Dec 22, 2019
Rozen Maiden: Traumend differs significantly from its predecessor. Where the first season followed an agoraphobic boy as he learned to overcome his fears and demons in order to help those he loved, the second gives center stage to the Rozen maidens and their enigmatic Father. Where once Jun broke the Alice Game and repaired what was thought to be beyond repair, he is now swept to the side offering little more than moral support. This shift in narrative focus had potential. After all, Jun’s story arc was neatly completed by the end of the first season while the dolls were ripe for development. How long
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have they existed, who is Father, must they obey the rules of the Alice Game, should they even want to?
These latter two questions become especially pertinent as the commencement of the game threatens the harmony of the sisters living with Jun. As the show progresses, so too do the characters: Shinku struggles to deal with the consequences of the first season, the twin sisters find their intentions drifting apart, even the (mostly insufferable) comic relief character Hina-Ichigo concludes a surprisingly emotional character arc. Several new characters are introduced, such as the (completely insufferable) comic relief character Kanaria and the fabled seventh Rozen maiden, Barasuishou, as well as an inscrutable trickster rabbit and a mysterious dollmaker. Far and away, however, the breakout character is Suigintou, who develops into an equal parts sympathetic and badass anti-hero as she and some of the other maidens seek out mediums in order to attain an edge in the Game.
The stakes continue to rise and a series of frustrating, yet justifiable decisions are made, investing one emotionally as the plot starts to heat up. Philosophies regarding the Game and the dolls’ involvement in it clash as characters arrive at different conclusions concerning what is right. I, for one, was rivetted to the screen by the later episodes as they steamed ahead towards their uncertain conclusion.
And then episode 12 hits.
I have never seen a more abortive climax than the one that waits in episode 12. The momentum the show has built collapses in just a few minutes as the ending is rewritten, live, before your very eyes! The writers make a bold statement about the futility of resisting fate and the insignificance of our main character in the grand scheme, and then change their minds 30 seconds later as one is left to weep over the corpse of the last several wasted hours. It isn’t a bitter, sweet, or bittersweet ending, it’s just junk.
It is difficult to get further into this review without spoilers, so I will leave you with this: Rozen Maiden Traumend is a lot of buildup for very little payoff. There are other flaws, such as Jun’s consistent inaction in the face of major events and Kanaria’s entire existence, but these pale in comparison to the ending. If a bad ending spoils a show for you, don’t bother watching, or maybe just watch up to episode 11 and imagine your own ending under the influence of whatever drug/drugs you have on hand.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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