Aug 22, 2022
Warning: Spoilers Ahead.
Before I go into my review of Magic Knight Rayearth II, I have to establish that the first season is a fantastic interpretation of the magical girl genre, and it really demonstrates many interesting tropes found in 90s anime. The first season excelled in making a show that was well-paced, featured a great soundtrack, and created an epic feeling with its awesome mecha influence. Moreover, Umi, Hikaru, and Fuu each received an equitable amount of character exploration, which made their friendship and emotions feel real. Most importantly, without attempting to subvert the genre, it breaks the boundaries of magical girl, especially through its
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tragic ending. The decision for the Magic Knights to mercifully murder Zagato and Princess Emeraude was a beautiful way to show the maturation of the girls both through their powers in Cephiro and growth into teenhood.
However, Magic Knight Rayearth II abandons many of the aspects that made the first season so good. Choosing to focus almost entirely on Hikaru, adding love interests that have little chemistry with the main cast, and relying heavily on racist (Sinophobic and Arabophobic) characterizations, Magic Knight Rayearth II loses much of its originality. Even considering its age, the show fails in various regards. The pacing is all over the place, and the cast grows tremendously in such a short period of time. Overall, it just feels like it's failing to repeat the formula of other magical girl shows popular at the time, specifically Sailor Moon, by co-opting random elements from them. Thus, even with the upgraded soundtrack and animation, this season leaves a sense of being underwhelmed.
Therefore, if you have watched the first season and are considering watching the second one, I would tread carefully. If you are a hardcore fan of the magical girl genre, you will probably still enjoy this season. Particularly if you like entangled stories and romance, this season may be for you. However, I also think that simply finishing season one is a fine way to experience Rayearth.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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