Series Synopsis
Welcome back to the family-owned Shikada Candy Shop were Kokonotsu Shikada (voiced by Atsushi Abe) is still under a lot of pressure to take over as the next manager. And trying her best to see that day become a reality is the walking sweets encyclopedia Hotaru Shidare (voiced by Ayana Taketatsu).
As it was last time, Kokonotsu shrugs off Hotaru’s many attempts at getting him to choose the family business. While the things have become quite energetic, Kokonotsu has grown to like the change in pace. Ever since Hotaru came into his life, the quiet days at the small candy shop have turned a lot more exciting.
But like everything else, nothing can last forever.
Unlike before, Kokonotsu must really think about what it is he wants to do in the future. Despite his adamant refusal to take over the store, he does love candy, and he has a natural talent for creating a welcoming environment for customers.
Try as he might to push himself away, Kokonotsu keeps returning to the tiny shop.
Series Positives
Of the 2018 Winter season, many shows caught my eye. Through general hearsay, certain series managed to peak my interest, and as a result, I grew excited to watch them.
For this series though, Dagashi Kashi 2 was one I was looking forward to as your regular anime fan. In case you haven’t read my review on season one, I enjoyed the original show quite a bit, and when I learned it would be getting a continuation, I was thrilled.
I won’t pretend Dagashi Kashi 1 was perfect. Nor will I claim its sequel was high on my “must watch” list for 2018. But season one was a ton of fun, and season two was something I wanted to cover very much.
While that may be all well and good, I do have a secondary motive for wanting to return to this series. Ever since finishing season one, something has been bugging me. Something that hasn’t made the least bit of sense. And from everywhere I’ve looked, and trust me, I’ve looked, I haven’t found an answer.
I’ve said this many times in the past, but I feel it is appropriate to bring it up again now. I don’t put much weight on numerical scores. If you do a quick search of the internet for any anime, you will find plenty of sites that try to award a value to whatever series you happen to be looking for. I have never understood or accepted how a number can adequately define the merits and faults of a show. To me, such scores are hollow and don’t paint the full picture.
That said, I do understand where value can come from these types of scores. One of the founding pillars of LofZOdyssey Anime Reviews is to help guide people to their next anime since not everyone has the time to check out every series. Therefore, I try to serve as a guide, and numerical values do the same thing.
I like to think I can be a little more detailed, even if a bit rambly, but I can’t deny the convenience of a simple number out of ten.
I mention this because, for the life of me, I don’t get why Dagashi Kashi is sitting at a 6.2 out of 10 on IMDb. And I am only singling out IMDb since most people are aware of it. Other sites that tailor themselves to anime fans, such as MyAnimeList, don’t rate Dagashi Kashi much better. But for this rant, I will focus on IMDb.
To give more context, one, the scores you see on IMDb are users submissions; take that information as you will. Two, here is a rundown of some of the worst shows I have reviewed and their respective scores: Maken-ki 6.6, Gantz 7.3, and the most baffling of all, Prison School 7.7. These series are trash and yet, Dagashi Kashi is below them?
As I said, Dagashi Kashi wasn’t the best thing ever to be. In my last review of the series, I even mentioned how it wouldn’t surprise me why someone wouldn’t be able to get into the series. But let me make this clear.
Dagashi Kashi 1 was well made and a lot of fun for what it was. While not brilliant, it was way better than the other three shows I just brought up.
Disclaimer, I’m not saying I would rate Dagashi Kashi 1 at Prison School’s 7.7. What I am saying though, Prison School has no business being mistaken for a series that well received.
Disclaimer, I’m not saying I would rate Dagashi Kashi 1 at Prison School’s 7.7. What I am saying though, Prison School has no business being mistaken for a series that well received.
I’m glad Dagashi Kashi got the chance at a second installment. And having now seen Dagashi Kashi 2, I’m even less sure why this series hasn’t been getting higher ratings. Am I missing something? I didn’t think I was the first time around. And now, I know I’m not. Putting aside Dagashi Kashi 1, 2 was great. Taking into account the fact I saw the original almost two years ago, I’m comfortable with saying this.
Season two was at least as good as the first. That's the reviewer in me talking. But the tiny anime fan in my head is screaming something else. And that is, season two was much better than the first.
Starting off, I did not expect Dagashi Kashi 2 to be fifteen minutes per episode. I know I shouldn’t have assumed this season was going to be a full-length series like the original, but why would I not think that? Color me surprised when halfway through the runtime I expected this show to be, the credits started rolling.
So right away, this was different. But different has never automatically meant the same thing as bad. Case in point, Dagashi Kashi 2. This format worked so much better for this show’s brand of comedy. The jokes were easier to stomach since they no longer lasted as long as they did before. One of the biggest faults of season one was how heavy-handed it got with its humor.
