The world has become a slaughtering ground for the Crimson Denizens, mysterious beings from a parallel universe who thrive on the life energy of humans. These merciless murderers only leave behind scant remainders of souls called "Torches," which are mere residues that will eventually be destroyed, along with the very fact of the victims' existence from the minds of the living. In an ambitious endeavor to put an end to this invisible, hungry massacre, warriors called Flame Hazes relentlessly fight these monsters.
One fateful day, Yuuji Sakai ceases to be a regular high schooler—he becomes trapped in a crevice of time and is suddenly attacked by a Denizen. Coming to his rescue just in the nick of time is a nameless hunter who seems no different from an ordinary young girl except for her blazing eyes and burning crimson hair. However, before Yuuji can learn anything more about his situation, he discovers that he has already been reduced to a Torch—merely a scrap of memory waiting to be extinguished.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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KaminaKai
"You are not a human. You are an object." If you were told the above, what would your reaction be? Sakai Yuji, the male protagonist of Shakugan no Shana, was thrown precisely into this chaotic situation one day while walking home from school. At the same time, viewers were introduced to the main theme of the anime. What if no one will ever remember your existence in this world. Being dead is one thing, but if everything about you will be erased from this world when you die (that includes people's memory of you), the thought alone could be terrifying to many. While at first glance Shakuganno Shana may seem like just another anime with the protagonist being thrown into a world he never thought existed. It really make itself standout from the rest if for no other reason than the spectacular introduction to the theme of the story. The story develop itself rather slowly midway through the series as the viewers were taken back in time for some background learning that lead us to understand certain characters better (more on that in the character section). Overall there was no rush to the story as events unfold themselves in a very elegant and comprehensive manner.
It should, however, be noted that since this is just an introductory season to the Shana saga (there is a season 2 to Shakugan no Shana and there will most likely be more in the future), not a lot of questions were answered ... but many were raised and leave people in confusion at the end.
Though it can't be considered a masterpiece in animation, it is in fact still pretty top notch, especially the battle effects (flames for example, were animated in great detail and looked very awesome). If there's anything to complain about, it would be the over-sized eyes on most characters. But once that's accepted, everything else about the animation should not hurt your eyes.
While the OP were very catchy, I didn't quite like the ED much (personal taste). Sound tracks were great as they match well with the intended scenes, some can even help drive your emotion a bit. In addition, the seiyu are quite famous:
Shana voiced by Rie Kugimiya whose famous for her role in Full Metal Alchemist as Alphonse Elric, Nena Trinity in Gundam 00, and Louise Françoise in Zero no Tsukaima. Kazumi Yoshida voiced by Ayako Kawasumi who voiced in Fate/stay night as Saber, Kanokon as Chizuru Minamoto, and Otoha Sakurano in Sky Girls.
Shakugan no Shana also stars Hitomi Nabatame, Shizuka Itou, Mamiko Noto, and many many more talented voice actors/actresses.
Characters are what make this anime shine like a star. Due to the "non-rushing" nature of the show, each character (even the supporting casts) present their own background history and overtime we get to know their personality more and their "behind thoughts". This result in a very real and believable group of fantastically designed characters (both in terms of the "realism" and the "looks"). Definitely not something you see often in anime these days. The drawback is that some viewers may find it boring or made the stalled the story development.
While not quite a masterpiece level anime, Shakugan no Shana is still a show that is very successful in every single aspect. Personally, this show started out quite a bit like Busou Renkin and Bleach (while others say it is similar to Fate/stay night), but it ultimately delivered a much stronger impression on me than the ones mentioned.
Xenith
Okay, for my first ever review, I thought I'd review one of my all time favourites, Shakugan no Shana. Before I start, let me say that this anime is not everyone's cup of tea. Some people love it, some hate it and some are in between. As for me, I love it to bits so if my review seems a bit biased, I apologise right off the bat. First off, the storyline, I'm sure there are a few anime out there featuring parallel worlds or dimensions but I really enjoyed the way it's portrayed in this anime. The main reason for this being that, with such agrim and mature-ish beginning to the anime that gave it such a depth to storyline, the anime does also get lighter by mixing it with some other elements as well and I enjoy these lighter moments as much as the more intense parts of the anime. And mind you, this anime does seem to make the world around the main protagonist, Yuji, to seem hopeless at the start but it grows to become more light-hearted while still maintaining its original premise.
The artwork is rather good in my honest opinion. The characters are reasonably well drawn, although they are of the large-eyed variety as seen in many anime, they are still pretty decent to look at. In my opinion, the artwork shines the most during the fight scenes. The fight scenes never seem to leave you disoriented since it is laid out in such a way that makes it simple and yet, an enjoyment to watch.
For the sound of the anime, I have found nothing I am particularly unhappy about when it comes to the overall sound of the anime. Basically, everything sounds alright, with no flaws or anything that I have found. The voice acting was also pretty decent, and I know some people would beg to differ right here but I liked the way that Rie Kugimiya voiced Shana to be very child-like to mirror Shana's original age and her true child-like self. I did also really enjoy the opening and ending themes of the series. The animations during these are pretty decent as well.
