Rozen Maiden: Zurückspulen - 02

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I refer you to what I said in my previous post; already more excited about this season of Rozen Maiden.

After a first episode which left a number of people irritated and/or confused, this week's episode took us to the beginning of the alternative world in which Rozen Maiden II is set.  If you weren't satisfied with last week's introduction to the series, then one could consider this episode to be the official start to the new series. And still it is continued proof that we're in for something different.

The alternative world setting is quite interesting, since it combines the original story to whatever the new Rozen Maiden will turn out to be.  This should be good news for fans of the original and it should also spark interest in the original for newcomers of the series.  In any case, it feels like it embodies the second season of the manga's aim of being an indirect sequel to the original.

What I like about this new take on the series is how the serious atmosphere works so well.  The first season was content at being more comedic than serious, but a more adult take on Jun's loneliness is proving to be more effective in creating an interesting atmosphere for the series.  An atmosphere that seems to be the driving force of my interest in the mean while.

Then again, the plot itself has become more interesting.  First of all there's the creation of Shinku, which could take another couple of episodes and there's also the communication between the past and present Jun.  The latter could well be a one-off and the former is bound to be a short part of the series, but that still keeps me curious as to how events will unfold.

Of course there's also the prospect of romance, which is also a new element for the series.  Season one - still have to watch season two - only delivered  a Jun x Shinku prospect, which didn't do anything for me.  Saitou could be a nice addition to Rozen Maiden's cast and add a little diversity to the plot.  I hope I'm not the only one who thinks the adult Jun should not fall in love with his doll, like the middle school Jun did.

A lot of questions to be answered, but as the second episode proves there is a lot of potential here.  I continue to enjoy the new Rozen Maiden more than I ever enjoyed the original, and that keeps me interested.

Rozen Maiden Episode 3 Preview

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