Series Thoughts: Centaurworld (Season 2)

• Released: 30 July 2021
• Creator: Megan Dong
• Total amount of seasons: 2
• Seasons watched: 2
• Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

After re-uniting with her Rider, Horse and her herd must now recruit forces in Centaurworld for the final showdown with the Nowhere King and his armies.

My Thoughts

I've already praised season 1 of this show enough, but here we go again only a few months later: season 2, probably the final season based on how things end. 

And I have to say, props to the team, because it really is another banger. I've seen this season being criticized for the pacing issues, particularly in the first few episodes, but based on what I've seen information-wise, I can't really blame the series for it. Apparently, seasons 1 and 2 from Centaurworld were supposed one large season, however Netflix split it up into two (albeit released close together).

This definitely does lead to some pacing issues, as it feels like it goes back to a rather slow episodic format for a bit despite the more serialized set-up from late season 1. It this jarring? A bit, yes, and it did make me lose my attention here and there a bit, as I really was looking forward to getting a lot of Nowhere King content after he finally made his grand appearance in the last episodes of season 1. As it is right now, we don't really get much of him at all until the final episode of season 2. 

But, like I said, I can't fully blame the series for it. Kind of how The Legend of Korra's recap episode does suck because it's just a clip-show. It definitely sucks that they couldn't do something creative with it, but they had practically no budget due to Nickelodeon screwing them over. I'm kind of seeing it the same here, but with Netflix messing with the season releases. I'm not 100% sure if these claims have been confirmed, but it does seem to check out with the pacing so for now I'm taking it as a fact.

So how is the rest of the season? Well, aside from the pacing, I think it's very good. It definitely still has some of the issues the first season had (tonal problems and too many fart jokes), but those are very minor. The soundtrack is still really good (particularly in the last few episodes) and there's more emotional moments than I could count (from character backstories to the emotional final battle) and the humor (fart jokes aside) is still really on-point most of the time. 

As is the visuals. Yeah, I'm still not the biggest fan of Horse's Centaurworld design, but it did grow on me eventually, and we do get to see her in her old form temporarily again, which is nice.

Then there's the final episode, which can pretty much be called a special since it's almost movie-length. What an emotional rollercoaster. The final battle takes place, Horse ends up (more or less) sacrificing herself and we finally learn about the Nowhere King's origins and past. I don't normally mark my stuff here as spoilers since I go into them in pretty much all my MT/ST's, but I'll just give one more spoiler warning before delving in. You've been warned.

Okay, so turns out the Nowhere King is actually one of two halves (the other being the human General) of an Elktaur who split himself in two in order to be with the love of his life (Mysterious Woman, who happens to have been a princess). The General half of him cast the elk half of him aside, resulting in the corruption of the elk half, who started experimenting with the key to the Rift, creating minotaurs and growing all the more disturbed in the process, eventually leading to him taking the current Nowhere King form. 

It was a twist I definitely didn't see coming at first. I don't think it's the most compelling villain backstory ever (the whole reason for his villainy being him falling in love), but I do like how far the Elktaur was just willing to go and us getting to see how he became corrupted. He wasn't always a villain, he was just a normal and slightly awkward guy. And neither half of him is perfect, both the General and Nowhere King counterparts of him are dark, though the latter is much more hellbent on taking lives and taking over the world. But even the General ends up having his dark moments as well.

Then there's the conclusion where Mysterious Woman confronts both halves of her past friend a final time. In season 1, she couldn't get herself to harm him, but she knows better now and with one last song she does finally end the (temporarily restored) Elktaur's life. I like that they didn't chicken out and give him a redemption arc. The Nowhere King was definitely too far gone, the General, too. With them combined into one again, I am glad that the Woman decided not to let him get away again, learning from her mistake in season 1. 

I've seen people demand a redemption arc for him, but I'm glad it ended this way. While villain redemption arcs certainly can be done well (if handled correctly), I think it's better for the Nowhere King (and General) to come to his end this way. I much prefer this than any possible redemption route I can think of. 

There is the slight Rider death fake-out which I wasn't too fond of (I really think it'd have been a stronger conclusion if she'd not made it), but I guess for a more happy ending it's best for her to recover. Just my personal opinion that it'd have been a bit stronger if we'd lost at least one of the characters on the side of good in this final epic showdown. 

So I definitely think that this was a strong conclusion to the series, if this is one. I think, based on how things ended and most loose ends tied up, this definitely is one, but you never know. Perhaps we'll get a third season or spinoff sometime in the future. But if this is where things end I'm very happy with how everything was wrapped up. I can't wait to get addicted to listening the season 2 soundtrack as well.