Woah, what's this? Fox is being a slave to his work? Of course I am. Today, we'll be focusing on kaiishida latest arc in his hit fanfiction, Spiral Soul, the War Against the Incomplete Arcana!

I'll be examining the plot and characters, so buckle up since I'm about to go on a nonsensical diatribe. I won't necessarily be dissecting or analysing, but I'd rather try and use my lexical side opposed to my lateral side in order to describe what I felt while reading the arc. I won't have much structure in this, just spewing out thoughts while trying to keep it coherent.

Prepare for long paragraphs... and spoilers, lol.

The plot of this second arc is quite simple, with a formulaic structure that resembles climbing a tower; the Spiral Knights are continuously levelling up as they fight their way through opponents. The twist on this style is that, rather than fight as a group against multiple powerful bosses, they fight individually against more mediocre bosses, with the most powerful threat being at the top. The enemies do escalate in power scale, but the weight of that power scale falls through as the members of the Arcana are being explored and developed.

While the focus is on the characters, the way the story is structured leaves much room for improvement. The main issue with the plot structure is the repetitive nature, with fights being a Spiral Knight vs Arcana, but you know that the Spiral Knights will win because they are the heroes. This same structure throughout makes it predictable, and actually hurts the build up to the final fight. Most Arcana members could just have their fights skipped entirely due to how dull they are, or how little it actually adds overall. It feels like filler, since you're more excited to want to see the final fight between Ryuuga and Gin, rather than these meaningless scuffles with characters that are trying to desperately be fleshed out within the limited time frame they get.

But you know, that's not exactly horrible. In fact, a good handful of the Arcana members are fleshed out properly and are memorable, with the main ones being Gin and Dallas. The root issue with this is the way how the Arcana is handled. Our perception of the Arcana is that they destroy Royalties, and realistically that is an incredibly difficult thing to do since Royalties are a core foundation of schools, so while there are many to pick and choose, trying to crush them is another challenge entirely. It's made clear that the stakes of fighting the Arcana isn't that they will destroy Heiwa, since they already did, but rather, it serves to more personal conflict, with Ryuuga wanting to bring Gin back, Joe wanting to make up with Alan, and Homura wanting to apologise to Fujiko as the main focal points of the arc. These are better stakes, as interpersonal relationships are far more easy to support or relate to, rather than a vague "they'll hurt our royalty so we need to stop them" that Shida could've easily done, and it further develops the characters much more if done properly. Unfortunately, I think Ryuuga's arc is executed much better than Joe's and Homura's, but this will be expanded upon later when I focus more on the characters.

Now, the image of the Arcana being Royalty destroyers slowly slips, which actually hurts the writing. As they fight against the Arcana, the audience gets the sense that most of them aren't actually in it to destroy Royalties, and by the time Karim gets his time in the spotlight, the legitimate threat of the Arcana is completely erased. Rather than be full-on villains, you realise that the Arcana is comprised of messed up people in a cruel world, all trying to find their place. While this grey morality is appreciated (and makes the Arcana feel human as the characters have flaws) it hurts in the long term as you read the story, as the impact of each fight slowly lessens. Because the Arcana now feel more human, rather than overcoming obstacles, it now feels like an obligation or duty for the Spiral Knights to help these people change. This ruins the built-up tension done earlier, and the later chapters with the "most powerful" Arcana members (or perceived most powerful) fall kind of flat and unexciting.

It's an admittedly jarring switch, especially as Gin himself is built up to be the most evil villain in the Spiral series. Hikaru did a backstab and Masato is petty, both of which don't hold much weight in an "evil" sense. Hikaru's betrayal is pretty hard hitting, but he's willing to listen to reason, and Masato's entire character wasn't very threatening in general, so neither brought the same pompous air of lethality and darkness like Gin. Gin didn't just betray Ryuuga - he also went to go steal his girl and destroy his Royalty in the process. He's very clearly to be built up as the final villain, but instead he becomes just another person who needs to change.