Now for my favourite part, the characters. The characters really do grow on you in this anime. They also really do have some growth, even the less important ones do have some development to a certain degree. The most of development however must happen to the main characters and this series does not disappoint. First off, the main male protagonist, Yuji Sakai, there is a good deal of development especially at the early stages of the series when he is thrust headlong into a reality that seems so hopeless for him, and yet, he grows to understand and accept his situation. Second, there's Shana, the main female protagonist. Being a tsundere(wiki it if you're wondering what this means) character, she does have a lot of development as a character in the story throughout the series as she grows less cold toward Yuji, as she originally viewed him as little more than an object, and instead begins to grow more fond of him and these feelings really confuse her as she still has to maintain her duty as a Flame Haze.
Now for the enjoyment factor, I really did enjoy it. Especially in the later parts of the anime, the plot and the characters did leave me feeling more and more attached to the anime. Most of all, I enjoyed watching the development of Yuji and Shana's relationship together since it's not your typical boy likes girl, girl likes boy drama, it's a lot more complicated than it appears.
Overall, this is a great anime to watch with characters that begin to grow on you after a while. I definitely would recommend watching it. And it's also a must watch for any tsundere fan out there as well.
Bluesnow
Shakugan no shana... An anime with alot of potential that overall felt like alot of regurgitated shounen/romance anime was a bit of a let down. The predictable uninspired story line, repetitiveness, cheesy humor, and mediocre character development left alot to be desired and is far from a masterpiece that is popularity would make you believe it is. Story line: The initial introduction of the story really got my hopes up; basically about a normal boy who gets pulled into a bizarre battle only to find after words he no longer really exists, and that his entire being will slowly fade away and be forgotten byall of his loved ones. While discovering mysterious powers of his own he is emersed into into the world of magic and battles along with the cute but stubborn Red haired girl Shana who fights off those that threaten humanity.
Despite having an interesting few episodes the plot it stale. It moves very slowly and is predictable for the most part. The anime could have easily been done in half the episodes they took. The battles slowly become tedious along with the story. Also the cheesy romance that develops made it almost unbearable to watch after a certain point. If I were to describe the enjoyment of the story line most of the middle episodes drop down to a 4-5 nearly killing the series...
Art:
It was... acceptable. As far as most main stream shows go the art was OK... but it was overall mediocre. It also feels very deceiving that the advertisements and Opening theme for the series has such beautiful animation because its really not that great overall. Some of the battle scenes were well done though.
Character animation wise the most attention is given to Shana; and they do a very good job with her. The rest of the characters on the other hand are uncreative and boring. The main character specifically lacks any real attracting traits that would set him apart from a side character...
Sound:
Opening and ending songs are pretty good, I especially enjoyed the first ending theme Yowake Umare Kuru Shoujo. The music in show overall was acceptable, but nothing really stands out about it.
Character:
The two main characters... try imagining Saber and Shirou from fate/stay night as middle schoolers and that should give you an idea; Although Shana is much more vocally stubborn that Saber ever was.
Shana is the predictable Tsundere character~ The stubborn easily ticked, but deep down shy emotional girl. Her character development is interesting since she doesn't really understand basic human interaction very well...
Yuji also is the predictable week but good hearted normal kid, who grows up to be more dependable courageous guy.
Perhaps what killed the character development was when they attempted to throw in romance... its just didn't work for this plot because of their age... and it split what the story really should have focused on.
There are actually alot of other characters in the story... but their development is mediocre or nonexistent...
Enjoyment/Overall
I don't really have much else to say about this series other than It was actually painful to put myself through the torture of watching this entire series; and I think anime fans that are looking for something deep, a moving story line, and/or epic battles will be very disappointed unless they have very low standards.
The reason its gets overall higher scores is because it was made for a large viewing audience~ incorporating humor, action, Romance, magical/fantasy and slice of life. They say the Jack of all trades is master of none, and this anime proves this point.
Obediah
I will say at the beginning of this anime i did feel a little hopeless. The anime imposes a scary thought into your head, what if i flicker out? What if no one REMEMBERS me? That is the main theme of this anime. Not whether or not you existed, but whether or not you are remembered. This is a story about loving someone who isn't necessarily human, but human to you. I warn you, the first three or four episodes are sad, because you will most likely be empathizing with the Torches. But, overall, the anime is enjoyable, meaningful, and somehow, it makes you look forthe silver lining.
Watch the first 4 episodes, and then after that, you can basically assess whether you will enjoy the art style and theme or not.
STORY: 9
With many twists and turns, this anime definitely has you addicted to each and every episode. Each episode develops the characters phenomenally each step of the journey, and creates a dramatic tension that could almost be understood as the recognition of one's self and values. The only problem I had with the story was the fact that... Yuuji never kisses Shana. I waited for that every episode after they mentioned the "oath". . Also, i have never heard someone describe the feelings attached to a kiss so accurately and empathetically.
