[Review] Why “Rakoguro Senki 2: The Future We Want” captured the hearts of audiences | Isekai2nd

The theatrical animation “Roshao Heisenki'' was produced by director MTJJ, a Chinese manga artist, and Haruka Samki (HMCH) studio. Following its release in China in September 2019, the Japanese subtitled version was screened and became well-received, and in November 2020, the Japanese dubbed version “Luo Xiaoguro Senki: The Future I Choose'' was released.

Kana Hanazawa played the black cat fairy Xiaohei, Mamoru Miyano played the human Mugen who is the “strongest enforcer,'' and Takahiro Sakurai played the human-hating fairy Fuushi.The film attracted many fans and had a long run for half a year.

The Japanese dubbed version and subtitled version of the long-awaited sequel “Ra Shogoku Senki 2: The Future We Want” will be released simultaneously from November 7, 2025.

In the dubbed version of this work, Mr. Hanazawa and Mr. Miyano continue to play Xiaohei and Mugen from the previous work, Inori Minase plays the role of Nata, the enforcer of the headquarters, Mr. Cho plays the role of the enforcer Old Man Kyu, and Yoshitada Otsuka plays the role of Panjin, the director of the mansion of Longyu City. A talented cast has been assembled, including Aoi Yuuki, who plays Xiaohei's sister and disciple Ruie, Junichi Suwabe, who plays Qinen, the elder of the mansion, and Akira Ishida, who plays Seamuse, the elder of the mansion.

This work also received high praise one after another as soon as it was released, and word of mouth quickly spread among fans in Japan as well. I, who have always been a fan of this film, was overwhelmed by the quality of the film, which exceeded my expectations, and at the same time was able to immerse myself in the comfort of watching a truly “good movie.”

In this article, we will provide a review and highlights of “Rakoguro Senki 2: The Future We Want''. Since it hasn't been that long since the movie was released, I'll try to write about it without spoilers as much as possible. However, the contents of some of the works are touched on, so please be careful if you have not seen them yet.

Inheriting the theme of the previous work, with a deep and detailed story

“Luo Xiaohei Senki'' was originally a web animation, and after it was released on video sites in March 2011, its popularity continued to rise and it has grown to become one of the representative works of Chinese animation. The web anime begins with the story of Xiaohei (Oguro) being picked up by a girl named Luo Xiaobai (Luo Xiaobai). From October 2025, a Japanese dubbed version of the web anime edited to TV size will also begin broadcasting.

The first movie released in 2019 is a prequel set four years before the web anime series. When the black cat fairy Xiaohei lost her home due to the forest being developed by humans, it was Fu Xi, also a fairy, who reached out to her. However, Mugen, a human who is feared as the “strongest enforcer,'' appears.

Xiaohei was repulsed by the idea that he disliked humans, but as he traveled with Mugen, he learned with his own eyes that the relationship between humans and fairies cannot be simply judged as good or bad, and that there are all kinds of people in every world.

Fushi, a fairy who cannot forgive humans, and Mugen, who wishes for humans and fairies to coexist. Xiaohei, who is exposed to the two people's perspectives and thoughts, chooses the path he should take based on his own will.

In this way, the previous work presented the conflict surrounding the coexistence of humans and fairies, while also depicting the story of Xiaohei finding her true home, and the process of deepening her bond with her mentor, Mugen, was shown through the two's journey.

The new sequel “Rakoguro Senki 2: The Future We Want'' is set two years after the previous work. Xiaohei spends peaceful days training hard in a small village with his master Mugen, growing from 6 years old to 8 years old.

However, an attack on a certain mansion breaks out, threatening the long-held peace of the fairy world. After being given a mission, Xiaohei is separated from Mugen and sets off on a new journey in search of the truth with his sister and disciple, Ruie.

This work focuses on Luie's backbone and her journey with Xiaohei, but inherits the theme of the previous work and focuses on serious problems that affect the fairy world as a whole. Tensions run high in the world of fairies, which up until now have had a rational relationship with humans, as to how they will deal with humans who pose a threat because of their advanced civilization.

The action scenes are more profound and spectacular, and the appearance of multiple big-name characters such as elder class and first-class executioners makes it a sight to behold. The theme is not a theme that can be concluded with everything resolved, but a deep and detailed story that reveals the preparations for the next critical situation, drawing the audience further into the story.