I know I've talked about this before to Shida in the DMs, but I do think the arc would've benefited if Gin's backstory was revealed after the final fight. While yes, this would ruin Masato's and Karim's fight, keeping the big bad's past a secret, or make it vague and implied, would have re-contextualised what had came before, and thus add an interesting layer on a second read as you better understand what actions Gin took, and the path that lead him here. Admittedly, this is a difficult thing to do on a weekly schedule, but I think pulling it off would improve the overall quality of the arc.

In fact, I think when you boil it down, the plot doesn't really matter in the long run. I think the plot was semi-predictable anyways, with the Ryuuga vs Gin ending being inevitable since it was so hyped up. And hype it was! The OST choice had me bamboozled but the final fight between Ryuuga and Gin is probably the highlight of this arc, as it was so epic feeling seeing these two finally clash for real. (The boxing fight would've been cooler.) Besides that, Masato's redemption journey was a very appreciated surprise, since Masato was underdeveloped, and his fight against Karim is very memorable. I think another highlight is Taira getting his girlfriend - that caught me so off-guard, you can see my reaction in the comments. I swear, I thought Taira would never get a girl, yet here we are. 2020 everybody, we are at the peak of human evolution.

Also, this arc taught me tag fights are gross to write. Oh, and that Dallas is best Arcana character. Speaking about characters, when I said the plot didn't matter, I meant it as in Spiral as a series is about the characters growing and how they develop, change and expand. So, that's why we should move away from the plot (as it's the vehicle to the good stuff) and focus more on the characters. I'm going to do this going from my least favourite characters to my most favourite. Fight me in the comments if you want. :^)

Mayuri is a stuck up middle school brat who added nothing to the arc except me tearing my hair out that he shares a name with one of the students in E Class. I swear this is a coincidence. I mean, the fact he got beat the shit out of twice is kind of amusing, but he's an obvious forgettable jobber with his main motivation being "Boss please let me suck you off". Kid's dumb, hope I never have to see him again.

Aijou... existed. To be a plot point. That's nice.

Rose & Iris shocked me because I thought we were getting our token loli's in Spiral, but it turns out they were 16 when I thought they were 12, so that's a bonus if you're into long haired Rem and Ram. I think the main issue with these two is that I can't tell them apart due to a lack of visuals, and the only one I remember is the one who calls Kaido a stinky old man. That's pretty funny. I mean, story wise, they add literally no substance, so they're easily forgettable.

Speaking of Kaido, him and Emma actually added barely anything to do the table this arc. A Kaido appearance means ass is going to get kicked, and Emma getting her moments were cute, and the whole adopting thing with Rose & Iris was amusing, but their fight could be cut from the story and nothing would change. Kaido didn't even kick threatening ass. When he slam pounded Masato, that was cool. When he was nearly slam pounded Rose & Iris, it was lame. At least Kaido was here to dunk on Yuuto and take shots at Ryuuga, so that's why he ranks higher than the loli twins.

Emon is the vanilla ice cream in this arc. He's got like the bare minimum substance with Joshu getting attached to him, and otherwise you could cut their fight and nothing changes. He's harmless, but on the same level as Kaido and Emma honestly. You could literally get away with replacing him with Renji or Kaminari and nothing would change.

Alan ranks higher than those three purely because his deck is hot dumpster fire (in the good way) with the newest bling, and he freaked out about Letaluk in Messiah which I found hilarious. He's so god damn annoying though, somehow even worse than Mayuri. Get this cunt off my screen. His relationship with Joe is actually entertaining though, but I'm guessing he's going to be reduced to "NOOOOOOOOO U CAN'T DATE A MASOCHIST" and Joe going "haha Yuri go brrrrr".

Abbacchio maybe a wholesome guy, but his fight against Hinata could've been skipped and nothing would've changed, and he peaks in his fight against Alan which he lost. Needless to say, this arc wasn't very kind to Agachabro.

Karim has plot relevance which I appreciate, but god after his chapter, everything about this arc starts to fall apart due to the low impact of each fight. I think that's what sucky about him, he's like... there's to be plot relevant, but at the same time ruins the whole dynamic. Hey, we get angery Karim face at least.