ART: 10
The effects are... amazing. I will admit i was thrown off by the overly big eyes at the very beginning when i looked at the cover for this anime, but somehow they suit the style and artistic quality of the anime. The effects when Shana has her burning hair are astounding, and the lighting effects are magnificent. I watched a splash in the water, gaping at how intricate and amazingly crafted it was. Art is without a doubt a perfect 10 for this anime.
SOUND: 8
I loved the voice actors for every character, and enjoyed the OP and ED sequences very much. I would've rather had a slower song for the OP, but when you get to episode 13 (i think), the OP changes and it becomes suitable for the episodes. I enjoyed the ED very much. I'm usually one to skip the credits each episode, but i watched with awe for most of them. And i enjoyed the art in the background =]
CHARACTERS: 10
This is the first anime i have ever given a 10 on characters for. Most characters are flat, that don't change substantially from episode to episode, but SHakugan no Shana shows the difference between Yuuji and his understanding of his own situation, and his own acceptance of him becoming a Mistes, and also Shana's relationship with Yuuji (No matter how many times she avoids it by yelling "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!") develops so intricately into the plot. This was one of the most wonderful character development sequences i have ever come across. You will fall in love with Shana and Yuuji for their admirable qualities (and some of Shana's detestable manners). I can guarantee that.
ENJOYMENT: 9
Everyone loves a good sad anime every now and then. And then to be lifted up from that sad anime into a happier light. That's what this anime does. It makes you involved with every single character, and makes you enjoy every aspect of the visual effects, the sound effects, and the general aura that is exhumed from whatever device you're watching it from. It's got a lot of good moments, though it doesn't have the outrageous "Anime Comedy" animation that i've seen in others (Where the characters get huge teeth to bark with, or their heads get huge and their bodies become small, other effects like that). So if you enjoy that particular aspect of Anime Comedy, i say look elsewhere.
OVERALL: 9
I would give this one a perfect 10, but i feel that the storyline could move quicker towards the beginning, and admonish the fact that people want don't want to be put off by the sadness. I think if you watch this, i will give you the same advice that i have given for other animes: Watch the first 3 episodes, and if you like it, watch it, or ditch it (Even if it is "Orphen: The sorcerer stabbing something or other").
Enjoy =]
MurphyTV
Pros +Solid story +Nice art work +Great Character development +Good male and female lead Cons -Slow pace at times -Nothing unique -Little predicableMy Opinion
Alright let me kick of this review by saying i love Tsundere characters, especially when there voiced by Kugimiya, Rie, so i went into this show with high hopes and ill say there weren't met to the full but it was still a good show that i enjoy'd for the most part.
So ill start with the story, the story in the first season of Shakugan No Shana is really a lot of explaining and setting the scene for the viewer which is understandable and for the most part i didn't mind listening to story of Shana and how she and Sakai, Yuuji are both coming to term with there new environment. The issue was this is maybe it was a bit to much, i love these shows but even i found myself a little bored at times.
As for lead characters Shana ticks all the boxes for me as a female lead and really doesn't disappoint though out the show, she's funny strong and prefect for main role of this show. Sakai, Yuuji could have turned into a real mess of a character but he takes on the burden of his new responsibility's well and wants to become stronger, which i found would have been better than hiding behind the Stronger characters in the show. As for a three lead i suppose we have Yoshida, Kazumi who for the most part is really only there to add another twist to the relationship between Yuuji and Shana. The issue i always have with a second female lead in these types of the shows the fact that there isn't any competition for the male lead, keeping in mind when i'm writing this i am only half way though the second season, so i could be dead wrong but normally its pretty easy to see who going to come on with the male lead by her side. So yes they develop the characters well but they do rather slowly and it can damage the over pacing of the show and the overall enjoyment.
If you are looking at this show and expecting it to eat your heart out and make you sit on the edge of your sit, your not really going to get it here. The story although interesting isn't anything we haven't seen before so therefore it isn't going to make you jump out of your seat.
So should you watch this show? If your are interested in the type of show and have maybe watch and enjoy'd shows like Zero Louise then yes you should, you will find it still rather entertaining as i did. The show has some heart felt moments and so real fast paced action that you will enjoy but for the most part it can be sort of dry, so if you have seen shows with the same sort of premises as this and haven't enjoy'd it then its a safe bet this isn't for you.
Hope my review was helpful
Murphy
ukiuki
This anime.... is just another anime. Nothing spectacular or amazing. STORY: it started off extremely slowly, and i think the first half of the series was basically explaining the main concept of how people disappear, who Shana was and what she does. I would have rather liked to see all these elements integrated into the story, because otherwise, it is a huge influx of information. The plotline was predictable. ART: best part of the series. I liked the scenes when there were a lot of red, there seemd to be many shades of red, and it reflected the intensity of battle. NOTE: battle intensity that should bein battles, not, the battles that Shana was in.
