Dec 21 2011 01:42 AM And with episode 24 (or rather 25), we have finished the main story of Nurarihyon no Mago ~Sennen Makyou~. Having read this arc in the manga, I may be a bit biased in my review.
The plot is very well done and paced quite nicely for the most of the series. The first couple episodes dragged with a bit of an odd "recap" of the first series but once the series finally dived into the "main" story for this season, everything was uphill from there. The first 8 or so episodes began with the typical shounen "training" episodes where Rikuo needed to acquire skills before facing the wrath of Hagoromo-Gitsune. Episode 9 onwards was mostly shounen action with at least "believable" power ups and skills unlike a variety of shounen titles nowadays. Given the source material, the adaptation of the plot was well done and in my opinion, much better to watch than read. The Hagoromo-Gitsune arc was very long in the manga as far as I can recall, but the staff did a great job in condensing it into 24 episodes, not to mention leaving off with a potential 3rd series in the near future.
Animation wise is pretty high for Studio Deen and likely their best work in quite some time. I recall the prequel last year and was very unimpressed by the quality and therefore pleased to see a large step up, especially with a change in staff for the sequel.
Seiyuu is not much to say given that the cast reprised their respective roles. Music was very solid in this show. Enjoyed both the openings a lot and to some extent, the ending themes as well. Background music often felt rather quite given the constant action this time around and so was not particularly memorable.
Enjoyment? As I've said many times throughout the forums, I really enjoyed this series. One of the better shounen titles I've seen as of late and definitely a title I ended up having second thoughts about. I recall I only liked the second half of the first series and the change in staff had me questioning the potential, but it looked liked everything turned out for the better in many ways more than one.
Overall, the show was enjoyable. Some people may be put off by the fact that the show only did one arc for the whole series or by the fact that the show cliffhangs yet again, but there are two things to keep in mind here: 1) the source material isn't finished and so it leaves room for future adaptations, 2) 1 solid arc is better than multiple good and bad arcs in a 24 episode sitting. When I can enjoy something consistently, the show often puts itself in a better position for not only re-watch value but also recommendation. While the show is certainly not without flaws, it certainly deserves merit given the vast amount of "bad" shows as of late.
Preliminary Score: 7/10
Final Score: 8/10 
