New Game!! - Reviews

I'm not even finished watching this as I type but I've never wanted to punch a character in the face quite as much as Nenecchi. Also, it's strayed from the first series quite a bit. It feels like no one is interacting? Or the dymaics that were introduced in the first series are falling short. I can't understand why they introduced two interns towards the later end of the series instead of doing something with the characters they have - that are all quite underdeveloped still. Meh, I just wish this was all better.  

This anime is about Suzukaze Aoba joining a game development team. The game development team happens to be all women, which makes for some crazy antics in the anime.

This is the second season of New Game! as denoted by the second exclaimation point in the title. The anime continues right after the release of the first game in the first season. Aoba, with a bunch of experience under her belt, get sucked into being the character designer for the next game by a chance doodle she drew while trying to design the characters for the next game.

The anime is really solid and I highly recommend watching it. The cast of characters interacts very well with each other and the whole anime just flows. It's pretty great.

9.9/10. The story does feel a bit bland at times, but it's pretty much a very good story anyway. 5/5 stars though, for sure.

Positive

*This review is going to be rather short since 2 of my 3 positive points are exactly the same as in my review of the first season. I still liked the bright and colorful animation and art style which emphasized the comical nature of NG. Like the first season I still enjoyed the comedy. If you want to hear more details about why I liked the art style and comedy, I will put a link up here and in the description which will bring you to my review of season 1.

For a video review, check out my Youtube channel. Link on my profile page.

*Something that I missed in the first season was development for Hifumi, my favorite character. I felt that development for her fell short but here in the second season she gets the development she deserves. And it wasn’t only her. Other older characters like Nene and the new characters Momiji and Tsubame all get the necessary development.

Negative

*But because of that there was one thing that was now a bit neglected imo. And that was the relationship between Rin and Yagami. This was one of the most important relationships in the first season but in the second season it gets a lot less attention. Also because Rin as a whole plays a much less important role. All the development in this relationship was crammed together in the final episode. I understand that they had to make room for the new characters so it wasn’t that much of a bother but it was noticeable.

Conclusion

So as a conclusion, this season was a worthy successor of season 1. I enjoyed it, it was funny and I wonder if we’re going to get a 3rd season one day. With what happened in the final episode a new door has been opened for both Aoba and the story in general. So overall I’m going to give New Game!! S2 the same score as I gave S1 being 3,5 stars. This is a very lighthearted comedy anime and for the lovers of the genre it’s an anime that you should add to your to watch list.

Once more, I give New Game!! high praise for its exploration of the goings-on in the video game industry.  Still, the first season covered most of the subjects of interest, leaving the second season to cover these things in as uninterestingly a fashion one can imagine.  Been there.  Done that.  Tweren't more to offer?

The next best thing was the swirling of character interactions.  Friendships cemented.  Rivalries born.  The key one being the relationship between the fresh-faced Aoba and the wily veteran Ko.  Season two focused on the new project and the credit one receives for their work.  Aoba is the creative mind for the game and original artist of the characters, but Eagle Jump advertises Ko as the guiding force and publishes her key animations of Aoba's designs as she has gained a reputation as a game designer to spark sales.  Any resentment?

False face, false confidence, false charm runs the story which never seems to have the girls roam too far from their workstations.  New cast members only spice up the plot, as the friction between new hires Sakura and Narumi.  Narumi assumes Sakura has her job at Eagle Jump due to her friendship with Aoba.  Narumi boasts of her programming skills and ability to knock down assignments quickly.  But Sakura's gift at de-bugging gets Narumi out of trouble as her sloppy work habits produce flawed work.  Comradeship is forged slowly through the twelve episodes.  Rivals can make handy allies.

The big tension is between Rin and Ko when Ko announces at project's completion that she will go to France to work at projects following different themes than her usual fantasy-themed games.  The fear of a committed friendship will be lost with the separation.  But Ko speaks of a few years’ hiatus, and then she’ll return to Eagle Jump.  This sparks some hope for a third season with Ko's return after a few years, but ...

The big sour for me came in the first episode where Eagle Jump considers hiring male employees, and then doesn't.  Such issues of job discrimination don’t stand, even when one notes the series as shojo.  Boys don't play well in such an all-girl environment (one boy, Ren Ijima, Yun's younger brother ... that's all she wrote), and leaving them to a minimum can be desirable, but something still seems to be missing ... like a dare never taken.  Back to this point in a bit.

As far as anime technique goes, New Game!! is standard with little frills and modest color pallet.  The music is typical of the all-girl genre, pitched, whiny, and introspective, with the disadvantage that untranslated lyrics leaves one out.  As if to appeal to a fan-base and no more.

Back to the no boys allowed verve.  A modest suggestion for any prospective third season (call it New Game!!!) ... let them in.

Think of the possibilities for plot concepts.  And trust me, plot was an abysmal low in this series.

One young man is allowed to work for Eagle Jump ... test basis.  Three girls become smitten, rivalries honed, with no work getting done, the company on the edge of chaos ... or

Two guys are allowed to join Eagle Jump, both with an eye on the same lady.  Competition becomes fierce, nerves become frazzled, weird stuff comes up in the conferences ... or

Combined these concepts, two guys with eyes on the same prize, the third a corporate spy for some other VG-cartel who tries to get cozy with shy Hifumi to garner those trade secrets ... or

Throw all this nonsense together and develop a girls-vs-guys maelstrom which is brewing to a head on the day Ko returns from France.  With video game Armageddon in the onset, Ko rallies the ladies to oust the male cancer from Eagle Jump, but not before some programming error unleashes a virus that tragically damages Eagle Jump artistic properties.

We can call this one NOOOO GAME!!!

Go back to my day job?  (sigh!)  OK.

This is a really great sequel and a nice way to finish the series.

I'm usually not that fond of newly introduced characters in series with a big roster, but in this case the new girls improved the dynamics of the series a lot.

Every girl has a great personality once you get to know them.

This season had a lot of character development and added depth to already established ones.

The only negative thing i can say, even though it's just my personal taste, is that i found how the series is afraid of going GL all the way really annoying, i didn't expected a kiss or anything but it's like they just left the girls relationships just there, outside Rin and Ko.

All in all as always my personal enjoyment is what weights the most for me and i thoroughly enjoyed this ride.

9/10 but a 10 in my heart