Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou - The Last Song

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Concrete Revolutio is one of the most underrated shows out there. It's a project that its creators clearly poured their hearts into. It's full of social commentary and critiques of post-war Japan, and it's satisfying to piece the story together while figuring out what it all means. So naturally, I've been very excited for the second season of this show. Did it meet my expectations and deliver a great product? Yes, but that's a qualified yes.

Story: 8/10
Concrete Revolutio's most powerful aspect has always been its narrative, and that rings true for The Last Song as ... well. The narrative picks up a few years after the events of season 1's final episode, and things have changed for the worst. Jiro, now an outcast, seeks to find justice, truth, and meaning in the contentious world of superhumans he lives in.

While the first season used its narrative to craft a huge world full of complex characters and situations, the second season takes a more introspective approach. Each episode focuses primarily on Jiro and how he chooses to handle the superhuman-centric events he finds himself in. His former friends criticize his ideals and his actions. He goes from having a strong sense of what is right to deciding he doesn't know anything and is a monster. He is broken down and brought back up, but he still can't find a strong sense of justice to cling to. Jiro is a tragic hero through and through, and his transformation is exciting, but sometimes frustrating, as he can come off as wavering and unpredictable. But I think that's the point. Nothing is black or white in this world, and Jiro exemplifies this.

The overarching narrative has an unusual format. The first two episodes move the story forward and explain the biggest events of the timeskip between the seasons. However, the next string of 4 or 5 episodes are essentially one-offs, episodes that don't contribute to the overarching plot. I was told that many of these episodes were written by guest writers, which would explain their lack of connections to the rest of the show. These one-offs aren't a bad thing for the most part. Each one tests Jiro's character in a different way and leads to his sense of justice further being challenged.

My biggest gripes with the story have to do with the ending. Concluding a complex work like Concrete must be difficult, but I don't feel they did as good of a job as they could. I was satisfied with the ending messages and motifs at the very end, but the road they took to get there during the final episode was confusing and unsatisfying.

Art & Sound: 9/10
Everything checks out here. The artwork is just as vibrant and unique as the first season's, with no noticeable lapses in animation quality.
The Last Song's opening is simply phenomenal. It's got everything I could want out of an opening - hype-inducing visuals, a line or two spoken purely in broken English, and a dubstep breakdown featuring characters dancing (Dimension W's OP also checks every one of these boxes). The ED is good enough, although the first season's is a bit better to me.

Characters: 7/10
In my review of the first season, I mentioned that there are a ton of characters in Concrete. However, this season focuses heavily on Jiro. Unfortunately, this means that the rest of the characters suffer a bit. While some characters are further fleshed out (mostly the ones allied to Jiro, like Earth-chan and Raito), the majority of the cast doesn't get much room to grow. The characters of Emi and Kikko suffered the most in this regard. Kikko spends nearly all of the Last Song futzing around without accomplishing much. And Emi --poor Emi-- stays mysterious and underdeveloped like she did in the first season. She plays a much more active role in the finale, but if that was meant to be her development, then I'm sorry Bones, but it wasn't enough.

Enjoyment: 9/10
One of the main criticisms directed towards the first season of Concrete was that its story was convoluted and hard to follow. This was due to the episodes being set non-chronologically, and it was up to the watcher to piece the narrative's timeline together. If you fall in this school of thought, then you'll be happy to know that The Last Song has a linear timeline! Although there are gaps of time between episodes, they all play out in chronological order, so it's significantly easier to follow the story this time around. Events in previous episodes are still referenced frequently, but as long as you were paying attention, you shouldn't get too confused.

Overall: 8+/10
The Last Song has been a wild ride, and for the most part it's been very good. It's caused me to think about the societal standards of Japan and the United States, past and present, and the fact that it inspires critical thinking places it above many, many shows.
However, I am a reviewer who tends to linger on the ending of a show. As such, I can't say that this second season of Concrete Revolutio was as good as its first. The end of its story didn't blow me away like the first season, and I felt unsatisfied with how most of the supporting cast was handled.
But don't get me wrong. Concrete Revolutio: The Last Song is still a great show very much worth your time. Even if you didn't enjoy the first season, I'd give this one a try and I guarantee that you'll be hooked. In addition, I'd recommend everyone who watches Concrete to think critically about it. Think about the events that occur in each episode, and what they are supposed to parallel in real life. Think about how the senses of truth and justice they discuss in the show impact individuals and society. And if you're feeling up to it, read up and talk to people about this show. There are multiple blogs that do great writeups on Concrete episodes, and multiple communities willing to have thoughtful discussions on what everything means. If you can watch the show alongside a friend and talk about each episode together, even better.

Concrete Revolutio and The Last Song are definitely worth your time and I strongly recommend them to any one who enjoys their shows having value and meaning beyond the direct plot.

Carving out a niche appeal for itself in the market, Concrete Revolutio stands as one of the more unique entries in the ever-expanding superhero genre. Unlike its contemporaries, it doesn't just glorify superheroes while vilifying certain ideals deemed unethical by most societies but chooses to question the very fabric of justice and what it means to those with the power to implement their version of it. With superhero related content being produced ad nauseam, Concrete's unfamiliar approach help subside the impending feeling of 'superhero fatigue', by allowing the subject matter to be seen through a fresh perspective.