More than merely accommodating its comedy, Dagashi Kashi 2 used its time well. This show felt like a complete season, as well as, a follow up to the original.
That’s another thing I have to give Dagashi Kashi 2 credit for; it was a proper sequel. This wasn’t a retread of the first season. The entire series moved forward. It went ahead and did the next thing. The original came off as being set in a perpetual summer. Here that wasn’t the case. For our characters, life moved on, and new challenges came up.
Another upgrade from season one to two was the animation. This is coming from someone who enjoyed the art style and character designs of the original. Dagashi Kashi 2 was in the hands of a new studio this time around.
For season one, Feel studios, of Nagasarete Airanto fame, were responsible for the animation. For season two, that task went to Tezuka Productions, and their past works include nothing I’ve ever seen. Other than using Dagashi Kashi 2, I can’t attest to Tezuka’s animation prowess. But if this season is an indication, this studio is pretty good.
So right away, this was different. But different has never automatically meant the same thing as bad. Case in point, Dagashi Kashi 2. This format worked so much better for this show’s brand of comedy. The jokes were easier to stomach since they no longer lasted as long as they did before. One of the biggest faults of season one was how heavy-handed it got with its humor.
More than merely accommodating its comedy, Dagashi Kashi 2 used its time well. This show felt like a complete season, as well as, a follow up to the original.
That’s another thing I have to give Dagashi Kashi 2 credit for; it was a proper sequel. This wasn’t a retread of the first season. The entire series moved forward. It went ahead and did the next thing. The original came off as being set in a perpetual summer. Here that wasn’t the case. For our characters, life moved on, and new challenges came up.Another upgrade from season one to two was the animation. This is coming from someone who enjoyed the art style and character designs of the original. Dagashi Kashi 2 was in the hands of a new studio this time around.
For season one, Feel studios, of Nagasarete Airanto fame, were responsible for the animation. For season two, that task went to Tezuka Productions, and their past works include nothing I’ve ever seen. Other than using Dagashi Kashi 2, I can’t attest to Tezuka’s animation prowess. But if this season is an indication, this studio is pretty good.
Here, everything was much crisper. You could feel the energy in each movement. Adding to that energy was the voice cast who all returned to reprise their roles. And I want to make a special mention to Ms. Ayana Taketatsu, the voice of Hotaru.
Ms. Taketatsu was able to bring out the bombastic, hundred-miles-per-hour personality of Hotaru as she did before. But in this season, Ms. Taketatsu got the chance to showcase another side of Hotaru’s character; a side I didn’t think existed.
So yes, there were a lot of things Dagashi Kashi 2 improved. And I’ve only scratched the surface. The image of that 6.2 started flashing question marks in my head when this season demonstrated that this series’ characters were a lot more three dimensional then they let on. Sure they were silly and goofy, but that didn’t mean they weren’t going to react when something happened.
That leads me to the thing that shocked me the most about Dagashi Kashi 2. This season had a set of balls. I can’t believe it did what it did. I say that because the route this series went down could have backfired. The safer option would have been to maintain the status quo, but then we would have had season one all over again.
This season took a risk, and it worked out. And it worked out because Dagashi Kashi 2 added a new element that helped support the series after it took away what I thought was a critical component.
Hajime Owari
By the way, I’m not going to say what it was this season did that was so risky.
Hajime Owari (voiced by Chinatsu Akasaki) was a great addition to the Dagashi Kashi cast. When up against the already established main four, Kokonotsu, Hotaru, and the twins Saya and To Endo (voiced by Manami Numakura and Tatsuhisa Suzuki), Hajime had a smooth introduction. By the end of the season, it was easy to forget she wasn’t apart of the first.
What Hajime did was add a new take to what was going on. With the original four, there was always a sense of familiarity. With Kokonotsu and Hotaru, they shared their knowledge for sweets and candy. With Kokonotsu, Saya, and To, there was an actual familiarity since they had been friends since childhood.
Hajime had none of that. She was a new factor in this well-established dynamic. She was a stranger to the small town and knew next to nothing when it came to candy. But there were parts of her personality that helped her fit in immediately.
Hajime was never an idiot. On the contrary, she was actually quite brilliant. Her problem was, she was lazy and didn’t do well in groups filled with a bunch of go-getters. Her more childish side was what usually came out, and that was the side of her that helped her out the most when she became an employee at the Shikada candy shop.
Despite Hajime being the oldest of the main group, she was not the one in charge. She did see Kokonotsu as her manager and the one lending her a hand. She never tried to manipulate a situation to her favor. Or at least she didn’t do that without getting called out.
