Arifureta: From Common Place to World’s Strongest has wrapped up its second season along with the rest of the winter 2022 anime offerings, and it was a much better experience than the first! Ryo Shirakome and Takayaki’s original novel series made its debut as an anime adaptation in 2019, and response to the series was quite mixed. Going along with many other Isekai projects that saw a classroom transported to another world, the main differentiator of this project was how edgy it really became. So edgy, in fact, that it actually went from trying too hard to becoming a wryly enjoyable action experience.
It was the kind of experience that finally came together when the first season ended (especially with the release of the English dub taking Hajime into B-movie action hero territory), so there was a bit of hype leading up to the second season. The first season was as notable for its many problems as it was for its successes (and in some cases even more), so there was some curiosity as to whether or not the second season would follow in those footsteps. Fortunately, he really doesn’t. There is a much better balance between the good and the rougher elements.
Arifureta: From Common Place to World’s Strongest Season 2 picks up a bit after the events of the first season and is fueled by the fact that asread is now partnering with Studio Mother instead of the White FOX seen in the first season. It’s a little harder to tell how much has changed from one production to the next, but the second season feels brighter and a little better organized than the first. Character designs are a little softer around the edges this time around, but there’s not a huge difference in terms of overall design from one season to the next.
However, there is a noticeable improvement from the CG animated sequences. The models are better animated and are a complete visual overhaul of those seen in the first season. As for the traditionally animated fight sequences, it’s pretty much the same as seen in the first season. Hajime’s arsenal of heavy weapons doesn’t really shine in terms of staging or creative movement. Like the first season, the second revels in these moments where Hajime has a great display of technological power. Unfortunately, they’re also not terribly interesting visually. However, the lighting is much better here and so it’s less obscured overall.
The main problem that many had with the first season is also why many others enjoy the series. His most nervous main character speaks with a rough tongue, but he still ends up saving the day anyway. His need to get back at his classmates got him through that first season, but the second season doesn’t have to deal with it anymore. He benefits from having a Hajime who has become more forgiving of others and less irritable in general. He’s still the same rim lord, but he’s sanded down a bit. So it seems that he wastes less time telling a story.
However, that story itself isn’t very compelling, and that’s also the series as a whole. It is more about Hajime exploring labyrinths, facing enemies and highly telegraphed betrayals. At this point, he has become kind of a nice snack that really helped during the weekly anime viewing process. You could see an episode of two of the second season among some of the most challenging or most successful level projects. It’s like season two is coming exactly the right way it needs to.
Arifureta: From Common Place to World’s Strongest‘s second season fills every anime fan’s need for a fun series that may not have many standout sequences, but is still enjoyable to watch. It’s not emotionally rich, narratively complex, or has a compelling lore, but it’s also hard to turn down. Watch one episode, watch two, and suddenly the entire season is over. Definitely a much better ride than the first season.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest S2 is now streaming on FunimationNOW. The first season can be found on Crunchyroll.