Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga

Episode 12

From the very first episode, this second season of Blue Exorcist began with a clear central conflict, one that has nothing to do with either the journey to Kyoto or the battle with the Impure King. Sure, that situation provided the context for the cast's real struggle, but it was never really what this season was about. At the heart of Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga stood a much more personal question: After revealing who he really was, could Rin win back the respect and loyalty of his friends?

This is the reason why I never minded the somewhat measured buildup to the Impure King's revival – Blue Exorcist has always been about character development just as much as flashy battles against monstrous demons, and I was just as invested in Rin's interpersonal relationships as I was in the more mythological stuff that framed the fight scenes, if not more so. Over the course of its first and second runs, the core cast of Blue Exorcist have become three-dimensional and engaging in ways that some series never reach with twice as many episodes. They've come to care about one another and rely on each other as partners in combat as well as close friends. The real reason to watch this second season was to see if Rin, the most adorkable Son of Satan ever, could earn his way back into that friendship. It's a character-driven story disguised as an action show, which is exceedingly hard to do well. By my reckoning, Blue Exorcist has done its job very well indeed.

The final episode of Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga is an understandably low-key affair after the non-stop ratcheting up of tension that the last few weeks delivered. The bad guy has been defeated, and the good guys have won. What both the audience and characters deserve after all that high-stakes drama is a little downtime. This episode was much more comedy-heavy than any of the previous episodes, and I appreciated that. Not only did these scenes help lighten the mood, they also quietly resolved or reinforced the character development we've seen build up all season. Most of these scenes were great to see, like Ryuji having one last loving spat with his dad, or Shiemi obliviously putting Rin in the “permanent friend-zone” (though the shipper in me doesn't believe it for a second).

The only scene that felt a touch out of place was Juzo's engagement with MAMUSHI. While I appreciate MAMUSHI getting an opportunity to wrap her story up with a little hope for penance and redemption, neither she nor Juzo have gotten enough screen-time to make this moment especially memorable or exciting. It's a beat that I can understand wanting to include for the sake of wrapping up some minor story threads, but it rings just a bit too hollow emotionally.

Thankfully, the last half of the episode makes good on Rin's hopes and dreams from the moment he arrived in Kyoto: shopping and sightseeing with friends. This whole adventure was pretty excellent, although the best part is how far everyone goes to rib Rin for being the son of the devil. This is partially to cope with the weirdness of the situation, but it also works to show Rin just how much everyone has come around. They even pose for a picture with him by spelling out SATAN with their arms, a permanent token of their newfound acceptance. After a dozen weeks of everyone struggling to see Rin as their friend again, this was a perfectly corny way to demonstrate that all is right with the world once again.

Almost, at least. If Rin's final conversation with Yukio proves anything, it's that Yukio still has a ways to go before he can feel alright with himself again. Part of this is his fear for his brother's safety, but another part is the inadequacy and self-loathing he seems to struggle with every day, feelings that have only been exacerbated by the discovery of a possible demonic power residing in his own body. As for where that thread might take out heroes, the only way to find out right now would be to read the manga. This episode functions just as much as a prologue for the future as it does an epilogue for everything that's come before. I'm not sure whether or not the series will get any more television adaptations, so it's entirely possible that this is the last we'll see of Rin and the Exwires for a while. The good news is that this second season was about as perfect a continuation of the Blue Exorcist story as I could hope for, and this ending only reinforced just how great a time I had with it. Whether it's in anime or manga form, Blue Exorcist is one of the best action-adventure stories on the market, and I'm incredibly eager to see where things might go from here.

Rating: A-

Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

James is an English teacher who has loved anime his entire life, and he spends way too much time on Twitter and his blog.