By treating superhumans and other supernatural entities as ... placeholders for the man vs man parable, Concrete is able to delve into several topics that draw from real world issues involving ethical dispute, social critique of post-war Japan and civil rights in general. This isn't to say Concrete's position is set on uncharted waters; the X-men franchise has long adopted this stance before this show's inception. But what Concrete does hold over titles of this similar vein is the approach it opts out to take. It presents us with multifaceted ideas regarding justice and what it truly means to be a superhero. This is displayed through the course of actions taken on a micro and macro-scale. For a broader overview, it's the policies implemented by the overseeing bodies of the Superhuman Bureau, which, since the events of season one's climax, has been growing increasingly totalitarian towards their ideas of "managing" the superhumans. This directly dictates the actions taken on a micro-scale, which brings us back to Jiro Hitoyoshi and the storyline that finally resolved his reasoning behind abandoning the Bureau in season one. This time, he isn't alone, as Raito Shiba also goes turncoat with him, due to his idea of justice not coinciding with the Bureau's newly adopted forceful approach. With a seemingly 'concrete' (excuse the pun) foundation set forth by season one to build off of, it appeared that season two should have seen smoother sailing. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case.

This final installment to Concrete's story is a mixed bag. On one hand they resolve a lot of plot lines that was left up in the air from the 1st season, as well as peeling back the layers of its initial concept to allow for more think-pieces to flourish; but on the other hand its parent studio's infamy shines through more than ever, with contrived and often undermined narrative threads that have become the bread and butter of most of Bones's efforts as of late. For every praiseworthy endeavor achieved by this follow-up, there's an equally headache-inducing add-on that didn't work in its favor.

For one, if you were invested into Jiro's character arc then this 2nd season would satisfy you, as the show did a commendable job in fulfilling that end of the bargain (even in the cross-hairs of the sporadic narrative it's a part of) . However, if you were invested in more than just that, and was curious as to how some major plot points were going to be resolved, then you'll find yourself running into many roadblocks to your destination (sometimes containing no destination at all). It quickly became apparent that the creators wanted to cover certain story beats but just didn't know how to get there, which resulted in several events being retconned in order to achieve the end goal that was already set in stone. It became a show that offered one ultimatum: either you follow Jiro's character arc and negate everything else around it, or you take it all in and find yourself perplexed at the forced narrative choices the show took to reach that intended mark.

Jiro's revelation is like a double edge sword, it becomes the biggest highlight and as well as crux that keeps the title from elevating any higher than the concept would allow. On one hand, it brings his personal arc full-circle, allowing for a sense of finality to his tale, but on the other, the revelations that serve Jiro's story indirectly dilutes the storyline that came up to that point. It's like an M. Night Shyamalan plot twist, great as a spectacle to gawk at, but contrived when you retrospectively go over the story by order of events. It made an already messy plot even more muddled. And where my previous stance defended the show's writing as simply being harder to follow than usual but not inherently bad, I can no longer in good conscious defend the show any further. Forced retconning will never be something I advocate for. This new stance isn't limited to the story either, as these issues also stemmed into the character department as well.

In my review for season one, I stated "These are characters who's definitive personality traits are only as interesting as their superpowers. They're better defined by what they can do than who they are." When I wrote that, I did so with the hope that with the continuation of this show, I could discuss their growth as individuals. Since the 1st season began in medias res and had finally resolved the case of Jiro's betrayal, I was hoping that the follow-up season would have more room to fill in the personality of the main cast that was neglected up to that point. Sadly the statement I made regarding their personality in my first review still carries over in describing them here. Outside of Raito Shiba, no one else is given the limelight to allow for further introspection. They're very paper thin by the time all the storylines intermix into the final act. All they have going for them are personality quirks, and with a subject matter being used as a way to traverse different ideals of ethics and justice, it was a wasted effort. There's good to be found with these characters, but the show never brought it out with the time it unjustly denied them to flourish.

But despite these blemishes, there are still things here worth praising. One of which is the idea revolving around what it means to be a superhero. Even with the distinction, the governing bodies make towards the difference between humans and superhumans, there is never any generalized statements to categorize superheroes in specific.They're always referred to as superhumans or beasts but rarely is that extended to the common terms of super"hero/villains". Nowhere is this clearer than with Jiro's personal beliefs. In episode 7, during a conversation with someone, Jiro was asked whether he was a superhuman, to which he replied "No, I'm just a human that looks up to superhumans... For me, superhumans are those that can do what no human can do."

This simple, yet brilliant exchange explains the psyche of Jiro better than most shows are capable of attempting. He identifies superhumans not by ability but by intent, and despite technically being a superhuman by standard definition, he himself doesn't cast himself in that light. It's unattainable to him, something he could desperately seek after but could never truly obtain. There's so much weight behind these words, and by extension, so much weight behind Jiro's strife. So when the show finally reveals its hand in regards to Jiro's backstory, it's a poignant one.

This way of viewing what true superhumans are in a world filled to the brim with them adds a new layer to the show's ideas up to this point.

Another area in which Concrete excelled was undoubtedly the show's audiovisual front. Bones brings their A-game once again, delivering the same wall-to-wall color and comic book inspired stippling (halftone) effects. Regardless of how messy the script became at times, Bones never fails to impress on a visual front. The opening song "Wareru Doukoku by ZAQ was also a step up, possibly outpacing the first depending on your taste in music. Mixing EDM with pop-rock, it hightailed the viewer into every episode, getting you pumped for the events to follow. The ending also held its own fairly well, making the sound mixing and visual direction a complete package.

