I share the sentiment that the first 100 chapters of the sequel were not quite as good as NnT's equivalent, but that they were much better than the later parts of the original series. However, I'm not entirely sure this is a fair comparison, because the 100 chapter milestone in the sequel doesn't coincide with the end of the first act of the story like it did in NnT. Nakaba seems to be taking things a little slower this time around, so we'll probably have to wait another year or so to see how all these ongoing storylines actually pan out. A strong finish could still potentially elevate the first act of the sequel above that of NnT, at least in my eyes.
To elaborate on some of the aspects that I thought NnT did better than the sequel, the first thing that comes to mind is that the premise was a lot more original. Most if not the vast majority of this type of shonen manga feature a relatively young and inexperienced group of main characters learning about the world and growing stronger along their journey. The Sins represented pretty much an inversion of this premise as they were all incredibly powerful and experienced warriors right from the start. Their adventure was like a 'New Game+' mode in a video game where you can replay the game from the beginning with the endgame characters that you used to beat the final boss, generally leading to a pretty easy time. The Sins had a very easy time as well, but Nakaba managed to keep things exciting by making them hide their strength until the stronger enemies started showing up. On that note, the 'monster of the week' pattern that some see as a weak point of the sequel was also present in the original series, but back then it may not have been as noticeable since most of the enemies were generally not taken very seriously and they weren't the focus of the arcs. I'd argue the scenarios featured in the arcs were also more varied and interesting. The sequel has so far been about the main group arriving in a new town or village and saving it or themselves from an enemy attack. This is a far cry from things like the Sins visiting the Capital of the Dead or deciding to their mettle against one another in a fight festival.
There are certain areas where the sequel has managed to outdo its predecessor. Notably, the main cast is much more personally involved in the central conflict this time around. In NnT, Elizabeth was trying to save her family and kingdom, Meliodas wanted to protect Elizabeth and to prevent the revival of the demons, and King had to settle things with Helbram. The rest of the Sins were basically just along for the ride since Liones was coming after them. Ban even tried to kill Meliodas while Hendy was still alive and kicking, because Ban was focused on something else entirely. In contrast we have Percy and now Team Tristan who have lost loved ones to the Knights of Chaos, Lancelot who saw his mentor join Camelot, Nasiens and Anne whose homes were attacked and almost destroyed, and Gawain who is related to Arthur by blood. With Jade's death, Donny is the only member of the main cast in the sequel who doesn't have some kind of personal beef with Arthur and his knights. Speaking of, I'd say the major enemies are another strong point of the sequel. Arthur is much more interesting and charismatic as an antagonist than Hendy ever was, while Ironside is a nice mix of sympathetic motives and very heinous measures. Arthur will most likely eventually be revealed to have been under some kind of evil influence like Hendy and Dreyfus, but hopefully Ironside gets to die as a proper villain.
In conclusion, while I favor NnT's first 100 chapters over the sequel's, I think a strong finale could solidify the first act of the sequel as superior to that of NnT. Jade's death was already a major curve ball as I didn't expect anyone in the main group to die this early on and especially not against such a minor enemy. I'm curious if there's some greater meaning behind this development, because while I was writing this post it occurred to me that Hawk's fake out death scene happened in chapter 100 of NnT, the same chapter number as Jade's death in the sequel. The timing between these two is too close to be a coincidence, so I wonder if this is a deliberate gesture on Nakaba's part to establish that, while the sequel mirrors and parallels the original, it's also not afraid to go in a different direction than its predecessor. This could even be tied to the fact that Jade only died here because Arthur defied fate and sent the whole story off its predetermined course. Perhaps we will be seeing a larger deviation between NnT and the sequel from this point onward? Regardless of which series you prefer, I think most people would agree that these kinds of surprising developments help make the sequel feel fresh even as it revisits many familiar concepts.
. As long as you stay civil it's fine. It's not like we agree on everything.
