Review of Shakugan no Shana: Season I

You can make the argument that action anime are the guilty pleasures of the medium, as they don’t often have the complexity and depth of the other genres, they are usually faster paced and quite enjoyable. Shakugan no Shana is a perfect example of this, and I tend to liken it to an incredible chocolate sundae: It may not have a lot of nutritional value, but it’s delicious and you eagerly devour every bite, and find yourself wanting more once it’s all said and done. Story: Shakugan no Shana revolves around the story of two characters and their fight against evil. Shana is aFlame Haze, a warrior empowered with supernatural abilities to fight beings from an alternate dimension that feed upon humans called the Crimson Denizens. Yuji Sakai is dead, how he got that way is less important than the fact that he’s a Torch, or a being of limited existence that slowly fades away so that the rest of the world isn’t shocked when the Crimson Denizens eat people. Needless to say, you won’t be surprised when Yuji turns out to be special, and thus doesn’t disappear early into the show. To be honest, you probably won’t be surprised by much in Shakugan no Shana, as the story is fairly typical for a Shonen action series. Monsters show up for a handful of episodes, and Yuji and Shana fight them off. Between the fights, we get a bit of the calmer and normal “slice of life” type of setting. Where I think Shakugan no Shana really succeeds is the fact that they largely don’t fall back on it being a slapstick comedy or fan-service show in these “down time” episodes. Instead, they use the time not fighting to further develop the characters, and they do so with exceptional skill. For being a largely Shonen show, you’d think that the times not spent fighting would be rather boring, but in fact, these portions of the show are as enjoyable as the fighting, or in some cases, are even more enjoyable. Some of the ideas presented here are quite inventive, with the torches’ and Flame Haze’s, but overall it’s nothing that’s breaking the mold. The story is adequate in its own right, but it wouldn’t be exceptional without the characters that tend to carry it.

Characters: The heart and soul of Shakugan no Shana are the characters and how they learn to interact with each other. Normally, I’d be annoyed with this kind of show, as most of the characters are younger, and thus fumble about almost the entire show as they try to understand and deal with their growing feelings for one another. However, what would normally be infuriating with any other show comes across as charming and enjoyable with this cast, so it’s a testament to the show and the cast of the show that these characters have such life. Shana and Yuji are the cornerstones of the entire show, and their relationship is ultimately the most important one that there is. Shana is your typical super badass chick who’s had no real human contact, and thus has no understanding of her feelings. Over the course of the show, she has to confront them, and slowly grows and matures in a fairly normal way, one that is refreshing in this genre. Yuji isn’t too far different, and he has his own strength that makes him a particularly enjoyable protagonist. He learns early that he’s dead, so the rest of the show is him dealing with that, his desire to still help others and be remembered, and his own changing feelings for Shana and others. I applaud the fact that Yuji isn’t made into some headstrong nutcase that runs off half-cocked into every fight and causes trouble. Instead, he’s calm and level headed, and makes for a character you can root for. Added to these two are the number of side characters that flesh out the whole cast. You have your standard school-mates, including best friends, rival love interests, and general lackies. There are also other Flame Haze’s that are introduced throughout the first season, although none really play as big a role as Margery Daw, the “Chanter of Elegies”. I should hate this character, as she’s a personification of cliché anime idea’s, being the tall, overly busty blonde with a drinking problem. Despite being cliché, I don’t hate the character, I found her to be an enjoyable and light hearted portion to a show that normally takes itself pretty seriously. There are also the Crimson Denizens, who range from the fairly normal, to the borderline perverse. If there are characters that tend to break from tradition at least some in this show, it’s them, and they make for genuinely interesting antagonists. Overall, the characters are the best parts of this show, and that makes it even more rewarding when you get to see them fight.

Presentation: This is a gorgeous show. It didn’t dawn on me until after I had finished watching it how pretty it really is. The scenery and more serene portions are well done, and the characters for the most part of drawn with care that brings them to life. Most of the characters are relatively realistic looking, in anime terms, so the humans tend to look human, and the Denizens tend to look a little more out there. If I had a complaint, it’s the cowlicks; I don’t understand why so many characters here have them. Also, I’m sure some people will complain about the “Loli” aspects of Shana, as she looks to be about 10 years old in the show, but that’s a minor concern. There are area’s the show really excels, such as Shana’s transformation into the Blazing Eyes. Small touches like the constant flickers of fire that flow from her hair, or the brilliance of her eyes make for a strong impact, and you have to appreciate the intent of such art. The action sequences are well animated, with a lot of use of fire animation that works well. It’s not the most fluid show when it comes to the fight scenes, and it doesn’t live up to some of the better fighting shows out there, but the art carries its weight here and doesn’t really disappoint. The music is also incredibly well done; as I found the opening particularly catchy, and found myself not skipping the intro a few times, which puts it above most anime out there, as I rarely watch an intro more than once. The ending songs weren’t as good, but they aren’t bad either. The music used throughout the show is beautiful and well used, adding a lot of impact when it’s needed. I can actually see this being a CD someone would enjoy having, as the overall soundtrack is pretty damn good. The artwork might not be the best ever, but it’s damn sharp and it’s got it’s truly gorgeous moments, and the music while not making my ITunes list any time soon, stands heads above the majority of music that I’ve heard in anime recently.

Enjoyment: Of all the things I have to weigh when I give a show a rating, my enjoyment at watching the show tends to weigh the heaviest with me. Shows can be technically flawed, but if you love watching them, they should get a higher rating. This is the reason I ultimately came down with a 9 for Shana, as I was wavering between that and an 8. I think the creators managed to strike the perfect balance here between the fights and the character development. Even when they aren’t in the midst of a critical, life or death battle, you’re still interested in seeing what’s going on with these characters. I go back to my chocolate sundae analogy. This show is delicious! I found myself truly enjoying every second of it, and I look forward to seeing the later seasons.

In the end, I truly have to recommend Shakugan no Shana to anyone who’s a fan of anime. I’m sure that some people may be able to find some things to dislike about it, but that’s the case for almost anything. In the end, the minor complaints have a bit of merit, and thus why I give his a 9 and not a 10, but it’s still incredibly enjoyable, and if you’re willing to kick back and watch a fun show that’s not overly deep but still deeply enjoyable, then you’ll probably love Shakugan no Shana.