So how does No guns life second season compared to the first? Well I'll tell you! Right from the off we're thrown right into the action, and it's great to see when it comes to the story. As we've already established who certain characters are, and it really puts us right into the thick of things, with so much tension and drama. Great stuff. Cannot complain there, it's really well done with how it's set up. The new faces are very dangerous and threatening. They really well done with their motives and who they are, they really add to the current good line up of characters. Reallynice stuff there, and I cannot wait to see who else comes in this series.

The art style desires it's praise, it's very different, but one thing I do want to touch up on, is the ending itself. The ED visuals are very creative and it's real great looking. While the music is of course top notch as usual. Cannot go wrong there.

Is No guns life second season as good as the first? It's shaping up to be for sure!
      

        Even though the first season of No Guns Life had a lot to give with it’s presentation it ended up tremendously average. It offered a cool setting with interesting themes and characters, but didn’t deliver it in an engaging way. It had at least some things to appreciate like the soundtrack, decent visuals and aforementioned setting, all of which are present here in a similar quality. The setting being the most prominent thing about the first season but needed a lot more focus on fleshing out the world and its inhabitants. It was a good enough foundation to improve from all things considered, which itnow thankfully did, but only to a certain degree.

Whereas the first season went all over the place in it’s narrative, here it’s more focused. Giving enough time to expand on the main leads. Mary got her own arc which focuses on her relationship with her long lost brother. Giving her otherwise rather dull character some extra flare. Juzo’s past is also explored more in depth which was one of the more intriguing mysteries of the first season. Even Tetsuro, who I thought was one of the weaker characters, has his own development starting to take root. And is overall not as useless this time around.

But while it is an improvement, it’s not with a big enough margin to make up for it’s flaws. Most of which were also present in the previous season. The exposition and dialogue in general felt forced and dumb downed. Likely making anyone watching feel like Einstein’s offspring in the process. It may not be as jarring for some as it was for me. But I feel like with a show that has so much potential for interesting and meaningful dialogue, it’s sad that they didn’t go that extra step.

Another issue that has stayed the same is that the characters remain static without experiencing any sort of character growth. They have been more fleshed out, no doubt. However, When their character arcs are finished, they return to their same old self without having changed much from it. They also barely push the story forward themselves. It’s usually the villains or random side characters that forces it to progress. It’s not an ideal approach to make compelling characters and as such they leave a lot to be desired.

But while it still contains a lot of the previous seasons' negatives, it improves on its strengths enough so fans of the first season should be satisfied. If you aren’t then this probably won't do anything to get your hopes up. The chances for a third season is also slim so that’s another catch. Go in with this in mind if you think it’s still worth a shot.
      

        No Guns Life is a show that knows exactly what it is. Don't watch this show expecting a mind opening experience because you aren't going to get it. No Guns Life is just solid, decent characters, decent story, memorable character designs, it's like if you got your favorite item from a restaurant you think is kind of mid but gives you a lot of food for cheap. Coupled with Madhouse behind the wheel and you have yourself a worthwhile experience. I will say that this season focused on aspects of the show that I didn't find as necessarily interesting as season one but it was definitelyfar from mediocre.

Speaking of Madhouse, I think one of the first things people said about the show is also its biggest weakness, this feels like a Madhouse show from 15 years ago. And because it does it has this out of time sort of feel where this really isn't an era for this show to come out despite the transhumanist messaging. I think this show needed a good ten years for it to have the impact it could've had. Something else that is a bit of a shame is that this season in particular serves to set up events to come but there most likely won't be a season three because Madhouse doesn't do sequels and I'm sure this didn't do amazing. Obviously having the second half of your a split cour show be delayed definitely doesn't help your ratings I'm sure.

Even writing this review I wish I had more to say about No Guns Life but I think I will finish off by saying, if you think contemporary anime has gotten too meta and pretentious then this is the story for you.

If Hideo Kojima, Creator of the Metal Gear franchise, being a fan of this series doesn't tell you anything about the show, then I don't know what will.
      

