ReiLovesLennon9

I'm gonna skip giving an overview of the plot simply because I hate when reviewers do that. Anyhow:

Story:

I wasn't fond of the first one because of the overexaggerated, sappy romance. What I liked about the first season was all the characters besides Kaoru and Aoi, and so I'm happy to see more episodes devoted to the characters and their stories and less to the romance.

Animation:

I think it's beautiful, but I gave it a 9 simply because I've seen better. I don't mind the way the characters get distorted during a comedic scene simply because that's common in comedy anime and this anime has a comedic element to it.

Sound:

I love the soundtrack, including both the opening and the ending. The ending theme definitely has me singing along.

Characters:

I love all the characters except for Mayu, Aoi, and Kaoru. Aoi and Kaoru don't seem like people to me; they seem more like zombies who are constantly repeating one another's names. Kaoru somehow misplaced his spine during the last episode of the first season and now he's sort of like a highway: everybody rolls right over him. It's kind of sad. Aoi is just creepy: half the guys I know would run away from a girl who is that obsessed and who has admitted to watching them and pursuing them after being separated for years. The way she gets that sad look on her face when Kaoru even speaks to another girl, and the way she won't do anything unless it's what Kaoru wants really rub me the wrong way. As for Mayu, she's just annoying: "Hanabishi-samaaa!" My favorite characters are probably Taeko and Tina; I find them both to be relatable in some way. 

Overall:

So much better and so less cringeworthy than the first season. Good job.