Hikaru was Taira's hypeman. Need I say more?

Joe peaks in his fight against his brother, which was wholesome. I like his way of approach, it's original and spicy. I just think the fight was delayed for way too long since the impact was low as fuck. This was a problem of sitting on the plot point for too long, since by that point, I literally did not care for the Arcana except Gin.

Joshu's character is pretty flat, and he falls quickly into being another trope, but the idea behind his character is worth exploring. In the first place, Joshu's existence challenges how the outside world perceives GEN except on the surface level "prestigious school", and shows the pockets of people on the outside wanting to change GEN Academy's system. To the outside world, GEN Academy is regarded as a utopian school with lots of benefits, but to the students inside, whether they're still attending, dropped out or graduated, the school is ruthlessly cutthroat, yet nobody bats an eye due to the results and status it has. This idea to change is also core to the main cast of Generations, where those characters must change for the better in order to conquer their own shortcomings in life.

Okay, Fujiko got her whole book delayed development and got a good friendship with Homura because of it, but the entire way she switches just feels so forced and too quick, it was hard to actually believe it. It was like breaking the immersion I had, and I know Shida tried to make it work with the inner monologue and Fujiko breaking down, but man having that resolve in just a chapter just feels like I was robbed. Like, the entire first arc builds it up over several chapters, but all it takes is this one to resolve it? And it's not even Ryuuga who pulls her back! That would've been way more meaningful! Like, damn it this is the opposite problem with Joe and Alan, this character hit the floor too quick rather than too slow. Agh, Fujiko is too damn polarising.

In the same vain, Homura surprisingly added very little. I get her personal feelings towards Fujiko, but I didn't feel too invested to be honest, since the two haven't even really met, and I was so disinterested in her, especially after the crap resolution to the plot thread. Hopefully she gets better in arc 3, since in arc 1 she was a very strong character.

Hinata's only this high because I love her character. Like actually, her Cardfight skills may be trash, but damn her relationship with Taira was a good slap in the face and her personality is also charming. Plus, she looks like Princess Hibana from Fire Force. What's not to love? I will say that her threatening behaviour just fizzles out after she meets Taira, so having her fight being so late feels like clickbait, since the fight had no weight or value.

Arcand is a G. Same reason why he's up so high, I love his personality. His deck is trash, but his bro relationship with Dallas is goals and his over the top personality is so much entertainment value. Plus, he's French! You know who else is French?! Alice! Double the wee wee baguette white flag jokes! Honestly I hope Arcand and Dallas return as a duo in arc 3, they were some of my favourites in the Arcana.

Oh, you thought I was gonna talk about Dallas? Hah, jokes on you, I'm talking about Taira! All I can say is damn man. TAIRA REEKS OF BIG DICK ENERGY, DUDE IS A TRUE STRONG MAN HOLY SHIT. This is probably the most big W Taira got after being thrown around like trash for a book and an arc, so god damn I'm so proud of him. I think Taira's character works because he gets tossed around so much - when he finally gets his victories, it feels satisfying and rewarding. There's only one thing left... TO SLAY RYUUGA! I BELIEVE IN YOU! LET'S GO CHAMP!

Ichigo out here pulling up on middle schoolers and smacking their face in with Claret Sword Dragon while also getting Aijou's pussy at the same time. You know, the only complaint I have is he beat the shit out of the middle schooler instead of Gin, since Ichigo vs Gin would've been sexy to watch, but you know what, IT'S CLARET, I GIVE THIS ARC A PASS.

Masato became way more likeable and had one of the better character progression within the story. I think his motivation being tied to the past and how he fights Gin first makes him stand out, since besides Ryuuga, he was the only other person to take try taking down the final villain. He really does seem a lot more heroic, and that was one of the better aspects of the arc. Brosato always has the best redemption arcs out of all the Spiral characters.

