Review of High School DxD Hero

*****May Contain Spoilers****** Oppai Dragon! Here we go, another season of Highschool DXD based on the light novel with the same name. This time around the season was created by Passione studios, which also produced the popular series Citrus earlier this year. I happen to have found both shows enjoyable. I look forward to future installments by this series. Story: Highschool DXD is a echihi, romance, harem, action, comedy and ecchi anime (Yes, I put that twice on purpose) fallowing the life of your typical average guy Hyoudou, Issei. Who in previous seasons started high school at Kuoh Academy. He very quickly gets hit on and startsdating a fellow freshmen who happens to kill him once the date is over because she is fact a fallen angle. Issei is what in this world is known as a "sacred gear" user and she killed him to try and gain back the favor of god. Issei is then reincarnated by Rias Gremory a devil from the famous house of Gremory (you can find that this is an actual devil name in biblical text). He also happens to have the sacred gear that happens to house the famous red Welsh dragon Ddraig's spirit. This basically allows him to boost up power and wear a super awesome dragon armor set that is really badass.

In this world religion, weather considered mythological or not is real and has been hiding itself among normal humans. Issei and his group are basically reincarnated devils and serve there master who unlike the ones we find in the story has a good heart and doesn't really want to hurt humans. They live mostly normal lives except when factions and armies that seeks to destroy any type of demon, devils, or monsters, shows up and threatens everyone. In which case they fight to defend themselves and those they care about.

(This series is super long and surprisingly complicated so I'm going to narrow it down to this season now)

In this new season Issie and the gang head to Kyoto on a field trip. They are of course excited to be going on this trip together and take a break from the rating games and the constant attacks from the Chaos Brigade. This trip is filled with a lot of funny scenes (Especially when Issie's perverted nature gets loose and causes innocent victims to commit acts of basically sexual harassment). Which is quickly brought to an end after the yokai or Kyoto attack because their leader a kitsune has been kidnapped by the Chaos Brigade. Once misunderstandings are correct the group agrees to help save the entrapped spirit fox once her location has been found. SURPRISE! They were attached first and they finally meet Coa Coa, head of the brigade and wielder of the holy spear that pierced christ. The group works together to save the captured yokai from being used to open a portal to summon Big Red (Big ass dragon god).

Once the cult narrowly defeat the brigade (though not for good) the second half of the season revolves around the next rating game against Bael, Sairaorg, Rias's cousin. This leads to the more action side of the story. Along with more romance and drama as they finally dig deeper into Rias and Issei's relationship. The season ends with Issei obtaining a brand new power and him finally admitting he loves Rias.

My annalists of the season is that although everything in the anime went the exactly the same as the light novel. They kind of ruined it by either slowing or speeding up the pace of the story. The first half with Kyoto was very pushed forward considering so much was suppose to go on plot wise and story wise. The studio decided to instead pour more into the ecchi and comedy. Then they change it up during the second half twice. First spending a great amount of time with Issie and his problems with commitment since his first babe shanked his ass. Then they speed through some of what was the best fights in the whole series in the light novel int he rating game against Sairaorg. I know they were dealt this hand by the previous studio on where they decided to leave off but they really should have either extended the season to 24-25 episode or made the two half's two separate seasons.

Characters:

Unfortunately the same thing I stated about the pace of the story can be said about the characters and their development. They were smart to add in the subtle scenes that would down the line be vital to future relationships such as the Rossweisse and Phenex, Ravel scenes but then they down played extremely important characters plot developments such as Azazel. I had no issues with the rest of the cast because they were portrayed perfectly but you can't just up the comedy and nudity like the plot is not important cause I've read this shit and it IS important.

Animation and Sound:

I read a lot of complaints regarding the new studio taking a much lighter approach tot he animation. I however, disagree. The light novels art is exactly in this style and it makes it much better for the type of unique pitch that DXD tries to portray. The character do look younger, hello? They are high school students? Ta fuck you expect you fucking pedo pervs? I mean come on that was just stupid, most people were crying because they couldn't jack off to Rias without feeling like a pedophile. While she technically is a teenager in high school (though she is a devil).

I was also happily surprised to learn that Passione isn't half bad at fight scenes. Especially the highly anticipated fight against Beal and Coa Coa. I can still tell that they are not 100% use to it but they seem to be working towards better action in the future. I think if they continue to pick up the series the fighting scenes will continue to improve.

SWITCH ON, is really good opening. I found it catchy in a way and it really fit the tone of the season. The song also has a meaning to the season. This is when everyone starts to realize that whenever Issue touches Ria's breast that he gets a power up. Hence the name "switch on" Rias being the "Switch Princess".

Conclusion:

I've enjoyed this anime since it first came out for many different reason. The main one is that the writer had the balls to take all forms of religion and make an actually decent story out of it. Then instead of making it super serious which would have probably ruined the entire thing he added in the ecchi and nudity to the elements of his story. It's funny, you can really get to like the character and the story while appreciating the world that they live in. I often sometimes wonder similar to the world we live in religious wise. That all religions are real not just one. I would recommend this show for anyone who has an open mind and likes a bit of pervy nature on the side. My only real complain.....I hate the fucking censoring SET THE BOOBS FREE!!!!!!

Ranking: 8