Enjoyment: 6/10

Despite the issues that impeded on my enjoyment of the series, I was still glad I stuck with Concrete. It lost my interest at times, and I often dismissed its decisions, but despite everything I was still satisfied with the overall experience. It may be a title I hesitate to recommend to others but did enough that I would encourage giving it a chance if someone was interested in starting it.

Overall: 5/10

With everything finally on the table, did Concrete Revolutio fully deliver on the early promise it demonstrated? Well not entirely. While it brought closure to some things, the revelations it made to push certain agendas forward often felt like spur of the moment solutions to a problem far out of the creators' hands. Many intriguing parts were simply cut prematurely, stunting the outcome of many of season one's build up. In the end, the show suffered from being overambitious. It shot for the stars and drifted off course. Had it been revised, or even extended further, the outcome could have been more satisfactory. Even with that in mind, the moments where Concrete shined through it did so in spectacular fashion. It may have just been glimpses of what could have been, but they were great qualities nonetheless. Concrete felt like a passion project from all those involved. It didn't come off as something concerned about profit first but instead wanted to display its ideas for the audience to consume and ponder over. It may not be high up on my suggestion list but for that "art first, profit later" mindset, I say it's a title worth keeping on your radar.

- This review contains my thoughts on both seasons of this series. It contains no story-important information from the series (though minor details may be discussed), so you can read this without feeling spoiled about the show itself -

Superheroes, Kaijuu, Super Sentai (or Power Rangers for more western viewers). All 3 have been long cherished by comic book guys and nerds alike around the world. But what if they were real? What if they existed at the same time? That's the world Concrete Revolutio brings to us. Produced by Studio Bones, it was split between the Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 seasons, running for a ... total of 24 episodes. Initially when I picked up the first half, Concrete didn't exactly impress me. It wasn't awful, but the early episodes were not exactly a great first impression for what was to come. And what did come is probably one of the most underappreciated anime of the past few years.

The story primarily focuses on Jiro Hitoyoshi, a man whose most defining traits are his scarf and bright pink hair. He decides to join a group that is stated to protect beings known as Superhumans, which are basically the term used in-universe to describe fictional beings such as aliens, witches, ghosts, youkai, and the list goes on and on. However, as time goes by, he realizes that something is a bit fishy with the group, known officially as the Superhuman Bureau, and the world in general.

Now, Concrete Revolutio's most (in)famous for the way it arranges its story. See, most anime generally tend to have a straight storyline, with occasional flashbacks to past events in-between. However, Concrete Revolutio has its story intentionally scrambled. This allows it to fully express the bizarre nature of its world via episodic adventures or even multi-episode arcs. However, in addition to the rather fast pacing, it comes at the cost of confusing newer viewers. This is a show best watched in a marathon setting, as such a viewing can make it easier for viewers to remember past events. The story has many underlying themes, discussing many topics, mainly morality, in a way that easily parallels the modern world. The tone is generally serious, but does bring in a bit of silliness. However, it doesn't put these lighter moments in places where it doesn't belong, which I appreciate. The show also utilizes grey morality to its finest. Both the government and its opposition do both admirable and despicable actions, which not only is decently realistic, but plays with your brain a bit.

Concrete's cast of characters is rather typical in terms of personality, but they are handled extremely well with enough characterization and depth to make them stand out. Jiro is the voice of reason, and an advocate for justice, which in this universe, is basically an alternative way of saying ethics. He starts as a rather optimistic being, but slowly loses it once he realizes that superhumans are being used for government purposes (primarily slavery and use as weapons), thus reducing their freedom as individuals. He has the ability to attack with fire (even being able to summon to a dragon), and is able to drive a part-vehicle and part-mecha robot named Equus. He was the character that was the most focused on, and it was very interesting to see him change as a person over the course of several years, as it felt very relatable to me due to similar circumstances with my own past. Along with him is a witch known as Kikko. She is a rather shy love interest, and she uses magic to battle, particularly "Meteorterre", which not only allows her to transform, but allows her to transport objects or change their form entirely. She has a crush on Jiro, and stays with him even when the two of them are enemies at the moment, which I feel is actually quite neat. The only other major character I want to discuss is Emi, a youkai who can control other youkai, and has been with Jiro since his childhood. She is the mature "Ojou-sama" esque character, but gets easily pissed off, resulting is some rather badass moments. Her role starts out small, but gradually she gains more of a focus on in the story. Other notable characters include Fuurouta, a ghost who can shapeshift into basically everything and often serves as comic relief, and Hyouma Yoshimura (also known as "Jaguar"), a man who can shapeshift into a cat-like being and can also control time, which the latter was the focus of one of my personal favorite episodes of the 1st half. There are many other characters, but the cast is vast and varied, but each of them is memorable in their own way, whether it be by their abilities or actions. For a show like this, that's impressive to say the least.

But perhaps the biggest accomplishment of Concrete Revolutio is its art-style and animation, which not only are able to bring both the cartoony and serious elements of the show to life, but also create some visually stunning fight sequences. The soundtrack fits the show well, with a big mention going the opening for the first season, showcasing bright visuals to engage the viewer, and a killer tune by ZAQ.

