Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. It’s time to continue our look at Virgin Soul. The sequel Shingeki no Bahamut Gensis so far has been meh. It hasn’t done anything great but nothing awful either. In the end it does still feel unnecessary to the series but like I said before the second half still has a chance to change my mind. Let’s continue our review of Virgin Soul.
Opening and Ending Theme
The opening this time around is “Walk This Way” by The Beat Garden. I like it a little bit more than the first opening as it does make me laugh with their Engrish but I have to admit it is cool how the singer goes back and forth between Engrish and Japanese like it’s nothing.
The ending is “Cinderella step” by DAOKO. Once again it’s a cute song with a Cinderella theme to it that feels out of place in this series but I did enjoy it much more than the first ending. At least this time I can actually make out what DAOKO is saying.
Episodes 14-17
The second part starts us off in the capital where the citizens are hard at work repairing the city from the battle with the gods (I’m surprised they came back). We find out that Charoice’s men have found no trace of Favaro, Nina and Jeanne (please find Favaro, we need him) and are told to keep looking for them. We then see Nina and Jeanne arrive in Nina’s village where Nina gets a warm welcome from the villagers. They go to visit Nina’s grandmother the village elder to learn how to get to the land of the gods but she falls asleep so they decide to try again tomorrow. While relaxing in the hotsprings, they have their cliché girl talk (you know, who do you like?) where it gets revealed that Nina still has feelings for Charoice. Yeah, despite everything he’s done she just can’t bring herself to hate him (and to be fair me neither. I really don’t see Charoice as a villain here. While it’s true he’s done a few things, I don’t agree with you can’t deny his line of thinking. In this land of humans, demons, and gods, humans have been seen as the weakest of the three. Haunted by demons and at the mercy of the gods for protection. Under Charoice’s leadership the fear of demons has diminished greatly to the point where demons are barely seen as a threat now. Yes, I don’t approve of him fighting and stealing from the gods but it’s his way of showing them that he and the rest of humanity can stand on their own two feet and fight on par with them as well as demons). The next day comes and the elder says she’ll take them to the land of gods herself seeing as how she flew them back home during the battle with Bahamut all those years ago (oh come on. Surely that old and small lady can’t possibly- https://youtu.be/KYeUQRvLBIc, Je~sus! Man, that is a cool dragon design. In fact, that might be one of the coolest dragon designs I’ve seen). So they take off to the skies and head towards the land of the gods.
Episode 15 starts off with the remaining demon tribe leaders meeting where we see Lucifer is still alive and tells everyone to remain on standby since they have no means of defeating the humans yet but assures them their power isn’t permanent and will dwindle soon. We briefly return to the capital where Azazel is now a competitor in the colosseum (you sure it’s wise to let the guy who goes around killing people a weapon? I mean it was me I would kill him right away). Back with Nina and Jeanne they make it up to Heaven (which while nice has had better days). At first the angels are wary of them but when Jeanne says she just wants to meet her son they let them past where Jeanne is reunited with Sophie and is then reunited with El (which I’m not gonna lie, I’m not feeling the emotional weight in this scene. I mean, I’m glad they’re reunited but it could have been done better. Scene here: https://youtu.be/_oAbRWpIB7o). Now that El has been reunited with his mom he wants to head back out and bring peace to the world but Sophie stops him saying he’s not ready but El insists that he’s the only one who can save the world (scene here: https://youtu.be/GNBcwg3OlE8, watch yourself boy. Nothings worse than an arrogant child).
Episode 16 is a rather enjoyable episode. In one story El wants to return to the surface not to fight but instead bring peace between the gods, humans, and demons (I think we’re way pass the point of peace here. Unless Charoice is dead the peace that you desire ain’t happening). He tries to break out of Heaven dressed as Nina (I don’t know what I find more unsettling. The fact that he pulls the look off better than Nina, looks like he has boobs, or that he undressed Nina while she was sleeping and didn’t do anything to her). Nina, Bacchus, and Hamsa try to catch him and bring him back but have no luck until they’re forced to run away as well when Nina falls from Heaven and El in turn saves her followed by Bacchus and Hamsa who save them both from the barrier’s storm. Back in the capital Kaisar is sentenced to death by combat in a fight against Azazel where they both get saved by the return of everyone’s favorite character Favaro (FAVAROOOO~. Scene here: https://youtu.be/zoFeC6mqH6I). After Favaro saves them and they reunite with Rita, Azazel tries to leave and go off on his own but Kaisar convinces him to stay and fight with them. Their next move is to find the weapon Charoice is working on and stop it.
