Ao no Exorcist: Yuki no Hate-hen

Demonic activity worldwide has significantly increased due to the involvement and corrupt practices of the Illuminati. To combat the unnatural influx of demons, the Vatican Headquarters decides to hold the annual Exorcist Certification Exam early and allow for as many exorcists as possible to take up the mantle.

Straight from the Vatican, one of the most powerful exorcists, Lewin "Lightning" Light, arrives at True Cross Academy to help prepare the students for the exam. The ease and mastery with which Lewin performs exorcisms quickly impresses Ryuuji "Bon" Suguro, who has lost his ambition to continue his studies, and Lewin surprisingly accepts him as his apprentice. Amid the worsening situation, twin brothers Rin and Yukio Okumura are sent to locate the recently missing exorcist Shura Kirigakure, who seems to be chained to a decades-long contract with a powerful, immortal demon hiding in Aomori Prefecture's dangerous, snowy mountains.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Okumura, Rin Main

Okamoto, Nobuhiko Japanese

Okumura, Yukio Main

Fukuyama, Jun Japanese

Pheles, Mephisto Supporting

Kamiya, Hiroshi Japanese

Kuro Supporting

Takagaki, Ayahi Japanese

Amaimon Supporting

Kakihara, Tetsuya Japanese

Kirigakure, Shura Supporting

Satou, Rina Japanese

Fujimoto, Shirou Supporting

Hirata, Hiroaki Japanese

Moriyama, Shiemi Supporting

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Shima, Renzou Supporting

Yusa, Kouji Japanese

Suguro, Ryuuji Supporting

Nakai, Kazuya Japanese

Mita, Keiji Producer

Ogasawara, Yuki Producer

Aoki, Makoto Producer

Yoshida, Daisuke Director

Reviews

Dec 21, 2024

Alkimia

Recommended

An overall improvement from last season!

If you didn’t like a lot of the problems from last season but decided to watch anyways, good news, this season feels so much better!

First off, the art and animation in this season looks better when compared to the last. Is it perfect? Nope, but it is an improvement (even if it is a small one lol)! It still has problems, but they’re way less noticeable and jarring this time around. Really, there were like two scenes in particular that rubbed me the wrong way when it comes to the animation, and while there are still CG animated background ... characters (one monster still animated like this too), they show up less often here.

I think the writing improved as well. The last season had a lot of problems when it came to the pacing and writing. Either it tried to explain a lot in a short amount of time, or it rushed through certain points. Does it still have some problems? Sure. Personally, I enjoyed the second half just a bit more than the first half, but that’s not to say the first half was all bad either. It wasn’t my cup of tea I guess, and I enjoyed the plot more in the second half.

That being said though... Keep in mind some more things are switched around in this season. Certain things happen in this season that contradict or even rewrite things that have happened in previous seasons. Of course I'm not going to say what exactly, but I thought I should bring it up, because it's confusing to say the least. You get characters talking about certain things like they haven't happened, despite them having already happened in a previous season, or certain things just being completely rewritten. I get that maybe it was necessary, especially with how the first season was and all, but it could've been done better.

Also, time in this show is a mess to say the least. I swear the writers can't seem to agree how much time has passed across the show. It's something small sure, but it bothers me, and I'm sure it'll confuse others out there. I'll leave it at that...

There’s no denying that the last season had a drop in quality when compared to the previous seasons, but there was genuine improvement this season! I’m not too sure what happened, but I’m glad things have gotten better. After watching this season, I genuinely think it’s on par with the first season, maybe even better... Though that might be a bit unfair as it’s been a while since I’ve watched it, but going purely off memory, I think I enjoyed this season more than the first.

If you stuck through the previous season despite its problems, chances are you'll end up enjoying this one, even if just a bit more. Let’s hope the next season is even better... Fingers crossed.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Dec 27, 2024

Chuy_diazz

Mixed Feelings

Season 4 and it feels like the story is just getting started.

I have few memories of the previous seasons, but after watching this season I don't really need them. For the first time in many years it feels like the story is taking some direction and starting to define the foundations of the story. The simple fact of starting to give context to characters, shaping the stories and expanding the lore is more than enough to classify it as one of the best seasons of the franchise. The theme of Shura and the demon, section 13 and the primordial demons was more interesting than all ... the content that the anime had given up to that point.

