Dropkick on My Devil!! Dash Series Review: An Upgrade

Series Positives

Looking back on what I thought of Dropkick on My Devil!’s (Dropkick) first season, I don’t recall enjoying it. Or, more accurately, I don’t remember being satisfied with it. Therefore, you can imagine why it surprised me to learn that this series, of all things, would get a second season. Keep in mind; Dropkick aired at the same time as Cells at Work and Asobi Asobase, neither of which have yet to see a follow-up.

Granted, Cells at Work appears to be getting a continuation in early 2021 in the form of both a second season and an anime adaptation of its spin-off series, Cells at Work Black. So, happy days ahead.

Putting that aside, season one of Dropkick had problems that went beyond existing in the shadow of better shows. The jokes were unbalanced. There was a heavy reliance on referential humor. A ton of side actions and plots were shoved into every nook and cranny without any rhyme or reason. Frankly, it was just a lot, and because of that, the series never managed to strike a meaningful chord.

Nevertheless, here we are with Dropkick on My Devil! Dash (Dash), and would you believe it? The thing most people are quick to scream is impossible (but happens more often than we give it credit for) happened. The sequel was way better than the original.

From the comedy to the animation to even the characters’ personalities, everything was better in this go around.

A critical area where Dash improved upon its predecessor was in giving side characters an appropriate amount of screen time. In season one, for example, Pekola was nearly made into a second protagonist; the first season gave a lot of attention to her. For what it is worth, Pekola wasn’t an uninteresting person to follow. Still, I doubt she could have carried her own series, and that was what seemed to be transpiring.

In Dash, Pekola did have some time for herself, but the amount she got was scaled way the hell back. Instead, this season, when it didn’t want to focus on Jashin, gave other characters their moments to shine. We got more of a backstory for Medusa, and Minos finally felt as though she was a part of this series.

That’s the thing. The original Dropkick didn’t have a bad cast. That was why it was so frustrating to see how underutilized most of them were.

Another area where Dash proved superior is the same area that almost ruined Dropkick. In this season, Jashin was much more tolerable.

Before, when Jashin was alone or with Yurine, she could be fun, if not a highlight of the show. However, whenever she interacted with any other character (without Yurine around), Jashin was downright meanspirited. Dash toned down her toxicity.

Don’t get me wrong, Jashin was still a huge brat. The all-important difference this time was that her selfishness was almost always punished immediately. Not only that, but there were also instances when Jashin stood up for her friends and showed that she did care about them. In this season, Yurine didn’t need to be around to keep Jashin in check.

As a result, Dash was a much more enjoyable watch than its predecessor ever was.

Series Negatives

Believe it or not, I was so impressed by how much of an improvement this season was that it was hard for me to notice any flaws. Or, at least, it was hard for me to see anything significant.

Although I did think Dash was quite good, I do not believe it has suddenly become a must-see show. Many aspects may have elevated, but this is still not a breakout comedy hit. For one, the meta-humor in this season remained quite hit-or-miss.

Dash was often too aware that it was an anime. Sometimes it could be smart, and that is assuming you are familiar with typical anime structures. For me, I can’t say I didn’t laugh. However, what I can say is that I didn’t laugh hard.

There were a handful of instances where Dash appeared to lose focus. It would go on these weird tangents that, come hell or high water, somehow returned to the main plotline. It was hard to guess why we were taken on these unexpected journeys since the payoff usually wasn’t worth much.

Honestly, Dash felt it was a complete retry for the highly disappointing season one. So, in that respect, this installment was a rousing success. Too bad it didn’t transform this series to anything special. Had this come first, then yes, I would have loved and looked forward to a continuation. As it is, though, I can’t imagine where else this show can go.

And considering where this series came from, I can’t help feeling a bit sad about that.