Review of Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Part 2
Sugar Apple Season 2, which is really just the second cour of a split cour, is a massive improvement in almost every aspect. The story, characterisation, drama and stakes are much more pronounced and impactful in this cour. It’s a must watch for any shoujo or romance fan. I personally really liked the first cour, but I can’t deny there were some aspects of the show that felt underbaked. Namely the pacing and overarching narrative which I found lacking at times. Both are much better in this cour. You still have Anne reaching out to and making connections with characters which has always been thecrux of the story, but we’ve gone away from pure slice of life stuff and entered an actual arc with a tangible villain.
Yea, we had Jonas in the first cour, but he was basically a rapey loser. The antagonist in this one brings a true sense of danger and intimidation, as well as revealing very interesting lore about the world. Anne and Challe’s relationship is truly put to the test and their bond grows much stronger in this one. If cour 1s theme was about Anne’s journey to become a silver sugar master, the theme of cour 2 is Anne and Challe growing to understand one another.
In addition to the overall improved story, I think Challe’s character growth is the big selling point here. In the first cour, he came off as kind of a generic shoujo style male tsundere who the FMC likes because he’s hot. I’ve come to realise that’s a disservice to him. He’s much more than that and has fears and hopes just like anyone else. In order to secure his future, he has to confront his past in this cour and it was cry satisfying to watch.
The gradual build up to the reveal of the villain kept me engaged and once he got on screen and started putting his fiendish plan in motion I was locked in. There’s actually some pretty dark things in this cour compared to the first one and I believe it added a degree of gravity to the story that was missing before. Even before the final arc, there’s deaths, sadness and characters having to overcome loss. There’s blood and some really uncomfortable scenes. This just feels like a much more mature story compared to before.
As I started to touch on earlier, the pacing is much better this time around. There’s no episodes that really drag on. It feels like everything is really leading into something which in a show with only 12 episodes is crucial. If anything, by the end of the show I just wanted more and will be hopefully starting the books soon.
The action, while not frequent, is very good in this cour. There’s a couple battles between Challe and the main antagonist that reminded me this show is by JC staff. With all the slice of life fluff at times it’s easy to forget, but this team is very capable and came through when it mattered. The art continues to look gorgeous and five of a proper fantastical vibe. And the OST is solid as well.
If I were to make any criticism of the show it’s that Anne’s naïveté at times can be annoying. Particularly as it relates to her willingness to forgive almost anyone. (Think Naruto and Old school shonen protag style.) It’s consistent with the type of person she’s been established as, but sometimes I couldn’t help shaking my head at her decisions.
That aside, I have virtually no complaints with Sugar Apple Fairy Tale season 2. I loved the first season and think this is an improvement in every way. A budding romance, good character development, action, stakes and a very fun time. I will miss this show.
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Season 2 gets 10 Sugar Statues, out of 10.