        It's the same No Guns Life you know and love, but with the ante shooting high from 0 to 100 very quickly with each passing episode. Needless to say that if you've watched the 1st cour of No Guns Life that aired back in Fall last year, this should be more of the same that is the continuation from back then, only expect that the story and worldbuilding is fleshed out more with character lore and the constant set-up for what's to come to set the finale in stone. Juzo and the rest of the company are back, but the obvious difference is that of morebackstories and high stakes accompany the characters as they go.

The one thing that must not be taken away with the 2nd cour is Juzo's backstory of him being a Gun Slave Unit, and how he has pursued his fight from being a partner in crime to someone who's truly set free from the troubles of having an accompanying partner to make decisions for him. That is some character development to warrant a close watch, and it has been the anchor for the 2nd cour for the most part to define who Juzo is not only as the Gun Slave Unit Device 13, but who he is as a person as the last few remaining GSUs.

Once again, Madhouse takes the helm for finishing Part 2, and while the art and animation has been the same for the most part, the one impressive part I can give is the CGI, which has been rendered in Unreal Engine (since the very beginning). While this may not set the animation world on fire, I can appreciate how a different use of proven CGI can work wonders to keep my investment alive and prove that the journey is worth the wait.

The one upgrade is in the sound department, and a new pairing for the OST, and I'd have to say that it's a mixed bag. SawanoHiroyuki hits this season's top banger OP out of the park collaborating with Man With a Mission (MWAM)'s lead singer Jean-Ken Johnny on "Chaos Drifter", and it's a song worth the many repeats of listening. As for THIS IS JAPAN's "new world" ED, while I don't like the song that much, I can remember it for one thing: character twerking. Part 1's ED is much better song-wise IMO, even if the visuals are drab.

As a whole, No Guns Life won't set the world on heels of suppression of folklore, but it teaches me one thing: Funke Faust! Pull the trigger that you are meant to use, and use it wisely on someone you trust.
      

        No Gun's Life Season 1 was a forgettable romp through what was basically a detective noir story about a man with a revolver for a head and no memory of his past. The season did little to explore anything aside the rift between Extended's and the rest of the world, and introduce characters and concepts that, for the most part, fell flat. What it did excel at was giving us a story similar to stuff like Dick Tracy, where our stoic, straight-faced hero stops the bad guys and saves the day. Season two doesn't tread too far off the beaten path, although it does workhard to keep from going too deep into shounen territory in order to maintain its own personality. While the action does seem to follow the Law of Escalation (as famously applied in Power Rangers, for all you 90's kids) in terms of how much damage two revolver-headed persons can cause, it does not hesitate to keep to its roots. This is a detective noir, after all, and the author is clearly aware of that fact as each frame is translated to the screen. 

Juzo's backstory is front and center for much of the season, though other characters are given spots where their own histories are touched upon and provided focus. Where most other series stumble, though, is where NGL finds a good balance. Key points of each characters history are given focus, rather than examining every passing moment of how they got to where they are. Perhaps one of the best moments where this is presented is during Mary's backstory, where we are given brief glimpses into her and her brother's history throughout the episode where it's relevant, and then left to fill in the gaps with what we know. 

The soundtrack just works. Starting from Sawano Hiroyuki collaborating with Man with a Mission's Jean-Ken Johnny opening, reaching through to This is Japan's New World (both of which are absolute bangers), the soundtrack seems to want to do all the heavy lifting. Thankfully, the characters feel as real as you would expect for people living in a cyberpunk noir, and their relationships feel authentic. The animation is fairly well-done as well, though there are scenes where the use of the Unreal Engine are obvious. Thankfully, it's not so distracting that you'll be pulled out of the more immediate story. 

