Due to the incessant bugging of some, here is a new post on an old series I’ve just finished watching: Shakugan no Shana.

Yuji

Yuji Sakai, the male lead of the story, was just an average high schooler until he was attacked by a Rinne. Although he was saved by Shana, his life was turned upside down when he realized that he was already dead as a human, and currently exists as a “Torch”. A Torch is a mere replacement, a remainder of one’s human form. When the power of existence of a torch runs out, it disappears as if it had never existed.

However, Yuji was a special torch. He was a “Mystes”, a torch containing a treasure. Coincidentally, the treasure inside Yuji was Reiji Maigo, which replenishes his power of existence every midnight. As the container of Reiji Maigo, Yuji is effectively immortal as long as his power of existence does not run out before midnight. If fallen into the wrong hands, however, the Reiji Maigo can bring chaos to the world.

Shana

Charged with the duty of preserving the balance of the world, Shana decides to protect Yuji from Tomogara and the Crimson Denizens.  She takes on the form of Yukari Hirai, a torch who had perished after the fight.  She is bound to Alastor, Flame of Heavens, and her title is “Slayer with Flaming Hair and Blazing Eyes”, a famous title previously held by a brave female flame haze.

Initially, she views Yuji as an object, and refers to herself as a mere flame haze. However, she gradually opens up to Yuji and begins to see him as a person, and eventually falls in love with him. She loves melon bread and eats it everyday.

Along the course of the story, she defeats various Tomogara such as Friagne, Sorath and Tyrael, and learns that Yuji is , shockingly, her key to every battle, motivating her to gain seemingly endless amounts of power. She has strong feelings for Yuji, but is unable to express them.

Shana fighting against the barrier of Hecate

 

Hecate

Towards the end of the story, Yuji was captured by the Bal Masque, an organization of Tomogara. By synchronizing Yuji with Hecate, the Reiji Maigo began to pour out endless amounts of power of existence, enough to engulf the entire town in chaos. To stop the devastation, Yuji would have to be killed. Torn between her duty as a Flame Haze and her feelings about Yuji, Shana, together with Wilhelmina Carmel and Margery Daw, penetrates the base of the Bal Masque and aids Yuji in defeating Hecate.

Wilhelmina Carmel (left), Margery Daw (right)

However, the power of existence was overflowing into the city, and would result in unrepairable destruction if left unattended. In order to repair the city and stop the destruction, Shana decides to sacrifice herself by summoning Alastor with the spell Tenpa Jyousai.

Before the sacrifice, she confessed her feelings to Yuji, something she wasn’t able to do before, and Yuji offers to die along with her, pointing out that he had made this decision a long time ago.

Casting Tenpa Jyousai – Shana’s brave sacrifice

But seriously, did you think they would actually allow the main characters to die?  No.  Shana survives thanks to her incredible amount power of existence capacity and Yuji is protected by an anti-flame ring.   A dramatic end to one of the best series.

Rating: 10/10 (Watch it).

Other characters:

Kazumi Yoshida: A girl who has a crush on Yuji, and declared herself as a rival to Shana.  Towards the end of the series, she finds out that Yuji is a torch and finally tells Yuji her feelings.  An indecisive girl who has an Orihime-like personality.

Yukari Hirai: Although she only appeared in the first few episodes, she left a deep impression on me.  She also took part in the battle at the start of the series, but she was just an ordinary Torch, and therefore perished soon after.

Alastor: A crimson lord in the shape of a pendant.  He is bound to Shana and is considered one of the strongest lords in the Crimson Realm.  Alastor tries to control Shana’s emotions but eventually accepts and supports them.

Margery Daw: Another Flame Haze who originally appeared as Shana’s enemy, known as the “Interpretor of Condolence”.  She has two loyal subordinates, Eita and Keisaku, and both happen to be Yuji’s classmates.  After being defeated by Shana, she turns over a new leaf and vows to protect the balance as a Flame Haze.  Without her help, Wilhelmina and Shana would have perished in the Bal Masque.  She is bound to Marchosias, another crimson lord in the shape of a book.

Wilhelmina Carmel: Shana’s tutor.  She speaks very formally and always has a maid uniform on.  Known as the “Manipulator of Objects”, she is bound to Tiamat and uses ribbons as weapons.  Although cold on the outside, she truly cares the Shana.

Khamsin: An extremely powerful Flame Haze bound to Behemoth, he showed the truth of the world to Yoshida.