(Isis): Greetings. I am Isis. Welcome to Project Nitsuj where we’re continuing our look at Saekano by looking at the second season also known as S2 Flat.
(Nitsuj): After the success of the first season, A-1 Pictures bought back Saekano in 2017. This 2-year waiting period allowed the light novel to get far ahead and allow the studio to follow the novel accordingly.
(Isis): Many fans have gone on record saying that the second season is much better than the first season. If the first season was about introducing the characters and story, than the second season is all about exploring these characters and advancing the story. Let’s continue our story and take a look at Flat.
Opening and Ending Theme
(Nitsuj): The opening for the second season is “Stella Breeze” by Luna Haruna. I actually enjoyed this song quite a bit. This was actually one of the candidates for my top 11 openings of 2017 but unfortunately didn’t make the cut. The song actually does feel like the opening to a visual novel, I could totally picture this being played before the game starts. The song is relaxing, upbeat, and enjoyable to listen to when you’re just trying to relax and take your mind off your troubles.
The second season’s ending is “Sakura-iro Diary” by Moso Calibration. This another ending I enjoyed quite a bit. While the song may have worked better as an opening, I always did look forward to hearing this song at the end of each episode. I think what really makes this song standout so much is the piano, the piano in this song is amazing and just takes this song to a whole new level.
Episodes 1-4
(Isis): We start the second season with Utaha and Eriri arguing with each other (Nitsuj: So business as usual? (Isis): Business as usual). The reason for this argument is because Utaha changed up the script for one scene requiring extra work from Eriri. This causes the two to have a flashback to the first time they met where even back then the two were at each other’s throats (Nitsuj: No doubt it had something to do with the attention of a dense otaku). The flashback starts with Utaha in the school library confirming that they’re selling her book and as she walks the hallways she gets stopped by Eriri who is jealous of her hanging out with Tomoya but she gets the shock of her life when she finds out Utaha is the author of the light novel Tomoya loves so much (consider yourself enlightened). Utaha goes to Tomoya for insight on who Eriri is and she’s a little mad and envious of their relationship. Utaha finds out that Eriri is a doujin artist, confronts her on the school roof about it, and they exchange a few words with each other ultimately coming to the conclusion that they do like each other’s work (now on the subject of Tomoya, that’s a different argument all together).
Episode 2 starts off with Utaha finishing the script for the second route and as promised Tomoya has to go out on a date with her Saturday (scene here: https://youtu.be/oM0woXUwt-A, so that’s all it took to motivate her? Try the same thing on Eriri). They go on their date being followed by Eriri and Megumi where Utaha talks about her future and which college she’ll go to. She’s lowered her choices down to two, one being 15 minutes from her current location while the other is in the Kansai region which is very far from home (and would write her completely out of the story). She asks Tomoya what she should do and he says to stay close to home because he wants to work with her again in the future on another game (Nitsuj: I’m sure that’s not all she wants him to say). She decides to test his skills as a director by presenting him with an alternate ending for the second route (she wrote a second route that quickly? (Nitsuj): You be surprised at how fast you write when inspiration hits you) and she wants him to decide which route is better. So Tomoya reads the new script and is so engrossed with it that he doesn’t answer the door when Eriri and Megumi come over for a meeting (scene here: https://youtu.be/1-LLXRfyY9s, (Nitsuj): Megumi just keeps showing everyone why she’s the main heroine). The new script is a lot deeper and takes on a different direction from the current game. In the new script the heroine gets replaced with her past self and we explore the forbidden relationship between the MC and that heroine since in this time period they’re actually siblings. Their love ends tragically though as the heroine sacrifices herself in order to save her brother as well as the world.
(Nitsuj): Well I’m not gonna lie the story is moving and takes the game in a completely different and deeper story and that’s where the problem lies. It takes the game in a completely different direction from the original idea. Not only that but this route completely replaces the original heroine and makes her come across as nothing more than a token character. It’s like me killing the main character halfway through a story and replacing him with some random side character we saw in like one scene. Not only that but Eriri would have way more work to do and with all this additional work I doubt she could make the deadline in time.
