I was surprised and excited when I found out Hataraku Maou-sama! was getting a sequel. It’s one of my comfort anime - and a perfect balance of comedy, fantastical action sequences, and warm Slice of Life moments.

I was confused by the studio change. Why would they trade White Fox Studio (of Steins;Gate renown) for Studio 3Hz of Princess Principal and a few other ‘cute’ things? But! My excitement would not be curbed - even if the visual showed they traded the clean, sharp look of an action comedy for a round, bubbly character design straight out of a CGDCT anime.

And then I watched it.

I haven’t read the light novels, but I can tell the source material is good because I like what’s going on - I just don’t like how it’s being presented. We spend most of the time on Slice of Life moments, and then rush - sometimes not even see - the fights. Important plot points are mentioned in passing, instead of shown. And, there is no proper build up or denouement for the fights we are shown.

I don’t know if they’re trying to cover specific arcs, but the pacing is all over the place. Sometimes it’s so fast, the dialogue feels like it’s being played at 1.5 speed. The comedic timing is lost. And, heart-felt moments don’t hit right if they last half a second before we’re on to the next thing.

Our protagonist is undergoing big emotional and psychological changes this season. His backstory is finally being revealed, and the audience is starting to understand his actions. It would have been great to make time for some internal monologue - or just time to see him pause and reflect.

In short, the perfect balance of Season 1 is gone, and I’m frustrated that I can see all of these cool things happening - but not enjoy them. Perhaps it’s time I picked up the light novels.