But then again, Hajime was also the adult of the group. Granted, she was only twenty. Except she did prove to have a lot more life experience than the rest of the cast. There was a point in the season where she predicted what Kokonotsu was about to go through and how it was going to make him feel. Hajime also had enough tact to realize this was nothing to boast about. How she thought this particular situation would play out was a reality check. And sometimes reality checks aren’t the most encouraging.
That aside, Hajime was at her best when she was interacting with the other characters, specifically Kokonotsu and Saya. Much like Hotaru did in season one, Hajime was quick to get along with the lifelong friends. There was never any tension between the characters, and there didn’t need to be. Not every new person has to go through a trial by fire to be part of a group.
Leading up to me watching Dagashi Kashi 2, I had seen Hajime in all the promotional material. I had also seen her wearing a business suit, and this led me to a few sour assumptions. I have no problem saying all those assumptions were wrong. Hajime ended up being a far better character than I could have hoped her to be.
It wouldn’t be unfair to say much of Dagashi Kashi 2’s charm was thanks to her.
Series Negatives
Three issues.
There are three issues I had with Dagashi Kashi 2. Did these three issues push this series down to the puzzling 6.2? Not even close, but I need to get off this point. As I said, there is a reason I don’t pay attention to numbered scores, so I need to stop making it sound like I actually do.
The first issue I had with this season was something that was a holdover from the original. Dagashi Kashi 2’s humor got a bit heavyhanded.
“But Odyssey,” I hear you asking, “didn’t you say season two’s shorter run time fit better with this series’ brand of humor?” You would be right in pointing that out, and I stand by what I said. But what I never said was, “Dagashi Kashi 2’s shorter runtime fixed the underlining problems with this style of comedy.”
Dagashi Kashi had a habit of going overboard. This was a similar problem as was seen in Takunomi. These two shows overblew how exciting mundane things should be. For Takunomi it was alcohol, and for Dagashi Kashi it was candy.
Where Dagashi Kashi, specifically season two, did this better was not coming off as a giant advertisement. Perhaps I am more familiar with drink labels than I am with sweets, don’t judge, but it never felt like this series was trying to sell me anything. I’m saying that even with the suspicion that Dagashi Kashi did reference real products.
Nevertheless, when Dagashi Kashi did go off on a particular candy, the show didn’t know when to stop. That was where season two’s shorter runtime came in. These moments didn’t last as long as they did before. Also, given the focus of this season was more on character development, there simply was not enough time to be as heavy-handed as this series had been in the past.
The second issue I had has to do with the risk Dagashi Kashi 2 took. Don’t get me wrong; I’m glad the series did what it did. However, that does not change the fact the show had to give up something. And what Dagashi Kashi 2 gave up was an opportunity.
Season two never had the chance to mix what it was doing with what the first season did. There was a certain “interaction” that was ripe for this show to take advantage of. While watching, all the signs were indicating that, yeah, this was a thing that was going to happen. And it did happen. Except it happened way too late for the show to capitalize on it.
And that leads me to my third issue. Dagashi Kashi 2 did something I can almost never support. This season was a proper continuation of the original. But this season was also something else.
Dagashi Kashi 2 was a set up for Dagashi Kashi 3. The problem is, at the time of me writing this review, I have heard nothing about the prospects of a Dagashi Kashi 3. I am convinced a third installment is possible. The second season added a lot of material for the series to work with to make the next show a full-length anime again.
This is an issue because Dagashi Kashi 2’s ending was not satisfying, as an ending. When you get to the finale, you will be ready to continue with the next episode. As of right now though, there is no next episode.
While I think the chances of Dagashi Kashi 3 being a thing one day are high, series need to stop doing this. Unless a continuation is confirmed, have a proper ending to a season. Should another installment never come, the only thing you are left with is a show that is incomplete.
And that is the state Dagashi Kashi 2 is currently in.
Final Thoughts
If I am the only person out there to say this, then so be it. This series, and especially this season is as solid as they come.
Again, I’m not saying this was a masterpiece, nor do I consider it to be even close to the best of the best. That notwithstanding, this series was fine. This show did everything it needed to do to be a fun time. There were enjoyable characters. The humor was very funny, problematic points aside.
Overall, this is a series you can throw on to relax with.
Here’s me hoping we get a third installment to bring everything home. But until that day comes, Dagashi Kashi 2 is a show I highly recommend.
But these are just my thoughts. What are yours? Have you seen this show? What would be your advice concerning Dagashi Kashi 2? Leave a comment down below because I would love to hear what you have to say.
And if you liked what you read, be sure to follow me on my social media sites so that you never miss a post or update. Also, please share this review across the internet to help add to the discussion.
I’m LofZOdyssey, and I’ll see you next time.
 |
| Google+ Facebook Twitter |
Others in the Dagashi Kashi Series
| photo b |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment