Reviews for HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima PLUS

This season really felt like it was actually Hypmic. The story was done well, and it truly felt like what Hypmic was all about with the tragic story and interesting conflict throughout the anime. It was cool to see how they slowly showed our antagonist in the anime and having all the divisions share the same problem, which leads us to the introduction of Osaka and Nagoya. It was a good way to help new fans learn about these two divisions. Not only that, but it was also a good choice to hint certain points of most of the characters pasts so that new fansbecome interested and current fans enjoy seeing the reference. Unlike the first season, where they just easily gave the information away in an awkward sense since it was brought up by Tom rather than Ichiro. That would make more sense to talk about it with one of the boys in their perspective, rather than some stranger or new character bringing it up. The first season can explain the past events of the story, but I'm glad the second hinted it, so new fans can become further interested. The new characters they added actually made sense to add. Akira and Satoru were actually explained and seemed more important to the events that took place. Kaibyakumon also was a great antagonist to the story, as his past made sense to what led to now. It was a good idea to have him cause so much disaster before dying, since there wasn't anything else to do after the loss of his company and friends. Also, they did great reintroducing us to the boys with the beginning episodes showing the boys we met in the first season then introducing the new characters that are actual characters that got added later in the franchise. Overall, there were no issues from what they showed. Besides, trying to show Secret Aliens again at the end, proving once again that they were not needed. This felt like the Hypmic I know, and it really was what probably some fans expected the anime to be like. It was way more enjoyable to watch compared to the first season as this still had the same slice of life aspect with some fun and jokes like usual. This time, with an interesting story, and way better songs.

HypMic Round 2 - I'll just keep it short: Season 1 WOWed me, but the sequel here completely missed the mark. Given HypMic's anime introduction back 3 years ago, I didn't know much about the Evil Line Records idol label at the time, but it's clear that it got mixed reviews about its own anime adaptation in the sea of its mixed-media content, despite how much I lauded Season 1 for it being a clear, balls-off-the-wall premise about rap groups fighting against evil. It was such a novel concept that this can only be done through HypMic. And 3 years later, we get Rhyme Anima+, whichis essentially Round 2 of the Division Rap Battle, added in with new characters and a new enemy rival that's typical of any original sequel.

The newcomers being Dotsuitare Hompo (Nurude Sasara, Rosho Tsutsujimori, and Rei Amayado) and Bad Ass Temple (Kuko Harai, Yushi Aimono, and Hitoya Amaguni), they certainly add more flare to the series, along with the enemies of the mysterious TBH, who want to influence Japan to their bidding after a scuffle with the women-only group Party of Words, which the previous 4 rap groups battled with in Season 1. This storyline isn't bad, but it just screams cliché, almost as if the sequel was pushed thanks to Season 1's popularity in Japan by the producers (Aniplex) themselves. We never asked for one but got one anyway.

My TL;DR for Season 2 here, the OP comprising all 6 rap groups, is decent, but nowhere near Season 1's HypMic banger level of greatness. The ED is a good follow-up, though nothing memorable. And as usual, A-1 Pictures can always deliver, even if on the basis of a series that has little to no marketing in the West.

With a storyline so typical and a teeny-tiny fraction of followers from the prequel, Rhyme Anima+ a.k.a Season 2 here has none, or at best, the partiality of what made Season 1 so HypMic. Easy skip.

(this has major spoilers) It started off good. But the ending was... uhh well, I'll say it: AKIRA AND SATORU DIDN'T DESERVE THAT SORTA ENDING! Chuoku is straight up evil and FINALLY Kaibyakumon had taken the initiative to destroy it. ATLEAST HE HAD TAKEN THE INITIATIVE! NONE OF THE MAIN CAST HAD DONE THAT! AND HE GOT SUBDUED BY THE MAIN GROUP OF THE CAST?? SHOULDN'T HE HAD BEEN BACKED UP? Sure, I get it that destroying the cities wasn't necessary but he finally had tried to do something useful and that's the fate he meets with? Akira and Satoru had finally found a future and somehope for themselves and that was the fate which embraced them? C'mon, ik life ain't rainbows but still? kaibyakumon was so close to defeating chuoku. why didn't he actually finish off chuoku for good?

Also, all the women (except Iris) are a bad role. Why can't you instill some sense in the writing?