REVIEW: ‘To Your Eternity’ Season 2 Delivers A Mixed Bag Of Emotional Storytelling.

After 40 years of isolation following the events of last season, Fushi once more is drawn into humanity’s world as the Nokkers continue to plague the land. But much has changed since he went into exile, and Fushi will need to adapt and expand himself if he is to overcome the challenges presented before him in To Your Eternity Season 2.

To Your Eternity Season 1 delivered an emotional story filled with a memorable cast that comes to a conclusion that, while its primary protagonist survives, feels like a fairly hard ending. Crafting a follow-up adventure means that it will largely be separated from the original in many ways. With the lack of throughlines for both characters and plots, To Your Eternity Season 2 feels far more distant from its original season than I expected. Whether or not this separation is good or bad remains for the viewer to decide.

There are two larger themes that stand at the focus of this season’s narrative. The first is the way the world has come to view Fushi and his amazing powers since he went into exile, as well as how these views evolve as he makes his return to the world. Whether he is a divine being or a demonic monster is on many people’s minds, as they each struggle to take control of Fushi or outrightly destroy him.

The social struggle surrounding the nature of Fushi’s existence is an interesting one. The various ideologies feel well-fleshed out, and one even bears an interesting connection to one of last season’s characters, bringing one of the few direct ties between the two narratives.

The second is the physical threat posed by the Nokkers. What these bizarre-looking threats want, why they hate Fushi, and how Fushi ultimately confronts them is the season’s biggest challenge by far. While the final confrontation with the Nokkers provides the grandest scale To Your Eternity Season 2 brings to its story, the trek to get there is often bogged down in slow moments that don’t bring nearly enough to the narrative. The final payoff is a solid one, but the time it takes to get there never feels fully justified.

A side narrative that is also worth noting is an unfortunate attempt to explore a romantic interest in Fushi. While not dwelt on too much, this plotline struggles every time it comes up, leading to weird and poorly executed moments. I couldn’t help feeling like it was put there simply because such an arc needed to be there given the show’s exploration of Fushi as he grows into a person. While I can grasp why one would think such a plot line would be important, it is so mishandled here that it does nothing but hurt the series.

While plot is always important, it is the characters that made the first season truly shine, and they are once more the key strength in To Your Eternity Season 2. A bevy of new characters appears to influence Fushi’s growth. Friend and foe alike come to impact the story in ways both simple and complex, giving the show several powerful moments that help build up the season’s impact, even when the larger narrative founders from time to time. But while these moments allow the season to overcome many of its drawbacks, one they cannot help is the stumbles within the season’s ending.

As To Your Eternity Season 2 wraps up its tale, it prepares Fushi for the next leg of his journey. However, the form this journey requires him to take means leaving everything behind again. Given the flurry of activity the narrative is hit with within the last couple of episodes, many fans may find the show’s abrupt abandonment of so much of what it works for unsatisfying. Even though it tries to tie everything together, it doesn’t manage to pull it off. This left me disenchanted with the tale as the final credits rolled.

When all is said and done, To Your Eternity Season 2 delivers a season whose high points make it well worth its fairly frequent stumbles for those already invested in Fushi’s journey. A solid step down from season one, my biggest hope for season three is that it may learn from this one’s struggles and manage to recapture its former luster.

To Your Eternity Season 2 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.