Episode 25: The Seeds Of Independence In Western Tokyo:
After a brief recap of season 1, the focus was on displaying how the sisters and their village were being compartmentalized by the government (which is being manipulated by those powerful forces seeking to reduce Ranga's power). After making the town a sort of embassy in the sense that you need a passport to enter and exit, the utilities are cut off. Other forces are at work to stop Ranga as well.

Episode 26: The Blessed Heart Of Evil:
Each of the sisters sees Ranga in different terms, one as a cash cow, one as a means to protect and serve, and another to expand her power base. While on a mission at sea, the gals were captured by pirates and Ranga was attacked by another of the old "gods". Things work out, sort of, but the pirates make a point that drives home the need to rethink Ranga's place in modern society.

Episode 27: Battlefield Yearning:
A militant group arises from the discontent of Japan's youth (The Teikoku), rejecting the governmental solution of granting the Musashino area foreign-soil status. They see such an idea as a threat to national sovereignty and will do whatever needed to fix it.

Episode 28: In The Middle Of An Era:
Yet another "god" (Kyoshin) is raised from the depths by a group, this time by the militants that intend to end Ranga's rein. In a crowded stadium, the two gods duke it out, with Ranga hampered by an unwillingness to harm civilians around him.

Episode 29: How To Embarrass The King:
A minor plot to discredit Ranga is hatched but fails. A young man who wants to hook up with her stalks Ushio.

Episode 30: Courage On Display:
Ushio's big date is interrupted by a Typhoon. Ranga's help is needed to assist in saving a young child but in the end, rescue workers are needed to save the couple of would-be saviors.

Episode 31: Workin' It For The Camera:
Ranga's popularity with the television stations is at an all-time high and he seems to be on every reality and game show available. Ranga fights another Kyoshin, the Yamasei before the army gets ready to attack him.

Episode 32: We're Going LIVE! (AKA: Once Again Illegal Activity By Neo Ranga):
The Yamasei gets round two against Ranga but the fight is orchestrated by Fujiwara to get Ranga to kill a friend of the girls. No matter what course of action he takes, he'll lose something; either lose face or the life of a loved one.

I liked how the series continues to utilize the shorter episode length (~15 minutes) to tell a story or at least play a part in an arc, without all the padding so many other shows, even good shows, sometimes need to fill out their time slot. The voice acting and direction were also solid and combined with good production values, easily merit a rating of Highly Recommended. There's something for those who want a bash-'em-up show just as there's something for those who want something more intellectual, an all too rare combination in anime these days.

Picture: The picture was presented in 1.33:1 ratio full frame as originally aired. It looked clear but not quite as clear as the previous episodes. I didn't notice any problems with the dvd transfer and the colors were accurate.

Sound: The audio was presented in Dolby Digital English, English with song subtitles, or the original Japanese with optional English subtitles. The vocals in each track were very clear and the music exceptionally solid. There was separation between the tracks in the special effects scenes and during some of the musical pieces and, to a lesser extent, some of the other parts.

Extras: The best extra was a series of written translator notes on the dvd. It explains a lot of the background information making certain cultural aspects of the show more understandable. Another good extra was the paper insert map that detailed the area around the Shimabara house (the lead characters). The usual trailers, clean opening and closing, and artwork were also present.

Final Thoughts: What's not to like about this show? It has something for everyone except maybe those who like a lot of lighter humor and ADV really struck gold with this series. The sound, the picture, the direction and acting were all top notch.