Katsugeki Touken Ranbu - Episode 2 (Review)

By: MithrandielIt's time for another episode of Katsugeki Touken Ranbu!Following the arrival of 8 more enemies at the end of last week's episode, Saniwa summoned additional warriors to battle alongside Kanesada and Kunihiro. The spear wielding Tonbokiri, gun-toting Yoshiyuki Mutsunokami, and short-sword (wakizashi) wielder Toushirou Yagen (phew!)Tonbokiri and the others quickly engage and dispatch the newly arrived members of the Time Retrograde Army, as they collectively wonder what their actual target is. Saniwa, who has expended a lot of energy to summon 5 warriors to the same time period, has to return to their home base. Before doing so, he places Kanesada in charge of the 5-man group, instructing them to discover why the Time Retrograde Army is there, and, as usual, to defend history.Following the battle, we learn more about just exactly what these characters are: embodiments of famous weapons throughout Japanese history. These weapons have been given a human form and are transported through time in order to protect the very history they hail from. Though their relationships are largely amicable, there are definitely some moments of tension following Kanesada's appointment as "Commander", with Yoshiyuki telling him flat-out that he doesn't plan on acknowledging him as a "Captain".We get to spend much of the episode appreciating the fine animation quality and backgrounds, as our heroes are all engaged in different areas of the city; either investigating ruins, or marveling at the wonders of "modern" society, including the excessively large steamship that is currently in the dock.The steamship indeed. After some detective work and good old fashioned critical thinking, Kanesada and Kunihiro realize exactly what the Time Retrograde army is wanting to do: harm foreigners and attempt to start a war between Japan and a foreign country.Unfortunately, our heroes realize this a little too late, as a large explosion rocks the steam-powered boat, and the episode ends with them rushing to help.The animation continues to be Touken Ranbu's crown jewel. The vibrant character designs and lush background art makes for a series that is lovely to behold. The action this week was a bit sparse, but what we did see was intense and lightning-fast. After all, who could better use a weapon than a human embodiment of said weapon? The way the weapons are used is as though they're literally extensions of the warriors' body. So don't blink, because you might miss the killing blow!The story is starting to get pieced together now, with a hint at the larger arc on the horizon. I'm excited to see how the story continues to form over the next few weeks.In short, Touken Ranbu continues to be a beautiful and entertaining action series to help round out your summer lineup. New episodes air Saturday mornings on Crunchyroll, so be sure to check it out![yasr_multiset setid=11]