かんなぎ Episode 13 (final episode)
Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens 13
Kannagi 13 (finale)

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

After the audience is shown that Nagi is staying with the family that runs the Kannagi Shrine, Jin is shown to still be very depressed and upset over things, even telling Tsugumi it is none of her business where Nagi is. Shino and Takako inquire of Tsugumi to find out what happened with Nagi and why Jin is so down and out. They won’t talk to him themselves but after talking with Tsugumi, they realize that this is none of their business. Tsugumi ponders over this and after school, decides to wait for Jin. At a nearby park, Tsugumi goes off on Jin for basically abandoning Nagi, stating that it is obvious to her that Nagi wants Jin to come find her.

After Tsugumi gets through telling him off, Jin realizes she is right and takes off on his bicycle to try to find Nagi. Tsugumi goes home, where she pulls up the Nagi-sama website and calls Jin to let him know where Nagi has been spotted in town. Eventually, this leads Jin to the river where he finds Nagi standing on the bank dressed in black. She tries to leave, but Jin grabs her. Jin tells her that it is OK that she doesn’t remember everything and that it was Nagi visiting him as a child that made him what he is today. He promises to find the answers with her. Nagi has a good cry but they’ve made up.

As Nagi is using tissues to wipe away her tears, a young woman in a kimono named Shige shows up, glad that Nagi found her family finally. Shige sees Jin and immediately recognizes him, telling Jin that she can tell him more if he wishes. Jin is confused, but Shige is very happy and takes him by the arm. She points out some areas and talks about the past, asking Nagi (whom she addresses as “Kannagi-sama”) if she remembers some of these things. Nagi says she does and even speaks of them some. Shige talks of how Kannagi-sama prevented Shige from hanging herself after Shige learned that her husband had been killed in the fighting during World War II. Shige then speaks of her happiness to have met Kannagi-sama again, and the audience is shown a scene with Nagi hugging the elderly lady that Jin met from before.

After Shige leaves them, Nagi tells the puzzled Jin that she is from the first family of her followers — the Kamimori family (god-protector). With that, Nagi takes Jin to where a memorial for Shige is being held. Jin tells Nagi that this is difficult to understand, which Nagi understands. She wonders if it is OK to refer to herself as a kami and starts to falter again, but Jin takes her by the hand and encourages her, reminding her that they’ll have to keep searching for the answers. They walk home holding hands and this is seen and reported on the Nagi-sama board. They return to Jin’s home where there are messages, including one from Shino and Takako reminding them not to take the reconciliation too far.

Nagi goes to take a bath and suddenly, this bothers Jin in a way it hadn’t before as he becomes very flushed and “excited” over this, especially if he thinks about it. So, he turns on the TV to take his mind of things, where Zange-chan is promoting her new CD. Jin starts pacing to burn off energy and Nagi finishes her bath. However, Nagi realizes she didn’t bring a change of clothing into the bathroom. So, she puts on a towel and tries to sneak out, but is seen by Jin anyway. She tries to run away, but trips and when Jin tries to catch her, she ends up on her back on the floor with Jin on his hands in knees above her. It is this that Tsugumi comes in to find, causing her to go into shock before fleeing. Jin starts to explain but Nagi goes off on him, even whacking him with a frying pan while Tsugumi runs away, wondering why she’s crying.

Thoughts/Review:

I had wondered how the series could possibly recover its great comedy aspects when the story had become serious with Nagi’s having left Jin and so many things about her remaining a mystery. The end of the episode quickly put that question to rest with the cliched half-naked girl haven fallen on the ground and the hapless boy having fallen on top of her or over her (we saw that a lot in Love Hina for example). Nagi’s going off on Jin was the non-depressed, self-confident Nagi of old, so should there be a sequel series (and I really hope there is one), providing the same production team stays in place, I expect we’ll see more great comedy.

Anyway, while it was immediately clear that Shige was the elderly woman that Jin had spoken to about “Kannagi-sama,” what was interesting to me is that to her, Nagi isn’t “Nagi” but “Kannagi-sama.” When Nagi stated that some of what Shige said happened before Shige died is something Nagi can’t remember, I began to think back to these other moments when Nagi becomes kami-like. Maybe the reason Nagi can’t remember much is because she’s from a piece of the Kannagi tree. As such, she’s a personality that exists based on the limitations of that form, but “Kannagi-sama” is the true deity and because Kannagi is so powerful, Nagi cannot support that form of herself for long, thus losing consciousness immediately after losing that form. To be able to support the Kannagi form for a longer period, Nagi would need more supporters I’d think in order to have the power required.

So a really enjoyable episode for me with plenty of material to explore in a sequel series as well as plenty more comedic moments to exploit.