灼眼のシャナⅢ（Final）Episode 01
Shakugan no Shana III (Final) – 01

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Within the Crimson Realm, a war is waging and Shana faces a hoard of monsters and begins slaughtering them. However, as she looks up to a fortress on a hill (Seirei-den?), she sees Yuuji there, looking very much like a Crimson Lord.  He explains that back on the Christmas Eve at the opening of the clock tower at the Misaki Station, when he came to see Shana, he choose her over Kazumi. However, Shana excitement to see him back then is taken from her when she sees him disappear.  She races to the spot where he was standing, but his footprints in the snow just stop, leaving no trace of Yuuji at all.

After Yuuji’s disappearance, Shana starts stopping by the Sakai home to get in some sword training and spend time with Yuuji’s pregnant mother, Chigusa. Shana notices Yuuji’s missing cup, a sign that as a Torch, his existence has ended. At school, Yuuji’s shoe locker is now someone else’s, and she too understands that Yuuji is no longer alive. Arriving at the classroom, no one remembers Yuuji, but when Shana arrives and sees someone in Yuuji’s desk, Kazumi recalls that Christmas Eve when she tearfully knew that Yuuji had chosen Shana over her, only to have a frantic Shana race in and fly her to Yuuji’s home as his stuff disappears. However, the two letters the girls had sent to him are all that remain, giving them hope of his continued existence somewhere.

At some point, Yuuji is having a conversation with someone about Flame Haze and the Guze no Tomogara and the endless war they have. Yuuji wonders if there is something that can be done, but he’s assured that nothing can be done. Meanwhile, Margery Daw has a chat with Marchosias regarding Yuuji’s disappearance and Shana’s belief that Yuuji’s alive. Since Margery has her own plans, she has dispatched Satou to deliver a package to Outlaw.  Satou encounters Tanaka right after Tanaka says goodbye to Ogata and the two chat. Tanaka wants to help, but remembering what happened to Ogata, he wants to keep his distance so as to protect her.

Elsewhere, Wilhelmina is researching with Tiamat and as she expressed to Margery, she believes Bal Masqué are behind the disappearance of Yuuji and other events as they’ve always been unusually interested in the Hougu Yuuji has, Reiji Maigo. Shana comes home and learns that there is no new news outside of attacks on Outlaw installations. Wilhelmina suggest Shana write to the Envoy of Tremor, Sophie Sawallish. Shana agrees and as she thinks about the letters she and Kazumi got back, their thread of hope, she decides to tell Sophie everything that has transpired.

Yuuji is again having a conversation with the Silver flame and wondering what to do.  Meanwhile, Shana is in a Fuzetsu, training with Margery Daw on Unrestricted Spells as Wilhelmina and Satou observe.  Although she has improved greatly in Margery’s specialty, Shana is not satisfied, wanting to be stronger in order to be prepared for anything.  Back with Yuuji, he wants to change and the being he communes with merges with him. Thus, Yuuji becomes the leader of Bal Masqué.  Hecate, Bel Peol, and Fecor follow him to a throne room, where only Hecate proceeds part way up the steps before kneeling like the others. With that, Yuuji gives his first order.

Thoughts/Review:

I have to say, it is really nice to be back in the world of Shakugan no Shana, especially since the light novels recently concluded and this anime series will apparently adapt things through the end of the light novels (though what, if anything, is left out, I couldn’t say).

The surprise is Yuuji.  I didn’t expect him to be someone facing Shana in some war setting. I’ve been trying to remember the previous series and I’d guess Yuuji was influenced by the Silver and thus transformed. Why he’d do this is not clear to me though. After all, he’s fought against Bal Masqué before and now is part of them.

With the anime basically showing us what happened to Yuuji from the start, the flashback showing Shana doing her training and expressing her belief in Yuuji being alive isn’t a complete waste of time, but I think it loses some impact. For me, having Yuuji’s disappearance and apparent life be a mystery would continue the mysteries from the earlier anime series.  Oh well; I still like what I’ve seen so far.

While I may have been disappointed with spoiling Yuuji’s whereabouts, I do like how the rest of the anime went. The script made sure to introduce all of the major players and supporting cast.  At the same time, plenty was shown from the last episode in the storyline to refresh my memory and get me back up to speed for the new series.  I will admit to feeling bad for Kazumi at losing out to Shana though.

Oh, speaking of Kazumi, she still has that Houga given to her that will summon Pheles at the cost of her own life. Since that was shown here and considering Yuuji has gone to the dark side, I am afraid that Kazumi will end up dying. 🙁

Interesting that Shana felt the need to train with Margery. I look forward to seeing her progress there and learn about her relationship with the new character, Sophie.

In the end, the episode is overall good with plenty of groundwork laid for whatever is to come. I’m REALLY looking forward to having some answers to the questions the franchise has raised from the start.