Daniel Spellbound season 2 review: A smidge below its predecessor

Daniel Spellbound season 2 sees Daniel and his friends embark on yet another hunt, this time for a magical scepter and an ancient coffer, the contents of which threaten the entire world.

Story

Daniel searches for an “untrackable” item in order to rejoin the Guild while Hoagie demands he focuses on turning him back into a human. Lucy aims to become the next Primus but Daniel can’t help her right now, thanks to his obsession with rejoining the guild.

Shakila “Shak” Chinda asks for Daniel’s help in finding her lost brother, the famous Tracker Jaisukh “Jayce” Chinda, and Daniel agrees when she promises an untrackable and also because he sees Jayce as a hero.

With the help of Oracle Haruspex, Daniel and the company tracks down Jayce and free him from his captivity. His physical form is altered and he claims to find the Coffer of Spellbounds to revert to his human form and unleash the next Golden Age of Magic.

Meanwhile, Lucy searches for the Scepter that can make her the next Primus. Hoagie becomes upset with Daniel and joins Lucy in her quest.

Eventually, the two groups cross paths and Jayce keeps being overwhelmed by his demonic form, leading him to lose control that concerns his sister.

His demonic is revealed to be Dread Magic and it finally envelops him while taking possession of the coffer and unleashing it unto the world. Daniel, Shak, Lucy, and Hoagie unite to bring Jayce down and seal away Dread Magic once and for all.

Performances

Like its predecessor, there are no particular standouts in this season but all the voice-lending work here is adequate. There are not many instances that require a more emotional performance.

Positives

The leitmotif that drops in every time the sinister side of Jayce is on screen or acts up is pretty catchy and remains one of the only memorable parts of the music throughout the entirety of the season.

The pacing is one of the prominent strengths of Daniel Spellbound season 2, and it’s only more effective here as the story takes a lesser amount of detours and divergences than in the first season.

There’s a certain sense of warmth that is retained in the sequel and potential which while not tapped into, is certainly one that inspires speculation as to what may unfold next might actually be better.

Negatives

There is an even lesser emotional quotient in season 2, whereas its predecessor included some grim send-offs that allowed for a better catharsis as well as the ability to empathize with the characters.

Unlike the first installment, Daniel Spellbound season 2 is sparse in terms of its world-building. There are far fewer species and cultures/communities/realms of fantasy compared to season 1.

The central conflict is also a repetition of what came before. Motivations can still work just as effectively even when the world is not at risk of falling victim to a world-ending threat.

Jayce as the prime antagonist doesn’t quite work out as well as the Dark Mage/Primus Thomas either. Additionally, Elyse is relegated to being an extra appearing only to prolong the runtime and nothing more.

Verdict

Daniel Spellbound season 2 falls short of one too many things to excel its predecessor, while also failing to deliver on some of the things that it did deliver on before. A breezy runtime and a middling amount of fun aren’t sufficient to redeem this sloppy sequel.

Daniel Spellbound season 2
Daniel Spellbound season 2 review: A smidge below its predecessor 1

Director: Trevor Deane-Freeman

Date Created: 2023-01-26 13:30

Editor's Rating:
2

Also Read: Daniel Spellbound season 2 ending explained: What happens to Shakila?

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