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Digital
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Monday, 15 November 2010 00:00 |
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Under Minaka's rather deranged control, the Sekirei Plan continues to unfold - but for this season, the main problem that Minato and his merry band have to deal with is a lot closer to home: Uzume...
If you're not up to speed with Sekirei's backstory, you could do a lot worse than check out the first season review before continuing with this one - while the events in Pure Engagement more or less stand alone, it does no harm to know where the series is coming from.
So, having read that, you'll know that the Sekirei Plan is now in Phase 2, that Minaka's trying to winnow the numbers of Sekirei and Ashikabi down a little, and that Uzume's been living something of a double life - as one of the residents at Miya's boarding house, where she's the picture of fun and vitality; and a darker role as the Veiled Sekirei, carrying out hit-jobs for Higa. Not that his own Sekirei have been really keeping their hands clean.
Given that setup, the series then goes on to deal with two distinct arcs. The first is the conflict that comes when Higa inevitably sends Uzume up against Minato and his Sekirei - with such a large band attached to him, Minato has unintentionally become one of the top Ashikabi and is now being dealt with accordingly. The outcome of that confrontation is as inevitable as the confrontation itself (one against six is hardly fair), but it leads directly into the second arc: the promise Minato makes to Uzume to look after her ill Ashikabi, and the efforts he then has to make to get hold of the treatments necessary - which trigger one of MBI chief Minaka's cruel little "games" as he uses Minato's search for a cure to winnow the number of surviving Sekirei down a little further.
There's also a running thread of the adventures of Minato's little sister Yukari and her Sekirei Shiina, as they roam the city in search of Kusano and generally give an epic kicking to anyone who stands in their way - the pair have gained quite a reputation amongst the other Sekirei, rightly so, and yet Minato somehow manages to remain blissfully unaware of what his sister is up to.
In terms of the wider Sekirei storyline, very little of this is really important - the game continues, Minaka survives to piss them all off another day, and barring a high casualty count amongst characters we've never heard of (and Uzume) no-one dies, but there is some fun to be had along the way - the various Sekirei that Minato has around him are an entertaining bunch, even if there's not a hell of a lot of depth to their personalities, and the battle sequences are short and sweet - something I wish several other shows could master. Add a decent sense of humour and large dash of fanservice (albeit toned down slightly from season one), and there's plenty to keep you entertained - in a completely mindless way. Depth and complexity of story aren't what Sekirei does, but tailor your expectations accordingly and you'll get on just fine.
The series ends on a "to be continued" line, as the manga on which it's based continues and there's still quite some way to go before Minaka's crazy plan reaches its conclusion. How much of that will ever be animated remains to be seen, but Pure Engagement at least has the sense to make itself self-contained. Lighthearted fun, but not much more than that.
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