So overall, while Concrete Revolutio may take a while to get the ball rolling, it tells a very competent story using a bright and colorful world and a surprisingly good cast of characters. The first few episodes may be off-putting to some (myself included), but I'd suggest giving it a chance past that. Who knows, you may find something interesting.

What does it mean to be a superhero? What is justice? Can good and bad be defined? Many shows and films have tried to tackle these topics only to get caught up in their predictable formula, get muddled into their beliefs, or just not try and shove “themes” in there. Concrete Revolutio is an exception that defines itself through the saturated genre through giving various answers to these questions with enough depth, ambition, and style.

What It Does Right:

+Interesting Concept and Ideas
ConRevo is a show that has so much to tell, so much to ask, and so many answers. Almost every character in the show ... has a belief they stand by and wish to follow. Then a conflict comes along that makes them question that belief and come up with a new conclusion or solution. That is the basic gist of the show from its main plot to its side stories. Morality and ethics are put to the test, justice is constantly questioned, the meaning of being a superhero is never clear cut. Despite being simplistic at times to sometimes overdoing it, ConRevo makes use of its timelines to provide its own alternate take on historical events to give social commentary to complement its themes and the result is always thought provoking.

+Starts Strong and Ends Strong
ConRevo’s strongest moments are within its main story which happens to be in the start and ends of both seasons. Each season premiere and finale brought up the highest stakes and revelations that would give us much needed answers that encompassed a lot of what the show was going for and fights that never ceased to amaze me. Expect many twists and turns, but they do make sense after some thought. The ending in particular is a satisfying grand spectacle that may seem absurd, but in the end wraps up the main leads arc quite nice and I probably wouldn’t have it any other way.

+Interesting Main Lead
From the pictures and PVs you may have seen, one might assume that our protagonist would be a typical raging, angsty dude. Our main lead, Jiro Hitoyoshi, is thankfully more than meets the eye and is in fact handled really well. He is a complex character with his own set of motives and actions driven by his constantly questioned beliefs. Paying attention to his dialogue rewards with poignant quotes that show his growth which feel natural to not just his character, but to the questions and themes that ConRevo brings up. While a fascinating subject, other side characters like Detective Shiba, Fuurouta, and Earth-Chan are worthy of mention. These guys bring up more insightful topics to ponder such as AI, grey morality, and seeing beyond childish beliefs.

+Style is Straight Up Cool
The presentation on ConRevo is a job well done as expected from Studio Bones. The art style is one of a kind and distinct. It has vibes that combine the usual anime style with a cool western comic-like blend. Character designs benefit from this as well and are a breath of fresh air from the typical mundane designs that plague many generic shows today. The colors palette for the backgrounds is worthy of note and shows as bold, bright, and wild. While its themes and ideas may be the forefront, the fights serve as a nice reward for paying attention. Each fight is an exhilarating and fast-paced blend of both mecha and superhero shenanigans.

+Soundtrack is Straight Up Cool
ConRevo’s soundtrack ranges from electronic to usual emotional tracks that fit in when needed. Nothing was out of place and I have no complaints, however I cannot get the main theme out of my head. It's epic, mysterious, and is tailor made for this show. Other than this specific track, the first two openings are great. Both have a strong build-up through electronic means, guitar riffs, and even dubstep! I don’t care for the endings, but hey at least they got cool trippy visuals. As far as I’m aware there is no dub for this show and I feel this show in particular will surely benefit from one. While I’m no expert at voice acting, the performances here were fine and each hit their typical and emotional moments equally well.

What It Does Wrong:

-Unconventional Narrative
Probably the biggest complaint of Concrete Revolutio since the first episode is the erratic time jumps. While this opens up layers in storytelling for film, in a 24 episode show the task of paying attention and mental notes can get exhausting and thus dismissed as a mess. Because of this, I would advise taking some notes of each sequence. While this may seem to be a hassle, putting the pieces together will give you a better understanding the story and the characters who appear different in personality and appearance which are quite interesting to observe. I'm glad ConRevo was up for some risks, but a straightforward approach could have been fine and arguably better.

-Semi-Episodic Format Gets in the Way
ConRevo for me always shined when it was focusing primarily on Jiro and his journey. Too bad the majority of the show was one-off side stories. Nothing too wrong with that as they added a bit to Jiro’s character, but the small stories themselves weren’t anything memorable. The basic setup is the same as the main leads with each character having their own set of beliefs only to have it challenged and requestioned. It eventually became formulaic to a point where certain episodes became repetitive, muddled, or just forgettable. Don’t get me wrong, there were some highlights and events to not be dismissed, but ConRevo is always at its best when focused on the primary objectives.

-Side Characters Don’t Get Their Time to Shine
Besides Detective Shiba and maybe Fuurouta and Earth-Chan, the side cast was mostly neglected. I understand, the cast is HUGE with more and more characters introduced. Some were written to be one-offs and got their share of development, but others who play a bigger part like Kikko and Emi are no excuse. They needed more screentime and certainly more answers for us to care for their involvement. We don’t get the phantasmic beliefs that made the other characters interesting nor do we get enough backstory to explain their purpose. Without that, they come off as plain plot devices for deus ex machinas or moving the story forward.

