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Oct 27 2007

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

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The Melancholy of the Flame Haired, Red Hot Eyed Hunter.

I’m not sure about this episode. It feels like deja vu, and I’m not talking about the kind that afflicted the first two episodes of this season. We have a fairly standard slice-of-life type setup where the gang checks out the newest glutton factory, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen this before. Maybe it’s because it’s a fairly standard harem scenario. Maybe it’s because the first (and only, thank you Kanon, Clannad, and Raki Suta) arc of Haruhi Suzumiya dealt with Haruhi’s insecurities after seeing Kyon being friendly with the other girls. Maybe it’s because we’ve seen this exact same setup previously in Shakugan no Shana with Yoshida.

This love pentagon, hexagon, whatever is becoming my least favorite part of Shana. I always liked the harem series that handled jealously with rage and violence and wanton destruction more than the ones that have the main character curl up into an emo ball. Dragging out an whole episode about Shana (and Yoshida) getting jealous of Konoe puts me at my limit. This series is most fun when Shana is making life miserable for Yuji or Bal Masque; it ain’t so much fun when Shana is making life miserable for Shana.

Melonpanriffic

Shortest. Harem. Ever. If there were a stats service for harems, I’d love to subscribe to it, if anything to look up the aggregate height of Yuji’s harem and compare it in some historical context. He may have the shorted harem ever, but I think he has the harem that consumes the most bleached flour.

Suspicious store! When I first saw the store, I thought we’d get Sydonay and Bel Peol popping out a the cook and waitress. Disappointing…

The ramen bit was one of two slice-of-life-ish detours this episode. I’m not against this competitive eating bit, but it’s only funny if the waitress who served them the ramen sits down with them and competes as well. Then she has an emo fit and bunches the guys out. Still, I wonder if Reiji Maigo needs food at all. It’s supposed to be like an endless source of energy, no?

(See, if Sydonay were the cook, he could do stuff like add chili to Yuji’s ramen or give him an even bigger bowl for comedic effect… but no… we don’t get Supersize Bal Masque.)

It’s shocking seeing modern Shana eat anything other than melonpan, but it’s sweets nonetheless. No wonder she doesn’t grow any bigger, he diet consists of nothing but bleached flour, sugar, and melon flavoring. Though good to see some fruit in her sundae.

(It does show a bit of Shana’s selfish side as she’s hogging that to herself.)

The second detour is the pool cleaning scene, and it felt really, really bland. At the very minimum, wet T-shirt fanservice? I really hope JC Staff isn’t thinking, “You know what, we’re good with this plot. We don’t need the gratuitous fanservice from the first season.” I really hope they’re not thinking that.

(Yes, I saw the next episode preview, but how can they have a pool cleaning scene without fanservice?)

I think working on Potemayo and Sky Girls has dulled JC Staff’s sense for all things… properly proportioned.

Wilhelminia looks so serious. She looks like she could use a trip to the hot springs…

This was probably the second most pathetic scene of this episode (the first is the first image with Shana in a fetal position) as it highlights how quickly and ineffectually Shana deals with a new competitor. She’s not a likable character in this episode, tossing hissy fits, being selfish, and not fighting back with T-shirt fanservice. The problem is that Shana is supposed to act childish and selfish, but Konoe has even usurped that role from her. Shana has no role! Shana has no Yuji! Shana has no Octo– oh wait, I promised I’d stop that– dammit. Shana, though, needs to handle pressure situation better.

I’m also not understanding this jealously thing, as Hec– err– Konoe is acting more like a little sister (and not the Nemu/Riko/Chikage variety) to Yuji. While Konoe is helpless, Yuji doesn’t exactly go for helpless moe mode (actually, I’m not sure what he goes for, as he’s the only character actually concerned about fighting Tomagura), is she really a bigger threat than Yoshida? When Yoshida challenged Shana, Shana fought back. They had a shouting match. They went toe-to-toe with bentos. For Konoe? Shana gives up, and Yoshida gives up? Wha? What makes Konoe a bigger threat than Yoshida for Shana and vice-versa?

And if this is Bel Peol’s plan to capture Reiji Maigo, man, it’s lame. What is Konoe’s purpose? The drive a stake between Yuji and Shana? How does that help them against the two other Flame Hazes in town?

The one good thing about Shana’s breakdown is that she’s finding comfort in Yoshida. *sigh* I’d had an idea for a fictional radio program (or even podcast) where two guys are hosting a late night talk show a la Loveline, but only in an anime metaverse where various anime characters call in with their issues, and the Anime Loveline hosts try to answer their questions, but they always get derailed by something like a smoke alarm’s battery alert in the background or bitching about DRM. Anyway, a possible script would be…

Kamina: Caller on the air, Shana from Misaki High. You’re on with Anime Loveline. Whatcha got?

Caller: I really like this coworker who is also a classmate– but I don’t like him like him– and there’s another girl who shows up and won’t leave us alone.

Dr. Simon: Have you tried telling him–

Kamina: Whoa, whoa, what do you mean “another girl”? Like there’s multiple around chasing after this guy.

Caller: It’s not like that! It’s all Yuji’s fault for being too nice to them!

Kamina: Wait, how many girls are there?

Caller: There’s the big breasted one who feeds him bentos. There’s the big breasted mom. There’s the big breasted drunk. There’s the–

Kamina: Woohoo, sounds like my college days. Hey, Simon, did I ever tell you about the time I went out with that girl from the surface?

Dr. Simon: Yeah, like yesterday.

Caller: — so now there’s a new one, only she’s childish, selfish, and DFC’ed like me. I don’t know what to do besides curl up in a ball and hope things turn out right.

Dr. Simon: Well, has Yuji shown any affection towards anyone? Does it seem like he has a preference?

Caller: No… all he cares about is training and Konoe! He’s a big idiot!

Dr. Simon: It sounds like to me you need to be more assertive and forthcoming. Tell him how you feel about him, and let him make the choice. Even if he doesn’t reciprocate the feeling, at least you’ll know right away and be able to move on with your life.

Caller: URASAI! URASAI! URASAI!