I still can’t get the babymaking with Rias image out of my head.
What They Say:
Issei battles Vali and discovers hidden depths to his power as the Twin Sky Dragons face off.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Highschool DxD New had some good things going on in the previous episode with some fun comedy, some good sexy fanservice and then a good deal of action .The action wasn’t just action for the sake of action for the most part and it was also tied together with the way that Issei stood up for his friends, especially Gasper, and defended him against what was going on. That’s not something that Gasper has dealt with before, especially since he’s been locked away for so long, and seeing them all do this has certainly given him the strength to want to be a true man. And that means removing the limiter that he has on him and cutting loose in order to help fight alongside everyone, which is definitely admirable. It does freak out Rias just a tiny bit though for obvious reasons.
The fight that goes on in the early part of the episode is similar to what we’ve seen before in that it is strong in terms of animation and style with some good bits of humor thrown in as well, especially as Azazel takes a few licks and Vali plays the cool, cold and distant bad guy. The back and forth throughout it is really nice done overall and a good deal of it comes down to Issei and his weapon, and his dragon partner as well of course, standing firm and going through the boosts, both in power and appearance as the armor goes up. With it becoming a fight between the red dragon and the white dragon, it has a great look to it overall and is filled with the kind of manly attitudes that Issei has craved and shown all along, making it very much appropriate and the right way to do this part of the series, even down to the way Issei uses his own abilities to push Vali beyond his limits.
It does, in some ways, feels like it goes on a bit too long, but it’s the kind of sense of a personal epic fight that’s done here and the appropriate feelings are definitely used here to allow it to work right. It’s easy to rally behind Issei for this and watching the way it unfolds is a lot of fun even when it drags a little bit. Of course, it has to take a quirky path or two along the way (halving Rias’s breasts?) but it’s all in service to the end goal and you have to grin through it all for what it means and what Azazel is capable of producing. Of course, most everything is wrapped up nice and tight as it goes on, but the fun really is in watching how the various characters interact and the way that Issei is just so thoughtful of others, resolving issues for both Asia and Xenovia near the end and allowing them to be who they always have been without issue any further. There’s some oddness to it all of course, with there being no God, but the rituals are important and there’s always the way it can work in how belief can create and turn it into reality.
In Summary:
Though this season doesn’t feel as strong overall as the first season, Highschool DxD New really did do a lot of things right and had a lot of fun along the way. The cast grew a bit, but not too much, and Issei’s powers and potential expanded while he still largely remained grounded. Having him and the others interact with those a few levels above them really was a lot of fun since it meant getting involved in some big picture aspects of the mythology of the world and that expansion was really appealing. And I suspect it’ll flow even better when watched in marathon for. Fans of the first season really did get more of the same overall once it got rolling and there’s a whole lot to like with that. Of course, there are some minor changes and growth along the way to keep it fresh and it’s set up ideally for another season to come, which I hope we’ll get eventually.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: FUNimation
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