My Pointless Enjoyment:
I really enjoyed the themes, social commentary, and questions ConRevo had to offer and it has a lot more depth than the basic stuff we get these days. Jiro’s and Detective Shiba’s arc were both engaging, pleasing, and satisfying to watch. It is a shame that the other important side characters couldn’t reach the level of quality, and while it wasn’t boring, it certainly wasn’t a highlight. My enjoyment did suffer a bit from the wonky narrative, but taking notes and putting together the pieces alleviated that somewhat. It definitely takes more brainpower to watch and while I can be too lazy to use my brain, the reward this show had made the effort worthwhile.

Overall:
ConRevo stands out from the crowd as a title that doesn’t glorify its “Heroes”, but rather delves into them and their beliefs. This is a title that is sadly underrated for obvious reasons and may never see the light of day, but if you are willing to put in the effort, please give it a chance. With its unique style, spectacular depth, and powerful lead one can see the ambition put into ConRevo. That ambition may be a bit much and maybe convoluted, but for what the show does right, I’m willing to say its positives outweigh the negatives. I give Concrete Revolutio: The Last Song a 7/10.

If you don't like the first part of this story, maybe you can reconsider see this part, my advice of course, even if you like the anime, it's: "See it as a Child and a Grown-Up at the same time".

Yokai, Aliens, Kaiju, Robots, Witches, Ghosts, Superhumans! Some of the best things that we can use and we like to read and see in our shows everytime, because they are off of the normality in this world, imagination always gonna be the best at our hearts that want a rest of the normal things.

The first part of this show told us about a present with this ... beings in a world that can't see a fitting role to these unnatural entities, for explaining the story, we saw the lives of some of them and how their coexistence create a future that we understand a little but can't understand completely because there are so much questions in the air.

This second part, this last song, is the blend of the answers and questions, as its previous anime, this story have a present-future alternation, but with the past having a super heavy role played, so you will rejoice in every chapter seeing how you gonna receive the answers that are you waiting for with the action and fun, but maybe not in a totality.

That I want you to understand it's that you can lost the track of the story easily if you don't have open mind or maybe you don't want to catch up the most important things, that is why I left the first advice.

This story told us about the dreams and imagination that all kids and big kids like me have every morning, but with the requirement of a grown-up, because the story want you to think, think about humans, too, no only superhumans, tags as evil and justice, the soft and hard sides of a human that bring kindness, destruction and stupidity.

If you have this open mind, waiting for the part of a kid for your child side, and deep things for your grown-up side, I promise you that you can enjoy this show at its fullest, even with its underestimated score by another users.

You reached this point of the review? Thank you for read it all, I wish that you can do the same for this anime!

Well here we are with a sequel to Concrete Revolutio, my runaway favorite anime of last year as well as my favorite superhero thing during a time when Marvel's Netflix shows were blowing my mind with their not-shittiness. The reason it managed to achieve that was because it managed to marry an awesome concept with actual storytelling that doesn't involve character development for the sake of character development or producing "fun" in the hopes that it'll distract you from the fact that it doesn't have any end goal other than "we want your money". What if all those anime tropes you love so much lived ... in the same world and were used by the government as military weapons or exploring space? Would they become lapdogs of their own country, or will they rebel because they're the ones with the true power? Concrete Revolutio answers this whilst successfully marrying Baccano's time-jumping style with substantial character development and more historical Japanese metaphors than your average foreign history book, easily making it the most fun anime I've ever seen in years.

Having said that, I couldn't help but be worried about The Last Song's existence. As we all know by now, Bones has a history of losing control of the plot the longer their shows go on, and it doesn't really help that the initial excitement upon first discovery of the show's brilliance is gone and I am completely against that godawful "more of the same" policy in regards to continuations and such, thus the sequel was going to have to try really hard to impress me. Also, part of the appeal in Revolutio were the questions it raised regarding what happened in the future to change these people who once got along so well, and such answers are rarely as exciting as the actual buildup to begin with, so Last Song was getting saddled with a lot of handicaps before it even aired.

Still, whilst I have no problem with keeping the first season's episodic approach, I wish Last Song had found something as strong as the mystery behind why Jiro left the Superhuman Bureau to propel these pieces forward. The majority of what ties Last Song's events lacks a clear villain other than the government itself, but because they're so vaguely defined, it's hard to really summon up much enthusiasm when they start wrecking the lives of both superhumans and non-superhumans. And there is a lot more non-superhuman focus this time, probably in order to show that when it comes to big events, nobody is spared even if you don't have a direct stake in the war. I mean just look at the Brexit decision. Most Americans still don't know how it affects them (and I'm iffy on the details myself), but believe you me when I say that I'm glad I don't play the stock market.

Unfortunately, whilst these things are nice to see, they're generally focused on one-off characters who don't have much chemistry with the leads that are supposed to be the focus of the show, and the political metaphors can come off as edutainment as a result of the writers biting off more than they can chew. The Vietnam War episode that Gen Urobuchi wrote stands out to me in particular. I was under the impression that the episode underwhelmed me because I don't care about that conflict, but according to quite a few people I hang out with, it was indeed a step-down in quality because its themes were tired, its dialogue was clunky, and the plot just sort of ended without really bringing much new to Jiro's own story other than the result was more tragic than the Human-man episode. Also, a good chunk of these characters aren't quite as interesting with their philosophies as Earth-chan or Raito, and the ones who are don't stick around for too long, preferring to watch shit go down from space.

