Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Episode 7 Review

Streaming Allegiance: Crunchyroll
Reconnaissance Report by: Kuroi
Progress: Episode 7


ed72ea47318c230facd60dca0b0d24011365013653_fullDevil Survivor is definitely living up to the expectations put on it, coming from a best-selling game from a huge-name franchise. Since episode one, Hibiki, Nitta, and Daichi have gone through a number of battles – a lot for only three days in the series – and learned a lot about their situation.

And with knowledge comes questions – who are JP’s, who recruited them at the end of episode one? Why is there a resistance group? Why are former members of JP’s trying to take down JP’s even though JP’s seems to be humanity’s best bet against the Septentrion? Each reveal opens the door to another set of questions and unknowns and another moment of thought that maybe the path that everyone’s barreling down under the stress of attack and battle isn’t quite the right one. Shin Megami Tensei games have a record of making you question motives and whether the side you’re on is really doing the right thing, and Devil Survivor 2 is no different.

We’re also introduced to a number of new characters, some much better developed than the rest, and I do wish we had more time to spend on them. Worse, being based off of a game where the major battles are to keep your friends from dying, you have no idea how long characters will be around and who the animators will choose to let die. There have already been a few casualties, and while dealing with a larger cast of characters and trying to cram a fairly dense game into 13 episodes is a challenge, it’s one that’s only being half-met. We’re still just getting bare-bones glimpses of those characters that aren’t the most integral and a lot of the pacing feels rushed. On the positive side, though, the animation is gorgeous and smooth, and the music catchy.

 

Episode 7 Score: 8.00/10.00