Finally Returning to Cephiro

If you remember mecha march 2022, that was when I posted about the first season of Magic Knight Rayearth. I really liked it and I, by all rights, should have just continued into season 2 without thinking about it. That was also the time period where Crunchyroll was bought out by Funimation/Sony and there was talk of transferring anime from Funimation to Crunchyroll. I dropped Funimation and waited a very long time and it finally happened this year. Rayearth Season 2 and I watched it after as soon as I could. One Clamp shoujo after another.

This season has some interesting background elements behind it that always made me curious about it. The first part is much different then the second half of the manga. Directed by Toshiro Hirano like the first season, this season adds two characters into the mix that adds a lot bunch of drama and self reflection from what I’ve read online. So obviously this means that Season 2 is added to the list of self aware and self reflective anime that came out in 1995. Honestly, I do like that kind of material. Same with the show being more mecha forward too. It’s, in general, a good time for me.

Hikaru, Fuu, and Umi’s Not So Triumph Return

After the three girls killed Queen Emeraude to save Cephiro, all three of them were down in the dumps for a quest that didn’t end the way they thought it would. It wasn’t just a fantasy adventure or a wish fulfillment adventure to save a far away land that isn’t there. These people are real and their emotions and feelings are real as well and that is where the journey ended. Reuniting at Tokyo Tower, Hikaru, Fuu, and Umi  return to the land of Cephiro to correct their wrongs. What they find is a magical land that is disappearing and it’s being invaded by three countries.

The countries of Autozam that are very technologically advanced, Fahren that are very Chinese influenced, and Chizeta which is Indian based. All of them on their airships. Each one wants the pillar of Cephiro for their own reasons. The entire population of Cephiro is in the palace because the land is fading. To make this matter even worse, there is a darker side of Cephiro that also is attacking. A strong force that feeds on the negative energy by everyone alive in Cephiro. Also, Hikaru is constantly haunted by her past mistakes by a physical character named Nova who haunts every aspect of her life. She is not allowed comfort as long as Hikaru is scared of her.

So that is the story of this season. Every outside force imaginable wants the Pillar of Cephiro left by Emeraude being killed. The three nations want it for their different reasons from very petty to otherwise and the dark side of Cephiro wants to eliminate everything.  Our three knights, Fuu, Hikaru, and Umi, are from another world and have to defend what is left of Cephiro from all of this in order while a new pillar is being chosen too. It’s a big, complicated mess but I love all of it honestly. It is the kind of story that I love to watch and see because Season 2 is very Scott core.

Fuu and Umi’s Journey

I’m not going to lie when I say that Rayearth Season 2 is the HIkaru show. I could say the same thing about season 1, but there was far more equity in that season compared to this one. So that is why I am starting with Fuu and Umi because they do have some arcs other than worrying about what HIkaru is doing and being victims to their plots. Umi with the Chizetta sisters Tarta and Tatra is really good. The two sides are on the same wavelength as she duels pretty strongly against the two from sword battles that show her fencing skills to battle the djinn summoned by the sisters in her Selece. It’s some really good stuff.

Fuu by herself has some excellent stuff. Honestly much more than Umi which is kind of sad. She has a crush on Ferio which is very mutual. Fuu is also a very intelligent and wise individual while Umi is kind of a secondary HIkaru without fire in her spirit until she is given those moments. I also really enjoy her encounters with the princess of Fahren because she is calm and collected which allows her to instantly win her duel against her. The two build a sister like relationship as Fuu carries so much wisdom and grace and yeah, I really enjoy seeing Fuu on screen all the time and piloting her Windam too. She’s just that cool of a character. 

The Hikaru Show

Like the two other girls, I think I should start this one by talking about Hikaru’s relationship with Autozam. Mostly because all three girls got captured by one invading airship and Hikaru’s a bit different. Mainly because of how much more drama is placed on it. She forms a friendship with their invading leader Eagle who pilots the mecha and the two are on a similar wavelength of trying to be the heroic figures they used to be, but haunted by factors and choices beyond them that could literally kill them if they get it wrong. Same that both of them have some romantic sort of relationship with a guy who was the younger brother of the king the knights had to kill and they are chosen as candidates for the pillar of Cephiro. 

I love the concept and execution of Hikaru’s arc. The fallen hero who must capture the strength and poise she used to have in the first season and the darkness behind her heart literally crawling and affecting everything and everyone around her? Plus her doing risky things she could have done earlier but isn’t mentally there now? (Can you tell why I like Eva yet?) It all really culminates when her sword is broken by her other half Nova during a moment of major weakness and she needs to get rid of all the fear in her heart to get it back. Is that heavy handed storytelling? Yes, it absolutely is. But in my mind, it is absolutely solid material to base a mecha show around by showing connections between the pilots and their rune gods (mecha). 

Concluding Thoughts on Rayearth Season 2

Visuall, Season 2 of Rayearth was slightly cleaner and more consistent than the first season. Part of that is because the chibi forms disappeared because there wasn’t as much goofy stuff happening. The other part probably has to do with the fact that the show took place in a lot more consistent areas rather than the girls going on adventure across Cephiro. A lot of the physical person to person fights were great and the mecha battles had such great kinetic energy and possibly a lot of playfulness depending on the situation. Each of them were so different from each other. Just a great variety of character designs and battles of all kinds that exuded so much personality.

I feel like this is controversial compared to so many people who read the original manga and didn’t like the changes, but I really liked this season. It was very much in that 1995 mental self examination stage considering how this aired alongside Neon Genesis Evangelion. That probably has something to do with it because it also came from people who made ovas during the late 80’s and had to do something else to continue their existence. So I don’t think this one is going to be for everyone, but I loved the whole experience of the show and that examination of a hero trying to find their luster again. I also liked how the focus characters were awesome girls. That feels so rare for a mecha show.