And it doesn't help that for the most part, our main characters don't play much of an active role besides aiding in these one-off characters' development without supplying much story of their own. I know that part of Jiro's narrative revolves around him running around trying to hold on to his new philosophy without realizing how fundamentally flawed it is, but you didn't need half a season in order to realize that fact. Also, those who wished for Emi to get her turn in the spotlight like Kikko and Jaguar did in the first season should prepare to be massively disappointed, because she remains an enigma to the very end, even when she takes an active role in the plot. And whilst I'm generally fine with that sort of thing, she has such a strong connection with Jiro that it's disappointing we don't get to really understand why that is besides vague five-second exchanges and the fact that they grew up together.

I just want to make it clear before I go on that I do recommend The Last Song. It's still full of interesting historical metaphors, the character arcs are still generally strong, and it manages to wrap up all its necessary elements with a conclusion that really got to me. Without spoiling anything, it really got me thinking about the current superhero boom we're living in right now and how that ties in to current political events, especially given how chaotic it's become this year. Also, the final few minutes are hilarious, and I will hear nothing to the contrary. But we all know how I feel about sequels that aren't as good as their daddy and that it's a practice we should never encourage because that gives producers the notion that as long as it stays entertaining, we want more of it. To which I say, bullshit. If you're not aiming to evolve in a forward direction, then why the fuck am I still supporting more of you with my own money?

Let's finish off this review by continuing to go through the list of step-downs from the first season that Last Song made. The animation is even worse than before, especially when you compare it to Bones' other two shows that season. Given the existence of said shows, along with the fact that Revolutio's sales were worse than Aku no Hana's, it's not really surprising, but it's still massively disappointing to see. The show still experiences peaks in animation during the important action scenes, but as much as I liked the episode where Jiro's past is revealed to him and the whole world via that propaganda film, my god was the production horrendous. I couldn't believe this was made by Bones at time.

Unfortunately, The Last Song made me go "oh yeah, Bones made this" with its story becomes messier than a fight on Jerry Springer by the end. Everyone, including the dead, betrays each other about twenty times apiece, and the "Civil War" between the different type of super humans that functions as the final act of the show feels like an hour had been cut from the final product - probably as a consequence of the fact that this season is two episodes shorter than the last one, and I don't think we're getting a Batman v Superman/Gatchaman Crowds-like extended cut anytime soon. It doesn't exactly fall apart because the ending makes sense in abstract, and yes I'd prefer to be missing the bigger picture as opposed to being bored or the ending itself to be flat-out catastrophic. Still, this season (and the first season as well for that matter) really could have benefitted from the hour-long lengths most TV dramas give their episodes, as I need my breathing room as well.

As a final point though, the opening and ending credits are pretty lame compared to their more energetic predecessors. Cool visuals accompanying them, but would you really download those songs on your iPhone and listen to them on the train? I certainly wouldn't, and apparently Funimation agrees with me because I don't exactly see them promoting those credits on their channel. But then again, that is also typical of Bones shows isn't it? The initial ending credits to Darker than Black and the initial opening credits to Eureka Seven are a barrel of fun to listen to, but what came after their initial thirteen episodes was a bunch of bland J-pop/rock whose only worthwhile contribution to society is being a cure for insomnia.

Highly underrated. Concrete Revolutio questions the notion of right and wrong from episode 1 itself. This Anime explores all the possible scenarios in a world filled with all sorts of superhumans and beasts. All the characters are too complex to be defined in terms of good and evil. You'll find yourself cheering for characters you previously hated on many occasions.

The non-linear story telling always keeps the viewers guessing. The important plot points come full circle while some remain open ended.

The animation may seem childish to some but I think it's perfect for Concrete Revolutio considering that a world filled with superhumans is every child's dream. ... It also compliments the debate on the notion of good v/s evil.

The songs and bgm stick to the head, especially the Beginning.

It seems very drawn out and there seems to be no reason for this to exist but that's fine. What isn't fine is the pacing of each episode. it's almost repetitive and seems drawn out to meet a time limit. there is a lot of tell and not enough show.

The majority of charachter interactions are= Hero tries to save A, Department tries to "control" A, and Government wants to either kill or use A.

The lack of a moral delima is quite telling. It seems to be quite cut and dry. The MC is the hero and everyone in his way is a bad ... guy or an aquatence that has differing opinions.

(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!)

For the first season of Concrete Revolutio, I talked about Superman and how lame of a hero he is. I even went so far as to say that the (and I quote myself) “kryptonite will not be taking down Concrete anytime soon.”

Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou – The Last Song proved me wrong – and not about Superman.

STORY

Last Song resumes roughly where the first season left off. “Roughly” because the ordering of events is still purposely jumbled. Regardless, Jiro, Kikko, and the Superhuman Bureau are doing their best to fight for justice – in whatever way ... they know how.

When looking back on the first season, it impressed with its setup. The complex themes on morality, race, and control. The different arcs for each of its characters. This premise in general. It stood as a very strong, very interesting anime, proving that the “super” in “superhuman” applied to itself, too.

Unfortunately, Last Song forgets about that prefix.

Before getting into why this second season goes loses, it’s worth pointing out what it does right.

Once again, its main theme on justice – and its ties to those more nuanced ideas like morals and racism and control – are in full force. One episode focuses on how, despite all the justice and good and sacrifices of centuries past, the current wars and fighting made it worthless. Another episode focuses on losing a loved one and what that drives people to do. A different one focuses on a superhuman soldier with PTSD who does not (cannot) ever get the justice he deserves.