SOUND: not bad, the OP and ED were kinda catchy.
CHARACTER: Yuuji is such a tool. His kind of character annoys me. Shana was more interesting, but her obsession with melon bread and her "shut up" phrase was ALMOST overdone. But for loli lovers, her habits would make Shana an instant win.
ENJOYMENT: it moved slowly, I had stopped the series for a while because I got bored. I finished it, just to see what the hype was about after the series was complete. Nothing out of the ordinary, a good way to pass time.
If you like lolis, Shakugan no Shana is a good recommendation.
game8910
[fanboyism] Gah this review will prob sound a little biased but I just can't help it because Shakugan no Shana is my second favourtie show EVER >_> but I tried my best to give it a decent review. So please try to read it before knocking down this review lol. I never really even knew about Shana a couple months ago, the main reason I watched this show was because while browsing wikipedia I saw a pic of Shana and I thought she looked like Konata from LS LOL so I thought why not? In the end I never expected I would find an anime that wouldhook me so much, this show was perfect for me since it had everything I was looking for in a show at the time. And if it was destiny after I finished watching this season I learned of a second season that had just started ON THE SAME DAY LOL I win :)
Story: The story of this anime was definitely a very interesting and complex one as well, the first episode alone I felt was so packed with info shallowing it all was overwhelming, but I wasn't complaining because since episode one this show struck me and kept me interested till the very end. This story at first I thought was going to include action but after seeing Shana's struggle to try to understand her love of Yuji and the heavy drama elements of this show kicked in, that sealed the deal for me since I had found a perfect balance between my favourite anime elements.
Art: I'm sure everyone will agree when I say the visual highlight of this show is ALWAYS Shana when she is in flame haze mode with her bright red firey hair and her bright red eyes, really pretty to look at ^_^ other than that the show had some pretty decent animation although there were parts where you could see an obvious lack of animation when there were some distorted faces and stuff like that. The visuals were not bad, but they also didnt really overwhelm me. Although there were parts where it really did look great I give it an 8.5/10
Sound: This is IMO one of the show's best features, the background songs played during the more dramatic moments felt perfect and during the battles as well. Hishoku no Sora piano version is one of my favourite pieces to date and every scene where it was played I fell in love with >_>
Character: OK, I'm going to admit if it wasn't for Shana this show would not be on my favourites. Unlike her, all the other charactes where they main of supporting justs did not feel like they were developed enough for me to care about them, Yuji maybe just a little bit. Shana on the other hand I thought was developed perfectly, watching her change from her rude and cold self into a more charing person because of Yuji's influence was REALLY cool to see, her internal struggles caused by her feelings were IMO really touching moments, Yoshida I felt was only good to make Shana realize her feelings and other than that she just pisses me off lol...Shana is what made this show so enjoyable.
Enjoyment: When I finished watching this show I was overwhelmed by how beautiful it was, I felt like I had watched a show that was made for me and knew that It had become a favourite for me. There I go sounding biased >_> but it was a good show no matter how you look at it anyways...
Overall this anime was really something I enjoyed and I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy so I STRONGLY RECOMMEND to give this show a try. And since I am currently watching the second season another review will come soon lol if I was not so biased I would prob give this show a solid 9/10 or 8.5/10 but well I'm a fanboy so I'll give it a perfect 10/10 lol
[/fanboyism]
spiralsraise
Spiralsraise's Review: The beginning of the series was interesting. You had a character who was conflicted about his place, if he could really be human, and behave as one, yet acts very much like one even though he's a Torch. Often Yuji would hear from Shana that he is "just" a torch and it would get to him. Through out the entire story he tries hard to identify and establish some kind of connection to Shana and be as much help to her as he can. To make things just a bit harder for Yuji, Shana's personality leaves her detatched from the world, since herfocus is mainly on being a Flame Haze and how serious she takes it. Aside from the two main characters (Shana and Yuji) there continues to be diversity in personalities of characters. A fair portion of the time the characters are what are helping to drive the plot, but there are times where that doesn't happen.
The Plot is interesting and different in some aspects from things i've seen before. It makes you wonder yourself if life where that way, if you were a torch, would you notice? What would your personal conflicts be? Would you still want to do everything on the figurative (and sometimes literal) things you want to do before you die list? Would it actually count if you tried to since you aren't really you and more but an impression of who you are. At the beginning it can pose a lot of personal questions for yourself but seeing how Yuji deals with these sorts of questions (not all of them) and how he tries to reaffirm himself that he still has an identity is the initial hook. You end up wondering where he developed the strength to look at his reality so calmly, yet with conviction.
