The moment of truth is upon us.

Dagashi Kashi 2
Studio: Tezuka Productions
Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy

EvilBob: So, did you think he would succeed with his manga?

CVoyage: God no. He’s a shounen protagonist.

EvilBob: Yeah, those do tend to fail a lot. I can’t really name one that doesn’t, now that I think about it. Except for the ones that don’t grow, at all.

CVoyage: I’m not sure we can call this “growth” just yet. We didn’t really see the effects this had on him. I mean sure he was depressed but what did he learn from this? We’ll have to wait to find out.

EvilBob: At least she finally came back, even though that was kind of short too.

CVoyage: It was plenty. If nothing else it was sudden.

EvilBob: I loved how everyone failed to notice she came back with him until she said something. It’s almost like she’s a Nin-

CVoyage: Still a bit of a shame she didn’t get to interact with Hajime more.

EvilBob: I should’ve expected that. At least we did get her interacting with both new characters. Even if only a little.

CVoyage: Also. Go figure. The convenience store dude’s her brother. I mean it’s not like the eyes gave it away or anything.

EvilBob: And then the battle begins to decide who will get Kokonotsu. So, who do you think will win this war?

CVoyage: Or we could… you know… just look up who won in the manga.

EvilBob: Buzzkill. Anyway, the manga may have ended, but do you think it’s possible we’ll be getting an OVA or third season?

CVoyage: I could see that.  It definitely left off open-ended enough for more. And I’ll be honest. After seeing them take a crack at slightly more serious storytelling, I’m interested in seeing if they can take these characters further.

EvilBob: Overall these two episodes are about as Evil as a Super Villain! (10). This show has been a lot of fun. I still find it funny that a show about junk food is this entertaining. I hope if we get a third season that it will stay that way.

CVoyage: *cracks knuckles*

EvilBob: Uh-oh…

CVoyage: Dagashi Kashi 2 has honestly managed to surprise me. In the best possible way. All I was really expecting was the same riotous lunacy as we got in the previous season. But this time? This time we actually went a bit deeper. It wasn’t anything profound, but it didn’t need to be. It set up character motivation, which was already going the extra mile, as far as this series goes. And from there, we actually got a lot of character development, particularly out of Kokonotsu. He’s actually more of an active protagonist, here, and it’s entirely because of the absence of Hotaru, which is why I think her not being around for so much of the season works. Then there’s this show’s handle on subtlety. I mean, let’s just talk about Hajime, for a moment. On paper, she seems incredibly straightforward, right? Yet as she gets more and more screentime, she becomes a bit less of a walking Deus ex Machina, and becomes something far more terrifying… an adult who’s been through college. And, if the implications of later episodes are to be believed, art school, specifically. All of that was something informed much earlier on. So when things really get rolling, it clicks. And that’s a strength I never expected this series to have – subtlety. And those are just a few of the things that come to mind. She show’s genuine ability to produce heartwarming moments comes to mind as well. And then there are all the strengths it’s had from the get-go, such as the hilarious character interactions. Sure. These last two episodes aren’t a complete laugh riot. But they’re still incredibly solid and show off what may be the best storytelling the show’s offered thus far. So yeah. At least for this particular series, these last two episodes deserve to be called World’s Finest.

EvilBob: …Wooow.

CVoyage: It’s a gift.

EvilBob: You didn’t have much to say at all, did ya?

CVoyage: Nah.

EvilBob: Nope. Just casually doubling the word count in one go. No biggie. Seriously. Should I be clapping, right now?

CVoyage: Shall I bow for you?

EvilBob: All right. No need to get full of yourself.

CVoyage: Aw…

EvilBob: Anyway. That’s it. Bye.

CVoyage: Rude…