OP2 Sequence

OP2: 「being」 by KOTOKO
Yay! Finally the new OP! It’s pretty much what I had hoped for/expected from KOTOKO. I like the song about as much as I like all of KOTOKO’s song, which is a lot as long as I don’t actually have to see her singing (*recalls the Re-sublimity PV*). The OP sequence shows some new characters (Kamshin, the bad guys), and includes a sequence of Shana fighting Shudonai. Good stuff.

Summary:
During pool class during the summer, both Shana and Kazumi think about past events and their relationship with Yuuji. Elsewhere, a hooded boy uses a special monocle to survey the city. Meanwhile, the trinity of the Ball Masque – Shudonai, Bel Peol, and Hecate – meet to discuss Yuuji and their plan for immortality. The next day, Yuuji is out training with Alastor and comes across people setting up for the Osprey Festival. He remembers going with both his parents when he was young and then thinks about taking Shana. She isn’t with him because, unbeknownst to him, she wanted to learn from Chigusa how to make a boxed lunch. Shana doesn’t want to lose to Kazumi in this department, but her first attempt at an omelet ends up pretty bad. When Shana blames her own lack of training, Chigusa tells her that making it with love is what’s important. Chigusa then tells Shana about the festival and suggests that she go with Yuuji.
Kazumi also saw the people preparing for the festival and wants to ask Yuuji. Her chance comes when she catches him coming out of a convenience store with a boxed lunch, even though she had already made him one. But she overcomes that and gathers enough courage to invite him. Ike later sees the two coming to school, with Kazumi happy because Yuuji accepted her invitation. Already in class, Shana watches as Tanaka turns down Ogata’s invitation to go to the festival because he has stuff to do. His partner Satou has actually been sick and is paid a visit by Margery. After checking up on him, she falls asleep in a chair. Margery wakes up later after feeling the presence of the new Flame Haze. She notices that Satou is gone – he’s talking with Tanaka about how he’s decided to follow Margery. Tanaka pledges to do the same.
Walking along the street, Kazumi is approached by the hooded boy who introduces himself as Khamsin and is carrying a bracelet that introduces itself as Behemoth. Khamsin tells Kazumi the truth about the world and shows her the monocle that can detect torches. Having learned about the Guze no Tomogara and torches, Kazumi fears for her own family, but Khamsin tells her that they’re safe. Of course, the next person that she asks about is Yuuji. That night, Yuuji is training with Shana when Margery shows up to tell them about the new Flame Haze and the return of the Ball Masque. Because of them, Alastor and Shana urge Yuuji to leave the city. Yuuji considers to leaving the city with Shana. Meanwhile the Ball Masque have brought forth a new ally (with a high pitched voice) – the Professor. And in the desert somewhere, Wilhelmina detects the activity of the Ball Masque and decides to head there after finishing her current work.

Well, they came back into the present with a little recap, which I guess is acceptable since we’ve been away from the story for several episodes now. The Shana vs. Kazumi rivalry is heating up and the Osprey Festival is going to be a pretty big battlefield in that regard. I didn’t think Yuuji would accept Kazumi’s invitation, and Shana’s going to be heartbroken when she finds out. Especially since Chigusa had her all excited about surprising Yuuji with her yukata.
Plenty of new characters this time, including Khamsin and Behemoth. He’s a lot shorter than I pictured him to be lol. And now that Kazumi knows about the Guze no Tomogara and Torches, it’s a whole new ballgame. But it seems like everyone (Yuuji, Shana, and Satou and Tanaka if Margery also goes) is set to go on the move, away from the city because of the threat of the Ball Masque. Wilhelmina’s also going to get involved, but probably not for a while yet. They do a good job of introducing everything, just like the episode title implies. Next week, we get to see Shana and Kazumi in their yukata!

Video of the new OP: Mirror 1 and Mirror 2.

36 Comments

  1. just heard the opening..! its great u can never go wrong with kotoko..!! i kina feel its less J-popish.. finally the openings are getting better..! first mai otome now shakugan… all is left is the endings.. ifor mai otome the ed should be less cheery.. as for shakugan it should be less serious..:S

    JT
  2. There’s enough material in the novels to go about that far, assuming the novels keep getting written as the anime keeps going. So by the end of all this, it may very well be 52. However, don’t get your hopes up until there’s an official announcement.

  3. I hope its 52 episodes… or 2 seperate seasons. 26 episodes seems short from this kind of storyline/plot.

    [“Another Planet” – Kawada Mami] is from Shakugan no SHANA OP Single – Hishoku no Sora
    Yah.. It would sound better as the 2nd Ending but can’t beat Yoko Ishida.

    Thanks for the Video and 2nd Opening was awesome…
    -Now to make it as a DDR simfile 😀

    Jubo
  4. KOTOKO strikes again!!!

    Very relieved the new OP didn’t suck. I think I like it better than Re-Sublimity, which is a nice thing. It’s got a nice ‘soaring’ kind of atmosphere to it, fitting for the show.

    Reaffirms why KOTOKO is my favorite amongst anime music. 🙂

    PS: It sounds like the full version would sound a lot better than the TV version; some parts seem like they’ve been cut-out thus. I look forward to the single.

    Shinova
  5. Anyone else getitng a sense of impending doom, regarding the new twists hinted at in the OP? I was afraid something like this would happen… and here we go. I suspect that, as far as the love triangle goes… we’re being set up for a heck of a fall.

    Haesslich
  6. Great new OP! As expected from KOTOKO. ^^

    I actually like the idea that they might be all going away from the city…It does get boring that Masaki city is the backdrop all the time, and moving away from it gives it a greater sense of adventure, perhaps.

    Looks like Yuji’s in BIG trouble though…

    F.A.I.T.H
  7. finally, back to the main story…can’t wait to see which develops – yuuji x kazumi or yuuji x shana. let the battle begin!

    and damn, the new OP is kickin’ – can’t wait for March 1 for the single to be released! i’m going to put in my pre-order for it right now.

    firebrand
  8. The op was pretty nice and catchy, and yea, along the lines of her ending for knm. The Kamshin kiddo seems rathr interesting if not intriguing, looking forward to watching him in the next few epi 🙂

    Crimson Eagle
  9. Finally got this epiosde…

    Great episode, and I love the new OP. I actually kinda like Hishoku no Sora better, but the sound of this new OP just really, really, fit my musical esires at the time. 😀

    Shinji103
  10. I must be the only person who thinks the new ED is better than the new OP…..I mean OP2 is good…but I just don’t see it as good as ED2. We all like the series but we’re gonna just have to accept the fact that it’s 26 eps…who knows…maybe if it’s popular enough it will have a second season.

    Taishi

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