Similarly, I'm here to gas up Dallas as the best Arcana member. Holy shit did he really subvert my expectations. When I first saw him, I had no interest in him, and thought he'd be a throw away character - but he's so much more than that. Despite appearing as the stereotypical farm boy, his character is neither dumb or loud mouthed. In fact, he's actually cool-headed and plays straight-man to Arcand's antics, which ties well into their dynamic. Not to mention, he's also far more rational than the rest of the Arcana, and was willing to sacrifice his chance to fight Ryuuga in order to do the tag fight. Luckily for him, Arcand gives him that second chance, and I think that's another reason why I really like Dallas. He gets more than a single chapter to develop. Not to mention, his goal and backstory are far more memorable than the rest since it's inherently tied into the protagonist, and also relatable to the reader. He's the underdog of his story, and when he fights his hero and even encourages Ryuuga and spurs him on, it's a beautiful moment that rivals the likes of Ryuuga vs Hikaru or Ryuuga vs Masato. This personal character arc probably hits deepest from the cast, and also affects the protagonist of the story in some capacity as well. He's following in Ryuuga's footsteps so well, he even gets to use Haruka Mirai. And you know, that's a perfect song for Dallas. Haruka Mirai translates to "far away/distant future", and that's a perfect encapsulation of his character - a distant future that he fought for with his own two hands. His overcoming of struggle, perseverance when the chips are down, and the reward for putting in the hard work is not only relatable, but awe-inspiring. It both entertaining and manages to teach us that sometimes, the best ideal really is to "never give up" despite how stupid it can sound. If Dallas doesn't appear in arc 3, I'm gonna riot to no end. He deserves to come back as the best Arcana member. Slap Arcand in too, they're a great duo when they work in tandem.

And that leaves us with Ryuuga and Gin. I'll start with Gin first, since Ryuuga is most important overall, being the one who carries the story. I think Gin as a character probably has the best backstory out of the cast. Absolute betrayal and being driven to take these actions from the negative emotions, but regretting it in the end, is incredibly relatable and falls more in line with my darker tastes. Everyone makes mistakes, and Gin's mistakes and regrets pile up to the point he can't see the forest from the trees anymore. He feels trapped, locked in his own world, and unable to escape since he doesn't want to become the thing he hates most, and it's a powerful moment to see Gin let go and realise that it's okay to leave his past behind him and carve out a new path with his own hands (or fists). However, this foundation falls due to poor juxtaposition of elements. As stated before, Gin was presented to us as evil - the most antagonistic villain Ryuuga has had to face - but the truth that he was just lonely and full of resentment all along really brings down the possible impact of the final fight since it was revealed so early. The final fight itself was the peak of the arc for sure, but Gin was Shida's best chance at making a villain that rides the line between hatable and understandable. Instead of being "Ugh, I should hate this guy but he's a good character", Gin elicits sympathy, which just makes him feel like a different flavour of Hikaru.

Let me remind you quickly who each of Ryuuga's main opponents are through the course of the series:
1) Hikaru - the relationship between them two are frayed when it turns out Hikaru betrays Ryuuga in order to pursue his own selfish dreams.
2) Masato - he pushes all his agonistic tendencies onto Ryuuga, while Ryuuga views him as nothing more then the captain of the opposing team he must overcome.
3) Homura - the two of them want to have the best showdown ever, and for Ryuuga, he wants to reignite Homura's spirit to Cardfight.
4) Tenma - a surprising final battle, but it's the most likely to win vs the underdog of the story.

In each of these, the stakes on a wider level aren't very high in the long run, and most are easily resolved, but Gin is unlike any other than before. He takes the Hikaru betrayal, the agonistic tendencies of Masato, the dwindling spirit of Homura and the underdog story of Tenma and combines them all to become this monster Ryuuga needs to defeat to get back what he lost. That's the sort of atmosphere that was built for him, but in the end, it fell apart and became another ending similar to Hikaru/Masato. Sure, it's satisfying that the plot thread is resolved, but damn Gin was a missed opportunity. I hope arc 3 can feed us a truly hatable villain for Ryuuga to fight. If not, then peaking at a rivalry with Taira is the next best option (or probably even better) in my opinion. For the longest time, their fated showdown has been building up over the course of two years now. If Ryuuga vs Taira isn't the big climax of arc 3, I have no idea what it could be. Hell, Shida can even pull a dual protagonist trope too with these two. C'mon, this is easy money!

