Claude, Rena, and Celine have returned for another volume of sword-slinging action. A new face joins the party, as the search for the sorcery globe continues. The journey continues as viewers are taken through five more adventures, which offer familiar moments and new twists to veterans and new fans alike.

The story picks up where the first disc ended as the intrepid trio make their way toward the port town of Harley. Along the way, unlucky swordsman Ashton Anchors joins the group. Unlike most people, Ashton has a bit of a problem: a two-headed dragon was fused to his back during a battle. So, like anyone in that situation, Ashton places the blame for his predicament on Claude and demands that Claude's crew assists him in the search for a cure.

Opera is on a mission to find her lost lover, Ernest.	Apparently, Ashton's Barrel Sense is tingling.

The addition of Ashton to the cast allows for a much-needed (continuous) source of comic relief. Ashton's constant quarrels with the two-headed dragon (named "Ururun" and "Gyoro"), combined with his beyond-horrible luck would be enough for most creative teams. However, Star Ocean EX is not afraid to capitalize on one of Ashton's borderline-creepy quirks: His obsessive fascination with barrels. If a barrel is in the scene, Ashton will likely be hugging and stroking it longingly.

For the second volume, Geneon opted for another light release. The cover and insert feature a shot of Ashton as he poses with Ururun and Gyoro. Discs from the the first run of this volume are bundled with a double-sided plastic pencil board. One side features an image of Celine and Ashton, while the other side contains a shot of Claude and Dias. Extras on the disc include a second set of character profiles, as well as both the original Japanese and textless versions of the closing sequence.

For a second volume, Star Ocean EX has succeeded in providing an entertaining and faithful adaptation of the Enix classic. However, with sixteen episodes remaining, the series still has a lot of ground to cover. One can only hope that the series will pick up its pace to see the characters to the end of their journey.

Distributor: Geneon Entertainment
Creator: enix/tri-ACE
Released: 2005

Video Quality: A-
Audio Quality: A-
Presentation: B+
Content: B+
Overall: B+