Ran and Meow are back on the road in the second installment of Tsukikage Ran. This volume sees the not-so-dynamic duo in three more misadventures that explore a bit more of the characters and the world that is feudal Japan. The three episodes, which are all self-contained, all hold the same spirit and fun as the first volume.

The first episode on the disc, "It was Exciting When I Stripped," places Meow playing the modelling game. While looking at a series of woodblock glamour prints, Meow is stopped by a strange old man. The man claims to be an artist and wants Meow to pose for a series of beauty portraits. The spunky, yet not-too-bright martial artist gladly accepts. No sooner than she says "I'll do it," Ran calls for her to ask for money. The painter is immediately captivated by Ran, and follows the two into the bar to try to proposition the female samurai. Inside the bar, though, is a group of three men crying in a drunken stupor. After a bit of prodding, Meow discovers that their women ran out on them. Ran, however, is getting the same speech that Meow received from the painter, and flatly refuses him. At the artist's studio, Meow isn't having much luck with the painter - all he is doing is insulting her. Ran on the other hand, is met with the sight of a mysterious female being chased by a group of thugs. This woman enlists the aid of Ran, who is mistaken for a man at first. However, after Ran is revealed to really be a woman, a few insults are thrown and the goons attack. After defeating the ruffians, Ran takes the girl to the pub where the "crying men" were. There, the lady reveals that the "Ukiyo-te" building (which just so happens to be where Meow is at the moment) is actually being used as a prison for the unfortunate women. Meanwhile, Meow does some eavesdropping and discovers that the whole operation is a kidnapping scam; furthermore, the painters, who are totally clueless, are being underpaid for their work. At the worst possible moment, the painter arrives and manages to get both Meow and himself captured. However, upon regaining consciousness, Meow, along with the rest of the residents of the cell, learn that a rescue operation courtesy of Ran is already in operation. After a brief skirmish, it's back on the road for the two as usual.

Even in ancient Japan, brothel-goers learned to develop a discriminating eye.	Ran faces off with her diabolical twin in a battle of the blades.

The second episode, "The Mole Was In The Wrong Place," puts Meow and Ran under an investigation by a few less-than-capable officials. Apparently, there is a criminal out and they match the descriptions on the composite sketches. Upon reaching the town, however, the two receive an unusually warm welcome. Ran is a bit untrusting and leaves the inn they are staying at to enjoy some time alone at a hot spring. At the hot spring, Ran meets an unexpected acquaintance in a young girl named Gin. Gin, who had been spying on Ran, begins to see the truth behind Ran and her double. Upon returning to the inn, Ran is met with a drunken and sleeping Meow, as well as a noticeable absence of the overly kind hosts. It is not long before the elder is rushed in with a sword wound, and accusations fly at the samurai and martial artist. The entire town rallies together to put a stop to the malevolent duo, thinking they are the demonic duo that has been attacking the town. Fortunately, Gin helps the two by giving them a place to hide until the village calms down. She also informs the two of the true evil duo that has escaped from an island prison and started attacking the town recently. It seems that Ran is a dead ringer for the female samurai, save one feature: a mole on her bum. The killer has a mole, while Ran does not. The next morning, Ran and Meow meet up with their look-alikes. After a dramatic swordfight, Ran proves victorious and leaves the diabolical duo to be dealt with by the police.

The final episode on the disc pays homage to Benjamin Franklin in the show's own unique way. The episode focuses around a scientist who is working on harnessing electricity for use in homes for those who can afford it. Unfortunately, at the time Ran and Meow come around, the good professor has run into some financial troubles. The local yakuza is more than willing to help with this, IF the man signs the rights to the invention over. However, he refuses to sell out, since he wants to give his invention to the people, not the wealthy. As he leaves, the yakuza plans to wipe out his "precious villagers" in one fell swoop. On Ran and Meow's side, the two learn that a group of pirates has been ransacking the local ships lately, and hires the two on board as bodyguards. That night, the pirates attack, as expected, and are defeated. The rest basically tells itself.

The video of this second disc still has the same rich quality that the first presented, with vibrant colors and almost no defects. The audio is still very clear, and the subtitles are easy to read. The sound is quite clean, with no distortion or dropouts.

On the presentation side, fans can look forward to much of the same that Bandai has delivered with the first volume. The menu setup is identical to the first disc's, modulo different sets of animation and backgrounds. Included among the extras is another helping of liner notes, along with a second plate of production sketches. Amazingly, the DVDs still have yet to include a creditless opening, which has become commonplace among extras. The packaging features Ran enjoying a bit of sake while Meow and another character apparently receive severe electrical shocks in the background. The layout of the back shows silhouettes of Ran and Meow in the background as blue text describes the contents of the disc. A few shots of the series are also present.

On the first volume, I was very enthusiastic about the series and its progression. I'm still pleased with the series so far, since the show itself is very fun, and continues to keep up the pace that it has generated to this point. I look forward to the next installment with enthusiasm and hope that the best is still yet to come.

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