That leaves us with Ryuuga. You know, after being dragged through the mud, he's become a lot better honestly. During the Tokyo's Finest arc, Ryuuga felt really unlikeable honestly. After ruining his relationship with his girlfriend and brushing it off like it's nothing, he seemed to just be an uptight jackass. But to see raw anger resonate from someone who had it all when Gin took him and broke down what was most important to him, it really showed that Ryuuga was still weak and hadn't hit his peak. And honestly, I commend that, as after the conclusion of Spiral Terra, there wasn't much left to be explored for Ryuuga. He had conquered, achieved and moved onto better things. By taking away everything from him, and being sent down to the bottom, Ryuuga must crawl through the dirt and mud in order to regain what he'd lost, and that being his main motivation is really good. While reading, Ryuuga's moments didn't feel very impactful, but looking back, they all flow into each other very well, like falling dominoes, and the ending of the arc aligns them all together perfectly. It could be argued that act 3 and arc 1 Ryuuga were both cocky and confident, and by the end of this arc, Ryuuga is brought back to ground level, and he doesn't feel full of himself anymore. In fact, he's the subject of jokes from other people, which takes him down a pedestal. I think that was a flaw of Ryuuga - he felt too perfect in some aspects, which made him bland. However, now he's more resembling of a romcom character (yes Shida I know what you were doing setting up that plot thread at the end) I think Ryuuga's in a much better place than where he's started. He's become more soft around the edges, and balances between his old self and new self a lot better. I think he only thing left for Ryuuga really is to resolve his rivals and love interest - the guy's been through so much, yet these two core elements are still missing. (YES I AM ADVOCATING RYUUGA VS TAIRA AND RYUUHOMU LEAVE ME ALONE) To reflect this sharp change to become better, Ryuuga now even uses Gear Chronicle - and I'm not even mad, we all knew this was coming because of Chronojet. Shida and Chronojet is like PB&J. There's not a more iconic duo. (Except Fox & Claret.)

So, that's how I felt about the characters. A mixed bag, but most ended up being good or harmless, which is what we like to see. But what about songs? Firstly, WHERE IS FAITH?! FAITH WAS ROBBED, DAMN IT UNION! Secondly, W E C A N C A T C H T H E G A M E. Thirdly, HARUKA MIRAAAAAAIIIIIII YEAAAAAAAAAAAH. Fourthly, the OST at the end of 35 paired with Gin's speech was fucking bomb. Easily the best OST moment from the entire arc. Oh yeah, don't forget I A M A H U M A N. Damn, Japan has their way with words, don't they?

All this aside, I think that the true message of this arc is that, no matter where you are in life, even if you feel like you've been ostracised, betrayed, hurt or left behind, you can still change, forge a new path and grow new bonds with people who will accept you. That's a shared trait from the characters, not only with the Incomplete Arcana, but the Spiral Knights too. It's an important life lesson too, to be able to pick yourself up when you're down.

Overall, this arc has a lot of strong points, but a lot of weak points too. When it kicks ass, it kicks ass, and is one of the better arcs of Spiral series. I think this is on par with Tokyo's Finest, however the character development for most characters, especially Ryuuga, is really good in this arc, and even rivals act 2 in Spiral Terra. Weighing it out, it's a solid 8/10 arc.

Seeing as arc 3 is going to be more romcom focused, it's going to be an interesting conclusion to the Spiral series. Since it's been very shounen focused, having this change could be refreshing and mix up the formula. Whatever it is, I can't wait to see how it ends and all the plot threads being tied up together.

Also what the fuck, Premium? Two years ago you told me you didn't want Premium to exist in V Series CCEU but now that Zazan's here to fuck us in the ass you want to play Premium now? WHAT? I'm gonna get you back for this. Just wait...

You did a good job, bro. That's all, Fox out!