Season two of Bandori is a significant improvement over the first season on all fronts. Not only does season two feel like a music anime but more importantly the drama is much better. The studio and director change also simply made the show a much more enjoyable experience whether with the story flowing more naturally and feeling much more coherent better music more expressive and fluid character animation and more dynamic camera shots specifically during the band performances to name a few of the improvements. The writing is the most noteworthy contributor as to why season two is a vast improvement over season one both for the overarching story and the characters. The drama is particularly an area of note as it was built up gradually and had consequences for the characters involved which allowed the emotional moments to be more impactful. The comedy was also a bit better as it did not come across as forced or random compared to the previous season. As for the characters while PoPiPa remains the storys focus many new characters are also introduced in season two. Although as the story progressed some bands and characters got more screen time than others for the most part everyone got a decent amount of attention. As mentioned five other bands are part of the story for season two. Four of the bands are introduced quickly within the first episode showcasing not only their musical styles but also their band and character dynamics. It is noteworthy that PoPiPa have established relationships with many of the new bands despite Roselia being the only band of the four that showed up in the previous season or the OVA. Close to a year has passed since the last season though so new relationships being formed does make sense but it nonetheless comes across as a bit awkward due to the vast number of new characters. Regardless the other bands do get their own episodes to flesh them out with PoPiPa still being a core aspect for these episodes progressing their goals further as a band too. The only exception is the Pastel Palettes episode which is also the seasons weakest episode. PoPiPa being essentially nonexistent in the episode is partially the reason but it was also the most melodramatic episode of the seasoncausing the episode to ultimately feel a bit out of place. While not perfect the addition of the other bands immensely helped make Bandori feel like a world that is alive. The world of Bandori doesnt revolve around PoPiPa as the other bands and characters all have their own dreams values and backgrounds. As for the members of PoPiPa they are also much more enjoyable in season two. PoPiPa having a clear goal established early on to work towards definitely helps. However more importantly the characters have other responsibilities that do not revolve around the band. Arisa is a student council member Saaya continues to help at her familys bakery Rimi has cram school and Tae works various jobs. Giving the characters these responsibilities and having them frequently brought up throughout the season helps add a level of realism and relatability to the characters. The realistic subtly also helps set the stage for the major drama plot points later in the season as their other responsibilities sometimes interfere with their band activities. Letting the drama gradually build up eventually leads to the highlight of season two with episode nine as it encapsulates the best aspects of season two. Specifically it showcases the improvement in writing and directing with it centering around Tae wanting to join a second band. A major reason as to why this episode worked so well is the juxtaposition created between the cultural festivals in season one and season two. Because of this it not only subverts expectations but also has actual consequences for PoPiPa and affects others involved with the cultural festival. Friends and other bands went out of their way to help out PoPiPa some even basically humiliating themselves. The ending of the episode also perfectly captures Bandori feeling like an alive world as while the members of PoPiPa are alone in the auditorium upset the rest of the student body is outside celebrating the successful festival which again hits home with the excellent juxtaposition of this episode. One of the biggest issues with season one was that the drama was not given time to develop and had little to no impact on the story after its resolution. So giving the drama in season two time to build up allowed it to flow naturally and made the characters reactions feel realistic. It also highlighted the lingering issues PoPiPa have yet to grow out of such as Taes difficulty expressing herself combined with her strong desire to grow as a guitarist causing her actions to arguably come across as selfish as well as Kasumis lack of leadership and Saayas reluctance to speak up. Kasumi however is specifically notable to point out as she has definitely grown a lot as a character in season two. But she still very much views the world through rosetinted glasses as she wrongfully assumes things will work out. The fact she didnt form any plans and even ran off to get Tae instead of acting like a leader for the band highlights this perfectly. However that is not to say its bad writing as it was very much in character for Kasumi as her optimism can blind her at times. Episode nine along with episode 11 also encapsulates Kasumi and Tae as the storys central focus for PoPiPa for season two. This created an interesting dichotomy as their character traits are basically polar opposites. Although it is a shame that the other members specifically Arisa and Rimi were a bit neglected compared to the other three members as even Saaya had some character growth. Additionally unlike in season one there is also somewhat of an antagonist for season two. However she is the least enjoyable part of the season as she is a bit insufferable as a character. Her attitude is believable considering she is seemingly rich talented and young which makes her arrogance not surprising. Although that does not necessarily make her any less insufferable. Despite being the catalyst of the drama in the story though she was not necessarily the focus of the drama. Allowing the drama to focus on the interpersonal relationships of PoPiPa and for the characters to grow individually such as Kasumi stepping up as a leader Tae realizing what is important to her and Saaya acknowledging her faults again demonstrates the improved writing. All in all while there are some stumbles throughout the story season two is a vast improvement as it gives the story time to gradually build up which also greatly benefits the characters. Likewise the addition of 25+ characters did not hinder PoPiPas growth as a band and for the most part the characters. In fact the addition of the bands helped PoPiPa grow as a band whether it was with HaroHapis absurdity to show that anything is possible or Roselia to inspire them to push themselves. Not only did season two actually feel like a music anime but the music was significantly better and had a variety of styles thanks to the other bands. Even the OP and EDs were better musically and visually as well as the insert songs from the various bands. Additionally SANZIGEN being one of the best CGI studios helped make the characters more expressive and the CGI animation in general was more fluid and led to some great sequences with creative and dynamic camera shots during the live performances.