In terms of story and development, it had a fairly large and evident leap in quality. Speaking of the characters, I have never felt like fighting with half the secondary cast as much as I do now. I don't know who thought it was a good idea to let Yukio play Persona 3. Yukio's character was one of the most insufferable, his descent into madness is unpleasant. His corruption is not natural or logical, he just lives making a drama of how nobody helps him, he has no friends and he is alone but when his friends tell him he is not alone and give him a hand he ignores them. Make up your mind, you are not so endearing as to go around begging. Shiemi on the other hand, I don't know who decided this, but between the romance subplot and her vocational orientation the only thing it causes is sleep. While on one side they investigate the dirty laundry of the Vatican, Shiemi is just trying to decide if she wants to be an exorcist or run the family store. There is no clear balance between the stories, which causes you to hate the irrelevant characters more along with their unnecessary plots.

The previous paragraph was just a vent, it is not a negative aspect of the story, it is just a personal grudge. As a negative aspect I would only stick with the issue of the balance of the stories. There is no congruence between what is told in one chapter and what is shown in another. In the end you end up feeling that there are too many chapters in the anime. If you are a person who has already seen the previous seasons, then I would encourage you to see this 4th because it is much better than the others. On the other hand, if you want to encourage yourself to start this franchise today, I would not do you the harm of recommending a story that has just started in its 4th season.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Dec 21, 2024

paglo889

Not Recommended

Funny

Spoiler

To be clear it's not just another rant because I am salty kid and my favourite character died or something and that's why I gave 1 to this season. Just kidding it will be salty rant with little of arguments why I think this season is complete GARBAGE. I watched 1 and 2 season 7 years ago and I was more than happy to hear that this show finally is getting attention and moving forward with the anime. I enjoyed 3rd season even tho it had some problems with animation, plot and I could not force myself to like those characters like I was few ... years ago. That being said season 3 had some good character development with that fox girl - Izumo. However i cannot accept how dogshit this (4) season was overall. We were witnessing Yukio becomeing some kind of evil twin for like half a season and it was shown like in some very old trash show for a dumb kids. It wasn't not a bit interesting, it hasn't been a not even bad plot twist because there were no plot twist, being an adult I couldn't even get why in the first place he had his fight with Rin and he screamed at him like a madman instead of having an conversation. He has like a 30 seconds of good plot around Shiemi when he went to her house and that's it, all he did in this season was becoming emo 13 yo sasuke laugh/faces and he isn't even cool like sasuke was for some time (wtf how is it even possible not create that bad character). Next being said the plot around Shura was like low mid tier at best and I was really curious about her before that season aired. Now she is some random with big boobs. The best thing in this season was Lighting relationship and plot with the Suguro. But he even changed his hair I feel like just to angry me. Overall last episode when all the 'reveal' and all the feelings that they were hiding inside should go out it was completely trash. I mean autor just mixed up Sasuke leaving Naruto first time and Ichigo having a first conversation with White. They mixed it and did it so dirty I want to hurt myself thinking about it. ( I finished this episode like 1 hour ago and still can't get past how BAD it was). I even checked the manga chapter that has been adapted to this horrible episode, because I though it some bad Christmas joke. I am so sure I haven't watched anything worse than this episode for a like 3 years and I watched a lot of good/bad/mid/horrible stuff in that time. This season was such a dissapointment that I can't handle it. If someone managed to get to end of this review I think either you will shittalk me in comments or you completely agree with me. If you are the first type of person, feel free. We all can have a mixed opinion about something.

Above being said I think that overall world plot is not so bad. I am still a little invest in overall plot with Satan, Illuminati etc but these characters at best few are mid and all others are like npc or some 3rd plane type of characters in other shows like My Hero Academia, Hells Paradise. Even in those series I feel more connected to 3rd plane type of characters more than for Ao no Exorcist main cast (with few exceptions). I will give another chance since I barely drop any shows. I mean I prob only dropped Boruto xD I even finished Nanatsu No Taizai after Meliodas vs Escanor abomination of episode and an animation. I think if someone really likes the chemistry of these characters and if someone think that the plot around Yukio and Rin is something of likeable or good please explain it to me because maybe I missed like few episodes of backstory or something.

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

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