Kamisama Kiss Season 2 Review

It’s not easy being a human and a Land God – but seventeen-year-old Nanami Monozomo is doing her best to do a good job. After all, she owes so much to Mikage, the kami who passed his role and shrine on to her before disappearing. With the shrine, Nanami also inherited Mikage’s fox-familiar, the beautiful but disdainful Tomoe…but as they have grown to know each other better, it seems that they have developed feelings for one another. Strong feelings. And it isn’t good for a yokai to fall in love with a short-lived mortal, as Tomoe already knows to his cost.

When Nanami is summoned to the gathering of the gods at the Divine Assembly at Izumo Shrine, it’s her chance to become accepted – but things don’t go as planned, right from the start. She is awarded the tricky task of ensuring the gateway to the Netherworld (Yomi) stays shut by the presiding god of Izumo, Okuninushi. Thank goodness she has Mamoru, the adorable little monkey/monkey-boy familiar given her by the wind god Otohiko. Because her kindly heart means that she risks everything by entering the Netherworld to help a young man Kirihito, little realizing that she may never be able to escape. And even if she does, rescuing Kirihito will create unforeseen repercussions that she could well come to regret.

Back home, Nanami encounters a little tengu boy, Botanmaru, in desperate need of help. He’s come looking for the missing heir to Mount Kurama as he may be the only one who can dispel a terrible miasma which is spreading over the mountain. The patriarch of the tengu, the Soujoubou, is seriously ill. But where is the runaway heir? Of course, he turns out to be none other than Nanami’s classmate and pop idol, Kurama. But can Kurama be persuaded to leave his glamorous life and return to his remote mountain roots?

A series like this could so easily have failed to transcend its shoujo stereotypes (instead of beautiful boys, there are beautiful yokai, kami and shikigami). Yet Nanami’s indomitable (yet likable) character, the diverting (sometimes terrifying) range of creatures and gods from Japanese mythology that she encounters, and, above all, the will they, won’t they? nature of her relationship with Tomoe makes this a very watchable anime.

Two main story arcs are resolved in these twelve episodes – but the third overarching plot which creates such a tantalising and dramatic opening to the series (showing us Tomoe in his original wild fox spirit form on the rampage with another yokai, Akura-Ou) is still evolving, suggesting (one can but hope!) that another series will follow. There are plenty more volumes to adapt. Mangaka Julietta Suzuki has said that the manga will come to a close this summer (2016) so – fingers crossed! – we may still get a final TV season. (Although there is a four-episode OVA set in progress 2015-16, but it’s not been made available for the UK market. Yet. Pretty please, MVM?)

The series is visually appealing with character designs faithful to the mangaka’s originals and gorgeous eye catches (when they’re as striking as this, they don’t seem an anachronism). Director Akitaro Daichi brings all his experience from Fruits Basket and he was also responsible for the script and storyboarding in some episodes; is this why it all flows so well as a narrative?

The US dub script is witty and, on the whole, an excellent option to the original (although the reference to the wind god Otohiko as ‘he/she guy’ is not the most sensitive of translations.) The US cast seem to relish their roles, with stand-out performances from Tia Ballard (Nanami) and Michael J. Tatum (Tomoe), Tia Ballard beautifully capturing Nanami’s wide range of feelings. The original cast are as convincing as ever, of course, with Shinnosuke Tachibana (Medici in Sekko Boys) as Tomoe and Suzuko Mimori (Umi Sonoda in Love Live) a delightful Nanami.

One of the pleasures of this immensely likable series is the music, – and not only the soundtrack by Toshio Masuda (Naruto) which is especially effective when underscoring the suspenseful supernatural elements. Every now and then an OP comes along that’s not only charming and catchy but boasts wittily choreographed animation that fits the song perfectly. “Kamisama no Kamisama (God of God)” (sung by Hanae, who sings all the Kamisama Kiss songs) is one of the best I’ve come across in a long while. (Although the metaphor of being spun around in a washing machine is er…unusual.) The Ending “Ototoi Oide” (Come Another Day) is a quietly reflective song, showing the main characters thinking about those dear to them. There’s an insert song in Episode 6 for the tengu turned pop idol Kurama (as in the first series); kudos to Sean O’Connor who sings (once more) very convincingly in the dub. I don’t often like the US equivalents (naming no names) but – personally – I think he makes a better alternative here to Daisuke Kishio as a singer.

Extras include two commentaries by the US cast, textless songs and a US trailer.

Irresistibly charming and fresh, Kamisama Kiss maintains a delicate balance between humour (Nanami and Tomoe disagree, usually quite violently), heartache (Nanami and Tomoe think longingly about each other) and supernatural peril (the Netherworld, evil yokai, angry tengu), all of which combine to make this an engaging watch. Recommended.

The US dub script is witty and, on the whole, an excellent option to the original (although the reference to the wind god Otohiko as ‘he/she guy’ is not the most sensitive of translations.) The US cast seem to relish their roles, with stand-out performances from Tia Ballard (Nanami) and Michael J. Tatum (Tomoe), Tia Ballard beautifully capturing Nanami’s wide range of feelings. The original cast are as convincing as ever, of course, with Shinnosuke Tachibana (Medici in Sekko Boys) as Tomoe and Suzuko Mimori (Umi Sonoda in Love Live) a delightful Nanami.

One of the pleasures of this immensely likable series is the music, – and not only the soundtrack by Toshio Masuda (Naruto) which is especially effective when underscoring the suspenseful supernatural elements. Every now and then an OP comes along that’s not only charming and catchy but boasts wittily choreographed animation that fits the song perfectly. “Kamisama no Kamisama (God of God)” (sung by Hanae, who sings all the Kamisama Kiss songs) is one of the best I’ve come across in a long while. (Although the metaphor of being spun around in a washing machine is er…unusual.) The Ending “Ototoi Oide” (Come Another Day) is a quietly reflective song, showing the main characters thinking about those dear to them. There’s an insert song in Episode 6 for the tengu turned pop idol Kurama (as in the first series); kudos to Sean O’Connor who sings (once more) very convincingly in the dub. I don’t often like the US equivalents (naming no names) but – personally – I think he makes a better alternative here to Daisuke Kishio as a singer.

Extras include two commentaries by the US cast, textless songs and a US trailer.

Irresistibly charming and fresh, Kamisama Kiss maintains a delicate balance between humour (Nanami and Tomoe disagree, usually quite violently), heartache (Nanami and Tomoe think longingly about each other) and supernatural peril (the Netherworld, evil yokai, angry tengu), all of which combine to make this an engaging watch. Recommended.

Score: 8/10

Anime Quick Information 

• Title: Kamisama Kiss Season 2
• UK Publisher: MVM Films
• Genre: Fantasy , Comedy , Romance , Shojo , Supernatural
• Director: Akitaro Daichi
• Studio: TMS Entertainment
• Type: TV series
• Year: 2015
• DVD Release Date: 13th Jun. 2016
• Running time: 300 minutes
• Classification: 12