Creator Ryosuke Takahashi aimed to make his latest piece of robot animation stand out from the previous works he had done.
To accomplish this, he added a healthy dose of traditional Japanese mysticism and a steadily unfolding plot. Although these
innovations are used to great effect in the opening chapters of "Gasaraki" ("Gasaraki 1: The Summoning"), in the second
collection of episodes ("Gasaraki 2: The Circle Opens") these elements fade into the background and a tired story of robotic
combat dominates focus.
The mysticism that flavored earlier chapters is mostly missing. Neither Yushiro nor Miharu participate in new Gasara
dances, a shortcoming which strips the plot of a key element leaving viewers to subsist on flashbacks to their earlier
mystical encounter. Some slight hope exists that the writers will reprise and expand the mystical aspects of the narrative, as
evidenced by Yushiro and Miharu's visit to the historical Church of Akura. Bas-reliefs of monsters and demons cover the stone
walls of the church, but the writers rush through this moment to return to hackneyed scenes of robotic combat.
Unfortunately, little more is revealed about the nature of the Gasara dance or the connection of the TA systems to mystical
power. In place of new innovations, "Gasaraki 2" supplants its characteristic subtleties with explicit explanations of earlier
episodes. If the first group of episodes suffered from a lack of exposition, this set suffers from an overabundance of it.
Short cuts in animation and voice dubbing also take their toll. Animation director Keichi Watanabe waters down robotic
combat from its potential highs, making even the battle simulations of the first episode more exciting than the real battles
of the fifth episode. Long scenes in which characters stand around dryly discussing the situation make the story long-winded
and stagnant. Further evidence of voicing flaws abound in scenes that include interaction between the pilots of the Japanese
Defense Forces.
Numerous scenes look dynamic when the sound is off, but often seem forced with the volume on. A major source of the problem
is poor acting; characters phone in their lines without believing them. This is a death knell in a genre that, by its nature,
demands that viewers suspend their disbelief about robots and magic.
These faults heavily tax the middle of the "Gasaraki" series. Fortunately, more episodes remain to rectify the problems
found here. The writers have the benefit of the strong, carefully laid foundation established in the opening chapters of the
saga. Had they been as clumsy then as they were here, the entire edifice would have already come toppling down.