If you’re not a fan of the Boys Love genre, turn and run because that is all this show is about. Super Lovers 2 is the sequel to its first season and I have to say that I’m disappointed. Season two focuses on the two main characters Haru and Ren’s relationship between siblings and lovers and their struggle to overcome this boundary, yes you read that right.
The Story
Kaidou Haru is the son of a famous novelist that moved to Japan at the age of eight to live with his father and stepmother and their twins. Upon receiving a summons from his biological mother to come back to Canada via being tricked, he meets Ren, a little boy who was adopted from an orphanage. Haru spends the summer growing close to Ren and makes a promise that they will live together in Japan once he finishes high school. Haru’s parents pick up Haru at the airport and there is a tragic car accident on the ride home which kills his parents and leaves him in a coma for a month. Haru loses all memories of his time in Canada and in doing so forgetting Ren.
In season two, the story focuses around Ren wanting to be seen as more than just a kid brother and worthy of being a romantic interest by trying to be more independent. Haru insists on acting like a father figure by providing Ren everything he needs and belittling him every time he makes an advance. Get ready to be angry at a full grown adult messing with a teenagers emotions.
Characters
Haru Kaidou (Age 24)
Haru is the oldest brother in the Kaidou family and feels responsible to take care of his three younger brothers. After his parents death he went to work as a Host to pay for the twins college tuition. Due to Haru’s history as a host and his exotic appearance he is always surrounded by women, much to Ren’s dismay. The brothers run a cafe that is connected to their home called White Fang which is named after a book from Haru’s childhood. White Fang happens to attract a large quantity of females who are interested in Haru which causes a lot of tension. Honestly, this character frustrates me because there is attempted growth but he always relapses with pettiness. Haru is a source of all of the “conflict” in the show by sending mixed signals to Ren; in one scene he’ll be kissing Ren and in another he’ll be telling him he’s just a child. In my opinion, it is an abusive relationship that these two have found themselves in because they are not properly communicating. So in essence, even though Haru is the adult here he is the immature one.
Ren Kaidou (Age 16)
Ren has a very cloudy past that has shaped his character. He was found at the age of six on the road and taken to an orphanage and eventually adopted by Haru’s mother. The only thing he could remember were his name and age, and despite being found in Canada he could speak fluent Japanese. Ren was a very feral boy, who preferred the company of dogs than humans since he could not trust humans. When meeting Haru as a child, he was afraid of him as he believes nice pe0ple are scary. Eventually he grew attached and learned to become more civilized . As a young adult, Ren is very mature for his age yet very naive since he’s basically lived a very sheltered life. Personally, his character isn’t very relate-able on any deep level, but I do find how naive he is endearing.
Aki Kaidou (Age 20)
Aki is the older of the twins and is considered very hot headed. He can blunt with his comments to his brothers so can be seen as an instigator of sorts. Regardless of his brash nature, Aki is very caring in his own way and is seen giving Ren advice in episode eight. However, after giving his words of wisdom he leaves Ren’s room with a bunch of convenience store food wrappers after being told not to eat on the bed.
Shima Kaidou (Age 20)
Shima is the youngest twin and happens to be the polar opposite of Aki and hilariously, is taller. He is level headed and well put together with a formal-casual style as compared to his three brothers. Shima’s character definitely takes the cake for the cool collected character. He never really does much to stand out as a super memorable character, but is generally the one to provide necessary information with a matter of fact tone.
Animation, Art, and Sound
Making that touching moment appear more special is pretty standard in a love story and that effect is not lost on Super Lovers 2. As noted below, there are scenes where a little more glamour is added to signify a special moment for that shojo feel. Sound effects are added as well for extra dramatics which i can commend the creators for since it makes the moment more special. I must admit this feature is used a ton in the show, although I can’t say I take much issue with it considering the genre this show falls under.
As for the aspect of sounds effects and music, the background tracks always match the tone of the moment and add the appropriate tune for the desired emotion that is being implied to feel. The opening and closing songs may be cute and catchy but are not memorable enough to end up in my anime music playlist.
Overall Thoughts
While I convinced myself to grin and bear it by finishing season 2 of Super Lovers, it was mostly disappointing. While there were scenes where my inner fujoshi was screaming, the show simply made me uncomfortable overall. The fact that Haru and Ren are implied to be brothers and then legally become brothers, they still pursue their relationship. Regardless of not being blood related, it still irks me with the age difference of eight years. With such an age gap comes a disparity in maturity and life experience which clearly explains the issues occurring in the show. It doesn’t help that instead of properly communicating, the characters will instead act rashly and wonder why things aren’t working. The fact that the show revolves around a dysfunctional relationship made me uncomfortable.
Although there were instances where the show was enjoyable to watch, I have to say that the re-watch value is low. As much as i love the BL genre, Super Lovers 2 will hardly ever get an honorable mention as a recommendation. The show did not end of in a note of closure and finality which leaves much to be desired but allows for another season if necessary. Let’s just hope this is the last we hear from the Kaidou family.
Still curious enough to give Super Lovers 2 a chance? You can swing over to Crunchyroll and give it a watch for free.
Fans of Boys Love may want to skip this one.
Summary
Super Lovers 2 had all of the typical anime tropes and was interesting enough to watch to see how the story developed. I cannot say I will ever recommend this show to friends due to the emotionally abusive relationship nor will I have the desire to watch it again.
