Anime: K: Return of Kings

Return of Kings is the sequel to the movie Missing Kings, which is the sequel to the 2012 series K, all of which are original anime from GoRA and the studio Go Hands. Before watching Return of Kings, I recommended that you watch the first K anime and Missing Kings. Missing Kings can be done without because its major developments can be inferred in Return of Kings, but if you're a fan of the series you won't want to miss it. I expect that readers of this review have at least watched K, and some of what I say inadvertently spoils K.

K and Return of Kings are nearly the exact same anime, with many beautiful yet repeated key animations, a charming soundtrack, and the same wide cast of boys (plus a few girls) that female viewers especially will love. However, while K is a character-driven story (mostly about Shiro) with continuous plot twists that leaves a lot of questions unanswered about the world, Return of Kings differs in that it focuses on the cast evenly and is much more structured and plot-oriented with few plot holes. In any case, K and Return of Kings are far more similar than different.

Art & Animation (Very good): The visual are wonderful, just as they were in K. I was tempted to rate it lower because I felt there were a few too many flashbacks to scenes from earlier in the series, and there were many repeated animations from the first K series. However, there were still a fair number of new animations, and the art was solid and consistent.

Sound (Excellent): Again, it's very comparable to the first K. Many tracks are reused, which makes me feel nostalgic. There are also new ones. They stick in my mind and make the scenes more emotional for me. And the seiyuu are as talented as always. The OP is by Horie Yui, and while she's my favorite seiyuu I can't say that I particularly enjoyed the OP she sung. However, I fell in love with the ED.

Story (Very good): Although it's possible to see some things coming, the story is well-rounded and the ending is extremely satisfying.

While at the surface level both Return of Kings and 2012's K largely consists of Kings and their posses clashing repeatedly in the city, the circumstances are very different. Return of Kings doesn't attempt to resurrect the conflicts of K and waste time. Instead, the characters have mostly moved on, except that there's a certain new villain who won't let them rest in peace. There's a fairly balanced narrative which focuses evenly on the different factions (Red, Blue, and Silver) as they meet up, bicker with or comfort one another, pursue their own interests on the side, and also battle the villain's faction which almost universally has the initiative and drives the plot forward.

New characters are introduced in this anime whose pasts help answer all the important questions, and old ones take on new roles. There's someone who was forced to kill his King in the past, a survivor of a certain tragedy, the Blue King who has come to know what it means to be in charge of the Dresden Slates, and of course Shiro whose experiences bring a lot to the table. Their stories are interwoven and serve to elucidate magic in the world of K.

The only negative aspect of this plot-oriented story is the fact that its structure is predictable. Less than halfway through the series, I could already anticipate how the next major arc would end, and what the (final) arc after that would be like. Don't expect to be trolled or completely thrown off by Return of Kings. However, there are a few clever surprises here and there.

Thematically, the story had more depth than K which had essentially no central message. There was a lot of philosophical discussion about the proper way to distribute power and moral responsibility. I suspected that Return of Kings borrowed ideas from Gatchaman Crowds which aired in 2013.

Character (Very good): Return of Kings added a lot of depth to the characters, and many of them even experienced real growth. Shiro's past with the Gold King, his previous desire to use the Slates to help humanity, and his resolution and relationship with Kurou and Neko were explored. Anna was cute and assertive, truly living the dream with her reverse harem. Fans of Fushimi and Mitsuki should be extremely satisfied. Neko's past was even revealed. Kurou probably received the most development of all, thanks to his conflict with Yukari which served as a vehicle for that. The Blue King Reishi's attitude annoyed me at the start of the series, but by the time it was over I felt I understood him more and respected him. The Green King was also a very interesting character.

Value (So-so): There's not as much rewatchability as the first series K, because you know what to look for and don't miss as many details, but the animation is still pleasant. I don't really know how to judge sentimental value. No historical value, unless you count fake histories.

Enjoyment (Very good): The overall presentation leaves little to be desired regardless, but it's the satisfying conclusion that made this story so truly enjoyable. I liked the snapshots at the end which hinted at what happened to some of the characters afterward. But keep in mind that I say this as a fan of the original series. If you don't like the characterization and aesthetic of K in the first place, it's unlikely that having a better-structured plot and more character depth would make you love it.

K: Return of Kings should really be called "K: you can now finally watch this." What began as a brilliantly animated but horrifically puzzling work back in 2012 has now developed into a reasonably understandable and finally contiguous storyline. As a bonus, the show has outstanding production values with awe-inspiring, artistic graphics and a clean yet themed audio experience to match. It's hard to really classify K as there aren't a lot of other shows that I've watched like it. It has a wide range of characters that would probably satisfy both male and female viewers. The actual story is a fantasy, magic-based alternative to current day Japan, with lots of high-budget action and a few dramatic moments.

Imagine an alternate world where several individuals have amazing super powers, be it immortality or control over fire. These Kings share their power with other individuals, known as clansmen. Through a delicate balance, they somehow bring prosperity to Japan. Now not all the Kings are happy with the status quo and some are instigating a coup so to speak. The story is told through multiple characters though mostly through members of the blue, red, and silver (or white depending on the source) clans. This season picks up directly after the events of the movie K: Missing Kings where we see the rise of the new red King. There is still no sign of the silver King Shiro and his clansmen, as well as those of the red and blue clans, are desperately holding back an onslaught from the green clan, who are bent on changing the world order forever. Given the turbulent past between the clans, will anyone be able to counter the seemingly endless tide of the green Jungle?

