What a great episode. Incredibly dialogue heavy with absolutely *NO* action or comedy scenes… and yes, it was still a great episode.
The was so much subtext in this episode that I was about to explode from giddyness. From some subtle implications to obvious actions, all the characters true feelings and personalities were fleshed out. I love episodes like that. The single, most important aspect of anime that keeps me addicted to it is character development. In one fell swoop, this episode showed off much of that for all the characters. Did I mention I love episodes like that?
Eita and Satou have always come off as headstrong, prideful lackies. They want to truly help but by using their own abilities (what little they have). In this ep, they were still like that… at the start. Showing the scene with Satou trying to lift that huge ass sword only reinforces that. Until the scene where they lug the sword to Shana and give it to her. They finally come to the resolution that they can’t do anything. They truly are pawns. AND, they still want to help but this time, because they want to save Yuji and not just some “I wanna be a hero” mentality.
Yoshida has always been torn between wanting to be with Yuji and suffering from being too self-conscious (thinking his “world” with Shana is out of her reach). She may love Yuji but she was hating on herself too much to do anything more than confess. That was then. Now, when she confronted Shana again, it was as if Yoshida finally accepted her “position.” She knows she is outside their “world” but that won’t stop her from trusting in the one person she wouldn’t want to. Yoshida knows how Shana feels even if Shana doesn’t and Yoshida finally accepted that for herself. She was willing to potentially give up any chance at Yuji by supporting her rival and believing she can save him. That showed how much Yoshida really loves Yuji and also how brave Yoshida is, in her own way.
Wilhemina, through all the shit that’s happened so far, is still dedicated to her duty. You’d think, after stabbing Shana because Shana was protecting Yuji, that Wilhemina would change her views on Yuji but that wasn’t the case. She remained steadfast in her goal. It’s not stubborness, it’s diligence. This doesn’t mean she can only achieve her goal by killing Yuji. She said in the previous episode that she believes in Shana. This means she believes in whatever decision Shana makes. Even now, Shana still hasn’t stated her decision. Her actions have been impulsive but none should be considered as actual “decisions.” Until Shana says what she’s thinking, Wilhemina will stick to her goal. Alternatively, and this is my speculation, once Shana does speak, Wilhemina will back that up 100%. This shows that her dedication (and duty) isn’t to being a Flame Haze but to Shana.
Shana has finally made a decision. Of course, she hasn’t said what it is yet (even though it’s probably obvious) but the point is that she has MADE one. I can’t say she understands her feelings but she’s finally decided on something. Whether it’s to kill Yuji, save him or some other reason, I can’t say for certain, but I can definitely say that she has decided on one of those things.
There are some others that are a bit more minor so I’ll leave them out. I’m too tired to continue with my facination of this episode.
But!
I have to note that I am no longer annoyed by Shana’s indecisive attitude. My outburst in the last episode entry was due to general annoyances of that type of situation… uhhh… in general. Shana is beyond naive. She has absolutely no idea how to deal with this new feeling within her… this new sensation. I originally mistook it for indecisiveness or hesitation but it’s truly something completely new to her.
It’s the difference between knowing about love (from movies, friends, etc..) then one day falling in love opposed to knowing nothing about love in any form then one day falling in love.
The former will still give you a reference point. Yes, you’ll feel things you’ve never felt before but it won’t be a completely mysterious situation. You have ideas and suggestions implanted in your head on how you should react and such.
The latter gives you nothing. Anything you feel will be a complete mystery. You have nothing to compare it to so no matter how you hard you try, you can’t figure it out. You know what it *isn’t* but not what it really *is*.
Wellll… that’s the conclusion I came up with. Obviously, Shana is in the latter category. That’s why it wasn’t really indecisiveness but more confusion from an unknown feeling. That’s also why I can’t be annoyed by her anymore. I can’t hate on her for not knowing what to do or how to feel in a situation she’s never seen nor experienced.
Ahhhh, as you can see, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. I babble on extra long on things I really like or I reaaaaaaallly hate. It should be blatantly clear that I’m in the former category for this one.
EDIT: WALL OF TEXT FOR THE LOSS! Geez, couldn’t I have put up even ONE screenie?