The romance that you see in the story isn't overwhelming either. It's there yet it's controlled and the romance doesn't become the plot. One of the more enjoyable things about the romance in the plot is Shana's own confusion and lack of understanding of things. Her uncertainty and balancing the part of herself that is a Flame Haze and the part that she identifies as Shana is an interesting parallel to the story, and shows the growth that Shana goes through once meeting Yuji. However, with that said Shana's feelings for Yuji do become more involved with the plot as it progresses and some may see that becoming more of the focus.
Even though a fair portion of the story is serious there are comedic points that can get you laughing and help lighten up the story and see the characters as those you could identify with to some degree. All in all, It was an enjoyable 24 episode season, and i'm curious to see how they plan to continue the story.
ktulu007
Shakugan no Shana started out as a light novel series written by Takahashi Yashichiro. It's been very successful, inspiring a radio drama, manga, anime, video game, and a movie. The question then becomes whether it's worthy of the hype, fails to meet it or is just over-rated tripe. I don't have time to look at everything related to Shakugan no Shana, so I'm just going to watch the first of the TV anime. The story involves a young man named Sakai Yuji who comes to a frightening discovery when time stops around him and monsters appear and begin consuming people. He's saved by a girl witha sword who goes through a long exposition dump revealing that there are monsters called Tomogara who consume existence and she's a guardian of some sort called a Flame Haze. She fights the Tomogara and creates torches to act as a sort of buffer to gradually drain the existence of those eaten by the Tomogara and then disappear and be forgotten. Yuji soon learns that he's immune to the time stopping effect because he's a special kind of torch with a treasure inside. The concept could be interesting, but the execution is horrendous. Everything moves ridiculously slowly. The anime could be ten episodes long, at most, and lose nothing but it's twenty four episodes. That's fourteen episodes of filler and pointless padding. It makes the whole anime really boring and tedious to watch. That isn't the only issue. The dialogue is stilted, there are multiple plot holes and the characters all have competence levels that change substantially based on the power of plot contrivance. The fight scenes aren't even good since there's just a lot of padded build up and then they end really quickly. I will grant that the ending suits the series well since it's also incredibly stupid.
If the filler and padding were used for character development it wouldn't be filler or padding. The characters are just annoying. They're all complete and utter one-dimensional twits. The only character who develops at all is Shana who keeps accumulating obnoxious traits. She starts out as a typical tsundere. Then she becomes a typical tsundere and creepily co-dependent. If Yuji had any sense he'd get a restraining order at that point, but since he's dumber than a brick that doesn't happen. Then she adds whiny to the list and officially becomes one of the most annoying, unsympathetic characters ever written.
The art is lazy. The backgrounds are very undetailed and the characters are very plain. Sometimes their lips don't even move while they're talking. If the art is good for anything it's that it's so dull it makes a good sleep aid.They throw in fan service with the main protagonist randomly, which is disturbing since she looks to be about twelve and you get unnecessary scenes of her in the bath.
The voice acting is bad. Most of the voice actors are type cast and none of them seem to be putting any effort into their performances. Which is either really bad directing or actor apathy. The music is the best part of the anime and it's just stock and mediocre.
The yuri factor is a 1/10. The female characters rarely talk to each other except about guys. Seriously, this may be the only anime I've seen with a female protagonist and several female supporting characters that fails the Bechdel test in all but a couple episodes.
My final rating for Shakugan no Shana is a 2/10. It's terrible. The characters are what really kill it. If they were better written it might just be a dreadfully dull anime, but they're so insipid and obnoxious that it becomes a real chore to watch. I can only recommend it to those people who are dreadfully dull or looking for a quick insomnia remedy.
sirhcle
Title: Shakugan no Shana (??????) Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Novel, School Life Episodes: 24 Studio: J.C. Staff Plot (by sirhcle): Shakugan no Shana is set in our world in which everything is fueled by the power of existence. One day a boy names Sakai Yuji finds that he is moving in a time-frozen realm, whilst a monster (called Rinne) ingests blue flames (power of existence) for their masters (called Tomogara). It is here that Sakai Yuji meets a girl who he later names Shana. Shana is a flame haze, responsible for annihilating Rinne and hunting down their masters. Who wish to use power of existence to become stronger, by harvesting thepower from humans and in turn the world is distorted.
When a person's power of existence is taken away, they cease to exist. Flame Haze's can produce a torch - an artificial existence that will slowly falter but slowly transitions ones existence to nothing as to ease the sudden shock in disappearance of an individual. Yuji and Shana team up to defeat the Tomogara and their plans of gaining power of existence.
sirhcle's comments:
I've heard a lot about this anime from forums and people, but fail to see how it is so unique. Razz The anime starts off very slowly, but picks up it's pace at the end. I think that the introduction to the world is quite lengthy, although it's concept is not all that complex. The storyline seems to entangle a lot on the relationship side between Shana and Yoshida, but these seem to be premature-junior high school crushes. We are also given 2-whole episodes on Shana's background which helps us understand the role of a flame haze and her behavior in relationships, but it's usually something I'd prefer to pick up along the story.
