Warning: Contains spoilers for Tower of God season 2, episode #8.After a four-year hiatus,Tower of Godhas finally returned with its second season as part of the summer 2024 anime season. Season 1 was a major hit with fans and critics alike and a largely faithful adaptation of the popular manhwa, and as such, it was one of the most hotly anticipated anime of the summer, if not 2024, as a whole.
Despite the hype surrounding its premiere,Tower of Godseason 2hasn’t been without its problems. Season 2 is about halfway through its run, and while it hasn’t been without its fans,Tower of Godseason 2 has been met with controversy due to its visuals and overall production values, not to mention some odd additions to the writing also bringing things down.
Episode #8 was the major breaking point for a lot of people, and while the series still isn’t without its merits, it’s hard to see everything as anything other than a major drop in quality.
Tower Of God Season 2 Has A Major Downgrade In Visuals & Animation
Tower Of God Season 2 is a major step down from the first season
The first thing aboutTower of Godseason 2 to draw controversy is its art style. While season 1 had a uniquely fluid art style that let it stand out with creative visuals,the art style forTower of Godseason 2 is far more generic compared to season 1, trading in the fluidity that once defined it for very typical anime linework. Granted, the change in art style mirrors the change in the manhwa’s art style, but it doesn’t work as well in animation, and it’s disappointing to see for anyone who liked the original art style.
The biggest issue, unfortunately, is the animation. While there were a few good fight scenes in early episodes,Tower of Godseason 2’s animation slowly devolved to be incredibly stiff and filled with awkward and lazy cuts more often than not, episode #8 being the worst offender for its bizarre transitions and the poor execution of Bam’s fight with Quaetro Blitz. These issues can all be attributed to season 2 being handled by The Answer Studio instead of Telecom Animation Film; The Answer Studio mostly does in-between animation, and it’s clear that they weren’t equipped for a project like this.
Tower Of God’s Story Loses Its Charm In Season 2
With a number of production and quality issues, the anime just isn’t the same
The drop in production values is one thing, but what makes things even worse is the change in the quality of its story. While season 1 had plenty of levity,theTower of Godanimehas a far less serious story in season 2 compared to season 1, with a far more eccentric and clichéd cast and much more slapstick and gag-based humor from day one. It makes the series feel like a far more typical shonenanime, and even if the writing surrounding it was strong, the sheer dissonance from season 1’s writing still makes it hard to watch.
Regarding the story, at least, that’s likely another point that’s just mirroring how things went in the manhwa, and there’s a chance for it to return to the more serious narrative of season 1. Even so, between the change in tone and the incredible downgrade in art and animation,Tower of Godseason 2 is nothing like season 1 in all the worst of ways; there’s a chance thatTower of Godcould pick up again before season 2 ends, but at this point, that’s highly unlikely.
Tower of God
Cast
Tower of God is an anime series based on the South Korean webtoon by SIU. It follows a young boy named Bam who embarks on a perilous journey to ascend a mysterious tower, where each floor presents unique challenges and tests. The tower promises to grant the deepest desires of those who reach its top. Along the way, Bam forms alliances and confronts adversaries while uncovering hidden truths about himself and the tower.
