In Season One of Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings, the clans of several Japanese warlords were forced to come together under one banner to stop a mad man known as the Demon King who wanted to conquer all of Japan for himself. While the story was absolutely fantastic in pace the characters in the series were really brought to light. Despite their own personal agenda’s the warriors in Sengoku Basara displayed loyalty, honor, and bravery in the face of destruction and towards one another. So much so that by the end of the series some of them, though remaining enemies, also remained respectful of one another, almost to the point where they could be considered friends. Season One was simply one of the best anime series of its kind. I was worried that the second season of the series would not be able to live up to the task of the firsts greatness. My worry was all in vain.

With the Demon King now vanquished things have returned to normal in the Land of the Rising Sun. The warlords are back to protecting their lands and attempting to conquer neighboring lands while their at it. We open up season two with a battle between Yukimura and Masamune on a hill top and another battle between Shingen and Kenshin down below. In the midst of the fighting their forces are surrounded by the much larger force of the Great Cataclysmic Warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi plans to absorb the armies of all the warlords in Japan to create one massive army and rule over the whole of Japan to bring prosperity and peace once and for all. Of course this can only mean one thing. War!

Once again I am completely blown away by the Sengoku Basara series. Despite the show being an anime, despite characters being so powerful they can evaporate an entire ocean, Sengoku Basara manages to capture a human sense of storytelling that draws you in and puts you on the edge of your seat. Those of you who have already seen the first series and have become enveloped in the characters’ in the series will find their willingness to have become invested paying off. This new enemy is powerful, sometimes outright foul in their battle tactics, and the sense of honor that the show presents to you in its characters multiplies your reaction to all of it ten fold. You don’t want to see certain characters lose or even possibly die while in battle, but at the same time your fed enough information to see the strategy of how things are rolling out. Along with that you also get a fantastically potent commentary on war. How it can tear families apart and pit them against one another, how it ravages the homes and livelihoods of the people whose lands are being conquered and who only wish to live in peace, and how it forces men to perform deplorable acts of unnecessary sacrifice that they will have to take with them to the grave. I can only applaud this series on how amazing it is.

PICTURE QUALITY:
Once again the series boasts an amazingly vibrant, detailed, and sharp picture quality that finds itself faltered only by segments of artistic expression. It’s really up to you to decide if these segments are issues or art. There’s too much of the series that looks phenomenal for me to even care, but for those that do it was mentioned here. Audio is equally as phenomenal. Big booming LFE output, great immersion quality, and the music for this series is amazing and sounds great, yet another player in this series that only heightens the experience. All pretty much perfect.

BONUS FEATURES:
~Sengoku Basara II Katakura-Kun: You’ll find episodes 1-3 on the DVD’s and the complete 1-7 episode run in the BD supplement section.
~Episode 6 Commentary
~Episode 12 Commentary
~Textless Songs
~Trailers
~DVD versions
~Collectable Art Box (Limited Edition Blu-Ray Version only): If you own the first season you can put it in this very nice looking hardcover box that features artwork on the outside. Instantly this series and art box have become my anime prize possession.