Entertainment headlines have a new entry this week, and Reincarnated as a Sword's Second Season is Starting As Plain Old Fun is generating real conversation. Here is everything you need to know about the story that everyone is talking about.
The Story So Far
Despite a slave plotline bookending the installment, along with an OP laced with brutal symphonic metal and juxtaposed with bloody, dark frames, this fresh installment remains mostly light. We start off where the first run left off, with Fran, Shisou, and the fresh wolf summon, Jet, going on a fresh adventure, when all of a sudden, they spot a floating island guarded by flying, undead creatures.
Fran and Shisou try to penetrate the island, but get knocked down into a house where they meet the good skeleton Bernard and the necromancer Jean, who has his targets set on the floating island too. Between these narrative points are moments of Fran and Shisou buddying it up together while eating curry, with Fran's kawaii-moe side taking over to make room for light comedy.
Seriously, don't let the anime's key visual fool you: Fran is more silly than she is vicious here. And for that matter, so is Jet. Just look at the way he pouts like a puppy who looks like his owner found out about the poop in the living room.
At the Anime NYC first screening panel, the viewers burst into laughter whenever Fran or Jet would “inconveniently” run out of MP, and when Fran adorably fell asleep during Jean's long-winded exposition dump. It's just silliness made to put a smile on your face. The art and animation of this installment are very consistent and pleasant on the targets, too.
The background art of the floating island itself is very lush and verdant, especially on the major major screen. The fights between the undead creatures ain't nuthin' fancy, but they don't have to be for this type of show. It's intense when it needs to be, and every attack connects without resorting too hard to static animation.
Also, wait, did I see Fran float through the air using Shisou as a flying surfboard? Sorry not sorry, I can't NOT find this so cool! A Daicon IV reference well-deserved.
There were two interesting questions asked at the panel's Q&A session with filmmaker Shinji Ishihara, and producers Yōsuke Shimada and Genta Ozaki. One viewers member asked what it was like to give acting notes to a sword. To which Ishihara responded, “So obviously the sword is not a living being, so they can't really react very much.
What we try to pay attention to is if he's surprised, he'll jerk, or if he's thrilled, he'll wiggle. So that's the kind of direction I've been giving it. After we do those animations, the voice performer Shinichirō Miki does a good job of leaning into that and giving Shisou more personality through his voice.
Miki-san was at an event in Japan for the anime, and he said that the one thing they often say to describe it is, it's a cat girl and an inanimate object! It's sad, because Shisou has a lot of personality and life to him.” Another viewers member asked if this run was going to take Fran and Shisou's relationship in any fresh direction.
Ozaki replied, “So the way I see Fran and Shisou's relationship is as student and teacher, and dad and daughter. The more ti…
As the story continues to develop, TeraMovies will keep you updated with every new detail. Until then, this remains one of the most closely watched entertainment stories of the week — and the conversation is only getting started.
