STORY - 5.5/10It's very hard to go wrong with the story of this anime. They set it up really well in the first season, so it should be easy. Sadly, though, they do go wrong with this series. It seems so underwhelming compared to the previous series. They could have easily made it way cooler than the last one, as there was so much source material to work with. However, its basically the same as the last series. The plotlines are very similar, which takes away from the whole magic. Also, there is little to no character development throughout. They try to create mystery about Kaito's past, something that I do give them praise for. It's a good step, but it was lost due to its outcome. In the end, it turns out to be a whole 'artefact alters people's memories' deus ex machina plot device, which brings me to my next point. The orpheus rings from the last series have taken a change for the worse. In season 1, the lines were hard to distinguish and we couldn't tell wether these artefacts were good or evil. In this series, they're just plain evil. So, in short, all possibilities for them are gone for good. Finally, the ending is exactly the same - boring, underdone, short and unsatisfying. Sound familiar? Its just like the last series, only worse. This time, the mainm villain isn't even introduced until the last few episodes, so we barely have any time to figure out what his plan is. Two words to the people working on this anime - TRY HARDER!
ANIMATION - 6/10Nothing to say here. Not much has improved from season one. It's basically the exact same, and so it gets the same score.
SOUND - 5.5/10I'm really dissapointed about what they did with the soundtrack. Sure, its really hard to top the epic theme song from season 1, but they could have at least tried. But did they? NOPE! The theme song, although taking some ideas from its predecessor, fails to even come close to it. Also, there has been no change to the other songs. They're simply re-using the old songs that got overused in season 1. Its really a shame. Also, why does Kaito have two different voice actors? I never really noticed it, but its strange...
CHARACTERS - 4.5/10This is where the series fails the most. While series one was hit and miss, this series is all failure. The returning characters that we all know and love work exactly the same, except for Kaito. Strangely enough, Kaito's personality is actually a bit better. Now that the writers know his character, he stays in it a lot more. Sadly, though, the characters outside the returning ones are mostly failures. Freecell, a new character who sort of plays the main villain even though he's not, is precisely the same as rook. The side villains are exactly the same as the villains from series one. Speaking of which, they're pretty much working desk jobs at POG in this series. One of the really crazy guys does come back though, but he's quickly forgotten about. The characters just don't seem any different from the last time. Sadly, this is where most of the problems lie. A good story needs good characters. What a shame...
OVERALL - 5/10Like many anime, or even any franchise in general, this show suffers from sequel syndrome. I would tell you to skip it, but there are key facts that - OH WAIT, THERE AREN'T! So far, season 3 isn't showing much connection to season 2. It's also proving to be a lot better in all areas, and it's only got six episodes! Don't bother watching this, even as a hardcore fan. Maybe if there's nothing better to watch, then do it, but those moments don't happen often. Anyway, I'm finishing this review and going back to warching episode 6 of season 3. I haven't had a chance to yet, and I do hope it's good...
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