REVIEW: ‘Heaven Official’s Blessing’ Season 2 Delivers An Intriguing Tale, Eventually

While some question Xie Lian’s actions at the end of the last season of Heaven Official’s Blessing, he still holds the confidence of the Heavenly Emperor, Jun Wu. While this helps him survive the accusations of others, it also lands him the responsibility of locating a lost Heavenly Official in the Ghost Realm. His search will reunite him with Hua Cheng and lead to dark revelations about Xie Lian’s past in Heaven Official’s Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu) Season 2, by Haoliners Animation League based on the Chinese web novel by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.

The best element of the anime series that threads its way through the entirety of Heaven Official’s Blessing Season 2 is the chemistry between Lian and Cheng. The easy, playful way the duo interacts is always pure magic. Cheng’s delight in flustering his friend at nearly every turn never grows old. One could easily question why Lian puts up with him, if not for the unwavering support he also receives. Even in Lian’s darkest moments, Cheng never doubts that he will always make the best decision.

While the core duo is the highlight of Heaven Official’s Blessing Season 2, they are far from the only memorable personalities that occupy the story. Friendly allies, scheming villains, ghosts, and humorous characters dot the season, helping lift up many episodes when the narrative stumbles. The energy in many scenes is shifted skillfully thanks to the different personalities that inhabit the story.

With so many striking personalities and allegiances dotting the narrative, Heaven Official’s Blessing Season 2 features numerous battles, both physical and magical. These sequences are beautifully crafted. The power of magical attacks always feels decisive. When the strongest Cultivationists in the series unleash their might, it never disappoints. Equally so with the swordplay. When characters boast about their skills with blades, they follow up on it. Skillful parries and majestic swings swords deliver the melee combat wonderfully. Combat isn’t a fixture of the story, but when it shows up it never feels like a secondary consideration.

The big failure that holds this season back from the heights of its predecessor is its disjointed narrative. Xie Lian and his companions spend the first several episodes searching the Ghost Realm for the lost official. This entire mission lacks any real purpose of its own. Rather, it is used as a vehicle to get Xie Lian and Hau Cheng together again, as well as cause others to suspect Lian of taking part in a terrible event in the distant past. While using an opening story arc this way isn’t inherently bad, Heaven Official’s Blessing Season 2 devotes far too much time to this leg of the journey. The entire mission feels like dead weight, as the core objective ends up making little difference to the season’s larger story.

While the time spent searching the Ghost Realm feels largely wasted from a narrative perspective, it’s great from a visual one. This new location and the conflicts it contains are excellently delivered from a design standpoint. The animation presents an engaging world that feels vibrant and alive. From opulent palaces to seedy back streets, the look of the locale is always eye-catching.

Once the narrative shifts to the investigation of Lian’s past and what was or wasn’t his fault, the show delivers an incredibly nuanced tale. Things that appear true at first glance are found to be false, only later to be true again—but not entirely. Different accounts of a bloody tragedy soon come to explore the various layers of the event in question. The series does a great job of showcasing how motive and intent can color the facts of an event. While who did what is always important, the reasons why can be even more telling.

Another narrative element that needs addressing is how the story explores its world. While some captivating moments expand the scope of the setting, there are several moments where it becomes a bit too much to keep track of. Heavenly titles, numerous realms, and names of ancient individuals start blurring together. Keeping all these things straight becomes burdensome.

Heaven Official’s Blessing Season 2 accomplishes a lot. But even with its high points, a story that is slow to get going and world-building that is often befuddling holds the series back from achieving the greatness it comes so close to landing.

Heaven Official’s Blessing Season 2 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.