@Tharizdun03: There’s a good story buried un...

There’s a good story buried under all this, but the season doesn’t respect its characters, its world, or its audience enough to deliver on it — instead prioritizing cheap gags at their expense. Not awful, but I feel a bit insulted.

The core strengths of Season 1—likable characters, smart worldbuilding, balanced fanservice—are only here in slivers. Mostly, what I got was a shameless parade of fetishized nonsense that treats its characters like disposable objects.

Harem expansion that serves no purpose except to increase the amount of available waifu-bait, Saito’s complete character assassination—downgraded from an immature but well-meaning outsider into a one-note pervert, Siesta’s absurd breast expansion, etc.

And most annoyingly, all romantic progress is repeatedly erased to keep every female character "open for business". Or at least, the cheap pervert gags immediately after each moment undermine the relationship building to the point of being emotionally ineffective.

This season feels like bad fanfiction, lazily throwing characters into indulgent, contrived scenarios without care for continuity or growth. A lot of the geopolitical war arc is good, and (before they are undermined) there are good Louise/Saito moments. But again; slivers.

It just sort of felt like the season’s entire reason for existing seems to be pandering to the lowest common denominator rather than telling a coherent story. Hence we got more boob gags than relationship progression. And I'm guessing it'll be like this until the final season.