In episode 17 Nina and the others return to the capital (despite security being at an all-time high they still managed to get pass the guards. No wonder the angels got the jump on them). Rita finds them disguised as a demon (a sexy one mind you) and leads them back to their hideout where Favaro and Kaisar are waiting for them. The group decides to search the city for intel on Charoice’s weapon and Nina heads out dressed as a demon (an even sexier one mind you) where she runs into Charoice in his disguise going to visit the grave of his mother who was killed when Bahamut attacked the city (well that’s another thing he and Nina have in common. They lost one of their parents to Bahamut). Nina gets discovered by Charoice who sees through the disguise but decides to play along. He wants to visit the demon slums, so Nina takes him there where he plays soccer with some demon kids and even makes a new ball for them (okay, so, you enslave demons but yet you don’t mind socializing with them? What are you man? I really can’t get a handle on this guy. He’s like Canada, he’s a please and thank you all rolled into one). They manage to ditch some demons shadowing them where Charoice reveals that Nina is causing him to waver in his convictions. Up until this point he’s had no guilt about what he’s planning or will do in the future but ever since he met Nina he’s begun to question what he’s doing and if it’s right. The two shockingly kiss after Nina hugs him (scene here: https://youtu.be/YbIq3ncPH0c, I’m not sure if it was Nina who initiated the act or if it was Charoice. Either way, this is a big moment). Thanks to this kiss Nina now knows how to transform into a dragon willingly and they go on a romantic night flight (I’m amaze the guards didn’t attack her considering they’re under direct orders from Charoice himself to kill the red dragon on sight). After their flight, they return to the graveyard where Charoice promises to tell Nina everything the next time they meet (or you could tell her right now instead of keeping us in suspense. Scene here: https://youtu.be/j8WFmg6TrUc).
Episodes 18-21
Episode 18 is an episode of preparation as well as characters interacting off each other. We start with Nina returning all giddy (scene here: https://youtu.be/FFoTyYuBYkQ, that girl could not be anymore obvious). The group believes that the key to Charoice’s power is his bracelet which he never takes off. They decide their next best move is to get the bracelet off of Charoice and with the palace ball taking place in a few days that might be their best chance to do it. Nina wants to perform the mission (no. I don’t trust you around him) but everyone is hesitant to let her go in but once she shows everyone that she can control her dragon powers they decide to give her a chance. Once Azazel sees this he is rightfully pissed. From there we see the character interactions I was talking about. Kaisar meets back up with his subordinates Dias and Alessand in Cerbus’s brothel where he asks them for assistance in getting into the palace as well as securing an escape route. Azazel and El meet up again after so long where at first Azazel gives him the cold shoulder (he’s a demon, you’re an angel, that road usually leads to a bad end) but he saves El from getting captured by guards and El keeps following him around (like Tails with Sonic) where he apologizes for being unable to help Azazel in the past and Azazel welcomes him back. Jeanne and Sofial leave Heaven to return to the surface and look for El (scene here: https://youtu.be/CebuiUQXPjY). As for Nina, she receives some sound advice from Favaro about the choices she’ll be making in the future concerning her feelings for Charoice and doing the right thing to protect those she cares about (scene here: https://youtu.be/aJXc8jRzxYg).
Episode 19 is the night of the ball (and I got the feeling emotions will run wild). It starts with Nina going to ball with Alessland who is also an aristocrat, for their master plan. The plan is for Nina to infiltrate the palace along with Favaro. Once inside, Favaro will find Charoice and snatch the bracelet from him. Favaro will then escape on Nina who will turn into a dragon and fly away (not the best plan but it’ll work). As for everyone else, they’ll serve as lookout and secure an escape route for Nina and Favaro should things go south (and trust me, they will). Once inside the palace, Nina scuffs down some food (a very charming lady) and then asks Charoice to dance which he accepts (scene here: https://youtu.be/0vfpGT-YeOg, he dances well for a guy who’s blind in one eye). After the dance, Chaorice and Nina go out on the balcony where Charoice dumps Nina (it’s not you, it’s me. I’m evil). Favaro comes in and demands the bracelet but Charoice reveals that the bracelet can’t be removed as long as he’s alive (then we have can either kill him or amputate the arm. I vote for the first choice). The guards show up but luckily Favaro and a crushed Nina escape thanks to the others. Nina runs to the port heartbroken with Favaro and Kaisar when the Onyx Knights show up (guys not now) and capture Favaro and Kaisar (scene here: https://youtu.be/m9kc70MBo9w).