I found the storyline to be fairly predictable.
Not as great as I'd expected, but still an 'okay' anime. I think the appeal comes from Shana and lolicon lovers. I swear, meron-pan (melon bread?) is selling like hot cakes these days.
I'd recommend people who 'have time' to watch it.
LTKevin
The evening I first downloaded Shakugan no Shana I never heard of it , I chose it because the pictures looked good and I was bored . I never expected it to be kinda ' a revelation ' for me because I never really had an anime that felt like it was made for me . The excellent switching between action and romance and comedy made me feel really interested in the main story and it also seems like evrything can happen , in other words I couldn't forsee anything that was going to happen storywise . The animation is perfect , the sound isgreat in other words this anime is the kind you like watching alone in the dark with a big bowl of popcorn just relaxing and enjoying it .
jabcreations
It's a decent series however there is a ton of emotional and time filler. First the good points however and then the filler issue. The animation is really nice and the story is reasonably unique. The character design can be summed up as either really good or direly lacking depending on the character in question. The story doesn't move too slow, it's mainly a filler issue. The story has depth though it's not as structured as some others. There is no overwhelming sense of the ultimate structure of the fictional universe...it's more of a perspective of seeing the box from within the box then being ableto view the box from the outside perspective. It could have used more storyline relating to I suppose the "higher-ups" as it lacks a sense of origins for the main female protagonist. There are others who fill the role but it's feels like okay, got some good guys and some baddies...but no firm sense of ultimate agendas.
I found myself skipping through episodes (4-20 second intervals) towards the end of the series as I was losing my patience waiting for something to actually happen. Watching scenery slowly scroll by and characters being lost in their emotions gets tiring when it's present in half of all the episodes.
The series is fair though if they removed the overly emotional content and the fillers like scrolling slowly past scenery it would have been significantly more enjoyable overall. If you've got the extra time and don't mind the filler you may enjoy the series more however.
fr0z3nshad3
Story (8.8) - Shakugan no shana...hum..after watching the first episode i told to myself: " lol...all characters look like kids and its way too childish for me" ... well the fact is that i got used and it wasnt that bad as i was thinking after the 1st episode..its not that the 1st ep was bad (in fact it was a good start), i just was expecting something a bit different from this anime..anyway lets talk about the story.. Well, the story starts when yuji sekai finds out that he is a torch..a torch is something that replaces someone who is already dead.. As the timegoes, torches disappear completly from the world and people´s minds. But yuji is a special one, he has a treasure that allows him to stay fully recover the existence he lost at every midnight. At the same time he finds the truth about himself, he meets shana, a flame haze, who has the mission to keep the balance of the world. Then the start to stick together and fight against a lot of enemies.
My opinion, is a well made story, i liked it and i give it a 9...
Art and Animation (9.0) - Well, at start i didn´t like the fact the characters looked way to childish, but i got used to it, and i ended up liking it..i think the design is good and the details in envyronment and that stuff are certanly in the group of the best i saw..about the effects and animation, well certainly is well devellopped and the producers worked a lot..its not perfect, but i´ve seen much worse for sure..
Sound (7.2) - Nothing special indeed..its not something i can say i disliked it, but also i cant say i liked it...its just acceptable..
Characther (8.0) - Well, some charather i noticed no devellopment during the whole series..others like the main characters were well develloped and sometimes it sound like it was way too much..the story goes around yuji and shana, and sometimes it gives way to much attention to it..well, in overall i think its enough to say characters are good but with some flaws..(also, some of them are really anoying grrrr lol)
Enjoyment (8.3) - A fine show with moments of action, suspense and mistery..however, there is also the oposite, in some moments i almost slept during some episodes, that if it was me i would just had cut those parts from the series..but in overall i got satisfied and i consider it a good anime to spend some time watching.
overall (8.5)- In the limit between 8 and 9..i have a great doubt about this final rating, since in some way i really liked it, and in another way i dont think it was something special..but i decide to give credit to it and give a 9, plus a recommendation for all thos who like this kind of stuff with magic, abillities, suspense, fights..etc...
redphoenix
Well I finally got around to watching Shakugan no Shana, and I must say I\'m thoroughly glad I did. The story was somewhat original - neither a standard anime storyline nor a groundbreaking unprecedented plot. The animation style is not the most flashy or intricate, but the action sequences are mostly well animated. I\'ve seen much worse, but I\'ve also seen much better. The music is good, but typical. Nothing new there. The characterization is interesting, but verges on outrageous at times. There are times when the things the characters do/say are very hard to take seriously.Despite how mediocre my description must make the series seem, it is actually quite entertaining and dramatic. All in all, you can\'t go wrong.
Blec
I saw a fire that ignited and blazed strong for an instant. It grabbed my attention and had me going towards it. The fire quickly died down however, weakened and became very dim. I watch the flame, waiting for it to die, but for some reason it stays: weak and flickering. This is essentially what I thought about this anime. It starts off really strong in the first four episodes with really cool ideas and even some thought provoking themes that could potentially be explored. I was really interested to see where it was all going to go... and it endedup being really disappointing. But oddly, it was never really bad or terrible.
