Major S2 · review
The minute I started to watch the 2nd season of Major that goes to the second arc of the anime, I started to fall in love again with the anime - the sport, the characters and the development, everything stayed in the same place the 1st season left it, I actually found the 2nd more connected after watching the movie but it's not necessary unless you really love Major, so what could be a problem in the 2nd season? The problem is not the 2nd season actually has a down point, it's not the fact that the slice of life genre isn't here, there isn't reallysomething wrong with the story either or in Goro (though he has issues of his own, he's our Goro after all), the problem is that the 2nd season doesn't try in any way or wants to be the 1st or even be an average sports anime, not to say it's worse or bad, but it's lack of two things that makes a sports anime tick: climax, the reason for that is that though the 2nd season presented as a separated episodes from 1st it doesn't live for it's own, to make it clear I will call this season "The Build Up season".
As it sounds, the series from the mere start until the end of it has entirely purpose not to make Goro going to beat some freaking powerfull team but to simply make himself being Goro and be the best for beating Kaido, how he does that? train! and then what? more train! Does he get some major win in this season? no. in other words as you see, the season not consecrate at Goro being the best, actually, he is, but he doesn't do with it nothing in the end, he indeed plays a "grand" game at the end, but it's not for this season nor for it's story, it's for the next.
as people might guess, yes, the 2nd season covering (most in the second part of the season) the training arc in the major anime, apart from the first part ('till episode 13) Goro goes to make himself kami... hem, great baseball trainer, is it must watch? of course, though to be training, it's still important part in making Goro what he is supposed to be ... in the next season.
that's not to say the 2nd season is bad, it just the feeling along the season isn't the same as the 1st one, the slice of life genre may not presented much, but it's still Major, and it's great, fun, exciting and intense.
Story - 8
As I said above, the story in the 2nd season is divided by 2 parts that are also 2 arcs - the middle school arc (that started with the movie though to be filler) and the high school arc that will continued to the next season.
The middle school arc is actually makes comeback of the characters from the 1st season, good and all, Goro once again going in the way to become a pro baseball player with the baseball club, like any other anime sport there's some obstacles and interesting stories, but most of the baseball are fast forward to lead to the next big target of Goro shaped in the way of Kaido, powerfull baseball team, maybe the best, leading Goro to actually a great twist.
Now, don't get me wrong, the middle school arc was fun, we get to see a good baseball team and good games, but nothing catch my eye, though Goro as usual goes with his team to break through his obstacles and confronting the challenge, the "felling" of the arc not was the same, when I watched it I kept asking myself - why they made this arc feeling like this?
The answer turned out to be in the second arc, which I'm not going to expand since it's already a huge spoiler, but I will say this - there isn't much of a story, well, there is a story, but it's really a sports genre one, if the 1st season won my heart with good slice of life story, here it's only sport, it's not bad but also not remarkable, there's really an important and crucial part here on Goro's growing, there are also some good characters' stories, but nothing beyond that.
With this I will return to say what I said earlier - there's not a real big climax here, the anime pretty much going in the straight way to leave the big climax for the next season, though it's not bad, if we separate the season from the previous or the next, this season is only build up, and it's not that good.
don't get me wrong though, it's not making this season less exciting, tense or interesting, it's the same major, it's just have different lead.
however, if there's something that made this season a better season from the 1st one, it's the characters, and I'm not talking only about the comeback of some characters as Shimizu, Komori or other new characters, but Toshi.
Characters - 9
Toshi doesn't have a small role in this part but a major and influencing one, he's promoted to main role here and in the high school arc he changes the whole flow of the story, there's actually full episodes only about him and Goro, if in the 1st episodes Komori was the side by side character for Goro, Toshi takes his place and taking it to another different place and it's great to see him developed this season.
the big problem is Goro, we know him already from the 1st season to be arrogant and shounen type character, the problem is that then we loved him, here all what made us love him is gone and he is acting like a total baka and it getting worse from each episode, though I accepted his behaviour at some point, it's still annoying, only at the end he reminds us why to still love him.
And there's again, a lot bunch of characters who are important, there's Komori and other good characters at the start, but the other though fully introduced, not developed much, mostly because they are gonna get replaced, and their replacement get the same attitude, though usually it would be bad here I really didn't care since the whole season is to develop Goro, when needed they developed them well and made them shine.
through all that, if there was something that I missed a lot is Momoko and Shigeno that being pretty plane here, it seems that they also forget Sawamura, and though to have a lot of screen time, Shizumu is still my favourite character, and I wanted to see more of here.
Art - 7
Little disappointing, but the art didn't improve much, the art is still plain and simple and except the main characters the other don't have much details and some of the "inventions" really annoyed me, I'm not talking about shape and stuff but really creepy faces and eyes, not to talk about that some characters seem to be a lot like another old one only with a slight change. anyway, though to be most unchanged it's still good.
the animation also not touched much from the 1st, maybe after the movie I felt like it's old school, but it still made the work well.
the backgrounds on the other hand I can't judge, not because it's bad but because the quality I had (tv rip), but from what it seems, it didn't change much and mostly realistic, though problems I had with some of it hasn't fixed.
Sound - 9
Believe it or not, the OST actually improved a lot, though most of the good soundtrack saved for the crucial dramatic parts, when it's on I felt it completely made the scene and enjoyed the excitement in the air.
It took me a while, but the opening theme really makes a good song for Major, though I still think that the theme for the 1st is better, it made the work well to fit into the Major series.
About the ending themes, I will be honest that I haven't found them special, I think the second ending theme was better but didn't found it lies in my heart entirely, don't get me wrong, they were good, but not too memorable to stand out.
Enjoyment/Overall - 9/8
When I summarise things up, I actually find that the 2nd season is much enjoyable than the 1st, not because the 1st is not, but because it has what a sports anime needs, but it still not makes it better, the season doesn't live up for it's own and don't be afraid to feel like it.
But it doesn't really matter, if you enjoyed the 1st of Major you will enjoy the 2nd too, just don't expept too much.