Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: Unato Decisive Battle

While this series is okay as a standalone one on Netflix, it misses a lot of the backstory and the layout thats necessary to engage a viewer. So I started watching the original series and then watched this and things made a lot more sense and the story although not perfect is decent for a continuation from the end of the initial anime series.

The way the story and characters progress is childish and is a mess. The interactions between characters is not believable and little of what story exists is explained properly.

Given the high quality of the audio and video it's clear a lot was spent on this flop of a sequel.

1. Animation : 4 out of 5 2. Screenplay : 5 out of 5 3. Character Development : 3 out of 5 4. Scores and soundtracks : 3 out of 5 5. Story : 2 out of 5 6. Appreciation score : 4 out of 5 7. Intensity : 2 out of 5 8. Connectivity : 2 out of 5 9. Ending : 5 out of 5

The animation, the background art and all the technique is a master piece, very high quality, but the story felt a little "meh" Not much chemistry between most of the characters, poor dialogues, it really wasn't an engaging story.

I was really excited to watch this after the generally good first series, what a huge disappointment, I could barely make it through this by contrast.

Whats good?

• Well the animation is still broadly good, fight scenes are fluid and creative
• The soundtrack is acceptable, the Japanese voice actors also do their best (broadly speaking)
• There isn't much in the steampunk/zombie anime genre to compare by

Whats bad?

• As another reviewer mentioned, the Kabane have been hugely nurfed from the deadly threat to a minor inconvenience. A hilarious scene at the start shows about 30 Kabane jump a single solider and pile on in a huge zombie snowball...only for Ikoma to come along and throw him out and blow the lot up. What a load of tripe - compare this to the tense first episode of season 1 where (in the first three mins) we literally see a man have to commit suicide because of a minor bite, what a change in stakes.
• Hugely disappointing story, oh boy, I wonder who the obvious bad guy is? Say, those other 'allies' seem a little dodgy, 'no we don't need to station troops at the back, trust me' - oh yeah, twirl a mustache while you do it more idiot...I mean the heroes buy it so I guess wtf do i know?
• Ikoma and Mumei - oh dear, oh dear...Mumei at least was an interesting character (for the first six episodes of season 1 before changing to 'oni-chan' mode), now both her and Ikoma are hugely unlikable anime cliches. The previously excellent supporting cast of season 1 make appearances here and there but are largely stock anime characters now.
• Oh and a fairly nonsensical story about an attempt to retake a city, was that really the best they could do with this series, a shame...

Bottom Line

• Enjoy the first season for the fun it is (and seriously, the first six episodes are genuinely, really quite enjoyable), don't bother here unless you have a very low barrier to entry, just love Kabane that much or harbor a morbid love for idiots.