Story: 4/10 (below average)
It starts off great, putting the main character Yuji in a shocking realization: he found out that he died a long time ago and has a limited amount of time before he is wiped out of existence. I loved seeing his denial, I enjoyed seeing Shana initially looking upon Yuji as some object, but realizing through Yuji and his situation that not all people were selfish. Unfortunately, something very convenient ends up happening and from that point on, the story descends to mediocrity at best. The story goes from being unique with cool ideas to incredibly cheesy: protagonist is clueless and is part of an annoying love triangle, girl with superpowers finds boy who holds the key for the bad guys great evil plan, main villains want to obtain ultimate power. It also really fails to balance comedy/slice of life with action/adventure, resulting in a really inconsistent experience. Sometimes they spend way too much time on pointless swimming episodes we have seen a million times or pointless love triangle crap. Other times when you have an interesting arc they don't explore it as much as I would like, and the arcs that are really boring feel like they go on forever!
Characters: 5/10 (average)
Shana's character is what kept the weak flame alive for me, even though she is your typical tsundere. I think the reason I like her is because conceptually her character is very interesting and despite her cliche archetype is the only one that gets any meaningful character development. Yuji's classmates aren't too bad either.
On the other hand...
Yuji is a typical clueless, dense, dull protagonist
Villains are almost all one dimensional and are as dull as dishwater.
Big-Breasts-Blond booze drinker and talking book were both incredibly annoying, with just as painful sidekicks to boot.
Art: 7/10 (good)
It does its job well. I particularly like the flame haze look.
Sound: 7/10 (good)
The ost is actually pretty good albeit repetitive. Serieux was an ost I really liked in particular. A really fitting track for a bad ass red haired chick kicking ass with a sword.
Enjoyment: 5/10 (meh)
This is a very popular series and I am pretty sure a lot of people really like it. I did see the potential and I do see some of the appeal for this show, but I just couldn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
How much you can enjoy this, I think, depends on how much you can tolerate the high school melodrama, cliche shounen action stuff, and some cookie cutter character archetypes. If you can get past all of this: it does have decent animation, good music, some interesting concepts, and some surprisingly charming moments with Shana.
Overall: 5/10 (average)
Gobind
Story: For the most part this story is pretty original but it does hold its "Hey, this is ripping this off from *enter anime name here*. The romance, or the lacking of it, was HORRIBLE. The romance between the two characters was ridiculous. I'll more about it in the character section. Other than that the story keeps you interested with plot twists here and there but for the most part, well at least for me, you can't get around how annoying the romance is. Art: GREAT visuals in this anime. They really do a good job on how it looks other than one thing and thatsthe purple bear, seriously. They could've made it more vicious or something because in my opinion it kinda looked stupid when just standing there. That was really the only downside of this anime when coming to art. It was very easy on the eyes really.
Sound: Everything was good other than one thing. SHANA'S VOICE!!!! I remember just watching it thinking "Someone please kill this girl off or at least change voice actors". Everything else was fine really but someone that is supposed to be legendary should sound a bit...well cooler.
Character: I think they did really well here, everyone was in the anime was extremely enjoyable to watch. They all had their own personalities that developed as the anime went on which is very impressive because it didn't feel like the series was wasting time by introducing these characters. Shana was tooooooOOOOoOO annoying when in came to Yuji. Being stuck up and headstrong only goes so far. There are times where she is tolerable but enter Yuji's feelings into the equation and everything goes under when coming to Shana's character. Too me personally she is a quite annoying character that brought down the series. If she wasn't so powerful then she would be very replaceable.
Enjoyment: I enjoyed everything not dealing with Shana/Yuji relationship. Those parts were just too annoying that it made me want to just stop the anime right there. The fights were good though. The supporting cast was awesome as well, saving this series.
Overall: Pretty good, just Shana's voice and Shana/Yuji relationship parts was so annoying that it makes you want to beat children and the elderly but other than that I would recommend it IF the person had already watch a whole bunch of other anime and just wanted something to burn time.
Jeffrey-sama
Art (7/10) - (8/10 if disregarding quality of video in 2005/2006) Considering the fact that I'm watching this almost six years after it originally aired, I don't think it's a surprise when I say the video quality was terrible. On top of that, the quality of scenery was extremely poor, with water and trees looking fake. However, the redeeming quality in the art was the animation quality of the fights. What stood out the most to me was the Nietono no Shana and Shana's blazing hair, both of which exceeded my expectations for a six-year-old anime. Overall, it was watchable; certainly not up to par withtoday's 720p standards.
