The second act of "The Journey Leads the Way to Another World," finally airs in two consecutive seasons starting in January 2024. The first act ended with a recap of the first act, a celebration for the opening of Kuzunoha Trading Company's new store in Zige, and a send-off party for Lotsgard. So, before the broadcast begins, I'd like to consider how the first half of the second act will unfold. There will be some spoilers, but I hope you'll bear with me. So, please read on in anticipation of an exciting second act of Tsukimichi.
Let's start with a recap of the final episode of Act 1.
The final episode of Act 1 begins with the Goddess transporting Makoto to the war between humans and demons, resulting in a battle between the dragon slayer Sophia and Mitsurugi, also known as Lancer. This battle marks the climax of Act 1 and marks Makoto's first battle after unleashing his powers. In the end, he not only destroys Sophia and Lancer, but also the human and demon armies on the battlefield. However, it's typical of Makoto that he is completely unaware of this, underestimating his own strength and believing he somehow managed to escape.
Summoners Other Than Makoto
At the same time, on another battlefield, two people summoned separately from Makoto were fighting the demon army as heroes. This was briefly mentioned in a flashback scene from Act 1 at the end of the final episode. Their names were never introduced in Act 1, and the two heroes were not even mentioned.
How Act 1 Ends
In the end, after the battle with Sophia and her friends in Act 1, the Kuzunoha Trading Company opens its first store in Zige, and a flashback to Act 1 begins. Then, during the opening celebration and send-off party to Lotsgard, Makoto concludes with a heartfelt haiku: "From now on, it's a dark journey... I guess." After the ending, it was announced that Act 2 will be in production. I think the ending set the stage for Act 2.
What will Act 2 bring?!
So, let's consider how Act 2 will unfold. First, the story will likely develop along two axes. One is about Lotsgard, a place that was missed in Act 1. The other, as you'll see on the official website, is about two heroes who were summoned separately from Makoto. Considering that information about each of their party members has been released, it seems likely that the story of the two heroes will unfold first.
Have you seen the first promotional video?!
I mentioned earlier that information has been released on the official website, but if you watch the first PV for Act 2, it's immediately clear. As you can see from the heartfelt haiku, "Where are these two heroes from another world?", there's no doubt that the story will begin with a focus on the heroes. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it.
Two Heroes
"Hibiki Otonashi" was summoned to the Kingdom of Limia, and "Tomoki Iwahashi" was summoned to the Gritonia Empire. These two met for the first time when the two countries joined forces to retake Stella Fort. They then fought against the Demon Clan at Stella Fort, just as Makoto fought against Sophia and Lancer. The battle at Stella Fort marks the beginning of the second act, and I believe the story of the two heroes after they were summoned will be revealed during this battle.
Hibiki Otonashi, the Hero of the Kingdom of Limia
In fact, Hibiki Otonashi and Makoto were senior students at the same school, serving as student council president. He also knew Makoto and had a very close relationship with her. He was summoned to the Kingdom of Limia and served as a hero, struggling with hardships and suffering. After the battle at Fort Stella, he and his companions headed into the wilderness to further strengthen themselves, and along the way, he met and interacted with Mio. In fact, Hibiki fought against Mio when she was still a Black Spider. Since Mio was just rampaging without any sense of self when she was a Black Spider, there's no way she could remember her past, and Hibiki had no way of knowing that Mio was a former Black Spider, so they unexpectedly become acquainted.
Hero of the Gritonia Empire: Tomoki Iwahashi
A 15-year-old boy, originally a reclusive third-year middle school student, is summoned as a hero. As a result, he remains mentally a reclusive middle schooler with a chuunibyou syndrome, so he treats the battles with demons like a game and has no sense of responsibility or responsibility as a hero. Upon being summoned, he was bestowed with various skills by the Goddess, including the "Charm" skill, which brainwashes both men and women, revealing his incompetence in building relationships. This hero meets Tomoe after the Battle of Fort Stella. He takes a liking to Tomoe herself, as well as the sword she possesses, and attempts to charm her... but you'll have to wait until the anime to see the outcome.
When will the three heroes meet?!
After the Battle of Fort Stella, each hero meets Tomoe and Mio, but it will be a while before they meet Makoto. In the first promotional video, Makoto says, "I still don't know when we'll meet," but is this a reference to the two heroes? Either way, it seems likely that the second act will depict the two heroes and Makoto meeting.
Academy City Lotsgard
Apart from the story of the two heroes, Makoto heads to Lotsgard. After realizing the lack of his own skills during Sophia's battle with Lancer, he decides to transfer to Lotsgard Central Academy's general tactics department. However, Rembrandt, who wrote the letter of recommendation, mistakenly wrote it for a staff member instead of a student, so Makoto ends up taking the staff recruitment exam.
Staff Member, Not Student
The true story is about a young master who passes the staff recruitment exam, becomes a temporary instructor, and guides and trains a group of unique students. Of course, things don't go as smoothly as that. Known by his peers as a "walking curse," Makoto attracts all sorts of misfortune. His school life is full of ups and downs, including encounters with shady organizations, demons, and female students with marriage certificates. We hope you enjoy the anime for that, too.
Doing Business in Lotsgard!
Makoto didn't come to Lotsgard to study. He also came to open the second Kuzunoha Trading Company store in Lotsgard. The staff members are a quirky bunch, including Aqua and Eris, whose names sound like sports drinks, Lime Latte, trained by Tomoe, and Elder Dwarf. Will the second store be a success in Lotsgard, where discrimination against demihumans is particularly severe? Will the young master's skills be put to the test? No, it's a test of the staff's skills.
A little more information
We've introduced the two heroes and the true story. Here, we'd like to introduce some of the other characters who will likely appear.
The Rembrandt Sisters
The Rembrandt sisters were also students of the General Tactical Department, where Makoto teaches. They had been absent from school due to a cursed disease, but have now fully recovered and are returning to school. In fact, the sisters had a terrible reputation at school. They were typical nouveau riche women who boasted about their beauty, but also had excellent grades, and there were rumors that they had caused many students and instructors to fail. Now, the two have returned to school and will be attending Makoto's lectures. Are the rumors true? Is Makoto okay? Be sure to tune in to find out.
Top-ranking Dragon
A new character that Makoto meets in Lotsgard is the top-ranking dragon "Ruto," nicknamed "Manshiki." He takes an interest in Makoto, a summoner who is completely different from the two summoned heroes, and comes to meet him himself. In fact, he founded the Adventurer's Guild and currently reigns as its master. What is Ruto's purpose in meeting Makoto, and what will happen to Makoto as a result of meeting Ruto? Watch the anime broadcast to find out.
Summary of highlights from the first half of Act 2
This introduces the story that will likely unfold in the first half of Act 2. As announced in the first trailer, it will undoubtedly be a story about the two heroes. In parallel with that, the true story of the journey to Lotsgard will likely unfold. Since it's a two-season series, I'm curious to see how much of the original story will be adapted, but you'll have to watch the anime to find out. Thank you for reading to the end.
