Mixing plot with fan service can be a difficult task to balance, and not every anime will find that sweet spot. As the second season of High School DxD continues to air, it feels like they are swinging in a direction they shouldn't be, and with the most recent episode, it is no exception.
This week we were introduced to a new -- for the viewers -- but actually one of the first bishops Rias have ever recruited; Gasper Valdi, the half-human half-vampire, who you might of thought was an addition to the flat chest crew, current only occupied by Koneko. But, you are sadly mistaken and have fallen for their trap card.
Now, I have no problem with traps, considering that anime usually just treats them as a girl anyway, and anime like Haganai can easily switch the character from boy to girl in seconds. The problem I have with Gasper is the fact that he wines loudly and frequently. I get the fact that he has essentially been inside a coffin in a sealed room, devoid of human contact can make you shy, but it seems like his whole identity is based around the fact that he is anxious.
And that lack of personality makes him feel like a lazy character, almost to the point of making me thinking that the anime is only trying to appeal to the trap lovers. So with Gasper, the addition of Xenovia -- who is activity trying to get Issei to impregnate her -- and Akeno now on on the attack in seducing Issei, you can see where I'm coming from when I say High School DxD is heading in a direction they shouldn't.
I really do like that High School DxD tries to balance story and seduction, and through the first season did it pretty well. However, this season season is losing that balance, and the plot does seem to be suffering -- though it is still pretty interesting.
So let just say, High School DxD need to pull back on the pandering and focus more on the story before it becomes too difficult to turn back. I have always praised this anime frequently in my posts, and don't want it to be flooded with fan service with no real substance.