Characters (10/10)
After 24 episodes, it was evident that both Sakai Yuuji and Shana underwent massive changes in character. First off, the weak Mistes, Yuuji, became much stronger with the help of Shana; although his stupidity never ceases to amaze me. And for Shana, the new feeling of love gave her a newfound happiness, something that she did not have before due to her duties as a Flame Haze. The interactions our two main protagonists make with their peers and acquaintances, specifically Yoshida Kazumi, also help to shape them into who they are. In a more general view, Yuuji and Shana essentially changed each other as they have exchanged a piece of their world with the other - Shana learning about love in humans and Yuuji adapting to the reality of the world. Through their journey, it is evident that the bond these two is unbreakable, no matter how bad the situation may seem. It was also nice to see many of the supporting characters getting developed, even if only slightly, throughout the show.
Sound (8/10)
First off, I really liked both OPs because they were upbeat, catchy and had great vocals. The two EDs were also decent, but definitely not one of the better ones I've heard. As for the BGM, the only memorable one for me was the piano arrangement of the first OP. While not really significant, I guess the BGM did help enhance my enjoyment slightly. The only two VAs I was able to recognize with ease were Rie Kugimiya for Shana and Mamiko Noto for Hecate. It's nice to see that the voices of these veteran VAs haven't really changed, even after six years. Unlike visuals, sound is more or less able to withstand the test of time so I give this category an 8.
Story (9/10)
Having someone telling you that "You are no longer human. You are an object." is undoubtedly scary. But that is where the whole story for Shakugan no Shana begins. It is an interesting concept that takes skill to masterfully convey. Luckily, the staff was able to pull this off, though there were obviously some flaws. The story itself had great variety of drama/suspense and comedy/laughs while moving forward at a decent pace. Though sometimes too predictable, there were also some twists along the way, which I enjoyed. I think the presence of both romance and action was the selling point of the show, drawing viewers from both those genres. The good balance of these two genres kept things interesting and entertaining. In a more broad sense, I felt that this was a good start to the story, allowing season two, and maybe three, to continue building off of the solid foundation created by season one.
Overall (9/10)
I have to admit it, Shakugan no Shana is a good series. I was quite skeptical at first, even with the countless amount of praise given to it. The conclusion of season one made is making me crave for season two. I have to give the staff working on this project credit for being able to entertain viewers for this many episodes (I'm assuming season two and three will be successful as well). Anime lovers out there, Shakugan no Shana is a must-try if you enjoy romance, action or both. I, for one, wasn't disappointed with what this series had to offer. Now onto season two!
Papajan
The story wasn't too bad and the art was good, but more than anything I just couldn't stand Shana's character, which I'd classify as "noisy/annoying".
Starfola
Story: He had thought his normal days would last forever, until they were ended abruptly by an encounter with a girl with red hair and eyes. He named her Shana. Not long after he enters high school, Sakai Yuji’s normal days come to an end. He sees something bizarre on his way home: people are frozen in a strange fire, and a monster that looks like a large doll is attacking them. Just when he's about to be killed, a girl in a dark cloak wielding a large sword appears, and slices the monster in half. Although Yuji survives the strange encounter, the girl informs him ofa desolate truth: " 'You' don't exist anymore."
She calls herself a Flame Haze who hunts "Guze no Tomogara"; intruders from another world. She explains to him that he is a "Torch", a substitute of Yuji whose “existence” has already been devoured. She also told him that he is a special Torch, "Mystes", which contains a precious item in it. When he looks at his chest, he sees within himself a faint flame, just as she said.
It is in this way that his eternal struggle alongside the girl begins.
Art:
The art work was enjoyable to watch because the way the character had good details and how you can actually see the real quality of it made it great. The quality is enjoyable but is not the same quality as Clannad or Fate Zero. The art work could of been improve more on the world and the way the fighting animation were.
Sound:
The sound was great, I loved the first and last season intro and outro. The sound was played at the right time and just made me want to watch the anime again and listen to the song over and over again.
Characters:
Some people can say Shana was suborn because she didn't like to be around Yuji because she felt weird around him. Yuji was the main character who was dragged into the world Shana secretly lives in.
Then you have your supporting characters such as:
Alastor
Kazumi
Keisaku
Eita
I found Alastor to be like a faster to Shana because he would always be by her side and will always comfort her and try to make her happy and focus.
I find Kazumi brave that she always trying to help even though she can't because humans can not do anything the the Crimson Denizens.
I found Keisaku brave and a person that only care about the present time because he would do everything he can to be a help of Margery.
I found Eita brave and shocked because he would try to be a help of Margery but when the incident happened he stopped talking to Margery since he was in a state of shock.
Ending:
The ending was not as I expected. Why? Because it was left as a cliffhanger and the audience will not know how it truly ends. But nonetheless it was a great ending with a cliffhanger.
My rating here:
8.5/10
I gave it a 9 because of how the third season was. The third season took a while to get used to and it didn't explain how it happened until the ending of the anime. I also hate how the ending was because they left it as a cliffhanger that will rise a lot of unanswered questions.
