Let’s Make a Mug Too: Second Kiln

Let’s Make a Mug Too: Second Kiln

Let's Make a Mug Too: Second Kiln anime series cover art
Let’s Make a Mug Too: Second Kiln

Second Kiln

Let’s Make a Mug Too: Second Kiln (Yakunara Mug Cup mo: Niban Gama / やくならマグカップも 二番窯) is the second season of the Let’s Make a Mug Too anime. Surprisingly, it only aired six months after the first season of the series.

This season is formatted exactly the same as the first. There are 12 episodes that each run for about 12 minutes. Then, there’s an accompanying live-action 12-minute episode associated with each anime episode.

Once again, I didn’t watch the live-action portions of the series, and so I won’t be discussing them at all. But, I don’t think that I’ve missed out on anything by skipping “half” of the series. The live-action stuff is really just extra; like how some other series have weekly broadcasts with the voice actors.

Anyway, the focus of this season is slightly different from the first, which is good. In the first season, we followed Himeno as she crafted a piece to display in a ceramics competition. From what I remember, she didn’t win first prize, but she got an award of some kind.

That doesn’t matter anymore.

Now, Himeno’s new goal is to craft a piece that can be displayed in her family’s cafe alongside the mugs her mother made. There’s an empty spot on one of the shelves, and Himeno’s father tells her that it’s reserved for one of her pieces.

However, having a piece sit alongside those of her mother causes Himeno a lot of stress. In fact, deciding on the right piece for this situation is an even harder task than deciding on what to make for her first competition.

I think I preferred the focus on Himeno’s family in this season over the focus on the competition in the first season.

Ximena Valdez

There are a few new supporting characters introduced in this season, such as Rio Matsuse, who proclaims herself to be Touko Aoiki’s rival. But, I think Rio only shows up in one or two episodes and isn’t actually important in any way whatsoever.

Ximena Valdez is the one new character who matters. Originally from Mexico, Ximena traveled to Japan to learn more about ceramics. While there, she fell in love with Mino ware and decided to stay in Tajimi to develop her own pottery-making skills.

Himeno first meets Ximena when Ximena is looking for a particular object around town. It turns out that this object is the ceramic sculpture created by Himeno’s mother, Himena. And, yes, both Himena and Ximena are pronounced the same way. This is obviously intentional.

Ximena Valdez drinking from a mug from the anime series Let's Make a Mug Too: Second Kiln
Ximena Valdez drinking from a mug

If you’re worried about spoilers for this series, now’s the time to just skip to the end. I don’t really think this is the kind of series people are going to worry about spoilers for, but I figured I’d let you know before ruining the end of the season.

Anyway, Ximena creates a miniature set of ceramic dishes that are meant to be used for food offerings. The idea is that instead of putting a full-sized meal at the family altar, you place a miniature meal at the table with you for your deceased family members.

The idea behind this is that it mixes the beliefs and customs surrounding death from the cultures of both Japan and Mexico. And, it’s this set created by Ximena that Himeno decides to display in her family’s cafe rather than a piece of her own creation.

In the end, Himeno comes to the conclusion that she doesn’t need to create a piece to be compared to those of her mother. She wanted to display a piece that helps her feel connected to her mother, and that’s exactly what Ximena’s dish set does.

Third Kiln?

I was surprised when it was revealed that Let’s Make a Mug Too was getting a second season. But, what about a third season? Are there still more stories for this series to tell? I don’t know what else is in the manga, but more stories can always be created.

However, that doesn’t mean I think there’s going to be a third season. Honestly, I think it’s probably a 50/50. From a storytelling perspective, I don’t necessarily think we need another season. This one ended in a good spot.

With that said, this series does get funding from a local tourism board. So, I could definitely see a third season being created simply because it’s funded as a form of advertisement.

Naoko and Himeno looking at freshly fired mugs from the anime series Let's Make a Mug Too: Second Kiln
Naoko and Himeno looking at freshly fired mugs

But if there is a third season, what would it be about? We already got a season about Himeno entering a ceramics competition and another season about her comparing herself to her mother. Would revisiting one of those topics be a good idea?

After all, Himeno didn’t win the competition from the first season. And she didn’t create a piece that she could proudly display alongside those of her mother. So, naturally, you’d think that having her accomplish those goals would make sense. Except, this isn’t a shounen battle series; Himeno doesn’t need to become the best pottery-maker in all of Tajimi.

I could see a third season involving Himeno creating a piece that’s meant for someone else, just as Ximena’s pieces were exactly what Himeno needed. And since the second season covered Touko’s character arc as a sub-plot, I could see a Kukuri character arc being featured in a third season as well.

Conclusion

Overall, Let’s Make a Mug Too: Second Kiln is a 5/10 just like the first season. I liked this season a bit more. But the two seasons are so similar that I really can’t justify rating them differently.

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