molly20 - 2013-07-16 09:56:55

"slurp!' Oh, boy here it is, the 2nd season!" said I, as news of a sequel came across to me."What! It's only 8 episodes? Well, better than nothing I suppose... I hope they don't lighten up the quality."The above scenario could apply to anyone who thought that Mitsudomoe was one of the best shows of 2010.That it had consistent, laugh out comedy while not distancing audiences away was something of a happy accident.And to think that of all series to get a crummy 2/3 of a sequel, Mitsudomoe was selected to be that one.And because of that, we get roughly 2/3 of the original quality.Makes you wonder what Zouryouchuu means.... maybe "half-assed sequel"?Story: 6/10Unlike last time, there's zero gross out humor, so the appreciation level is a constant high throughout.So that right there is the most notable quality.But then again, that should be a given for sequels... Still, some sequels don't have the courtesy to carry over things consistently(School Rumble #3...), so I'll let this one go.I'm happy to say that, like before, some nicely delivered, proper timed, good tasting humor remained.But, hmmm.... why doesn't it feel as good? Not enough eps? Not enough sweetness?Maybe it not having as much impact has something to do with it...Having the first episode of Gachi Rangers was indeed something of a wonderful idea; plug in some crossover characters, let their behaviors go, and... well, even Hitoha notices that something is fishy.But in theory, why didn't it feel very funny? It's because so much time is milked for it.Perhaps that's the problem; so much effort for little effect.That's not the end of it; a certain Santa cosplay has some wonderful variety, but it ends up in bad taste. So you laugh... but not as loud.I don't blame the show for losing much of it's thunder, but I do blame it for wasting precious time on it.And I do blame the show being in a crummy TV format, when it might've succeeded better in an OVA.Basically, everything takes too much time.Art: 6/10Pretty much the same as before; widely blown up contorted bodies and faces, to the point it's not really moe, but not exactly SD... well, you could call it SD.But the animation is good and lively, the conjunction of it's usage with the humor is still spot on, otherwise this too, is more of the same.For better or worse.Sound: 6/10Y'know what? I might as well paste what I put on predecessor's review over here...Guess what I'll say: More of the same.Which includes another nicely energetic OP which has more romp and less expression. Not a bad thing, but it makes the season out to be more of an encore than a real sequel.The END is more lively than last time, having a tasteful secret agent parodying animation paired with it.(And like last time, we have another hilarious adaption of a famous oldie. My only tip to enjoy this one, is to stick in Titanic or Osmosis Jones...)Character: 7/10Having things proceed as they were have the characters feel somewhat stagnant as before.Not only that, things feel much more predictable.You see Soujirou, you know cops will be around anytime...You see Futaba, some mass OTT ruckus occursAnd so on...There's less moments and chances for any inspirational or touching things either(although that doesn't mean that when they happen that it feels lax...).But you'll conclude that it's only out for laughs now.The best thing about this show, the characters, feels more limited than before.But... any more insults, and I'll feel like I'm throwing fruits at the most talented comedian in the skit... but he's too weak from malnutrition to do his best!If only he was properly appreciated when he was healthy...Enjoyment: 8/10Even though there's nothing new here, the sheer level of quality manages to persist at entertaining solidly.You won't laugh as hard or as long, but darnnit if this show is about quantity over more quality, then match as much jokes per laugh.After doing the math, the question of "Is it worth it?" will spirit away...Perhaps this is an encore... since it's serving that goal more than not...Overall: 7/10Okay, I've decided: this show should be considered an encore.For lack of any weaknesses besides the ability to expand, I can't really think of this as anything else.I'm aware that they'll be a special on one of it's later home releases, but if these 8 episodes have clearly said, expect 2/3 of what you're familiar with.Seeing as how the industry felt the uncontrollable urge to churn out more tripe like Dragon Crisis, Rio: Rainbow Gate, and, oh God I don't wanna say it, Onichan no Koto, I can firmly say that the level of quality anime IS declining because of this very show's length.Support should go to which that needs it most, but it's hard to notice something that doesn't stand out as much as it did.Mitsudomoe had enough support for it's encore Zouryo, so that should be proof enough that it needed more.More love, more episodes, more time, it needed the quality it deserved to be "more".+ What you loved about the show returns; the intelligent punch lines, the clever and smart kiddie habits, all of it as fun as last time.- And yet everything feels a bit downgraded, sticks with it's more of the same, and offers less of what made it special.