Picking up where episode 19 left off, episode 20 starts with Nina transforming into a dragon and taking on a demon dragon who is much bigger, stronger, and more experienced than Nina (this might have been a bad idea). Nina loses and returns to her human form where she gets her heart crushed even more when she finds out it was Charoice who ordered her to be killed (scene here: https://youtu.be/s7YU7Iy4r00. My God, how much more of a beaten can this girl take?). They get saved by El, Jeanne, Azazel, and Sofiel with Azazel and Sofiel (unlikely team right there) teaming up to take down the demon dragon and then escaping back to their hideout (scene here: https://youtu.be/22D413qVy0s). From there the episode turns kind of dull as Jeanne and Sofiel tell El he has to return to Heaven, but he refuses saying that it’s his duty to save the world until Bacchus puts him in his place and tells him his purpose for living is to be with his mom (not the most exciting life but a life nonetheless). He agrees to return to Heaven however he wants to say a proper goodbye to everyone, so they agree to leave the next day. He says goodbye to Nina who hides her sadness behind her smile in order not to worry El and we actually get a teary goodbye between El and Azazel. As El is walking back to Jeanne he gets attacked by Alessand (who wants to join the Onyx Knights) and is slowly dying (wow, that was like shades of Assassins Creed right there).
We start episode 21 with El dying (scene here: https://youtu.be/BsrxjYolaJI, no~, he was the shota candy for the girls. Now how are we gonna please the shotacons?). Azazel immediately suspects Dias and Alessand as they were the only ones who knew where their hideout was but Kaisar defends them until Favaro confirms that it was Alessand who killed El and both Azazel and Jeanne are pissed. Jeanne returns to the land of the gods and tells Gabriel that El is dead (she takes it surprisingly well that their secret weapon is dead) but Jeanne vows that she’ll be the one to kill Charoice so they give her back her holy power and prepare for war. As for Azazel, he goes to Lucifer and tries to convince him to attack the humans promising him that Jeanne will attack the humans as well which will increase their chances of taking down the humans and Lucifer agrees with Azazel’s plan. Back with Alessand, after he tells the leader of the Onyx Knights what he did he finally gets accepted to the order of the Onyx Knights only to back out because he finds out that the secret to their power is their life force and not wanting to risk his life he opts out (you asshole! Do you have any idea what you’ve done!? You’ve unleashed Armageddon onto the world and doomed us all). After having a good cry over El’s death, Nina decides that if Charoice is going to keep taking away the things she cares about, she has no choice but to finish him herself and she prepares to set out with the others just as Jeanne delivers a message telling everyone to take up arms and gather for the hour of rebellion (so, after lunch?).
Episode 22-24
In the first half of episode 22 Jeanne and her army composed of humans, angels, and demons (it’s amazing how hatred for one individual can bring people together) head out and attack the palace in full force. In the second half of the episode Favaro and Nina sneak onto the prison island and Nina fights her way inside taking down everyone to reach Charoice (this is the power of pissed off dragon girl). They make it to Charoice where Nina manages to pin him to the ground (excellent. Finish him) but just can’t bring herself to kill him (you are weak). We then finally find out what Charoice has been up to this whole time, reviving Bahamut so he can destroy it (what’s that you say?). Okay, so after the attack 10 years ago the leader of the Onyx knights found the lab of Marinet (oh goddamn him) and found a book which talked about Bahamut and how one day he would return even though he’s been sealed. At first they didn’t believe the book but after performing tests they found out Marinet was right and Bahamut would return in time to destroy the world. Charoice took action to defeat Bahamut once and for all and that was creating his super cannon which was created through the ancient technology held secret by the gods (and you never thought to tell the gods about your discovery why?). Charoice now believes that it’s his destiny to defeat Bahamut at all costs even if that means killing himself in the process (scene here: https://youtu.be/E9pWb0aVLHE). Charoice brings back Bahamut to the world of the living (who has age phenomenally these last 10 years old. Actually, everyone one has) and he prepares to battle the beast (scene here: https://youtu.be/3knO2QOtFO8).
We get action out the ass in episode 23. It starts off with Jeanne’s army fighting against Charoice’s knights where Lucifer and Azazel arrive with their army and join the fight as well helping Jeanne eliminate the knights (scene here: https://youtu.be/ZFzN1WdojtM). Alessand dies in a fitting way by getting stabbed by a demon kid all while pretending to comfort it when really he was going to steal the kid’s knife, kill the kid, and then use that knife to kill Dias (scene here: https://youtu.be/6UBhXwjMOhw, he was an asshole and a coward to his final breath). Charoice finally makes his grand entrance in the battle where Jeanne and Azazel go to face him (oh I bet they can’t wait to get their hands around his neck). Rita and Kaisar also enter the battle by riding on the bodies of the dead (scene here: https://youtu.be/1q3Ev7S-RJU. Okay, for a series that has world destroying dragons, demons, gods, magic, and other mythical creatures, this is the craziest thing they’ve done so far. . .and I love it). After disposing of the Onyx fights, it’s now down to Jeanne, Azazel, and Charoice where just when it seems like Jeanne and Azazel have him, he gets saved by Kaisar who takes the hits for him which winds up killing him (scenes here: https://youtu.be/r5uF911ekGI and https://youtu.be/EOZpqNeFkYs, noo~! At least let him die saying Favaro). The episode ends with the arrival of Bahamut (ohh~ this’ll be fun).
