I will miss saying “Let’s Play Up!”

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The moment that we have been waiting for all season finally took place this episode. Kaito manages to doubly fulfill his promise to Freecell, while Freecell manages to have his precious puzzle time with Kaito. Freecell was literally on top of the world when this took place. I really loved it because, at moments, he was just so happy and excited. 

The puzzle or game itself definitely helped convey his mood. He seemed to put together one of the funniest and happiest puzzles in the anime. The visuals were on point, as well. There were numerous minor details that all added up to make this a visual spectacle that was one to behold. The glass panels all throughout the puzzle conveyed the red and blue colors well, changing and glowing in response to the players, greatly complementing their running figures. The camera angles chosen while the players were running worked well in giving us a sense of speed and worked in highlighting the characters facial expressions. Even more so, the constant display of the entire field with the cute character icons, as well as various designs, including designs of the characters themselves, looked great, stylish and was memorable. Ultimately, it was all well done.

The plot was quite good, especially when the puzzle time entered into a circular routine. It was interesting how it would change from Kaito chasing Freecell, to Freecell chasing Kaito. The biggest moment of all was when Kaito realizes this and a flashback of them as kids takes place, with Kaito revealing that he too had weaknesses unlike what others were led to believe. This shockes Freecell. In fact, I thought it was extreme how it happened, as he was instantly at a loss and nearly had his soul sealed by the Orpheus Armlet.

Thankfully, this was an anime of happy feelings, and everything with Freecell resolved smoothly. I, for one, enjoyed how he and Kaito finally sat down to some quiet time to solve the mother’s puzzle. It was really sweet and touching and a step in the right direction to help Freecell move on. 

Overall, the episode was a solid conclusion and had some really thrilling moments in it. The friendship levels were quite high too, which is something I really enjoyed. Kaito blushing when he got a text message from Rook for puzzle time was really cute and made me smile. I will miss Phi Brain.

GO Rating: 4/5

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Final Thoughts

Phi Brain: Puzzle of God 2 was an excellent follow-up to the amazing first season. The Orpheus Order served as excellent antagonists who managed to differentiate themselves from the personalities of the POG from the first season. Seeing the POG members from season one on the good side was an interesting choice. Having them develop as a character embracing the good side was a good move and it kept the story fresh. Furthermore, the puzzles this season were different from the first, often involving more movement or team participation than those involved in season one. Developing Jikukawa and involving him in a few puzzles was worthwhile and pleasing to people who have grown to be the adviser/guardian of these children. Lastly, the antagonists such as Klondike-sama, Freecell, and even Hoist, were interesting and were further enhanced by the numerous twists that the plot threw at us when it involved them.

Ultimately, Phi Brain: Puzzle of God 2 was a fun, unique experience. The production values further enhanced the plot and character elements were detailed. Season two successfully carried over the same level of quality that the first half had and it definitely gives me faith that they will be able to continue this level of animated storytelling into season 3 in 2013. 

Overall GO Rating: 5/5