Review of Shakugan no Shana: Season I

I recently re-watched Shakugan no Shana and am still amazed how much I enjoy the series. Don't get me wrong. It's not perfect. It has quite a number of flaws. But if you can get past the negatives, the show is quite enjoyable. Shakugan no Shana starts out with Yuuji Sekai. He's your average everyday kid with very few problems. One day, he gets attacked by a monster. Luckily, Shana comes to the rescue and saves him. Due to this courageous act, Yuuji and Shana form an unlikely friendship. For the rest of the series, both of them team up to protect one another fromthe monsters, villains, and other beings that are trying to destroy the world.

The animation here is very well done, especially during fight scenes. Usually, during a fight scene, the entire show is glazed in bright red. It makes the series seem like some sort of gothic party with insane fighting. Perhaps that's not the best way to describe it, but you get the point. The animation during day scenes are good too. Same with night. It just gets heightened whenever a battle is taking place.

Music for the series is really nice. Everytime there's a fight scene, the songs used really get you in the mood for what's about to come. It's a pretty amazing soundtrack for a series like this one. The OP is really good, although I hesitate to say great. I mean, it fits the anime and everything, but I've heard much better songs. ED is good too.

While the animation, art, and music are all wonderful, my main love for this anime comes from Shana. She's absolutely amazing. I'm a man, and while I do enjoy girly girls like everyone else, it's nice to have a strong female lead every once in awhile. Shana represents just that. She's a strong character that grows as the series goes on. By the end, I was truly happy with where to ended up (character-wise). Shana also gets a bit of a backstory. While nice, I didn't necessarily think it was needed. Shana wears a magical pendent, named Alastor. He's fine. Nothing really stands out with his character. Every once in awhile, he helps Shana with certain tasks.

Yuuji is okay in the beginning. I wouldn't call his character a wimp, but he definitely isn't nearly as strong of a character as Shana. Just like Shana, he grows immensely leading up to the finale. There's also two other characters that I think should be mentioned. One of them is Margery Daw. I don't want to give too much away about her, but I thought her character worked well. She's more fanservice than anything else. Still, it wasn't annoying. Lastly, there's Kazumi Yoshida. Honestly, the first few episodes that she showed up in didn't go well with me. Unlike Shana, her character is the definition of a girly girl. Kazumi had wants and needs that I found a bit ridiculous. Luckily, she kinda redeems herself in the end, although I wouldn't say she grew as a character.

Overall, I enjoyed Shakugan no Shana quite a bit. It's nothing special, but I just love the character of Shana. If you're someone who enjoys tsundere characters, there's a good chance you'll have a great time with this series. To be honest, even if you don't, I think a lot of men and women will appreciate Shana for being the strong girl that she is. Definitely not a must see series, but should be checked out if you have the time.