Product: Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple - Season Two, Part 2
Rating: 5.0
This series gets stronger as it goes on - a miracle!
I've already written a near-glowing review for Kenichi Season One, and I'm writing one about the second season because it contains a gem of an episode that truly crystallizes what is so appealing about this series and the Kenichi character himself: he's a put-upon loser AND a put-upon winner. No matter how much he progresses, he never really changes; he's basically a mouse who (very occasionally) roars. In the second series' fifth episode, Kenichi is taken to a mountain valley by a martial artist called The Elder, who is a cross between Gandalf and God. There he is put through the wringer - he is forced to find his own food, he is left to fend for himself against wild animals, and he is soon abandoned by his master. When a hermit finds him collapsed on the ground, he is taken in, fed and comforted. But the hermit is a martial artist as well, one who uses the art as a blood sport, and Kenichi must make a choice between following his original master (whom he's none too pleased with at the moment) and following the darker path of this new, seemingly-much-kinder master.Kenichi's reactions and expressions during his ordeal are classic.Whether he's running from a bear or throwing a tantrum at his master, his whines and protests are hilarious and touching. He is one of the most lovable and human of all anime heroes, and it is those qualities that really makes this series stand out. You really wind up caring about the little schmuck despite of (or maybe because of) his flaws. When the chips are down and the cause is just, the lion lurking in Kenichi's soul rouses and he can be a real badass in a fight. But it is his other side, the timid and flawed human side, that really makes Kenichi a winner. Don't miss this anime - ESPECIALLY don't miss season 2!