Shy Season 2

Episodes 13-15

It took some coaxing to yank her back into the spotlight, but Shy has returned with a new season full of superhero adventures and social anxiety. Prior fans will be pleased to see that little, if anything, has changed in the half-year gap since the last episode aired. Masaomi Andō's team at 8-Bit continues to do solid work adapting the manga with unpretentiously stylized flair. The strong voice cast's talents haven't dulled, and the writing balances itself between comedy, action, and introspection. Oh, and Teru is still scared to use the phone.

I like the season premiere. It's a low-key affair that foregoes big plot developments in favor of reacquainting us with the cast, and I think that fits the series' quiet vibe. While the story doesn't Shy away from indulging in the occasional blast of comic book bombast, it tends to focus on the more down-to-earth connections between Teru, her caped comrades, and the general public. It's cheesy to synchronize all of those heroic acts like the episode does, but it's a good kind of cheese. Superman rescues a cat from a tree to assuage a crying girl. These are the cliches at the heart of the superhero mythos, and I think it's better to embrace them than bury them.

Teru, similarly, is a compelling and relatable character due to her quotidian sense of justice and her constant embarrassment at being alive. Therefore, it's also smart of this season to kick things off with a couple of interactions that have nothing to do with her powers. Tojiko interviews her in search of a scoop, but she walks away, remembering why she became a journalist in the first place. Teru didn't have to put on a costume to do that. All it took was an earnest (if strained) conversation. It's nice! Like most anime in this milieu, Shy plays up the comedy of its wallflower heroine exiting her comfort zone, but it also emphasizes the value of Teru doing so. It doesn't only benefit her; she makes the people around her better, and to me, that's the most compelling argument for confronting one's fears.

The second episode opens with another example, as Teru unwittingly enters the territory of the chuuni bookworm Beni. Functionally, this scene serves the same purpose as her interview with Tojiko, so its positioning here feels a tad redundant. The execution, however, makes a compelling argument for its inclusion. Aoi Koga's flexible vocal register perfectly complements Beni's mood swings from ominous storyweaver to squeaky-voiced scaredy-cat. I also like the aggressively blue color grading of the gloomy, rain-soaked afternoon. It fits the comic book tone of the series much better than natural lighting/coloring would. Finally, the punchline is perfect. I saw it coming as soon as Teru started believing that Beni might have been a ghost, and I was thrilled to see the narrative nail that layup.

Given the strength of these slice-of-life sections, it's easy to forget that Teru and her allies have international obligations and a squad of supervillains to deal with. Ai's introduction, therefore, ushers the plot back into the room. The runaway shinobi princess is an appropriately quirky addition to the cast, and the show wastes little time establishing her conflicts. Most prominently, she's frustrated with her cloistered upbringing. Secondarily, she has a weak heart, which she attributes to an old wound on her chest, but given its resemblance to a surgery scar, I'm guessing she might have a congenital disorder. The new generation of superheroes has more or less usurped her clan's purpose as peacekeepers. Although she doesn't explicitly say so, I'd bet there's some resentment baked into her desire to meet Teru. Furthermore, I expect all of these facets (and more) will be explored through her doppelganger in Amamariruku. All of the battles in Shy are ultimately psychological ones, and it doesn't get more blatant than struggling against a dark version of yourself.

For now, though, most of our time is spent getting to know Ai, and she's a lot of fun. Her psychic katana is a strong gimmick, her sibling-like rapport with Tokimaru is cute, and she's already an expert at flustering Teru (not that it takes much). Seriously, Teru's rizz continues to be a thing to behold. She can barely hold a conversation but can't keep the ladies off her, either. Just look at the developments from this week's episode. Iko's face lights up when Ai's blade lets slip how happy Teru is to be getting closer to her. Ai then shifts into homewrecker mode as she invites herself to Teru's apartment (and invites Teru to join her in the bath). Then, Iko shows up unannounced at night as if to defend her territory. At this rate, Teru's going to walk away with one hell of a harem when the narrative wraps up.

Overall, Shy earns a warm welcome back. I thought the first season was good, not great, but it was a consistently pleasant watch, and this second season returns in affable form. I've already experienced good chuckles and gentle cringes, and I'm adequately intrigued to see where this new arc goes. Shy really isn't that much different from other superhero manga and comics, and it wears those influences proudly on its sleeve, but it has just enough of its own creative spark to appeal to me. Honestly, I've never been too crazy about this genre. Teru, however, speaks to my soul. Her antics reassure us that we can all accomplish great things, even if the thought of ordering pizza over the phone makes us want to curl up in the fetal position.

Episode 13 Rating:

Episode 14 Rating:

Episode 15 Rating:

Shy Season 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Steve is on Twitter while it lasts. If he has misspelled "Amamariruku" anywhere in the above review, you have permission to rub it in his face. You can also catch him chatting about trash and treasure alike on This Week in Anime.