(Isis): Tomoya thinks the group should discuss this together but Eriri stops him and tells him this is his decision and his alone (Nitsuj: I agree, you’re the director/producer. You have the final say in what goes in this game).
At the start of episode 3 the group (minus Utaha) go to meet Izumi where Iori is there as well because one, Izumi is the artist for their upcoming game which is similar to Tomoya’s game and two, Izumi and Iori are siblings (how can something so pure and sweet be related to something so despicable and rotten?). Despite knowing how underhanded her brother is she took the job because she wanted to compete against Eriri. After this meeting we see that Tomoya still can’t decide on which script he likes so Megumi suggests they play them out in the game and use the weekend to start making a playthrough of the game. As they rest Michiru shows up and misreads the situation and they get her bandmates to help make the playthroughs to test out the scripts. Tomoya plays them both and comes to the conclusion that neither script is acceptable for the game.
Episode 4 starts off with Megumi getting the hidden undertone message in Utaha’s scripts. The scripts were about her and Megumi. She mixed in her feelings and thoughts about their relationship with Tomoya and wanted him to decide on if he wanted to pursue the regular (Utaha) or go in a completely different direction (Megumi). Unfortunately, like a guy Tomoya didn’t see this and only saw the big picture which upsets Utaha. At the school’s culture festival, Tomoya is dissing Utaha’s script in a maid café (maybe this wasn’t the best spot to discuss their game). Tomoya says her script plays out like a light novel saying she goes into too many details which doesn’t progress the story at all and this dissing of the story causes Utaha to cry a little (scene here: https://youtu.be/34TK6e7sWzI). After calming down Tomoya says they need to do a rewrite and she agrees to do it realizing that she needs to approach the script from the perspective of a gamer. So, the two go back to his place and begin rewriting the script where Tomoya drops the bomb that they’re going to make a third route where both of the heroines have a happy ending (Nitsuj: Are you out of your goddamn mind!? We’re already crunched for time and you want to create a third route! Stop looking at the big picture and look at the details). Utaha says she won’t write the third route and instead passes it off to Tomoya since it’s his idea. Tomoya gets to work writing the third route while Utaha revises the second route and provides feedback to Tomoya (Nitsuj: In the form of harsh criticism). During this process we get a bath scene (Nitsuj: Hot. (Isis): Shut up) of Utaha who feels dejected (is it because the boy you love is so dense when it comes to your feelings for him?) but recovers quickly and returns to help him out but is too tired so she gets some sleep (scene here: https://youtu.be/9GoX_TCWd50). As they both work on their stories Utaha questions Tomoya on if he really thinks his ending is possible in the world and he thinks so since he loves both girls equally and wants them both to be happy (Nitsuj: He wants the harem ending. Sadly, that ending always ends bad). In the end they finally complete the script for both routes and go to the closing ceremony of the school festival where Megumi dances with Tomoya and we see the exact moment when Eriri’s heart gets ripped in half.
Episodes 5-8
(Nitsuj): We start episode 5 with someone having the balls to confess to Megumi (her heroine potential is starting to be recognized by the world) and her turning him down. After this we shift our focus to Eriri who is way behind on the art and the deadline is only one week away. In order to get the work done on time, Eriri goes off to her family’s villa in the Nasu Highland. While Tomoya trusts Eriri to get the job done, he can’t help but be anxious and Utaha warns him about the high chances of Eriri being in a slump and what to look out for. Sure enough Eriri does start to fall into a slump just like Utaha predicted and what irritates her the most isn’t the fact that Eriri is in a slump but the fact that Tomoya made such a blunder with letting her go alone instead of staying close to her. As the week goes by and Eriri makes little to no progress she changes up her drawing style by drawing the characters and backgrounds together (Isis: Usually, artists draw the characters and backgrounds separate from each other but to be fair Eriri’s method isn’t a bad idea as it’ll help her get her work done quicker. However, changing up your style right in the middle of development is a very bad move). Tomoya knows that this switch up in style is a bad move on her part but with the approaching deadline he has no choice but to encourage it and Eriri manages to finish the drawings but passes out from overexertion.
