It’s interesting that both seasons of Kekkai Sensen have proved to be rather divisive among fans, but for totally different reasons. And I would argue (though this is largely unprovable) amongst different groups of viewers as well.  With the first season you had major changes to the material, with an entirely original subplot which caused unrest. This time around it’s the episodic nature of the material, with so many episodes focusing mostly on a single (and usually not main) character which seems to be controversial.
It could be argued that since there’s so little talk about the change in director, that means that Takayanagi-sensei has been largely successful in transitioning away from Matsumoto Rie visually. And I won’t deny that this season has been way more episodic, with all that implies – some stories have been more gripping than others. I do miss the focus on the larger plots which drive the series (which I suspect will come into prominence more in the final four eps but not, it seems, next week – as that will be Dog Hummer’s turn in the spotlight) but on the whole, I think this season of Blood Blockade Battlefront has been about on-par with the first one.
It was Zed O’Brien’s time this week, and he’s a character who’s been almost totally absent for the first six episodes of the season. In S1 he was kind of a natural foil to Zapp, as both are blood benders and they have diametrically opposed personalities. Leo – in charge of a project at last – has landed a reservation at the most exclusive bar in Hellsalem’s Lot for the Libra New Year’s Eve party, which he sees as a natural opportunity to formally introduce the self-effacing Zed to the world. Meanwhile, Zapp is complaining about the massive costs of Zed’s tech – all of which is required to allow a half-man, half-fish to survive out of his tank for extended periods.
A spanner in the works here is the head of a weapons cartel called Valhalla, who spots a drunk Zed (who’s overheard Zapp’s bitching and failed in his attempts to get a second job to pay his own way) stumbling home and mistakes his “pods” (the gill covers which allow him to function outside the water) for experimental high-end headphones, and had her goons steal for her. Whether Zed’s pods were based on the same design or the weapons dealer simply made a mistake I don’y know, but given that the pods take a month to custom-build, their absence means no party for Zap. That being the case, Leo takes it on himself (with the help of Chain and eventually Zapp) to get them back.
There are some tantalizing bits of Zed’s backstory here, but as most of these episodes have been the theme is really the inter-dependency of Libra more than the spotlight character themselves. And of course, this is also a pretext for more amazing visuals (and a great Daniel Craig joke). Every episode has had a few really clever shots (like Chain appearing with her boots on Zapp’s eyelids), and what stands out about this season is that Takayanagi really has a great sense of style. I love the fact that this season of Kekkai Sensen is very different from the first in terms of visuals but still recognizably the same show. Takayanagi impresses in different ways than Matsumoto did, but he – and Bones- still impress each and every week.
sonicsenryaku
November 18, 2017 at 6:41 pmSIgh…i just wrote a huge comment extoling about how people shouldn’t be hung up about plot because it’s the least significant factor when determining a story’s quality and how this season of Kekkai Sensen is embracing its more cop procedural roots but i accidentally deleted the whole thing….sigh. Anyway I’m confident we’re gonna get a story arc for the finale that is going to build on leonardo’s motivations; clearly he is moved and inspired by his teammates of Libra and that’s going to play a role in whatever his fate with his sister will entail.
On a side note, it’s a shame Takayanagi isn’t coming back to direct dagashi kashi season 2 (most of the creative staff is different actually). I’m not going to condemn the second season because of it as im curious to see what this new staff can do, but still.