If I had to call season two out on one flaw, it would be that it suffers from some pacing whiplash once the final trio of episodes roll around. What should be an emphasis on Juzo rising to his role as the hero and Tetsuro finding his own path can at times feel slow and plodding, while at other times rushing through some scenes and action just to get to the more desirable parts. Also, there is a pervert that is given focus for an entire episode that adds nothing to the larger plot at play, but maybe he'll return..? 

Either way, I highly recommend No Guns Life.
      

        I was able to notice a very visible improvement in the approach as director Naoyuki Itou (also director of the first season of No Guns Life) seeks to relate in a decentralized way with space, characters and also with machines in a harmful and almost sad universe. Not that I need to approach the first season to develop an idea of ​​the second, but if I correlate them visually, it would be possible to say that the two parts are exactly the same. My biggest problem with the first part was how the director used some inventive ideas in a way that sounded formalistic and manneristwith no relation to the rest of the artistic unit, however in this continuation he did not bring great news that differentiate both in aspects, but in his approach with some artificialities.

There is a search in No Guns Life that always tries to find ways to humanize our relationship with machines in a very personal way. Again, they have feelings, obligations, traumas, fears and also relationships. The protagonist Juuzou goes through a dramatic arc again involving his relationship of being a separate individual or a tool, and the same is done with other Extended ones that appear during the series. The objective is to link both qualities and defects in this relationship, while at the same time, it also dehumanizes that same relationship with other supporting actors in the plot. The funniest thing is how the direction really frames the faces of these machines, which even without any kind of human expression, still manage through simple gestures and sometimes exaggerated (exaggerated in a good sense) to attribute to the viewer a discernment for each of these characters.

Through CGI, which is used organically and is somewhat immersive at various times, as if those spaces had a life of their own. The scenarios and the palette of colors darker and more dirty represent very well a harmfulness of the reality of this universe. The anime uses cinematography that literally puts us in the perspective of the characters, it is an inventive form of the director again, but that works better in this continuation. I could even say it was perfect, but the management still has some free technical virtuosity. I see no need for the anime to use lighting filters or a more elegant landscape in some specific moments, since in most of the work it tries to show a more harmful side of this universe, so this spontaneity actually ends up going against unity the rest of the work.

The director has what he needs, he managed to improve in all points the way he related to his stylistic elements in this continuation, but it is still not perfect.
      

        No Guns Life II takes everything from the first season/cour and turns it up a notch. Assuming you enjoyed the first season at all, you'll find this one an upgrade in every respect. Juzo and co's battle against Berühren and other organisations starts heating up and new characters are thrown into the fray. Story is the same type of atmosphere we saw in season 1, but in my opinion there's more action going for it this time. Quality wise, same as last time. Usual madhouse. Really good CGI when it's needed, cool art, OST and direction. Honestly, there's not much else to add. If you'rewatching season 2 of No Guns Life, you must have enjoyed the first part and it's just more of the same here. It's a criminally slept on good watch for anyone who enjoys hardboiled detective series or cyberpunk style worlds. Here's to hoping for another season. No Guns Life II gets 8 hands out of 10 from me.
      

        This second season of No Guns Life follows up the main storyline directly from where it left off at the start of the first season. The plot gets quite thicker, as various layers of development are added to every character, making it easier to relate to them and understand their motivations and personalities better. The sound design and composition was quite good, even better than the previous season even. An absolute banger of an opening, great battle and dramatic tracks, and pretty good ending song as well. The SFX were on point as well. Beautiful art style, just like last season. My only complaint on this frontwould be a little too much of cgi in some parts, mainly on the last fight. How come Seven is traditionally animated but Juuzou, whose design is not much more complex than Seven's, is animated completely with CG? It looked janky and broke the suspention of disbelief in that moment. CG animation really isn't one of Madhouse's strong points.

Overall, this season holds up quite well, mainly compared to the previous one. Definetely worth a watch if you already got hooked in by the story and characters in the first season.

