Humorous Title: Transported to the Hidden Realm and Tasked to Pay Off Her Grandfathers Debts by Cooking Season Two Kakuriyo Bed Breakfast for Spirits 2 proved to be my favourite anime this past Fall 2025 season even if I just rushed through it by the end of December. And it pains me that it has received cold entertainment in the Kakuriyo fandom and the complaints have some basis. I somewhat agree. To summarise the fandoms complaints: 1. The art style is different and the animation is lacking and worse than Season 1. 2. Its a shorter season. 3. It has to do with the source material which includes omission and is a consequence of no 2 and those who watch this for the romance dont like it as much. 4. A certain character is absent the majority of the time. Ill address these where I agree and where I disagree by pointing out what is so enjoyable in this season in spite of the shortcomings in the technical aspects. For context this season has two studios working on it Gonzo and Makaria. Gonzo having faced financial difficulties and the threat of bankruptcy is only a shadow of its former self. Although Gonzo is in the production committee the grunt of animating the work lies with Makaria. Makaria is a decadeold studio with recent projects The Brilliant Healers New Life in the Shadows and Zatsu Tabi: Thats Journey. The new season has different staff from those who handled Season 1: If Okuda Yoshiko directed Season 1 Yoshizaki Jou directed Season 2. He also directed The Brilliant Healers New Life in the Shadows and the upcoming anime Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky. Overall Director Okuda did a fine job but could have done better. Season 1 had two character designers working together to realise the vision of the source materials character design: Kusanagi Takuhito and Satou Youko. They did not come back for the second season. Instead the character design is handled by Katsura Emi. Kakuriyo S2 is this persons only entry at MAL so the widely criticised changes may perhaps be attributed to Katsuras inexperience and/or limited budget. Its probably a combination of these. Unlike the general fandom I am not bothered by the changes. Perhaps I have seen worse most notably the infamous changes in the character designs for Wei Kreuz the original season having drastically different character designs to Wei Kreuz Glhen due to legal issues. Nevertheless I can at least sympathise that given the choice I do hope a hypothetical Season 3 will use Season 1s character designs and art style if not improve on it. For comparison here is the character design for Wei Kreuz versus Wei Kreuz Glhen. Although the key visual for Wei Kreuz Glhen features different characters with such design the characters from the first series are unrecognisable. Wei Kreuz 220https://i.ur.com/YA9bg78.jpeg Wei Kreuz Glhen 220https://i.ur.com/wd09qAR.jpeg With this context in mind thats why I dont find the changes in the character design for Season 2 really bothering. Tsubaki Aoi in Season 1 220https://i.ur.com/1IjmtyM.png Tsubaki Aoi in Season 2 220https://i.ur.com/diQLjUq.png Oodannasama in Season 1 220https://i.ur.com/WZTUynu.jpeg Oodannasama in Season 2 220https://i.ur.com/CIB3EGf.jpeg The anime has a limited budget and has to be compressed to 12 episodes even if it would have been better as a twocour season. The first season is not too popular anyway and the fact that it took high viewership in Crunchyroll for Gonzo to greenlight this project effectively means that fans of Kakuriyo had to beg for a new season. 220https://i.ur.com/oDYwUdU.png Thats why Im happy that there is a new season despite the downgrade. I can live with more still frames rather than no new season. Other remarks If you dont know the source material and I certainly dont Season 2 doesnt feel like there is something being omitted. A longer season if these omissions were included might have been better but such omissions I reckon do not render this season unwatchable. Since it is established that the art style for Season 2 is inferior to that of Season 1 let me point out this aspect that remains good if not better than Season 1. The OP and ED by Touyama Nao are great and in my opinion this seasons OP is better than Season 1s OP. Whilst in general I dont count them as part of the score I have to count them here in my consideration. Season 2s OP: https://youtu.be/OdxiScHsUBI?si=GHN18XktfXtEttE They really add so much to the vibe. Whilst it doesnt hold a candle to the first OP of The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 as seen in its animation or even compared to the two OPs of Season 1 it is really catchy. For the sake of comparison: OP 1 of the first season of Kakuriyo: Bed Breakfast for Spirits https://youtu.be/8xs716iw6ck?si=WYt3du1AFOjTWxx1 OP 1 of the second season of the Apothecary Diaries https://youtu.be/qgrKaELkOk?si=736ZtfY7yUo2TV61 Despite the lower production of the corresponding musick video Touyama Naos passion for singing does come across. Full Version of Season 2s OP https://youtu.be/LB2eRrGY6Ak?si=lThSTzOnFMy8qNs The ED for Season 2 is emotional and leaves you with so much emotions after every episode. Thats why I cant ignore these songs in this review and why Im glad they did better here even if in other aspects its a downgrade. Season 2s ED https://youtu.be/OxhkpEc64?si=Yq1slRUjj2Y4EK5t I scored the first season as 8 out of 10 and despite Season 2s issues I still scored it 8 out of 10. Why? The story is better overall. Although it retains its seemingly relaxing slow pace which I consider its strength you cant help but feel that the stakes are higher. This might be unintentional on Konparu Tomokos part who is both working on the script and series composition the omitted events and compressed episodes make this anime feel both fastpaced in terms of whats happening despite maintaining its signature slow pace. There are important character developments here in the romance department despite the absence of a key character. Clich it may be this season leans more on the emotions felt in the others absence i.e. absence makes the heart grow fonder. This is seen in a visual cue that stands for romantick development once you see it you can only be aghast at the claim of some that this season has barely any romance. 220https://i.ur.com/ezlmen7.png Therefore if only this season had used Season 1s art style or even improved it as well as had been two cours I would have rated this second season a 9 out of 10. Also this season has sealed the deal on why I now deem Tsubaki Aoi as one of my favourite characters. NOTA BENE: A grade of 8 out of 10 or 80 out of 100 in anilist means that I find this anime is very good and three notches above average. I enjoyed watching it. My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4 I actively dislike it.