Although the theme it deals with is serious, it has a spirit of humor and is characterized by its exquisite balance of slowness and slowness. The information is dense, and no matter what scene you cut, there is something captivating, and it tickles the audience's curiosity and inquisitiveness.

Skillful character development and relationships

The quality of the character design is also one of the charms of “Rakoguro Senki''. What is also noteworthy is that each character's background, personality, behavior, and tactics are carefully thought out. Each of them has their own thoughts that they have cultivated over their long lives, and that history gives each character depth.

Fairies in “Rakokoku Senki” are beings born from nature with special abilities. They can also transform into human form and live longer than humans. By training, you can master your abilities and gain multiple abilities. Human beings can also acquire abilities through training.

Abilities are broadly classified into six categories: “spirit type,'' “space type,'' “creation type,'' “psychic type,'' “living spirit type,'' and “chain type.'' “Spirit-type'' can be further classified into attributes such as “Fire,'' “Metal,'' “Water,'' “Wood,'' and “Earth,'' and “Space-type'' also has various manifestations of abilities, such as “self-world,'' “domain,'' and “transfer (teleport).''

　

Xiaohei's growth & Mugen's presence

Xiaohei and Mugen have the same “spirit type gold” and can fight by freely manipulating metal. In addition, Xiaohei has the ability “Space-based Transfer'', and Mugen has the ability “Space-based Self-World'', which allows him to swallow external objects into his spiritual realm.

Xiaohei is a black cat fairy born from a spirit. It can take on both human and cat forms, and its tail splits into multiple creatures called “heishu”. Over the past two years, Xiaohei has not only improved in his ability to use his abilities, but he has also grown mentally as well. Although she is still young and may not be able to catch up with her understanding, she has the strength to look for answers and make decisions on her own.

Xiaohei used to hate humans, but his encounter with the Fushies two years ago and his journey with Mugen changed the way he approached humans. On the other hand, there are scenes in which Xiaohei shows the characteristics of an 8-year-old child, and in the dubbed version, Kana Hanazawa fully shows Xiaohei's growth and loveliness.

Although Mugen is a human, he is the “strongest enforcer'' who belongs to a mansion where fairies gather. The hall is an organization that works for the harmonization of fairies and humans, and in addition to the main headquarters, Sonan Hall, there are branches in each city, and each hall is connected by a transfer gate. Enforcer is one of the jobs of fairies working in the mansion, and their main job is to capture and restrain troublesome fairies.

Mugen was hopeless when it came to cooking, but he seems to be improving his skills. In the dubbed version, Mamoru Miyano is in charge of the voice, and he delicately expresses Mugen's cool yet clumsy and mischievous side as well as his kindness.

In the previous movie, Mugen said that some of the fairies didn't think well of him because he was too strong, and he kept a certain distance from the mansion, but when you watch this movie, you can see what kind of person Mugen is from a different perspective, and it really touches your heart.

　

Portrait of Mugen's other disciple, Louie

A major highlight of this work is the relationship between the characters, especially the relationship between master and disciple. Mugen patting Xiaohei's head and naturally holding hands are things that you can tell that they do on a daily basis, and this alone makes my heart feel full. Even though he was so against Mugen when they first met, Xiaohei calls him master and adores him, running up to Mugen and jumping into his chest.I'm also moved by the kitten-like behavior of Xiaohei.

I think it was extremely difficult to insert a new female character who is Xiaohei's sister and disciple into the teacher-student relationship between Xiaohei and Mugen, which can be called a “family,” but many people who actually watched this movie must have fallen in love with Luie.

It was mentioned in the previous work that Mugen had a disciple, but this time, that disciple, Louie, becomes one of the main characters. This work is also the story of Louie.

Louie is in the original language version, but Aoi Yuki in the dubbed version also embodies her cool nature with a calm performance. In addition to his attractive character design, Louie's perfect personality, which has been explored to the depths in all aspects such as his way of life, personality, beliefs, and strength, has captured the hearts of the audience.

In a world where conflict creates tragedy, their place of warmth and kindness is irreplaceable. It is an important place that must be protected so that it will never be destroyed again. I'm sure each viewer will feel something through Louie.

