I have a bit of history with The Devil is a Part-Timer! I needed a few tries before I got into the first season and properly finished it but once I did, I quite enjoyed the show. I was particularly taken by the cinematography. Because the art style and camera work aren’t very flashy not that many people talk about the visuals of this show. But I thought some of the framing and visual direction were stunning. I talk about the last scene of the first season for 2 paragraphs in my review. I still remember that scene. Just masterful!
As you can imagine, this second season had a bit to live up to. A legacy if you will. I, along with a heck of a lot of people, was really looking forward to this premiere. Did it live up to expectations? I can’t really answer that for anyone else but here’s what I thought.
Let me get this out of the way first as it doesn’t really have to do with the episode itself. One thing that I have found when going back to a show I haven’t seen in a while is that I get very easily distracted by trying to figure out if the characters still look and sound the same. It doesn’t actually matter but when the changes are subtle and I can’t quite tell, it does an uncanny valley effect on me and I spend way too much time analyzing character models instead of paying attention to what’s happening. For the record, my conclusion of the cast of The Devil is a Part-Timer! 2 is that they have all changed a little and it’s most apparent for Ashia. Here are some of my screencaps for comparison, I tried to pick ones that would be most similar.
As for the episode itself. First of all, it’s unfair to compare this first episode to the first episode of the first season. Because that episode had the huge advantage of introducing us to an awesome premise. By contrast, we mostly got a soft recap of previous events and a reintroduction to the characters this time around.
And although I found the first two-thirds of the episode a bit uneventful if pleasant enough, I was happy to just go with the flow and let the season rev up at its own pace.
Even though they might look a little different, everyone was acting like themselves. A bit exaggerated maybe but still basically what I expected out of the characters. I remembered the run-down apartment and Pro-forma MgRonald’s as if they were real places I had gone to countless times. It made me realize that the settings of The Devil is a Part-Timer! are just as impactful as the characters. And this second season captures those settings perfectly.
I’m sort of dancing around the point here. For me, everything that happened in the episode was sort of eclipsed by that last act. It really felt as if it was set dressing and a slow build-up to Alas’ introduction. Oh except out-of-shape Sariel. I remember that bit quite well although I’m not sure if it’s meant as anything more than a one-off punchline.
Sooooo…. How do we feel about Alas? I’m asking because I don’t really know how to feel. Traditionally, I’m not a fan of little kid characters but I’ve warmed up to them quite a lot lately. As such I’m more willing to be optimistic about this. Still, this slightly forced scenario where she designates Maou as her father and Emilia as her mom rubs me the wrong way for some reason. At first glance, it feels like the sort of gimmicks writers come up with when they’re out of ideas. And cute little girl characters are super popular in anime. So it’s always tempting to drop one in your show even if there’s no real place for her.
I know I said I was trying to be optimistic but as you can see, my gloomy side is pocking through. A lot of this is just assumption and knee-jerk reactions. We know nothing of where this storyline is going. It might be the most delightful arc yet. I’m just a little uneasy for some reason and I’m not used to that. I’m such an anime enthusiast usually. Oh well, let’s hope that we all get pleasantly surprised, even those that are expecting greatness!
LoL, I sense from the time you posted this some sort of uneasiness about how the second season will develop. I just started the series and can’t wait to see what happens. Great first episode coverage!
I enjoyed the original season far more than I expected, so I’m hopeful for this one. I just need to put some time aside to watch the thing. From what you’ve described, I am taking a let’s-see-how-it-goes approach to it, but I’ll keep that optimism in place for now 🙂
Let’s see is the way to go
I got the same feeling when I watched the first episode. The more I focus on their design the more I feel different about them but they are acting the same. It seems they really tried their best to get the design more closer on the manga than the first season including the fangs of the demons.
I haven’t read the manga. That might be it
The first season is among my favorite comedies. One of my favorite parts was the fantastic expressions. It looks like they’re trying to live up the the previous series, but, I dunno. The art is so dramatically different. The character designs remind me more of the manga than the previous anime series.
And what do I fell about Alas? Do you remember The Great Gazoo from the Flintstones? Or more recently, Poof Fairywinkle-Cosma from Fairly Odd Parents? Those characters killed those series for me.
Alas might work out. She might. I’m going to cling to the hope she will. But man, my gloomy side is getting assertive.
Technically she hasn’t done anything yet, I just get an odd feeling
Weirdly enough, even though I only watched the first season a few weeks ago, the art style change didn’t really jump out to me. You’d think I’d notice it more since it’s fresh in my head. Maybe I’m just not paying attention enough.
That is odd. Especially since many comments have noticed it
This is going to be quite the summer for follow-on seasons of classic anime. That makes me glad because there are a lot of really great shows out there that were just left in the lurch.
OTOH, maybe they think they’ve have run out of creativity – or are afraid of trying new things – and are going back to old stuff to be safe?
I doubt it. Anime has a lot more new shows coming out each year than ever before or than other media and it’s always been a trope loving entertainment style
I think it has as many ideas as it ever did
Yeah, I’m kind of cautiously optimistic about this one too. I do think that the humor was there and connected very naturally like it never came back, but there are some things that I am waiting to see. But in general, still excited to see it and wait to see how it turns out. If anything, it will be just something comfy to watch.
I hope it gets as fun as season 1
Yeah, the animation style really is different. I think I noticed it the most with Maou, he just looks so much more squishy? Fluffy? Hmm, how to describe it? He looks more like a run of the mill nice boy next door type, rather than the more angular shonen action hero type. On the scale of the shonen boy spectrum, he looks closer to Deku (MHA) than Gon (HunterXHunter).
They seem to have gone for more modern Moe aesthetic
To be honest, for me, it doesn’t measure up to the first season. It’s not bad, and I’m happy to have it back, but I can’t get used to the new character designs (they don’t just look a little different to me; it’s an uterrly different style – much more cutesy), and I feel the humour is a tad more forced, too.
The little girl? It feels like a To Love Ru character has invaded the show. But I’m fine with it. It’s a way to further the romance they’ve been pushing since episode 1; it makes dramaturgical sense to me.
Maybe I’ll get used to the new character designs. Maybe I’ll align with the comedic timing eventually? It’s not bad, but it’s definitely not season-1 good.
Oh good I thought I was being picky
FINALLY! I have been waiting for this my whole life (since April, when I watched the first part)
I hope it’s just as good!