although i didn't see the first movie, i found this rather hard to get connected with the characters. The characters in the movie were quite bland and had little development in them. i think at this point you really need to see the first movie, before getting this one.
despite the slowness of the movie there are good things to point out. The Seimei character is quite interesting as he seems to be a bit bi sexual to me, hehehe. but this is all about the Japanese quirky character culture. Gotta love them! The settings of the movie are very beautiful and have good historical references.I love the authentic music tunes but it can be annoying when if played over and over again. As for the special effects, they sometimes don't blend in well with the actual environment. But that's isn't the main attraction to see this movie. Overall it's OK.