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.
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 dynamic shifts from rivals to something closer to teammates, though the tension over who gets to protect Tsukimiya stays sharp. The two share a moment where Astunaga challenges Takeru’s strength, literally forcing him to unlock some spiritual power through sheer pain tolerance. Anime training arcs really love their suffering.
Let’s not forget the peaceful moments. Takeru throws a surprise gyoza night at Astunaga’s place, proving the universal truth that anime food always looks amazing. For a brief moment, the characters get to be regular people sharing a meal before everything inevitably goes sideways.
Oni Battles and a Rookie’s First Victory
And sideways it goes. A new black mist outbreak hits, and the Oni in this episode steps things up with missile-like puppets and devastating strength. The Shikigami battles remain one of the show’s highlights, blending sharp animation with creative combat strategies. The Oni’s design continues to be stunning and terrifying, and the destruction it causes serves as a harsh reminder of what’s at stake.
Astunaga almost sacrifices himself in the heat of battle, but Takeru returns just in time, revealing that he spent his time away training and leveling up. His entrance is bold, his actions louder than any speech, and for the first time, Astunaga acknowledges his potential. Together, they co-pilot a Shikigami in battle, creating a partnership that feels earned rather than forced.
By the end of the episode, Seimei offers Takeru an official place among the onmyoji, hinting at even bigger challenges ahead. Takeru still has a long way to go, but his growth in just two episodes is promising.
Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse continues to deliver strong visuals, energetic battles, and a cast that balances comedy and drama with ease. If the first episode was a sprint, this one feels like the first few steps of a marathon, laying the groundwork for character growth and bigger conflicts to come.
Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse streams new episodes every Wednesday exclusively on Crunchyroll.
About Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is the global anime brand that fuels fans’ love of anime. With the ambition to make anime an even bigger part of pop culture, Crunchyroll offers fans the ultimate anime experience and destination centered around a premium streaming service. Crunchyroll has the largest dedicated anime library, an immersive world of events, exciting theatrical releases, unique games, must-have merchandise, timely news, and more. Anime is for everyone and is accessible to stream across territories through Crunchyroll—whether on the go on mobile, through gaming consoles and big-screen devices at home, or on desktops anywhere.
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Cover image via Comicbook.com
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