Episode 6 starts off with Tomoya going to the villa to look after Eriri. He tells her that she managed to meet her deadline however they’re going to miss the deadline for the winter comiket because Tomoya decided to take care of Eriri instead of finishing the work required from him meaning the game will have to be sold on CDs (you fucking idiot! All that hard work and suffering gone to waste! All because you couldn’t get your shit together and get the fucking job done! Now, I understand him wanting to take care of his friend but this whole mess is her fault. She screwed up, she got behind on her work, and now she’s suffering for it. On top of that you have to stay focused on the job and that job was getting the game done on time. You set the goal and everyone agreed to it no matter what they would have to sacrifice to complete it. Personal feelings have no place here and to just drop everything to take care of a friend is a huge slap in the face to all their hard work). We do get a cute moment where Tomoya acknowledges Eriri’s artwork as being the best he’s ever seen and praising her for it plus Eriri apologizing to the group for causing trouble (Isis: You have nothing to apologize for, all fault lies with the dense idiot you like for some reason. Scene here: https://youtu.be/ldBFqtrvMy8). After this luck comes their way where everyone is talking about their game and how good it is that they sell out all their CDs (we’re a hit). However, things end on a sour note for Tomoya as he gets in trouble with Megumi who’s mad at him (Isis: Wow, that is the last person I would expect him to have problems with). She’s mad that despite everything that happened Tomoya didn’t ask her for help not one time and kept her out of the loop taking on everything himself (like a dumbass).
In episode 7 the cold days of winter continue as spring is just around the corner and Utaha will be graduating so she’s making these last days count by walking to school with Tomoya shocking the student body and Eriri airing out their personal squabble in the schoolyard. While Tomoya may have the affection of the school’s two idols, he doesn’t have the affection of Megumi (Isis: AKA the best girl). She’s mad about the events from the last episode and instead of yelling at him or making his miserable (you know, like a normal girl. (Isis): True) she instead gives him the silent treatment and ignores all his calls (you know given her personality and character this really doesn’t seem all that different from how she usually is). Later on he goes to meet up with Iori who gives him chocolates from Izumi (although he failed to mention that in the beginning) and has some fun with him by showing him a copy of his first doujin. After their meeting Iori tells Tomoya to keep his circle alive because he wants the chance to face them again at the summer comiket where Tomoya is hard at work creating the next game. While it’s true Rouge en rouge out sold Blessing Software, Iori feels that Blessing Software created the better game. The next day he receives chocolate from Eriri since it’s Valentine’s Day and he receives a treat from Utaha as well. Tomoya asks Utaha if she’ll stick with the circle for the next project saying she would like working with everyone again and Eriri feels the same way (anything to get close to the man they like). Tomoya also tries to get Megumi on board by texting her the details for his next project and she replies to it which makes Tomoya realize what an ass he’s been (took him long enough. (Isis): Yeah, we’re talking like two months here folks). Also, the title for his next project is How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend (and the universe imploded because of the title drop).
Episode 8 starts off with Tomoya fixing his relationship with Megumi (well that’s nice. Too bad it took him two months). It starts off with him showing Megumi the proposal for his next project which was the game he originally wanted to make but it got swept away because of Utaha and Eriri (Isis: Because Tomoya couldn’t control his women. (Nitsuj): Unlike yours truly). He wants Megumi to not only be his heroine again but he also wants her to be his second in command. He of course plans on having Utaha write but only the main route as he doesn’t want to over burden her like in the past and he’ll be writing the other routes himself. He also wants Eriri to do the artwork even though she’s still in her slump (just kiss her, that’ll get her out of it). He then apologizes to Megumi about everything that happened last year and is so moved by this that she actually cries (Isis: So she can emote). After this they go back to his place to discuss the project in more detail where Tomoya wants to make the game and its characters as human as possible. No deres, alternate timelines, or past memories. Just meeting a cute girl, spending time with her, and slowly but surely advancing your relationship day by day just like in real life (Isis: So if he knew all of this why did it take him so long to apologize to Megumi. (Nitsuj): Because he’s an idiot).