In the final episode everything goes as you would expect it to go. Charoice and Nina use Charoice’s magic cannon to blast off Bahamut’s head and kill it (scene here: https://youtu.be/c7hP-2zrjas) however they both lost something of value to them. Chaorice loses the vision in his other eye so now he’s completely blind and Nina lost the ability to speak (this could be a blessing in disguise for some people). After Bahamut’s defeat things continue to go as you would expect. Charoice is still the king (he saved the world, who’s gonna deny him the throne? Nobody), demons are no longer slaves and their relationship with humans is slowly improving. Nina and Charoice are still a couple and continue to meet in secret (scene here: https://youtu.be/Y0OvX5Z-kxM). Jeanne leaves the capital and moves to the country to live a life of peace and Azazel vanishes after the battle. After the credits the body of Bahamut disappears with Favaro concluding that Bahamut is still alive somehow and rides off as we see Rita revived Kaisar as a zombie (she loves him).
Final Thoughts
So that was Virgin Soul and it’s a mixed bag overall. It has good things in it but also leaves much to be desired. The first half of the anime does a good job setting up the story, letting us see what the current state of the world is, and introducing us to the new characters as well as seeing returning characters who unfortunately get pushed off to the side and just become side characters as the anime continues. In the second half we get to explore the world a little more such as going up to Heaven which was cool, seeing our main character struggle with her feelings, and getting the conclusion of the story. The second half is unfortunately where a lot of the problems arise within the anime as we mostly just see our characters just sit around and talk. I wouldn’t mind but instead of learning something new about them or helping each other out, they keep talking about boring stuff and repeating the stuff they said earlier.
While Nina isn’t necessarily a bad character I feel like she’s not a great lead for this season. We never really get to explore her character or learn that much about her such as her likes, dislikes, her morals, and other stuff. The stuff with her and Charoice does drag on for way too long in my opinion and starts to get annoying when you see all the bad stuff Charoice has done but Nina still remains to have feelings for him up until the end. While it’s true he has feelings for her, he keeps suppressing them to stay focused on his goal and shows no feelings of remorse whenever he hurts her. What could have been a good dynamic between the two turns into a drag fest that serves as one of the central conflicts in the anime.
This season’s biggest downfall is in the treatment of the characters. Favaro and the others really get to serve no purpose in the story whatsoever. They’re regulated to side characters who do nothing accept stand around and talk about the situation they’re in instead of actually doing something to get out of it. While Favaro offers up a few suggestions to Nina so she doesn’t repeat the same mistakes he made, you just wish that the anime focused more on him and flushed him and the other characters out more as they’re the more interesting bunch. El was another interesting character but like Nina we don’t get much time to explore him and his death is one of the weakest and dumbest deaths I’ve ever seen. Rather than have him go out on a high note and have him die in heated battle or die protecting the people most important to him, he dies at the hands of a character who has no importance to the story whatsoever.
The animation is once again spectacular here as you do feel like you entered a fantasy world. I especially like the designs of the dragons and facial expressions of our characters. The fighting unfortunately takes a huge step back this season. They aren’t as well choregraphed, intense, or exciting as the fights in the first season. The soundtrack is still good and there’s the occasional funny scene that manages to get a good laugh out of me.
Is it better than the first season
No. I think the first season was better. Better main characters, a good story, great fight scenes, and an ending that left us satisfied.
Final Score
The score for Virgin Soul is a 5.5/10. I don’t consider this an awful anime but it is an anime season that feels unnecessary given how the first season ended on a good note and everything. While the second season hinted at a possible third season I don’t think it’ll happen as the second season didn’t do all that well in Japan. If you were hoping this season would knock your socks off like the first season I’m afraid you won’t get that here. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.
*All videos, clips, and music are not owned by me and belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved*
Thanks for reading. As always feel free to leave a comment in the comment section or send your comments, feedback, or request to iamprojectnitsuj@gmail.com
Also, be sure to support me and the site on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/projectnitsuj
And follow me on twitter for updates and other stuff: https://twitter.com/ProjectNitsuj