Tower of God season 2 episode 17 review: A narrative focus teases big-budget animation for the Workshop Battle

Tower of God season 2 episode 17 was expected to finally begin the highly anticipated Workshop Battle after all of the setup had seemingly been taken care of. Officially released on Sunday, October 27, 2024, the episode did see the Workshop Battle begin, but only in its final moments after taking care of some additional narrative setup.

While this may seem like a negative to most, The Answer Studio likely produced Tower of God season 2 episode 17 in this fashion with upcoming big-budget episodes in mind. The fact that the Workshop Battle Arc has been improving in overall quality slowly but surely suggests this, as does the specific point at which the installment ends relative to the source material.

Tower of God season 2 episode 17 review: God story development, foresight for the near future, and more are the positives

Rak's reintroduction is a major part of what makes Tower of God season 2 episode 17 work (Image via The Answer Studio)

Easily the biggest success of Tower of God season 2 episode 17 is its ability to move the ongoing plot forward in a way that is both meaningful and intriguing. This is done primarily by the reappearance of Rak Wraithraiser, and the conflict it creates for Khun Aguero Agnes likewise. This is particularly intriguing as Khun has generally faced no conflict since joining up with Wangnan Ja’s team.

It’s also naturally interesting that their conflict is over how to rescue Bam from FUG. It creates natural tension for the fact that either of their actions could ruin the other’s plan. This tension is likewise intensified since both are working to achieve the same goal and are also allies themselves. It creates a maelstrom of circumstances and context that truly feels like the build to something incredibly climactic.

Tower of God season 2 episode 17 also creates similar tension for Bam by seeing him wrestle with what his role is as Jue Viole Grace, the Slayer Candidate. This is also done in an effective way by nature of having a civilian ask Bam to be his god and fulfill his wishes of revenge. It’s a moment that clearly unsettles the gentle and kind Bam and gives him further incentive to abandon FUG once Khun and/or Rak make their respective moves.

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Overall, the narrative achievements made are the biggest highlight of the episode. Unfortunately, this also means there’s not a lot of action given what the episode chooses to focus on. However, this in and of itself is a positive considering what’s to come. The final nine episodes of the season are set to focus purely on the Workshop Battle Arc’s intense action and will likely feature big-budget animation likewise.

The fact that Tower of God season 2 episode 17 features no flashiness, and at that, no scenes that merit any flashiness, further supports this. Combined with the steady, general improvement the overall quality has been making in the Workshop Battle Arc, it’s clear that some major strides in animation quality are coming. The episode even tees up this expected improvement by beginning the Workshop Battle’s first round at its end.

Tower of God season 2 episode 17 perfectly sets the stage for Bam's rescue (Image via The Answer Studio)

This is generally the most notable and praiseworthy aspect of the latest episode throughout its runtime; there’s a clear focus and foresight on the future, which is genuinely enjoyable to watch for reasons that didn’t exist in earlier, comparable installments. This applies to both plot and overall animation quality and aesthetic, with the latter’s inclusion specifically from the aforementioned overall improvement in those areas for cour 2.

Beyond the above, Tower of God season 2 episode 17 has no particularly noteworthy or praiseworthy choices but does a number of other areas adequately enough. New character introductions are given exactly the amount of time they need, while voice acting continues to be adequate but not particularly praiseworthy across the board.

Tower of God season 2 episode 17: Questionable screentime allocation is the only major negative

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While the latest installment does have solid story and character development all around, the focus is somewhat disorganized and could’ve been tightened up a bit more. A good example of this is the opening focus, which shows what Shibisu and Endorsi Jahad are up to. Shibisu’s scene adds essentially nothing of value or necessity from a plot standpoint, while Endorsi’s scene at least has the excuse of explaining how she made it on the Archimedes.

However, there are aspects of the Endorsi scene in Tower of God season 2 episode 17 that could’ve been shortened or cut for the benefit of others. For example, more of a focus on Khun and Rak likely would’ve been a better use of time than her bickering with the interviewer. Endorsi’s base characterization is already well-known by this point, and this scene’s lack of development or meaningful elaboration on her as a character makes it a pointless inclusion.

An ever-dwindling list of negatives proves The Answer Studio is giving fans something to be excited about (Image via The Answer Studio)

Shibisu’s scene overall adds equally little value, essentially seeing him berated by Anaak Jahad before halfway introducing another Workshop Battle participant. While this scene does reveal that the strongest E-Rank regular is participating as a result, this could’ve just as easily been accomplished later on. Again, this choice is an issue not in and of itself but of how the episode’s time and focus could’ve been better allocated.

Thankfully, this is the only major negative and far from derailing Tower of God season 2 episode 17 despite certainly being impactful enough to be called a misstep. That being said, The Answer Studio’s hands were likely bound here by the source material and the way SIU structured his original story. Nevertheless, the criticism stands as valid for both creators in terms of their execution of this stage of the series.

Tower of God season 2 episode 17 review: Final thoughts

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Without a doubt, the most highly anticipated sequel anime series of the Summer 2024 broadcast season is improving in its second cour. These improvements have been apparent since the start and continue to get more prevalent and impactful as the Workshop Battle Arc passes. Although there are still missteps, it’s fair to say that The Answer Studio has earned fans’ faith for the third and final act of the second season.