Episodes 9-11 and OVA
Episode 9 is where we get one of the biggest betrayals in the history of anime. It starts off with Utaha graduating (Isis: I imagine a lot of boys were crying during the ceremony) and Tomoya showing her the proposal for his next project and asking her to join. While she likes the idea for the project she turns it down saying she won’t have time to work with him now or again in the future. She talks about his faults as a project manager putting too much emphasis on the team rather than the project (yes! I ranted about this in episode 6) and not driving the team to push past their limits and achieve their next level (Isis: True, he only wants their minimum work). On top of this she already agreed to work on another project being headed by Akane the leader of Rouge en rouge. It turns out she played their game and was impressed with the work of Utaha and Eriri so she strong armed them into working on her next project and the worst part is they accepted this proposal a month ago and didn’t tell Tomoya knowing that he was going to ask her and Eriri to join his project (you fucking traitors! Now don’t me wrong, I get what Utaha is saying about Tomoya and she’s right. Tomoya is too soft as a project manager and needs to set aside his emotions for his friends and focus on the project in front of him. But instead of just going behind his back and going to work for someone else don’t you think you should have told him this sooner that way he got a sense of what you expect from him in the future? If you want him to push you past your limits tell him. Remember, he’s just starting out as a creator and it’s your responsibility as another creator to guide him on the right path. No matter how you look at this Utaha and Eriri are at fault here for betraying Tomoya and not talking with him at all about this proposal like he was some stranger. Eriri should also be ashamed of herself because this is the second time that she’s betrayed Tomoya and this is worse than the first time. Good Lord, I have never come to hate two characters so quickly before in my life). We then flashback to one month ago when Akane met with Utaha and Eriri about her project and wanting to recruit them for the project saying she wants them to live and breathe for this project and nothing else (Isis: And if need be die for it. (Nitsuj): Okay, not even I would ask you guys to die for Project Nitsuj. (Isis): Wouldn’t dream of it. *Whispers* Although I would die for you). Eriri of course tries to refuse but Akane plays with her mind saying her talents would be wasted at Blessing Software. Eriri than tries to use the excuse that she’s in a slump and that’s when Akane really gives it to her. She calls Eriri’s work trash, says she not in a slump and is just lagging behind, and the final nail in the coffin is showing her how easy it is to imitate her work and this causes Eriri to snap (scene here: https://youtu.be/KF5Npba93Zk, really Utaha? Really Eriri? You’re going to leave the boy you supposedly both like to work for this insane bitch who is obviously going to abuse you both to no end just because you think it’ll make you both better creators? I know you guys want to get better but this isn’t the way to do it. If anything this method could run you both dry and make you hate what you’re doing).