Guardian Enzo
November 18, 2017 at 7:06 pmYou and I may be the only people who feel that way…
BTW – you have a namesake in this show, as I’m sure you noticed…
sonicsenryaku
November 18, 2017 at 8:54 pmHahaha but of course i did. But yea, I find it surprising that so many people demand “plot” from their narratives when stories, more specifically those of a visual medium rely more heavily on constituents such as directing, cinematography, acting, thematic exploration, and character writing deeply interwoven within the themes and ideas being presented in stories for their quality. Plot is literally the most superficial and basic thing about a narrative. One of the major reasons why people make such a big deal about plot is because it’s inherently the easiest thing to pick up on and laser one’s focus on. Funnily enough, a narrative’s plot means nothing without the aforementioned factors. A story’s plot can sound cool on paper (as with any plot detail if you word it impressively enough), but it means shit if none of the other factors are there; whereas, if you had a shitty plot, it can still deeply resonate with a viewer regardless so as long as those other factors are aptly presented. Mathematically, plot is function of all the previously mentioned elements yet something like Character writing is NOT a function of “plot.” That’s not to say that plot cannot engage a person or elevate a story, but it is definitely the smallest factor when considering the axiomatic nature of good storytelling.
kiwi
November 19, 2017 at 1:02 amI personally love the episodic nature of this season! Great shows like cowboy bebop and samurai champloo have done it successfully, and i think kekkai sensen does much the same! Kekkai sensen seems to evoke the same feeling of a ragtag group of individuals who (sometimes begrudgingly) work together towards a common goal.
Also, what do you make of the bit of Zed’s backstory that we got? From what I infer, he was either an (unwilling?) creation or captive of this shady count fellow, who eventually was dealt with by Zed (and Zapp’s) sensei. Very intriguing.
Guardian Enzo
November 19, 2017 at 7:56 amI read that pretty much the same way.
F. Smile
November 19, 2017 at 11:34 amI also love the episodic nature of the show and have been having a blast watching this season. If the characters were not as strong as they are, then it might get boring or stale, but I don’t think that’s the case here.
UndeadCalamari
November 19, 2017 at 2:10 pmAs much as I enjoyed the first season of Kekkai Sensen, I think I’m actually enjoying this season more. Why? I actually know the characters and care about what they’re involved in. Yeah that was there in the first season, but it was much more muddled for the supporting cast. A story is only as good as its characters allow it to be and the first season suffered a lot due to not allowing the audience a chance to get to know its cast or even let them be part of the story in meaningful ways.
This season may lack an overarching narrative, but its one off stories are all quite entertaining and even endearing at times. As a result, I think the final product is just better.
sonicsenryaku
November 19, 2017 at 7:26 pmit’s as enzo stated, just like with season 1, the reception towards this season of kekkai sensen has been divisive as well. There are those who liked season 1 but not 2; those who didn’t like season 1 as much but absolutely dig season 2; those who dig both seasons but have their preference as to which one they like more; and then there are those whose love for kekkai sensen has stayed uniform throughout both seasons.
クãƒãƒ
November 20, 2017 at 6:17 amEpisodic shows can be fun with the right script and direction (Gintama comes to mind). This is not the case with Kekkai Sensen. The secondary cast is hardly established, so why would viewers care for what happens to these characters and about their backstories? It is hardly possible to invest yourself in what is happening on screen if the link between characters and the audience is non-existent (I know, this is basic and trivial). Perhaps the first-person perspective would help. You know, seeing the thought process and emotions of the hero of the week. This would leave an impact on the viewer and is a quick and easy fix when you face a time constraint. Actually, this is what made Boar in Juuni Taisen fun to watch (to the point where people became upset at her quick demise): her internal judgemental monologue was intriguing and so over-the-top. I still think Mushroom-kun and Leo bonding was the best stand-alone episode of the whole show.
Guardian Enzo
November 20, 2017 at 9:54 amIt’s funny to hear someone say something is categorically not the case and “not possible” when there are a bunch of comments above it proving the contrary.
Your mileage may vary. It’s a cliche but it’s also true.
Kurik
November 20, 2017 at 5:12 pmI personally like this season more than the first one mostly because its easier to follow. Half the time, I am embarrassed to say, I struggled to keep up with what was going on in the first season as there was so much going on. What the first season did establish for me was that I liked all the characters so its nice this season to get some character building for everyone and expand on the world a bit more. That being said I would have liked to see Zeb do more this episode but I got more Chain so I am not complaining too much 😀