 stars, but my enjoyment of the characters from the first season carried over and persuaded me to keep it at 3 stars. However, there were several enjoyable characters from the first season that don't appear or have very minimal roles. There are character relationship changes that are unexplained and a departure from Oriku's typical behavior. Maybe the creators tried to rush things, but too much is unxplained. The whole season feels more like a side story, rather than a continuation ... of the first season.

If you enjoyed the first season then this is worth a watch, but if you thought the first season was blah, then you'll hate this.