Review of The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments

By Dave B.

The much anticipated third season of The Seven Deadly Sins (Netflix)* is here with more powerful villains, a filled-out roster of heroes, and lots of resurrected friends and enemies. For those who aren’t familiar with the show, it chronicles the story of Captain Meliodas (Sin of Wrath) and his team of knights known as The Seven Deadly Sins. They’re charged with protecting the kingdom of Liones from all threats. Currently, those threats are in the form of the Demon King’s High Guard known as The Ten Commandments. The Commandments are more powerful than any adversary the Sins have ever faced, initially defeating them with ease. How will the Sins regroup and strike back against opponents who are not just strong, but wield demonic magics not seen for 3000 years?

​I gave the first season of Deadly Sins a chance because so many people said it was one of their favorite anime. For most of the first season, I was forced to conclude that many of those people were insane. Deadly Sins has horrible dialogue. It’s so bad in fact, that it can be hard to see past it and recognize the show’s strengths: a rich story, impressive action, and a ton of heart. Season Three of Deadly Sins offers more of the same weaknesses and strengths as Season One, but amplified to the nth degree. Thematically, resurrection, revenge, and redemption are central to this season and are what make the story so compelling. It’s easy to understand the joy of having a loved one return from the dead and the pain of realizing that they have returned to exact revenge for perceived wrongs. Throughout the third season, characters are confronted with their pasts and how the consequences of their actions have led to the dire situation they face today. 

​Whether or not you like the Revival of The Commandments season will entirely depend upon if you liked Season One. The animation style the voice acting, and fight scenes are all good, but not great. What makes this season fun is that we discover nearly EVERYONE’s backstory. Further, audiences get introduced to the final Sin, Escanor, the Lion Sin of Pride. He’s ridiculously powerful, but is also given one of the most effective and appropriate handicaps of any character in any anime. 

I’m not now (nor will I likely ever) going to say that The Seven Deadly Sins is one of my favorite anime. It isn’t good enough for that and I can’t see it becoming so. And if talking pigs aren't your thing, this may not be the show for you. If you're willing to give it a chance you'll find that this show is entertaining, and this season’s 24 episodes fly past at a brisk, energetic, and engaging pace. I’m recommending The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments, but only for those who were previously fans of the show or generally predisposed to like action-oriented fantasy anime. If that includes you, you’ll find yourself eagerly anticipating the next season of this show. But more general audiences won’t be able to see (or more accurately hear) beyond the fact that the show’s dialogue is continuously, universally, and unambiguously garbage.

Rating: 6.5/10

*This review does not (and is not intended to) cover the manga in any way.