A few months ago, I was introduced to Tokko, an anime series that combined elements of a police show with supernatural horror elements, making it akin to X-Files with more of a bloody, demon-filled slant. Tokko Vol. 2 continues the stories of Ranmaru as he comes closer to discovering the source of a massacre that left his family and 300 other people dead five years ago and falls deeper into the secret police division known as Tokko.

Tokko Vol. 2 picks up with Ranmaru investigating a murder that is far too brutal to be just another murder. His suspicions are confirmed when a group of demons attack, and just as they are about to make Ranmaru a piece of the crime scene, a colorful group of sword-wielding officers kill the demons. The group, known as Tokko, then takes over the crime scene. Ranmaru's division is put off by losing their investigation, driving him to investigate the group. He soon discovers that the attack five years ago may be related to demons.

Ranmaru's investigation into Tokko causes him to pop up on the radar of some members. As he learns secrets about the organization, and the attacks, he also learns that his past factors into his status as a potential recruit for Tokko - provided he doesn't succumb to the temptations of becoming a demon.

As with the first volume, Tokko Vol. 2 can be hard to follow and suffers from extremely slow pacing. Plot elements introduced in the sixth episode may not be resolved until the ninth, if they are resolved at all. Though it is slow, things do move along a little better and feel a little more comfortable. The crude, adult humor is still around, though it doesn't feel as forced. However, the blood still comes in buckets, so if that isn't your sort of thing, neither is Tokko.

One of the more disappointing aspects of the second volume is the length. I have never been a fan of the way anime DVD's are handled; in my opinion, four or five episode volumes don't cut it. At the very least, I would like a big chunk of a story arc. Tokko Vol. 2 undercuts things even more by including four episodes rather than the five found in the first volume. Considering the nature of the series, one episode could have made a difference.

To offset the lack of an episode, a "Making of..." feature is included that features the crew responsible for the show. The feature is about as long as an episode and is pretty entertaining. It definitely made me more interested in the series than I was after the first volume.

If you picked up the first volume and liked it, the second should already be on your list; but if you found yourself a little "iffy," give the second volume a watch before completely writing off the series.