「彩飄が呼ぶもの」 (Kaze ga Yobumono)
“What the Wind Brings”

While I loved the beginning of the episode, I could have done without the ending.

That said I’m so happy to see that someone in this anime has the ability to drop the formalities and just scream what’s on their mind. After episodes of each side planning their perfect plan to either begin or prevent the creation of Xanadu, things started to grow a little stale as mountains of dialogue just kept piling up. And when the fight between Shana and Yuuji began, I never expected that Shana would finally breakdown and let her feelings come rushing out. In all honesty, as I listened to her question Yuuji, calling him an idiot, and trying to throw anything she had (including her first) near her at him reminded me of that innocent charm she has — that same charm which drew me to this show and is keeping my around.

However, the same can’t be said about the rest of the episode. Not only was I unimpressed but I was left even more confused than when the episode started. For starters, after all the commotion in the comments about Pheles, I was hoping she’d have a more important role than just yanking Johan out of the Reiji Maigo. But to make things worse, Johan’s overall attitude toward the whole situation and the way he was belittling Yuuji and his sacrifices started to piss me off. I understand that Pheles and Johan could care less about the entire world possibly being destroyed but their appearance only helped reiterate how much I don’t like either of them.

But the icing on the cake of ridiculousness had to be the Volkswagen Bus that came from the ocean. While it became clear just who attacked the three tomogara from episodes ago, I never thought their purpose was to simply provide a get-away vehicle. The thing is I didn’t particularly enjoy how goofy things were getting after that bus appeared. Kazumi being grabbed by a giant hand and then driving off into the night sky? What kind of nonsense is this?! Be it a ploy at trying to ease the tension or break up the monotony, I was really disappointed how out of place the whole thing felt.

At this point, I hope that the story starts to get its head out of its ass. Seeing how Shakugan no Shana has had years to tell its story, I hope that next week’s preview is an indication of things going back on track.

 

Preview

42 Comments

  1. Yeah Johan & Pheles appear to be idiot love bird with power. Everything Johan said seemed to belittle all logic. While I do think there is a place for putting aside everything for the one you love, this certainly is a case that really should be thought out more than Johan’s debatable theory on love and people should really be scared that he would even think of interfering, not because it wont succeed but because it’s boring as a love story….

    Anyway I found it ridiculous to listen to him and wanted to someone to kick their &$$’s lol. For a second I thought it was going to get awesome when it seemed like Shana was going to fight Pheles to protect Yuji, but nope! too bad.

    Hope that the writers have a better philosophical standpoint for these two characters because right now I can’t seem to find any respect in theme at all.

    Shurai
    1. Pheles and Johann were seemingly only needed to throw in the Hannibal lecture about the power of love…
      Also I think the tomogara crew Pheles recruited back then episode earlier are kind of “Transporter” style outfit specialized in moving Tomogara without interference of FH…
      Kazumi not dying is imho both good and bad thing – I really liked her pure unrequitted love, but it seems now she will face a complete heartbreak as Yuji is obviously only concerned with Shana, even if at a sword’s point…

      ewok40k
    1. @Zero: I second you there! Johann should stop appearing in the series, hell why is two treated as some sort of major character? They are MINOR characters, and Johann is a complete dick by lecturing Yuuji for his love, who the hell does he think he is? Is his love for Pheles perfect? Is his love THE only love that everyone should follow? Hell his love is so screwed up that for him its fine to abandon his lover for centuries and reunite in a stupid dramatic way, like wtf? I hope the douche never appears in the series again.

      X
    1. wait wait wait, yes they need to be gotten rid of, but no they are not funny at all. I have always been confused why they are included in the show in the manner that they are. Whenever they show up I feel like I am watching a show written for 7 year olds. If all the humor in the show was on that same level I’d understand (and probably wouldn’t still be watching the show out of sheer annoyance), but they stick out because for the most part the show isn’t that dumbed down. Mini-rant, god I really hate those two characters.

      Foofiebeast
    1. since the section happened i don’t think this is really a spoiler. but from what i gathered from reading the novels, apparently the last person who used that cross was old when they activated it and the person did die. seeing that pheles assumed you would die if used, but then after seeing kazumi not die she then postulated that since she was younger she had enough energy to use the unrestricted spell and not perish. at least that what i gathered.

      so i guess you’re right it was a shitty reason she didn’t die.

