Eromanga Sensei Part 2 Review

Last month I reviewed the first part of the hit comedy series Eromanga Sensei. Today I return, as MVM release the second half, to find out if the series continues to be an enjoyable watch for fans of the genre.

As we reunite with our cast, Masamune and Sagiri are busy preparing to enter a short story into a competition, with the winner earning themselves a publishing spot in September. Masamune needs to win the spot or he’ll be unable to go on writing light novels (having promised his relatives he would hit certain goals for his work every year), but with Elf and a new rival – Muramasa – also competing, this contest will be anything but easy!

Muramasa was introduced in the final episode of Part 1 and like Masamune is a successful young author. She writes novels after having never found an interesting story as a child and hoping to create something herself which she found captivating. Eventually, she read one of Masamune’s books and enjoyed it, leaving her longing to create a book that surpasses his. Masamune is flattered to have found someone else who so dearly loves his stories, but with his publishing spot on the line, he’s not prepared to go easy on her.

Away from the competition, this collection of episodes also sees our cast go on a ‘writing camp’ and a flashback to Masamune and Sagiri as kids. I enjoyed the stories being told here but your enjoyment may vary depending on how much you care about Sagiri. Although the first half of Eromanga Sensei focused on the relationship between the Izumi siblings a lot, this half puts Sagiri into the background (a couple of episodes aside). However, if you like the expanded cast then this isn’t a problem.

Perhaps the most meaningful of the stories told in this half is the flashback episode. While I won’t spoil it, I will say that it changes the dynamic between Sagiri and Masamune quite a bit. This is my second time watching Eromanga Sensei (having watched it when it was airing previously) and the knowledge from this tale changed my opinion of the series a great deal – in a good way.

The only real issue here is still the feelings held by Sagiri toward Masamune. If you aren’t a fan of the step-siblings loving their brother/sister trope then Eromanga Sensei will continue to put you off as it blatantly pushes forward with Sagiri showing that she doesn’t see Masamune as a brother. I think that the strength of the comedy and cast overcomes this issue, but like I said when I reviewed Part 1, that almost certainly won’t work for everyone.

If you can overlook that particular trope then there is a lot of fun to be had with this anime. Eromanga Sensei portrays what it means to be a writer and an artist, both the good and the bad. It’s not quite as down to earth as a series like A Sister’s All You Need, but it doesn’t need to be because the anime wants to be fun first and foremost. I only wish that the original light novel series was licensed so we could find out where the story goes from here.

Just a quick nod to the animation, music and voice actors here. Everything has stayed the same as in Part 1 with studio A-1 Pictures bringing the series to life wonderfully. While the music still isn’t memorable, the opening and ending remain in my head long after switching off the TV. The cast  continue to play their respective characters well and I enjoyed everyone’s performances.

This release has been brought to the West thanks to MVM Entertainment and is available on Blu-ray. The set contains Episodes 7-12 with its Japanese audio and English subtitles. Extras include trailers and a clean OP/ED videos. The only minor disappointment I had with the release is that it doesn’t include the two OVA episodes which were released in Japan at the beginning of the year, but perhaps it’s simply too early to bring them to the English market. Considering that neither of those episodes is even available to stream legally, I’m sad they’re not included here either.

Overall Eromanga Sensei provides an entertaining watch right to the end. Although it won’t win over anyone who disliked the first half, it remains a fantastic comedy for those who are on-board. With a likeable cast of characters, insightful glimpses into the light novel industry and catchy opening/ending themes, this is a highly recommended watch!