(Isis): So after this great betrayal, in episode 10 we continue to see the past as a few days go by and Eriri is able to draw again. She shows her work to Utaha who’s impressed and this causes Eriri to breakdown and cry because she now realizes that Akane was right about her. She wasn’t in a slump her artwork was just bad and all she needed to get her back on the horse wasn’t the encouragement from the guy she liked but rather being insulted by someone else (Nitsuj: Well the one thing we can gather from this is Eriri is a masochist. (Isis): That sounds about right. (Nitsuj): This doesn’t shock you at all? (Isis): No. Given her reason for drawing in the first place this was the most obvious outcome. Eriri started drawing out of revenge, anger, and sadness. The world torn her away from the boy she liked so she used that anger and sadness in her drawings in order to get revenge on the world. She finally got a chance to work with the boy she liked thus losing her sense of anger and sadness and just being happy to work with said boy. This proved to be her downfall because she lost her drive for her drawings. I hate to say it but it seems like the only way Eriri and Tomoya can work together again is if Eriri finds a new drive for her drawings). She realizes now that no matter what happens now she’ll never be the great illustrator Tomoya wants her to be (scene here: https://youtu.be/hPWhta10pZM. (Nitsuj): She’s still blaming Tomoya for her “slump”? Bitch your “slump” was caused by your lack of determination. (Isis): Geez Nitsuj, you’re not gonna let this go are you? (Nitsuj): No! I’m sorry but these two pissed me off! It’s not the fact that they’re going to work for someone else that’s got me mad. I get it, it’s a great opportunity for both of them and if Tomoya tried to stop them for his own selfish reasons he be an asshole but he wouldn’t stop them. He’s dense but he’s not an idiot, he knows that this is a great opportunity for them and would have encouraged them to take the project over his. The problem I have with all of this is that instead of going to talk to him about it they kept it a secret for an entire month. I admit that Tomoya has faults as a creator and yes whether we want to admit it or not he doesn’t have the skills to bring out Utaha and Eriri’s true potential yet to help them grow, but the least you can do as his friends and as fellow creators is give him the proper respect and tell him what was going on instead of just dropping a bomb on him like in episode 9 and stop blaming him for their shortcomings and failures when it was clear they were the ones at fault). After calming down and having a good cry they both vow to take Akane down and make her regret underestimating them. We then return to the present where surprisingly Tomoya is taking it rather well that his two best friends have left the group (Nitsuj: Like I said, he gets it). He’s catching up with Iori where we find out he left Rouge en rouge and took Izumi with him (Nitsuj: Nice, maybe he’s not as big an asshole as I originally thought. Also, he left the circle correctly. He thanks Akane for everything and wishes her luck in the future. That’s how you leave a circle and this also keeps the door open for him to return). Iori encourages Tomoya to keep on developing games, continue with his circle, and don’t give up saying that he enjoys facing Tomoya when he’s serious and following his dreams. After this we end with Tomoya walking up the same hill where he first met Megumi and she appears with her hair cut short (so much better. I was not a fan of the long hair) and inviting him on a date.
In the final episode we start with Tomoya and Megumi on a train heading to the mall where Tomoya is trying to convince Megumi (as well as himself) that Utaha and Eriri have done nothing wrong (Nitsuj: Yes they- (Isis): If you go on a rant again I’m going to shoot you so keep it nice and sweet and only one word. (Nitsuj). . . bullshit) and asks her not to be too mad at them but it’s too late as Megumi and Eriri did have an altercation and it ended with tears running down Megumi’s face (and the Eriri hate continues to grow). They reach the mall where they hold a strategy meeting and Tomoya begins to think Megumi is doing all of this to make him feel better (no~, you think?). Well he’s 30% right, the other percentage is her wanting to go out and to also make sure he sticks with her until the end instead of running out like he did last time (https://youtu.be/Y8EMndSFFMk). They go shopping where at the end Tomoya buys Megumi a new hat as a way to say thank you for everything. As they walk home Megumi reconfirms her commitment to making the ultimate dating SIM game with Tomoya and agrees to become his heroine once again which he accepts and he breaks down crying. After this scene we go to the train station where Utaha and Eriri are about to leave for Osaka (Nitsuj: I’ve been there. Great place) where Tomoya shows up to wish them luck on their project and Megumi also talks to Eriri over the phone wishing her good luck as well (which did not happen in the novel. Megumi at this point was still mad at Eriri and refused to speak to her. In fact, the two don’t make up until volume 12). They also wish him good luck with his project and Eriri asks Tomoya if she can have his glasses (the same ones Megumi gave him) and he says yes. She then tries to move in for a kiss but Utaha takes it instead (Nitsuj: Still the best girl in my book) which causes them to miss their train (scene here: https://youtu.be/pZkfAOTMkOw). After the credits the new school year starts where Izumi has transferred to the school as a first year (Nitsuj: Hello new illustrator) and we get a funny moment with Utaha, Eriri and Michiru to end the season (Nitsuj: Yeah this season needed more Michiru. Scene here: https://youtu.be/PvDy_BDtSZE).
