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Sunday, 01 April 2007 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | GENEON ENTERTAINMENT | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 100 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | 13UP | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 03/20/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 04/02/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Right on top of last volumes cliff-hanger, Shana has been captured by the terrible, and disturbing, Crimson Denizen siblings who want her sword, the Nietono no Shana. Elsewhere, Yuji races to find the core of their power hidden within the frozen city, and Margery has decided to enter into the fight, facing off with a third mysterious Denizen.
With battles erupting on three different fronts and the danger so high, this is one of the most exciting set of action sequences in the anime series so far. Interesting alliances are made and a few clues to Margery’s past and her goals are revealed. Only clues though, nothing really concrete gets unveiled. The big fight of course is Shana’s which features more of the stellar animation this series holds. Her battle also leads her to her own self-realizations about her feelings towards Yuji. But could it be too late as each of the heroes face possible death at the hands of these three particularly dastardly Crimson Denizens?
Curiously, now that we’re past the halfway mark in the series, the anime moves away from the present and in the next three episodes of this volume, focuses on Shana’s past. Actual views of the Crimson World and life with the Flame Hazes are seen here. Shana’s past was surprisingly ideal, all things considered, especially in light of her tough-as-nails attitude in the present. Through a series of events, it is revealed how Shana first became a Flame Haze, her first and only friends, how she first made her pact with Alastor to become the Flame of the Heavens, obtain the Nietono no Shana, and begin her life as the Flame-Haired, Burning-Eyed Hunter.
This arc dealing with Shana’s past plays out strongly like a sword and sorcery fantasy story. It does, however, have one of the most unsettling screams I’ve ever heard in the English dubbed version of the episodes. It will be curious to see if some of the people introduced in this arc will show up later in the final two volumes of the series, or if this was a detailed look into her past to better emphasize with Shana in the present. This volume also introduces a new ending song which is almost an equally attractive ballad as its predecessor.
EXTRAS:
Bonus features include reverse cover art, Geneon previews, production art gallery, clean ending version 2, and an all new Naze Nani Shana video which is an omake styled animated short humorously done to provide viewers with information about the world of the Crimson Denizens done by a chibi-fied Friagne and Marianne.
IN SUMMARY:
In the latest volume of Shana, a battle on three fronts is fought with who will win still uncertain. Later, a new arc reveals Shana’s surprising beginnings. Shana is a thrilling fantasy series. This latest volume is filled with more action than ever.
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