The relationship between Mugen, Ruye, and Xiaohei was very carefully depicted in a way that was connected to the main theme, and it was so beautiful that no matter how many times I looked back on it, I couldn't help but admire how perfect the story structure was.

　

Elders and first-class executioners appear one after another

The main character of this story is Xiaohei, but even though he is talented and has great abilities, the main premise is that a small child cannot carry everything on his shoulders, and that adults are the pillars of the story. At the same time, it's thrilling to see so many strong adults appear.

In this work, multiple elders of the mansion appear, and Junichi Suwabe is in charge of dubbing for one of them, Chinen. Chinen feels threatened by humans and believes they should be controlled, so he is in a position of conflict. He is a hot-blooded old man type and likes to wear bold clothes. The battle scenes where he pushes forward while holding on to extraordinary emotions are also spectacular.

Similarly, the elder of the mansion, Seamuse, scolds the fairies who hate humans, but he is a kind of Itome character who is somewhat easy-going and makes it hard to read his true feelings. Due to the eye-catching character design and the fact that Akira Ishida is in charge of the dubbed version, many people are probably curious about the movie even before watching it.

The most popular characters to draw attention to are Chienen's disciples A and O. A is dubbed by Junya Enoki, and Otsu is dubbed by Kamiba Tsuchiya. A and O are entrusted with the role of tracking down Louie by their master, but they are also in a position where they are being swayed, and their personalities and behavior are one of the soothing aspects of this work.

Although each of the other sub-characters has been carefully designed, their names are only revealed in the movie, and they are so enchanting that it's a shame that each of them doesn't appear in many roles. The scene where all the first-class executioners come together is spectacular, and I'm hoping that they will appear again somewhere. Furthermore, there are some characters whose names only appear in the movie, so I'm curious if they will be involved in the future.

　

High-quality action scenes that you'll want to experience at the theater

“Rakoguro Senki'' is also attractive for its sophisticated visual beauty with softness and warmth. The carefully crafted background art and delicious-looking food as you travel from place to place are also highlights.

And the superlative action scenes, which are played out while maintaining a unique feel, are truly exhilarating. Be sure to come to the theater to experience the beautiful body movements, the sense of speed that you can't follow with your eyes, the overwhelming weight of power, and the different tactics depending on your abilities.

The scale of the battle is even grander than in the previous work, and it's full of scenes that you've always wanted to see. Not only can you enjoy the extraordinary strength of Mugen, who is said to be the “strongest enforcer,'' but you will also have the luxury of witnessing the ultimate showdown between Mugen and Nata. Nata, who was unable to demonstrate his unfathomable strength in the previous work, appears relatively often in this work, and you can experience Mugen and Nata's “we are the strongest'' feeling.

　

“Rakoguro Senki” WEB animation & Gaiden “Lankei Town”

The more you bite into it, the more you taste it, and the story of “Rakoguro Senki'' is deeper than you might imagine. One of the strengths of this work is that it doesn't explain much with words, but with images, and it drives the audience's desire to know more about the characters' backgrounds and relationships.

For those who want to know more about the characters from the movie version, we also recommend reading the side story “Lanxi Chin'' (original story by Kito and illustrations by Sun Yu) of “Luo Xiaoguo Senki''. “Lanxi Town” is a story about Qing Ning, Roku Kun, and Genli, set in the world about 400 years before the web animation and movie version.

Currently, 5 volumes of the Japanese version have been published by KADOKAWA, and some characters from the movie version and web animation also appear. You can see what they looked like about 400 years ago, including Mugen.

Mugen is 437 years old in the first movie, 439 years old in the second movie, and 441 years old in the web animation, but Mugen appears in his 20s in “Lanxi Town''. If you are curious about the names such as “Lao Kun'' and “Genri'' in the movie version, please check it out.

In addition, in the web animation that is the origin of “Luo Xiaohei Senki”, Xiaohei appears two years after the second movie. Pay attention to Xiaohei's growth from the first movie to the second movie to the anime.

According to director MTJJ, the reason why the movie version was made into a prequel was to make it easier for people who don't know about web animation to watch it, and the movie version can also be enjoyed as an independent work. However, by watching it in conjunction with the anime and side stories, you should be able to enjoy the world of “Ra Shogoku Senki” even more deeply.