Shakugan no Shana: B
Shakugan no Shana II: B+
Shakugan no Shana III: B
Shakugan no Shana III (also called Shakugan no Shana Final) just finished last Friday, so this is a very timely review, however, as I am reveiwing the series in its entirety, this is a very different review than if I were reviewing the three series separately.
Shakugan no Shana, at first glance, could be a High School Fantasy: a normal High School boy is suddenly killed and finds what remains after his death thrust into an invisible world of bizarre monsters who devour human existences and those who fight them, "Flame Hazes," long-lived humans empowered by entities not unlike the ones they fight.
Shana, however, despite the entire first season feeling like it could fall off balance and descend into becoming a shonen fighting anime, instead spends the first two seasons establishing and developing the relationships surrounding the high school boy and the Flame Hazes that come to be his friends, both to learn of and teach them how to live and how to love.
The third season builds up to a massive, world-shaking conclusion which is nevertheless both satisfying and personal, though many and more supporting characters on both sides of the conflict are introduced throughout the series, which can make following the action somewhat odd. In the end, focus remains primarily on the main characters, and the ending is satisfying, the final confrontation well-executed, though many beloved supporting characters do not get their fair shake in the final season, a chief reason for why I have rated the second season highest of the three.
The design of Shana's cast is overall excellent, the humans are believable and the monsters are eerily inhuman, while often appearing as delightfully creepy semi-humans. The extended romance plot and love triangle is well-orchestrated and ends well, the supporting relationships are emotional and fascinating and the story as a whole continues to call back to events of the past, giving a great feeling of cohesion and rewarding the observant viewer.
Shana has a lot of elements of interest: magical battles, emotional development, clever plans, a sense of wonder and mystery. If I had to criticize it, it does tend to jump between these, and while the series is well-executed it is not mind-shatteringly brilliant. However, if you're interested in a long-haul series that does not fall into the traps of filler or unnecessary extension and has an interesting and thorough resolution, Shakugan no Shana is quite a beautiful ride.
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