(Nitsuj): Just like the first season this season also had a special episode (where the anime once again earns that ecchi tag). Serving as a prequel to the season the circle is at a hotel so that Eriri can get drawings of Megumi in a swimsuit as part of a scenario in the game (scene here: https://youtu.be/_KZU52MsJjA, Nitsuj likes) and the anime breaks the 4th wall a little bit acknowledging that the first season was somewhat lackluster. As you would imagine the girls are all in risqué swimsuits that show off their bodies and even Izumi makes a guest appearance (scene here: https://youtu.be/ej6b_vwhWFQ. (Isis): Did her breast get bigger? (Nitsuj): Most likely). There’s a scene where Utaha tries to perform CPR on Tomoya behind everyone’s back https://youtu.be/uyk_0r-ivWw) and even arranges some alone time with him later that night behind everyone’s back (damn, you can’t rest with Utaha around). Michiru plays them a new song for the game which inspires Eriri and Utaha to create a scene matching up with the song and we end once again with Tomoya and Megumi going off to chat with each other. All in all this episode is full of fanservice and funny moments just like the first one so if you want to see where the anime earns that ecchi tag and get a good laugh check out this episode.
Final Thoughts
(Nitsuj): Saekano as a whole is a great series that follows along the same lines as Bakuman and Shirobako. It shows us the ups and downs of a medium we all enjoy and at some point have thought about getting into. The first season was overall good. It starts off introducing the characters, establishing who they are, what they will contribute, showing their relationship with each other, and even showing a few grudges the characters have with each other. Some of them get resolved while others don’t and some are just put on the backburner for later. The major problem I have with this season is that it starts off at a slow pace and then near the end picks up the pace too quickly in order to end the series at a good spot.
(Isis): The second season is where things really start to pick up as it’s becoming crunch time and we see the group interact with each other more where their thoughts and ideas are different from each other which in turn leads to disagreements and arguments. The climax of this season is bittersweet and feels you with anger and sadness to see the group go their separate ways on such a sour note with each other but at the same time it gives you hope that they’ll somehow mend their problems and get back together. While the ending was different from the novel, it was a good end for the anime.
The best part of this anime is the characters. These guys are well done and drive the series forward. Tomoya is the dense male lead who has a dream of what he wants to do and chases after that dream inspiring everyone around him to help him make it happen. He really does come across as an otaku, a believable otaku that you could find in real life and hang out with. He’s not ashamed of what he likes and feels he shouldn’t hide what makes him happy. Eriri is your typical tsundere character who likes Tomoya and takes pride in the fact that she’s Tomoya’s childhood friend, something nobody else could claim. To her, this was her advantage over everyone else. It was her basically saying that while you may know Tomoya, you haven’t known him as long as I have. Despite, all of this however, I won’t deny that she’s the worst girl in this series. She’s a girl who not only betrayed the guy she liked once but twice and has the gall to blame him for her shortcomings and failures instead of facing them herself and realizing that all faults are because of her as a person.
