It’s great that the show gets you to care about the characters, for whatever the reason. I haven’t really reached that point yet, except maybe from Masazumi’s angle in terms of potentially attacking some of the more difficult issues in international politics (eg., where Japan is today in regards to WW2). I don’t think Horizon has enough balls to go there though, given its conservative stance in general. But to me I don’t really care how the witches (or anyone else–maybe except how Toori and Horizon might change in small ways as that always drives the story in some major ways), because it’s simply too diluted full of every sort of stereotype/archetypes people can come to like. I’m more interested in the general character of the show. In a lot of ways the main cast is simply too similarly-minded, and those who aren’t often are just straight out arch-villains or things they don’t really explain enough. Or, as I mentioned previously, the “character” of the adaptation. I don’t think it has fully emerged yet.

That’s my biggest fear, too. This second season, to a large degree, was just an echo of the first, just with a few new characters and a slight variation in the setting. I’m not sure the world got any richer nor were there any innovations in the “gee-whiz” front (well, maybe Ben Johnson’s swimming pool and Margot’s response to the constraints it imposed on her).

The main thing the second season did accomplish is adding depth to its central cast of characters, but that effect is diluted over the show’s large cast. We got a season’s worth of character development, but it was divided over twenty characters. While Horizon is wonderfully efficient in its presentation, that still doesn’t add up to a lot on a per-character basis.

My one hope for the next season is that they move into the territory of the witches’ back-story. For me, the witches are the most interestingly developed and intriguing characters in the series, so I think featuring more of their story would be a promising approach.

(It’s too bad JP didn’t choose to discuss his post when he made it. I don’t think he “nailed” anything, but the time is pretty much past for that discussion.)

http://omonomono.com/archives/bishoujo-gaming/xcom-seiyuu-play/