Haganai NEXT [Anime Review]

I don't think it was too long ago that I wrote up my first blog post covering Haganai. December of last year, actually. So I was thrilled to get my hands on Haganai NEXT so quickly.

She's talking about my blog, not the BL light novel. I hope.

Less than half a year between season 1 and season 2? Excellent...

4 out of 5 stars

Thankfully, there is no loss of quality in either story, character, or animation from season 1 to season 2. That can happen.

The Flyswatter of Doom also returns! Rejoice!

This season deals more fully with the childhood friendships that formed before these disparate 'friendless' individuals formed the Neighbors Club. It builds the relationships of the characters more, as it should. But it also deals with the fall out from the end of the last season.

There is a lot of emotional baggage being hauled around in this anime. Damaged childhoods, self-loathing, worry, insecurity, self-identity crises, and cowardice. These are all touched on. Some of them lightly, some of them eat up entire episodes.

It really is a good continuation of the first series.

However it ends on such an absolute cliff-hanger that it will drive you nuts.

And that is a huge problem.

Oh, the movie they are watching...

You see in Japan this series is based on a manga series that is based on a light novel series. Or maybe it's just based on the light novel series. I don't really know. 

She's got angry ears. Angry nekomimi.

New Characters are introduces in the last 3 episodes.

What I do know is this. Season 1 covered volumes 1-4 of the manga (light novels). Season 2 covered 5-8. There are already 10 volumes of the manga & light novels. Plus a few side volumes and Haganai+ manga. The anime season 1 aired in 2011, season 2 aired in 2013. The novels began in 2009 and are ongoing.

What I'm hinting at is this. We will likely see a season 3. There has got to be a season 3, the ending of season 2 demands a continuation. 

The problem is this. Either it will be a season that incorporates some of the side works (the Haganai+ and other side stories) along side novels 9 & 10, or we get filler episodes (Noooo)... or we'll be waiting a while. Maybe not until ;late 2016 or even 2017. That would suck. As it stands... we'd be lucky to get anything in 2015 anyways.

And yet I know that whenever the next season hits, I'll watch it.

If you asked to to fully explain why I like this series, it is hard to sum up.

Sena, embarrassed.

Is it the easy to identify with main character? Are Kodaka's foibles and insecurities that easy to understand. Yes.In fact all the characters are relatively easy to identify with. It's one of the shining aspects of the series.

Is it the unconventional love triangle (pentagram is more like it... or hexagon...)? It is unconventional, yet easily understood. Emotionally understood. When multiple friends are involved, the emotions run strong.

Pure fan-service. NEXT has some of that.

Is it the humor? Could be. It's pretty risque and edgy humor. I'm not sure I've seen quite as vivid a use of language as this series produces.

Is it the fan-service? Probably not. That's just icing on the cake. Extra sugar that you can enjoy, but the cake would be just as good without.

It is simply a very good series about friendships and family. It is a show about people seeking to belong. A show about friends; about finding them, about making them, and about keeping them. It is a show about the value of the past and the potential of the future.

It is a very good show.

I just wish we had more already.

Sena's using the PS3 lollipop!