The different callbacks are also nice. Seeing Campe emerge from her chrysalis to resolve Human-man’s conflict or watching as the immortal family sneak away are tiny references to earlier material. But their inclusion can give added weight or tie-ins to the events at hand – sometimes both.

And some cool moments exist throughout its run. Learning that Jiro actually killed Rainbow Knight (by accident) and that a possible parallel world (this world) exists give the narrative some legs to run with.

So, what goes wrong?

The best way to understand second season’s missteps is by comparing it to its prequel. The first season had the benefit of being, well, a first season. All it realistically had to do was set everything up so that, when it passed the story baton, it did so with gusto and grace. Which it did.

More than this, though, the first season had a goal. It may not have seemed that way, what with the nonchronological plotline and the episodic material, but it clearly wanted to get somewhere: Jiro’s defection from the Superhuman Bureau.

The second season does not have the luxury of setting up; it must carry that baton to the finish line. Meaning, what’s left is its goal which it must reach. And that’s the problem: It has no goal.

Another way to put it is that Last Song is aimless. The show never makes it clear what it wants to do, and, as a result, this season feels like it either isn’t going anywhere or is going nowhere.

For instance, the show once again chooses an episodic format to showcase its ideas. In the first three episodes, it features (separately) a space cowboy, an ex-band-member-turned-giant, and a forest goddess. Some pretty interesting material. But, already, the anime isn’t making it clear where it wants to go.

Yet, for some reason, the anime carries this mindset for the next four episodes. So, for the first seven episodes of this eleven-episode season, it’s just one singular set of events after another. Sure, there are minute consequences that exist between them (mostly due to the jumbled ordering), but that end goal is nowhere in sight.

These episodes themselves also introduce a new problem. One of the driving forces is how split everybody is. The Superhuman Bureau versus the ad people versus the police versus Jiro. Sadly, a lot of the conflicts boil down to let’s-not-help-Jiro-but-actually-let’s-help-him scenarios. Not so much cat and mouse but guy-with-a-pet-mouse-that-misbehaves and mouse. It leads to repetition and a huge waste of potential as these separate sides never seem to fully clash.

With only four episodes left, Last Song realizes it needs that to happen, and so it finally has a goal to run to. But it’s already too late. For while the pacing in the first two-thirds is rather slow, the pacing in this last one-third is way too fast, leading to a heap of writing troubles.

Jiro’s all-important past is revealed by a magic helmet through a dream sequence.

Master Ultima’s death comes out of nowhere after he hasn’t been around for ages.

The reveal of the main nemesis being like Jiro in origin comes off as quite convenient.

Smaller details also add up. Jaguar saying out loud Jiro’s own words about Fuurouta reminding him of justice came off as sloppy. Fuurouta revealing to Kikko the secret about her contained demon powers, meant as more of a joke, ends up as a convenient and inconsequential remark.

Even something like the show toning down the nonchronological format hurts it. The jumbled contents made it more interesting due to the back-and-forth nature. This format also supported its convoluted themes. In this sequel, it understandably must (more or less) stay in the near-present. But that inherently reduces its intrigue levels.

The show’s final note (relevant word here) reveals why the sequel is named so. Like a song sung and heard everywhere, passed on from generation to generation, superhumans will live on. Heeding the call of those who need help. While the song metaphor feels a bit tacked on, it’s a nice message that ties to salvage what was left of this sprained story.

ANIMATION

Not too much else to say differently about Last Song’s art and animation this time around. A small step down but nothing obtuse.

The character designs don’t flip-flop as often since the past isn’t depicted to the same extent as before, but what is given is still strong. Kikko’s longer hair and bigger bust make it easy to spot how much she has grown up. Koma’s cloak, multi-color eyes, and cat ears prove that the show still knows how to come up with an interesting (and cute) look. And Jaguar’s later new getup retains his original self while outwardly declaring his “betrayal.”

Despite reducing the comic-book braille flourish, artistic techniques persist. A wide color palette, shadowing, and the comedic reactions help to spice up the visuals once more.

As for actual animation, it does seem to falter somewhat. It’s not too noticeable throughout the run, but some scenes are subpar, like the ski jump. Plus, there are not as many major fights, and everyone likes to do a bit more talking and standing around than usual.

Still, the anime can argue otherwise: Raito gets an impressive scene again, Kikko uses her magic all the time, and the final battle has its fair share of fire, explosions, and duels.

CHARACTERS

Last Song commits its biggest blunder with its cast.

It’s such a surprising statement to make because the show set them all up so well. Kikko’s unrequited love and the maturity she would need to gain. Emi’s mysterious background. Fuurouta’s role as mediator for everyone. Jaguar’s time-travel and time-stopping abilities. Magotake and his relationship with his son Jiro. Raito’s descent from police detective to superhuman enforcer.

Except for Jiro, however, the anime mishandles that baton even more.

Kikko is the oddest. She essentially becomes a non-character, showing up to each scene and saying little more than “Meteortail!” A lot. Where she once had a purpose – as Jiro’s potential love interest and as a meaningful character to the story at large – the anime treats her as little more than an extra.

The anime does try, though. Ullr (her tiny companion) mentions in an offhand remark that Kikko no longer has a claim as queen due to her feelings and loss of her powers. But it’s literally a one-time bit of information, so its impact is minimal.

