The harem genre often goes hand in hand with ecchi and, based on how strong the latter is, the audience attracted can differ drastically. Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero clearly fell under the harem and ecchi category in its time, found its crowd, and almost 10 years later, is there a possibility for Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero Season 2?
What happened so far in Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
Over the last 30 years, people have been spirited away in fantasy worlds through portals appearing randomly worldwide. Thousands of people disappear, with only half of them making it back home safely. However, they come back changed as they can now use powerful physical abilities and sometimes magic. They are then taken in by Babel, a powerful organization backed up by the United Nations, and enrolled in specialized schools where they will learn to harness their powers better. That is what they are told, yet the real goal is to train them to be sent later to battlefields.
Akatsuki Ousawa just defeated the Demon King of the world he was transported to. Despite the locals demanding that he stays after freeing them from the Dragon, Akatsuki is set on going back home. It is then revealed that he took Miu, the Demon King’s daughter, to honor a promise he had made to his deadly enemy. They are both enrolled in Babel, passing Miu as Akatsuki’s amnesic sister. The young man is quickly acknowledged as one of the most (if not the most) powerful individuals on campus. A fact he knows well is reflected in his behavior: Akatsuki is arrogant, full of confidence, and pretty laid-back in most situations. He is also a very active pervert, not above fondling young women and stealing their underwear thanks to his power. His antics will attract the attention of different parties with different motivations, while dark schemes and unrest connected to Miu’s disappearance in the other world start rising.
What is going on with Arms?
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero premiered on July 6 and ended on September 21, 2012. It is directed by Rion Kujou, written by Ryunosuke Kingetsu, with the score composed by Kayo Konishi and Yukio Kondo. It ran for 12 episodes.
Let us get something out of the way right now: Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero is not made for everyone, not even the casual anime watcher. Its fanservice and ecchi are extremely strong, and what should be a nice story is relegated in the back. What could have been done with Akatsuki is wasted on bad comedy and high hormone levels?
The protagonist is a bit of an oddball in the genre: harem anime usually uses an average-looking hero weak in the face of the female attributes, fainting at the sight of cleavage, sobbing in apologies when entering the wrong room (the one full of naked ladies)…Here, we are confronted with a perfect “Gary Stu” in all his splendor. Akatsuki is overpowered, overly confident, smart, good-looking, and extremely comfortable with women’s bodies. He is also comfortable with not respecting their private space. When female characters do not end up naked or in compromising positions thanks to that ecchi magic, you can be sure that Akatsuki will initiate the fan service. However, the scenario wants the viewers to understand that he is loyal and noble in his intentions, and therefore, his acts are to be considered good deeds. The mental gymnastics you have to go through to justify him fondling Miu’s breasts to teach her how to wear a bra, forcibly removing the underwear of female attackers as he does not want to fight women or forcing two girls to pee to accompany a third one who cannot hold herself anymore, will take you straight to the next Olympic Games. It isn’t easy to perceive it as gallantry, even more so when it is clear that he takes pleasure in his acts.
The rest of the main cast is composed of his harem, and all you will find are the usual stereotypes. Their personality is predictable, and they are here to tick a specific box. To understand exactly how much space the overused ecchi trope is taking, picture Fire Force with Tamaki as the only character we have to follow and how things would unfold then. And that is a shame considering the interesting characters Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero keeps hidden: Kaido and his terrorist group, Hikami being part of an underground organization, or the people behind the political turmoil in the fantasy world. Some solace could have also been found in showing in more detail (and better writing) how Miu is trying to adapt and fit in. The premises of the story are ignored. Even as we sometimes feel that a blurry and vague scenario is somewhere somehow, the plot gets no development until the last 2 episodes, where they all fight some enemies, and the stakes start getting higher. Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero has no visible plot, no tension, and conflicts are glossed over. The animation is average but limited. That can be clearly seen during fight scenes where visual shortcuts are taken. The experience of the studio in hentai and ecchi productions shine brightly with this title, where scenes with sexual tones are more polished than the ones actually needing fluidity.
Arms went bankrupt and closed on August 4, 2020.
What do we know about Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero Season 2 so far?
Nothing, as the series was never renewed or even talked about in the industry. Considering the studio does not even exist anymore, and Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero is not popular, there is no chance to see a Season 2.
What are fans saying about Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero Season 2?
The community is small. Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero, a pretty niche anime in a category where similar products are abundant and with only 12 episodes, did not really have the strength to stand higher than its fellow ecchi shows. It does not have a subreddit and is not discussed on Twitter. The term does appear in several posts, but never as part of a real conversation.
The anime received a mediocre score on MAL and a surprisingly good one on IMDB. But then you take a look at the comments for the latter, and you understand the type of crowd an anime like Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero pulls in. Season 2 does not seem to be something both parties envision nonetheless.
Will there be Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero Season 2?
From May 1, 2010, the light novel was published to February 28, 2013, running for 11 volumes. It is written by Tetsuto Uesu and illustrated by Tamago No Kimi. The manga, published in 3 volumes from January 20, 2012, to June 21, 2013, is written by Uesu and illustrated by Haiji Nakasone. The anime was released in a combo pack (Blu-ray + DVD) in 2013 by Funimation and came with seven short episodes titled “Hajirai Ippai’. Merchandise is pretty scarce: either it has been sold out for years and they have never bothered to refill the stocks, or the selection is feeble.
Based on the information provided by Google Trends, search queries about a second season do exist, but they are average, often reaching zero. They might be the results of new watchers and hardcore fans checking for information every once in a while.
When will Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero Season 2 be released?
No date is available, considering the lack of information circulating.
What can we expect in Season 2 of Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero?
It is safe to assume that there will never be a second season for Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero. The studio went under, the demand was nonexistent, and the title never experienced popularity with his three mediums. No production committee would pick it nowadays, considering the lack of financial value the project would have.