(Nitsuj): Megumi is without a doubt the best girl in the series. She’s the one character who slowly develops the most throughout the series. She goes from being this monotone blank-slate of a girl to a heroine that everyone wants. While she doesn’t put her emotions on full display for everyone to see, she lets them be known. It’s interesting how she’s able to view everyone’s relationship with each other and act as the voice of the audience in certain situations and events. While Megumi may be the best character, Utaha is definitely the most interesting. She’s a heroine you really don’t see all that often. She’s a popular, pretty, smart, has a job in a field that many people struggle to get into and somehow manages to handle it all and have a normal school life. But at the same time, she’s a fragile girl who desperately seeks the approval and attention of the one she likes. She doesn’t care about what her fans think of her or what her manager thinks of her. All she cares about is what Tomoya thinks of her and she wants him to see her as this strong woman who can handle anything. That’s why when Tomoya finds fault in her work or way of thinking she can’t help but have a small breakdown and cry because in her mind she failed to live up to his expectations. The rest of side characters are used poorly. They really don’t serve a major function throughout the series which is a shame because they’re good characters. Izumi comes across a good rival for Eriri but barely gets anytime to interact with her or acknowledge her work. Same with Iori, despite his personality, it does seem like he and Tomoya have a lot in common and seem to have a bit of rivalry with each other but he barely gets used. Even Megumi kind of suffers from character expansion in the second season as she barely has anytime to shine or have characterization. The only side character that they seem to utilize is Michuru and it’s really not that much. She just shows up, flirts with Tomoya to rattle the girls, plays some music, and leaves. We never learn about her home life, what she’s like at school, or what she does when she’s not with the group or playing music. These are all great characters, but they sadly get pushed to the side.
(Isis): Story wise, the series does a good job advancing the story in each season and showing the struggles and interactions of each other. However, some of them aren’t given a good amount of time. Eriri’s portion of the story comes out stronger and more as a center of focus as opposed to Utaha’s portion of the story which feels less important and impactful when you compare the two. Even the problems between Tomoya and Megumi feel as if they get shoved to the side which boggles the mind seeing as how these two are the main characters so our focus should be on them and how they resolve this problem to move forward. The climax as I said before is bittersweet but at the same time good and enjoyable. It’s sad to see the group split up but at the same time it gives us hope that they’ll each grow in some way and reunite. While the way things ended but a damper on their friendship, there’s still respect and trust between them despite what went down near the end.
(Nitsuj): The animation is very good here. The gentle art style and lighting matches that of the light novel although I will admit red highlights on the girls bother me. What was up with that? The music does a good job reflecting the series as being a gentle yet realistic romcom that you can get invested in. There are a few fanservice moments particularly with Utaha and Michuru but I thought it was good and tasteful fanservice that anyone could enjoy. The comedy was good as well, I like how the characters actually poke fun at their own setting but at the same time can’t help but like it which is how I think a lot of us feel about different tropes in animes. Despite the fact that we’ve seen the trope dozens of times we can’t help but still like them no matter how ridiculous they are.
Final Score
(Nitsuj): For the first season of Saekano, I give a 7/10. Good introduction, but the pacing could have been better. For the second season, I give it a solid 8/10. It built on what the first season did and despite showing a little more favoritism with some characters and arcs, I felt it ended on the right note with plenty of satisfying scenes.
(Isis): For my score for the first season is a 7.5/10. I didn’t mind the pacing all that much and really felt the season did a good job introducing the characters, setting, what each one will contribute, as well as explore the relationships with each other. For the second season, I give it a 9/10. I felt each arc had the appropriate time given them. Some problems were bigger than others and as such had more time given to them. The fact that we had so many emotions at the climax and ending just shows how much we got invested into the story and its characters.
(Nitsuj): So if we combine all of our scores we get 31.5/40 and if we take the average of score we get a final score of 7.9 which using our system translates into a 8/10 and I’m adding a must watch stamp as a bonus.
(Isis): If you’re a fan of visual novels or enjoyed watching animes like Bakuman and Shirobako, give this anime a try, you’ll enjoy it.
(Nitsuj): Or if you’re looking for a good romcom/harem anime to enjoy, check this anime out as well.
(Isis): With the light novel finished and a movie announced for the future, will a third season be greenlit for next year or will the movie serve as the series finale? All I can say is check out the light novel when you get the chance, you’ll love it. This has truly been an enjoyable birthday review and I have all of you to thank for it. Thank you all for reading and we’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.
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