      RickyMack
      1. I was sort of expecting Kazumi to either die, or become a Flame Haze with Pheles. It’s disappointing that nothing happened except Kazumi got abducted by some random friendly Guze no Tomogara.

        suff
  2. You guys are acting like Johan and Pheles are out of the picture now.
    Yuuji simply got told by the Eternal Lover because of plans on his mind that he didn’t even tell anybody yet. If Johan had taken the Reiji Maigo, it would have been a death sentence for Yuuji and possibly the whole plan. He just wanted to tease him for good reasons.

    virox
    1. For sure. If you think what Reiji Maigo does, what it did when Hecate merged with Yuuji in Season 1, or was it season 2? Also think of about how much PoE is needed to create a new world, it’s not hard to say that the entire plan is dependent on Reiji Maigo. That being said, I’m surprised they didn’t guard it with more than what they have right now, or is Snake supposed to be enough by itself?

      gungnir
  3. While Johann may have been condescending to Yuuji, he was far from belittling him. He pointed out an important contradiction in Yuuji’s supposedly logical plan: if he’s really doing this gigantic, grand scheme for Shana, then why is he so reluctant to tell her the whole story? He claims to love her, yet doesn’t have any faith that she’ll go along with the whole thing if he does. Yuuji didn’t make the faces he did due to feeling anger, he was frustrated and conflicted because he knew Johann had a point.

    Not to mention, Johann dropped the condescending attitude once he understood that Yuuji actually did think that telling Shana was the best plan, but didn’t want to do it because he wasn’t willing to make the gamble of doing so. After that, it was more like he was trying to give advice than anything. Yes, perhaps throwing in all of your money on the faith that love will make everything work out is naive, but you have to admire the sheer confidence that Johann has in his belief.

  4. While watching this all that was going through my head was “what the hell is happening?” The whole summoning Pheles thing felt like a massive cop out (no dead Kazumi, wtf?), Yuji loses his ability to detect power of existance somehow (I thought everyone with alot of power of existance could do that?). In the end all we learned it that Johan is a dick.

    SortedeVaras
  5. The episode to (unnecesarily) extend a series. That’s the raison d’etrie of this BS. Emo Wilhelmina? Pheles and Johan not helping at all? Shana doing a Louise on Yuuji? Hipsters in a VW? Khamshin joining the nonsense? Now I remember why Johan was such a obnoxious character on this story.

    SeedStriker
  6. It felt like the old Shana we all love was back when she went all emo on Yuuji, too bad Shana didn’t say her trademark “Urusai Urusai Urusai!” on top of her “Baka” this week. lol

    Those three Denizens that provided the getaway vehicle was totally not out of place once you remember that just a few episodes ago, Tanaka himself specifically told Yuuji that he was going to relay all the info he heard from Yuuji to Satou and the rest, and Yuuji did not stop him. That was how Shana knew about Yuuji’s plan with Kazumi, noticed how she was relieved that Kazumi was grabbed by the hippy VW and taken away.

    OTOH, Pheles was secretly assisting Shana and co by personally commissioning those 3 mercenary Denizens to provide stealth transport, which was their specialty, for Shana and co (as well as for herself and Johann) so that they may approach Misaki undetected.

    (So skilled were those 3 in transporting other Denizens in stealth from vigilant Flame Haze hunting them that they were remembered in Japanese folklore as the “Hyakku Yakou”.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyakki_Yagy%C5%8D )

    Though what Pheles did not tell Shana and Wilhelmina was that she was actually staying behind because she had doubts about what Johann was asking her to do, so the entire plan hinges on Kazumi WILLINGLY using the summoning device without fear of possible death.

    So it also makes sense afterwards that Khamsin is bailing out along with them as that seems to be his objective – to distract the Bal Masque army from detecting the getaway car and allowing Kazumi to escape.

    Kinny Riddle
  7. Well I know how you feel about the Engage Link Takaii because I find them annoying as hell too. But there is merit in what Johan said to our not-so-long-ago almighty I-got-everything-planned Yuuji.

    Johan and Pheles are definitely on top lovey-dovey meter and they are willing to risk anything for each other. That’s where I think Yuuji is lacking and what Johan is trying to tell him.

    If he truly cares for Shana, he should tell her what he’s planning, at least having someone to discuss is better than bottle it all inside.

