REVIEW: ‘Tower Of God’ Season 2 Episode 12 — “A New Trial”

Officially at the midpoint, Tower of God Season 2 Episode 12 fully encapsulates what’s made the season such a frustrating watch. Based on the webtoon written and illustrated by S.I.U., the series bears an improbably dense storyline and superb world-building. There’s a lot of story packed into these 20-minute episodes. However, as the season progresses, it becomes increasingly clear how out of their depth The Answer Studio is adapting this material. While the writing remains strong and the characters intriguing (even if some storylines are clipped to adjust for time), the visuals are staggeringly flat.

Season 1 of Tower of God is by no means a visual marvel, but it excels, in part, due to its rough around the edges aesthetic. Yes, the lines are thick, and the action is sometimes clumsy, but there’s life and vigor in the motions, with backdrops that rise up to meet the cinematic bar set by composer Kevin Penkin. The background art and the visuals of the first season graced the story with the necessary, otherworldly sensation, as human-looking characters stood striking against settings that mashed different scales of science-fiction.

In Season 2, the story’s life continues to siphon away, even as the narrative accelerates, as in “A New Trial.” The Khun-focused Tower of God Season 2 Episode 12 expertly sets the stage for the incoming storyline, with characters forced into different groupings, all with similar objectives unbeknownst to the others. But there’s those dead eyes of the characters staring back at us. It amplifies the nagging sensation that fans might be better off reading the source material while hitting play on Penkin’s score.

Most frustratingly, if not for the visuals, “A New Trial” reignites our interest. While Khun (Nobuhiko Okamoto) and Bam/Viole (Taichi Ichikawa) pseudo-reunion in Episode 11 spearheads this engagement, Episode 12 drives it home. The teams are once again divided. Bam must go with Xia Xia to ensure his friend’s safety but insists on taking Khun’s teammates, Ran (Minako Kotobuki) and Novick (Jun Kasama), with them to the Warehouse battle. Meanwhile, Khun is rescued from the fall of the Hand of Arlen and brought back by Wangnan (Yuma Uchida) and the rest of Viole’s team.

While at first wary of this team, Khun realizes they don’t stand any real threat. When they rescued him, they also found Viole’s pocket, which Khun recognized as Bam’s. That, plus the power he witnesses Viole exhibit, nearly solidifies that Viole is, in fact, Bam — that Bam is alive. Any doubts are put to rest by the arrival of Ryun, who confirms they faked Bam’s death since he is necessary as a pawn to FUG, as only an Irregular can kill Jahad.

As a famous member of one of the Ten Families, the heads of which Viole is also meant to kill, Akraptor (Kento Shiraishi) assumes Khun and Viole wouldn’t get on well. This might’ve been the case before Khun came to his realization because what Akraptor doesn’t know is how inseparable the two were in the past and the work Khun has done to avenge Bam’s “death.” It’s just yet another example of the density of the plot the series is working with, with different layers of relationships throughout. Tower of God Season 2 Episode 12 also highlights how, both through Rachel and now FUG, Viole has been suffering the manipulations of others his entire life.

Khun agrees to fight with Viole’s group after speaking with his team member Dan (Yū Hayashi), who was brutally injured by Rachel (Saori Hayami) after she, along with Apple, deceived and left Khun to seemingly die. They both want revenge on the girl who constantly uses others to ascend the tower, and Khun will do anything to help Viole. Who knows if Ryun’s motivations are pure — and they likely aren’t considering her role within the tower — but teaming up with Viole’s team will at least ensure Khun is present at the Warehouse Battle in time.

Tower of God Season 2 Episode 12 is a solid, if continually frustrating, experience. Despite the mystery, all of the moving parts, and the hint of an actual reunion between Khun and Viole/Bam, the animation continues to be a distracting flaw. It’s simply too flat, too listless, and lacking the roughened charm of season one. There’s nothing here that distinguishes itself from its contemporaries, and considering the immensity of the story and the singular vision behind it, it’s a shame.

Tower of God Season 2 Episode 12 is out now on Crunchyroll.