Animation:
Back when K was released in 2012, there really wasn't any challenge to the animation quality expect perhaps UfoTable. This is true today as well as the gap in animation quality between K and other ordinary shows remains vast. Expect gorgeous panoramic detailing in a multitude of different sceneries. The show has superb lighting and effects; sharp reflections literally move as the camera pans. There is also extensive and playful use of colored filters and lighting, which gives the show an especially unique feel. Other than some occasional CGI usage, this is literally the epitome of what we can expect today from a non-movie work. The cast of K is very large, and it only grows larger in this season. However, all the clans other than the Silver clan have a uniform and/or assigned color and thus the only possible confusion is between members of the same clan; and really a lot of the supporting members of the red and blue clan don't matter- as long as you get the #2 and #3 from each clan down you're good to go. The superb animation doesn't stop with the scenery as characters have a great deal of detail all the way from the styling on their outfits to the playful smirk on Reishi's face when he draws his sword.

Expect excellent choreography throughout a multitude of adrenaline-filled battles with both magical and melee elements. Effects are sublime here, probably epitomized by the shiny clashes of fierce blades. There is a bit of blood and not all characters will make it through the season though the show spares the viewer from some of the more violent wounds. Rarely will you see such variety and innovation in attacks and abilities in a single show. There is a bit of ecchi as well ranging from very obvious panty shots to a lot of bouncing on the part of Seri. Neko gets plenty of innocent cat-like behavior as well- not really ecchi but enjoyable in its own way.

Sound:
Yui Horie gets the honor of starting the show with a playful, brass-heavy piece, which also happens to have a pretty nice, if slightly dark melody. The show ends with a guy song with a cool vibe but mediocre main melody. The superb BGM of the original show is further refined here. Many of the new tracks build meaningfully on top of melodies of the original show. The BGM is composed of a lot of different instruments but works to create a uniform, clean and modern sound. Some tracks make use of piano and stringed instruments while others are just trendy, with extensive use of percussion and electronic instrumentation.

One of the reasons I originally picked up K was the high-powered sound cast, and it only grew stronger this season! First and foremost, Mikako Komatsu has had a lot of great roles since the original K, but I firmly believe that Neko is by far her best role- suggestive yet playful, occasionally strong yet fragile; her character here has it all. In addition to the ridiculous combined male talent pool of Daisuke Ono, Tomokazu Sugita, Mamoru Miyano, and Jun Fukuyama, you even get Houchuu Ootsuka, instantly recognizable as Jiraiya from Naruto. Miyuki Sawashiro gets an expanded role in this last installment, as does Yui Horie as 11-12-year-old Anna. In addition, surprisingly, we get Rie Kugimiya playing a guy, definitely a side we haven't heard too much of. Wow, what a list... and with a story that actually makes sense the characters finally come alive and give merit to the powerful cast.

Story:
The main pain point of the original K was the confusing nature of the story, where much of the setting was left unexplained. Though I still don't get how the kings system brings prosperity to the nation, a great deal of the other open questions is finally resolved in this series. It explains the horrific Damocles down that left a crater in Japan, Neko's true origins, and the history behind the Kings system among other things. What makes this installment particularly pleasant is that this is all explained organically while continuing down the central, linear plotline.

The show can be broken into two main arcs, which would require a spoiler tag to fully explain here. In any case, each arc is executed with great care and precision; it took what went well in the K movie and applied the same treatment to the arcs. The show is full of interesting twists and alliances- in a normal show you have usually two or three sides, this show has many more clans and yet keeps everything tidy and manageable. Though some of the final battles felt a bit anticlimactic, the overall pacing was very good. The final resolution is a bit rushed, and a fair amount of conclusion is told through images in the closing credits. Regardless, it does have a feeling of completion, which is particularly welcome after watching numerous open-ended shows this season.

Character:
While this show won't win any awards for depth of character, you do get a bit more of a feel for some of the characters. My review for the original show mentioned how a lot of supporting characters felt underutilized despite being fairly developed, this season made full use of those characters; you'll see plenty of Anna as well as various supporting blue and red clan members. This season also introduces a handful of important clansmen of the green clan, which serve as the antagonist for the season.

Given the huge cast and complicated nature of the whole story, there isn't a lot of time left for character development; all characters are essentially static characters. Though we learn some interesting tidbits about characters, such as Neko, there isn't a whole lot to laud about in this category. If there is a positive, it's that the story doesn't center on the silver king Shiro, which was one of my largest gripes around the original show. In summary, expect many passable and entertaining static characters.

Value:
K is a beautifully drawn show with good overall production values. K Return of Kings successfully brings the franchise back to an understandable level while executing an engaging and action-packed plot. The characters aren't the strongest but it's forgivable given the sheer scale of the story and brilliant animation. If you haven't given up on K yet, here's your prize for sticking with it.