Tower of God season 2 episode 22 review: The Answer Studio steps up for a great episode at the perfect time
Serving as the start of the final push to the end of the Workshop Battle Arc, hopes were very high for Tower of God season 2 episode 22 and The Answer Studio’s production of it. Officially released on Sunday, December 1, 2024, the installment wasn’t quite perfect but had exceptional quality, encouraging reassurance for future events.
Tower of God season 2 episode 22 primarily succeeded as a culmination of The Answer Studio's tiny improvements in recent weeks. While there are still some issues with the release, it’s an enjoyable and high-quality installment overall, which serves as a good sign of what’s to come as the season ends.
Tower of God season 2 episode 22 review: Improved animation, great additions, and more are the positives
The most noteworthy praise that can be given to Tower of God season 2 episode 22 is the generally improved animation finally taking the step fans have been waiting for. The various fights in the episode highlight this, seeing the animation is more detailed and lively than it has virtually ever been (in the second season).
There aren’t any scenes where The Answer Studio can be appropriately critiqued for cutting corners or not living up to a bare minimum standard. While this may seem insignificant or not worthy of commendation, The Answer Studio's progress as the second season has progressed justifies such commentary.
Although this latest, final product isn’t particularly noteworthy or revolutionary relative to the industry at large, it’s nevertheless a major positive of this viewing experience. It also shows that The Answer Studio is at least prioritizing what matters most in terms of the source material.
Specific, notable examples of improved animation in Tower of God season 2 episode 22 include Beta’s fights with Rak Wraithraiser and co and his attack on Wangnan Ja in the cliffhanger. Each of these scenes feels much more lively and well-produced than the standard set for the season thus far, hence their exceptionalism. Also noteworthy in terms of animation quality is the scene where Bam begins to absorb the Thorn into his body.
While this Bam scene highlights the improved overall animation quality, it’s also praiseworthy for its anime-original additions. The anime adds in the red skeleton forming around Bam and serving as a medium for absorbing the Thorn by reaching out and touching it. This builds on a similar anime-original setup for the Thorn during Bam’s fight with Urek Mazino, a good means of closing out that plotline seamlessly without interrupting current developments.
However, Tower of God season 2 episode 22 also succeeds in this sequence as an adaptation of the source material. The size, scope, and power of the Thorn are well-communicated here, being clearly derived from the source material while elevating it to the level that an anime necessitates. Combined with the general improvements in animation and making characters feel more lively, this makes such a momentous scene all the more impactful, as it should.
There are also other smaller, more fleeting examples of animation improvement peppered throughout the episode. These mainly come in the form of conflicts, such as Kang Horyang, Novick, and Bam taking on a Workshop robot and confronting Baragav’s group. These aren’t as impressive or significant as the highlights mentioned above but are nonetheless noteworthy.
Also noteworthy is the writing and structuring of the episode’s events, helping to further intensify the situation and more effectively communicate the stakes. The voice acting in this episode also steps up appropriately and contributes further. Beyond this, all other major areas of production are done adequately enough in this latest episode to not merit being called true negatives.
Tower of God season 2 episode 22 review: Questionable cut material and some slightly cut corners are the only negatives
Tower of God season 2 episode 22 has its negatives, even if they are very few and far between relative to the positives. Easily, the most notable and confusing is the removal of dialogue from the scene where Khun Aguero Agnes says Bam “found good friends” in Wangnan and Co. The source material explicitly spelled out that Khun is impressed by Wangnan’s leadership capabilities, which is nowhere near as clear here.
While still implicit via Quaetro’s dialogue and Khun’s amazement at Wangnan winning him over, it’s nevertheless upsetting to see this line removed. A major reason is that it makes it clear that Khun is actively impressed by and approves of Wangnan as a teammate and ally. The dialogue removal is significant both in setting up future events and in the fact that it doesn’t drive home Wangnan’s growth to viewers as much as it should.
The only other major negative in Tower of God season 2 episode 22 is the continued presence of cut corners in some specific and relatively few scenes. Rak’s final attempted attack on Beta is one such scene, returning to the wooden style that The Return of the Prince Arc was plagued by. This is the most egregious example, but there are others, such as the scene where Yuto reunites with Bam, Novick, and Horyang and speaks with the former most of the trio.
Tower of God season 2 episode 22 review: Final thoughts
Overall, the latest installment for the series is a positive one, which should encourage viewers for what’s to come in season 2’s final outings. Although it’s not perfect, there’s plenty to be excited about, suggesting that The Answer Studio is saving the best for last. Likewise, it’s one of the best episodes of the Workshop Battle Arc so far and likely of the second season overall as well.
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