English Dub Review: NieR:Automata Ver1.1a “reckless bra[V]ery”

Overview

It’s hard to believe that the first half of this season aired just a year and a half ago, in Winter 2023. The long wait, compounded by numerous delays during its production in Japan, made it feel much longer. With the 2nd half now upon us, there’s a collective hope that such delays won’t plague this season.

The new opening theme by LiSA was a pleasant surprise. The episode features a mix of anime-original content and elements from the novels written by the creator himself Yoko Taro who was involved in the last season and managed to reintroduce the complex narrative with a big twist near the end, though unexpected in terms of fanservice, was a delightful touch.

Overall, the episode marks a fine return, blending familiar elements with new surprises were easily the standout moments, despite the fast-paced and somewhat confusing plot. The animation quality and music continue to impress, and the new proceedings effectively set the stage for the next part of the story. We can only hope that the rest of this season has the potential to top itself, along with some of its wacky weird-ass live-action puppet shows in the post-credits that this show is often known for at this point…