‘Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse’ Episode 2 Review: Time Loops, Spirit Power, and a Little Gyoza on the Side

Time Travel, Tough Lessons, and a Rookie Spirit User If Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse episode one threw us headfirst into the chaos, episode two hits the brakes just long enough for Takeru—and us—to catch our breath before tossing us right back into the action. Time travel is on the table, and Takeru’s got a front-row seat to his own déjà vu nightmare. Takeru wakes up on Tsukimiya’s stage again, alive and confused, surrounded by people who don’t recognize him. Turns out, the poor guy has looped back over a month before his first battle with the Oni. You can feel his frustration as he tries to explain what happened, only for everyone to look at him like he’s telling the world’s worst joke. His attempt to flex his onmyoji powers falls flat, leading to a reality check from Yura and some tough love from the crew.

Image via Comicbook.com

What makes this episode shine is the balance between humor and heart. Takeru’s frustration is relatable but so is his determination. He’s not the kind of protagonist who has it all figured out overnight. He knows he’s outmatched, and instead of sulking, he runs straight to Abeno Seimei and demands to be trained. Seimei, with that calm teacher energy, gives him another shot. Kazura runs him through the basics of onmyoji techniques, but Takeru’s got no patience for the history lesson and wants to skip straight to the power-ups. Classic rookie mistake. The episode also gives us a deeper look at Astunaga, who starts to soften toward Takeru. Their dyna…