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Feb 08 2006

Categories: anime, episodic review, shakugan no shana, spoilers
Tagged: shakugan no shana

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I just can’t do it; not for this episode. No random fanservicy image. No snarky remarks. No dumb memes. No cynical fanboyism. No semi-funny captions. Just Shakugan no Shana 18 straight up. This episode is just the payoff for everyone who has been following the series thus far.

Everything comes to a boil and climax, but none of the characters seem to care. It’s the night before the festival, and each are lost in their own world and train of thought. For Yoshida, she’s still in shock from the previous episode, and all she can think of is, “Is Yuji a torch?” For Shana, she’s going to sleep happy. She’s going to surprise Yuji in her yukata tomorrow. For Yuji, he’s thinking about what leaving town will mean for his mom. Obviously, if you’re sleeping in the same room as Shana, that should be any male’s train of thought instead of… dammit… I said no snarky comments.

The festival ends up settling things for the characters. All secrets… all lies… all out in the open. Yuji meets up with Yoshida to go the festival, oblivous to the fact that Shana skips out early to try out her yukata. Shana waits at home for Yuji to come home, but he’s at the festival having a ball with Yoshida. Unfortunately, instead of confessing to Yuji, Yoshida is preoccupied with the eyepiece and desperately both wants and not want to know if Yuji is indeed a torch. Shana is still waiting at home for him to come back… and Chigusa convinces Shana to go look for him saying, “It’ll be a bigger suprise.” Understatement.

At the festival, the tomogama Professor unleashes his trap (those birds that I highlighted last episode), and it gets the attention of all three flame hazes as well as Yuji. He’s too distracted by the trap to notice that Yoshida is in complete and utter shock. Yep, she used the eyepiece. Yuji picks up the eyepiece and realizes that she knows the truth. All of this unfolds in front of Shana’s eyes, who finally finds Yuji, and is horrified to see Yoshida and Yuji together.

Yoshida starts crying and runs… Yuji chases… but is stopped by Shana’s hug. Shana tells him, “Yoshida doesn’t matter! She means nothing to us! It’s okay to let her go!” over and over and over again only to have Yuji tell her off, “It’s not okay; I have to explain!” and he goes after Yoshida. Shana runs away crying. Guy’s two-for-two… dammit… I said no cynical fanboyism.

Of course, there is this trap and now these evil birds are harassing everyone while the love triangle plays out. The most calm and rational person in this situation: Shiki– err– Margery. She’s taking on the birds and saving the people at the festival, two of which are Ogata and Tanaka. Ogata just confessed to Tanaka, by the way. It’s become a sidenote in this episode.

As Shana leaves the festival, in tears, she runs into Khamsin, who is surprised to see a flame haze cry. Alastor manages to pull Shana together enough so she can hold a coherent conversation with Khamsin about the trap.

Yoshida is still ballin’ as well, only now she’s surrounded by these evil birds and is also scared to death. Right before she gets attacked, a red-haired, katana-wielding girl in a yukata saves her. To be continued.

Wow. And I’m not just talking about Yoshida. Just a very emotional and explosive episode. Everything that can come out, came out. There’s no secrets left. Yoshida knows Shana’s a flame haze and that Yuji’s a torch. Shana knows she’s not alone in Yuji’s heart. Ogata knows about Margery. Tanaka knows Ogata likes him. Satou knows there’s something special about Yuji. The tomogara knows that special thing is Reiji Maigo. Only Chigusa is still out of the loop at this point. When Shana grabbed onto Yuji begging him not to go after Yoshida, it reminded me of Flay tossing herself at Kira after the two already consummated their relationship already. (Of course, Shana also reminded me of Mickey Mouse with her hair up… oh, wait… I said no semi-funny captions… okay, time to wrap this up then.)

Drama, action, emotion, the entire female cast (excluding *sniff* Wilhelmina *sniff*) in yukatas… this episode has it all. I can’t wait to see how this story now resolves itself.