Anime Review: Blue Exorcist Kyoto Saga Volume 2

Blue Exorcist Kyoto Saga Volume 2 (UK Rating: 15)

The Impure King has been resurrected and his miasma is spreading like a plague across the mountain, and the only way to stop it now is to use Rin's powers. The only problem is Rin's still unable to actually control them, not to mention that after his most recent outburst the Grigori have decided to imprison him in advance of his threatened - now confirmed - execution. It's down to his classmates to rescue him and embark on a mission to face off against the Impure King.

The first half of this season focused on the kids in the class and their relationship with Rin. They would build up friendships by training and working together up to this point, only for those bonds to be shattered with the revelation of Rin's lineage - the betrayal of it being kept from them and the fear that he could slaughter them all with his uncontrollable power. The first half showed the class rebuilding those relationships and it continues here. Yukio gets to finally confront his conflicted feelings about his brother, Bon gets to confront both Rin and his father, and Shiemi finally gets the confidence to control her powers.

As with the first part, both a Japanese and English dub are available with this release. Both are filled with quality actors who deliver quality performances here. The voice performances aren't the only quality on show here, as the production team at A-1 Studios continues to impress. The first half of the season was so focused on the characters and their relationships that it gave little chance for the art and animation teams to really stretch themselves, but here they do it in spades - making for some visually impressive moments. It's not all good with this release, though, as sadly the extras are pretty non-existent… a disappointing trend that continues to grow with anime releases as of late. It's just the usual textless opening, closings, and trailers.

7/10

Very Good - Bronze Award

It's a shame there has been no hint of a third season, as this series shows there's a heck of a lot of life in Blue Exorcist. The manga has just hit its 100th chapter and there are many more stories that would be fantastic adapted into anime. In the meantime, this collection will keep shonen fans satiated, wrapping up the story nicely, and setting the stage for what's to come. Hints of major plotlines, bonds between the classmates restored, and a big secret revealed are all here.