Although I'm rating it a seven, I'd say its a high one, more along the lines of a 7.6
      

        No Guns Life is a Madhouse anime from 2019. It was pretty unimpressive. The first series was like a bog-standard "edgy" 90s comic. To the point where it could have almost been written and drawn by Rob Liefeld. Except that the artists have a somewhat passable sense of human proportions. This time around, we're looking at the sequel from mid 2020. Is it better than the first series? Maybe. Story: We open with an unexpected attack from the terrorist organisation Spitsbergen. Why they named their terrorist group after a scenic area of Norway that means "Pointed Mountains" I don't know. In any case, they're after thedata Juuzou acquired at the end of the last series. And, to get it, they capture Chris & Tetsurou. Things become more complicated when Mary's brother surfaces as part of the group. 

This has a lot of the same issues as the first series. It still makes no sense that Juuzou can't pull his own trigger. The writer did know that humans can reach the backs of our necks, right? And I will reiterate that it's not an authorisation thing because we have and do see the trigger pulled by teenagers. The series continues to suffer from severe pacing issues with it throwing plot points at you hard and fast. Like they think all of us have uncontrollable ADHD and won't be able to sit still while they extrapolate on anything or flesh out their plot points. And I can say, as someone with ADHD, we can actually pay attention to plots and appreciate slow, atmospheric moments. 

I will give this series credit in one regard over the first, the ending is notably better. This one actually has a major confrontation against a foe who's been built up for a while. I also do like some of the flashbacks and the insights they give us on the characters. They also do help flesh out the world a little bit. 

Characters:

The main characters are slightly improved over the clichés of the first series. Juuzou, Mary and Tetsurou all graduate from bland archetypes to bland archetypes with slight variations. We also get to see a small amount of humanity from Pepper and Seven, though the Berühren organisation is still cartoonishly evil. And has a stupid name. 

Art:

The "extreme" 90s aesthetic is back for the cyborgs with the bizarre visual characteristics for the human looking characters that just look out of place. The series does still have some smooth animation and decent action sequences though. 

Sound:

The acting is still the strongest element of the series. Numakura Manami, Suwabe Junichi, Yamashita Daiki, Minase Inori and Sanpei Yuuko are all strong actors. The music is still okay, not anything special. 

Ho-yay: 

Still none to be found. 

Areas of Improvement:

1. The 90s aesthetic for character designs isn't good. They weren't good in the 90s and they certainly don't hold up thirty years later.
 
2. Your evil corporation needs some redeeming qualities. Yes, it's a common cyberpunk trope for there to be a powerful corporation with shady practices and dark designs at the top. But it's not common for them to be basically the ruthless terrorist organisation COBRA. With all the subtlety and nuance thereof.

3. Take your time. A story works best when it has slow moments to build atmosphere and when the threads that are introduced get developed. This series has a problem with just throwing a shit tonne of sub-plots at you, barely developing any of them and just rushing through developments. It doesn't do a good job of building intrigue or investment. 

Final Thoughts:

To its credit, No Guns Life 2 is a slight improvement over the first. There are some major characters who have gone a step above being archetypes and the ending is actually somewhat satisfying. That being said, it still shares a lot of the same problem as your standard Image comic and I don't really recommend it. Unless you're someone who thinks that the 90s had the best writing and visual aesthetics for comics. My rating is going to be a 5/10.
      

        This second season really brought to light some serious issues regarding the people behind the shadows. And some very interesting facts. Although it was already some time since I had finished the first season. So, I had to refresh my memory before I started watching this second season. Although, I won't announce any spoilers or anything that has to do with this particular season. But, I will say this, this one highlighted somethings that I was myself, very curious about. This was only the tip of the iceburg, but I loved the action that ensued here, some parts were sad, serious, and comical. But, allwere indeed put well together, so it all makes sense in a way, in others, not so much and a but confusing to say the least, well, at least to me a few parts here and there, about this and that, as I felt minor details of which I found to be important were left out. But, I think that is what makes anime like this, so thrilling to watch, because you don't know what's going to happen, until it happens. I thoroughly enjoyed this season and cannot wait for the next one.