The best it could do was a small moment in episode five. Kikko chats with Jiro. About her thoughts on the different feuding factions and their own conflict. While she understands all that, she outright says she stays in the Superhuman Bureau just so she can see Jiro more. Which is great. It’s a warped mindset, but her devout feelings make her more interesting.

Unfortunately, thanks to Jiro’s promise to stay away from her, and the anime refusing to nurture her relationships with the others more, Last Song wastes this moment completely.

Emi goes through something similar. The anime (from last season) already refrained from revealing much about her. In this season, it does so again. Big mistake. It makes her pleas near the end, her “romantic” connection to Jiro, both moot and missing emotion.

The audience gets a little bit in the form of some flashbacks, but it is so miniscule that it may as well have never existed to begin with.

Fuurouta, later on, runs the bar that welcomes all superhumans. But, for most of the second season, he does not contribute much beyond changing into his different animals and forms when needed.

Magotake, like Kikko, barely interacts with Jiro, leaving the link between “father” and “son” missing many a chain.

Even Jaguar has troubles. Last Song makes him relevant only right at the end when he messes with time. Before the last episode (and realistically the last ten minutes), he does almost nothing important or interesting. Again, that’s the show’s fault. His time-controlling pocket-watch was stolen from him at some point, so his relevance, like Kikko’s, goes down the drain.

Raito, at the very least, has his fall depicted. Yet he, too, barely impacts the show, challenging neither Jiro nor the others to any noticeable extent.

All these characters follow a similar trend: not receiving attention. Last Song, rather than expounding on its cast, chose instead to focus on the mini-arc dealings and the characters therein. In other words, the show is plot driven (again). But, since that failed, its characters fail even harder.

Arguably, the only character that can even be considered worthwhile is Jiro. As he tries to uphold his ideals on justice, helping superhumans here and there regardless of them being “good” or “bad,” he slowly figures out that his methods are not helping as much as he would like.

Throughout each episode, he either pushes back against the Superhuman Bureau or does his best to aid those in need. While he tends to be a broken record like Kikko and the others, his words are at least meaningful. Questioning his own sense of justice, declaring the ambiguity of “right” and “wrong,” and trying to understand their messed-up world gives him strength as a character since he actually receives attention from the show in the form of thematic exploration.

Simultaneously, the audience comes to know more about Jiro’s past. How he came to tame the beast within and his origin story of sorts. It’s not a lot, but, compared to everyone else this season, it’s a welcome sight.

His “betrayal” at the end is a cool idea due to its full-circle feeling in relation to Rainbow Knight. Furthermore, his proclamation that he is superhuman, and not a beast, reflects how much he has grown through his experiences.

Granted, the whole “superhumans have an evil being paired with them” idea is odd since it never felt like the main focus of the show. Still, its implication – that his statement applies to people as well – gives it more ground. At the minimum, his death, which instills hope for those in the future, ends his character on a poetic (albeit unsatisfactory) note.

Altogether, Jiro is the only one who even tried to complete the race.

SOUND

Like with the art and the animation, not too much else can be said that hasn’t already about the sound that Last Song employs.

Especially in regards to the original soundtrack and the voice-acting performances. Once again, they perform their job without doing anything exceptional. The OST’s guitar and techno choices fit with the melancholic and chaotic events, and the VA’s do not have any stand-out moments as they reprise their roles.

Except perhaps Kaito Ishikawa as Jiro. Again, nothing noteworthy, but his emotional voice, screams, and cries did not go unnoticed.

That leaves the opening track and the ending track.

The OP starts off fevered, then glides into a more reserved state. Then it lets loose, the vocalist and the beat picking up intensity with the dubstep quick to follow. The speed and the catchiness in the second half further support the piece. It takes a couple of listens, but, afterwards, it stands as a solid track.

The ED is not just the best part of the music but also the best part of all of Last Song. The guitar and the drums jam well together, but it’s the vocalist’s syllabic singing and the foot-tapping beat that make it a cool track. Plus, that sense of structure fits well with the theme of control that permeates the show.

ENJOYMENT

I rated the first season of this series rather highly because it set itself up for greatness. If nothing else, it created something thoughtful and interesting.

The second season doesn’t have that. The characters were already not that memorable, but, coupled with them hardly receiving any focus this time around, it makes them a wash. The narrative devolves into a too-episodic chore that isn’t enthralling no matter how many giant robots are included. The romance angle ends up unused and lame.

To me, the most interesting episode was episode four: “Devila and Devilo.” More specifically, the final sequence was one that made me think.

Devilo is known for using mundane wording to persuade his audience. So, when he starts to ramble about life and beauty and the universe, it made me question whether his words were true or if they just rang hollow. Not just through some clever meta game the show was playing but for myself as well.

Other than that, though, the anime didn’t give me much else – besides disappointment.

Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou – The Last Song concludes in a less-than-ideal state. The aimless story, the lack of character exploration, and the slight downgrade in visuals suppress the anime’s larger idea on justice and the rocking ED. Simply put, this season becomes the series’ own kryptonite.

SUMMARY

Story: Fine, strong themes once more on justice, morality, and race, but the episodic format and the awkward writing choices leave it lagging

Animation: Good, nice character designs, varied artistic direction, and okay actual animation

Characters: Bad, all except Jiro receive very little attention, leading to their low impact and even lower worthwhileness

Sound: Fine, okay OP, good ED, okay OST, and okay VA performances

Enjoyment: Bad, a disappointing second half to say the least

Final Score: 4/10