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So far in the second series, the IS have almost become secondary to the harem antics, at least in the first three episodes. When animated, these CG mecha moved as a whole and the conflicts were great fun. The suits, transforming and materialising from an item of jewellery or a watch, are a maddening combination of levitating wings, blades, shafts and shiny things which are simply beautiful, as well as being damn near impossible to render in PVC. One of the defining attributes of Infinite Stratos was the animation quality and the mecha design.
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Crunchyroll infinite stratos season 1 full#
Whereas in the first series the arguments between Cecilia and Houki gave me a full on belly laugh, those moments have now passed - Cecilia seems almost pacified, while Houki has lost her tsundere fire. Their characters seem flattened and less deep, and so far they haven’t made me smile or laugh.
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The characters who were developed in the first series - Houki, Charlotte, Cecilia, Lingyin (or Rin, depending on the dub) and Laura - have been changed in subtle ways to make them feel less. What it has delivered is yet another competitor for Ichika’s affection - the school council president, Tatenashi, who is basically a deranged sexual predator. The first series delivered a lot of fighting, a lot of strategy and it was fun! So far, series two has not managed to match its predecessor. Fights were had, relationships developed and by the end of the first series, even with its paper thin plot, and I was ready for some more mecha action. The pacing of the first series was enough so that each character was well introduced and had her time in the sun before she was usurped by one of her fellow competitors for Ichika’s affection. I digress.Īt the end of IS, I personally was left craving more. Oddly enough, her IS when transformed resembles a purple/black butterfly, reminding me of another particularly violent woman from Accel World. The second series begins by introducing a new foe - a mysterious lady and her IS whose primary identifying features are to be both extremely vicious and sexy as hell. Infinite Stratos 2 (IS2) is a direct continuation from where the first series left off, at least in theory. In all fairness, it’s also absolutely hilarious. Some story happens on the way, but in all honesty it’s just there to give more opportunities for certain characters to get one up on the others. In true anime fashion, the series quickly turns into a female competition where the girls vie for his attention using multi-billion dollar mecha. Essentially, he becomes a lone male, surrounded by teenage girls who have at their disposal a lot of firepower. The thing is, even though Mr Ichika is a bloke, the IS mecha respond to him. The girls are all taught at an elite academy and the fun really starts when Ichika Orimura - brother of the famous Chifuru Orimura, world champion IS pilot - appears at the school. The series is based around the premise that these Infinite Stratos (IS) mecha can only be piloted by compatible females. Infinite Stratos is a perverted harem anime featuring some quite incredible mecha design. I assure you, the series isn’t that intellectual. Although this review is written assuming that you have at least some knowledge of what an Infinite Stratos is, I have included a brief synopsis of the sequel’s predecessor just so you have a chance. It is also equally challenging when said series is due to be released in physical format in a few months’ time after the streaming of its sequel. One of the challenges of writing about series which are being simulcast worldwide is that there are moments when you come across the sequel to a series which hasn’t been seen, legitimately at least, in the UK.