    I think I got a pretty good idea of what he’s trying to do now, linking together the 2nd opening and his regret and Ramie and the amount of power required for the creation of Xanadu and Kazumi.
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Show Spoiler ▼

    gungnir
  8. “But to make things worse, Johan’s overall attitude toward the whole situation and the way he was belittling Yuuji and his sacrifices started to piss me off. I understand that Pheles and Johan could care less about the entire world possibly being destroyed but their appearance only helped reiterate how much I don’t like either of them.”

    @TAKAII: IM WITH YOU HERE! Johan is such a damn hypocrite! How dare he just simply criticize Yuuji’s love for Shana when his love for Pheles is even so stupid that he separated with her for thousands of years and made her go through crap, and simply apologized for it and left without a care in the world as if he didnt regret anything. Johan pissed me off so bad that I wanted Yuji/Serei no hibi to just kill the two right there! What the hell was the point in revealing these two characters? They are USELESS! I feel like they are fodder and should simply be treated as one, I HOPE THAT THEY WONT EVER APPEAR AGAIN!

    X
    1. Your rage is stupid. It’s because they were defeated by Sabrac that Pheles and Johan had to seperate in the first place. He is a mystes, so he’s gotta stay with the Reiji Maigo, or he will run out of PoE and just cease to exist. Pheles tried to free him and the Reiji Maigo in the second season, but Johan told her that she can’t do that yet, that’s why he apologized to her now. He was finally freed now, but left the Reiji Maigo with Yuuji instead of taking it away.

      virox
    2. Like virox said, Johan was near death after Sabrac attacked and had to withdraw into Reiji Maigo to survive. It’s not his fault.

      Also “Yuuji’s love for Shana”, let’s see how has he shown his love so far.
      Show up as the leader of Bal Masque, mind fuck her.
      Physically beat her half to death.
      Lock her up in a cage, so to speak, and take her powers away, not even leaving Alastor with her.
      Keep saying she’ll only get in his way, without even explaining anything to her.
      No response whatsoever after her confession, he could’ve at least relented just a little.

      Ok I don’t know what love means these days, if that’s your definition of love, I suggest you stop watching too much Anime. Not good for your 3D world view.

      gungnir
      1. Oh, he loves her, alright. Most of what he does are sacrifices for the plan to bring her fighting to a stop, so she can break out of this never ending circle that would probably kill her one day. It’s a noble objective, but sacrifices have to be made, and it’s not like he really wanted to beat her up, that’s just the natural outcome when she won’t agree to come by herself… yeah, that sounds cruel, but it was a needed sacrifice. Also, Alastor went with Yuuji by himself, he could have stayed with Shana. And Yuuji always treated Shana like his queen in Bal Masque, minus the one time he pushes her down on the bed.
        It was only mentioned in the anime, but Shana accidentally cut her wrist with one of the swords on the wall while trying to get the power surpressing hougo off, and Yuuji was worried sick during that time. And he also said in this episode that his plan wouldn’t work if there was no resistance, if that translation was correct, meaning that he couldn’t tell Shana everything, especially not the part where he Show Spoiler ▼

        which Johan already knows about.
        So no, I wouldn’t question Yuuji’s feelings, it’s just that he isn’t selfish enough to claim all the good things for himself, despite his actions being cruel, like a tyrant would do. That unintentionally hurts Shana a lot though, as seen in the last episode, her crying was heartbreaking.

        Oh yeah, about the confession, Show Spoiler ▼

        words words words… tl;dr: He loves her, but he is also a bit of an idiot
        On the other hand, would he have come this far if he wasn’t?

        virox
        1. he, not reform, beyond reasons, reform, but rejected, the evil he can’t trust a rapist world-destroyer, he kidnapped poor sweet Shana, no excuse what you have done, unforigvbale

          Jeremy
      2. Perhaps the novel portrayed things in a better light, but in the Anime adaptation he sure as hell isn’t getting my vote.

        Like my other post stated, I think i know what he’s trying to do.
        Show Spoiler ▼

        gungnir
  9. aww.. I was so dissapointed that nothing Interesting happened to Kazumi.. I thought Pheles said she would die because she will become a Flame Haze.. I mean, She is not doing anything to help yuji you know!? urrgghhh.. and I don’t like Pheles for making Wilhelmina upset.. T_T ..

    Virgo
    1. Kazumi becomes an evil villain in the new seasons reboot., season 3 suck or worst, Yuji still an evil jerk traitor unforgivable (Trapped in a villain, be sins all remembered). I want Yuji to return home with his family, homesick.

      Jeremy

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