Shikabane Hime: Kuro Episode 12 Discussion

Sintaku said:
Ending it in a middle of a fight? Psssh... I am very disappointed.

Although it seems quite clear who was going to win the battle. Would have been better if they cut out the last bit and made them both enter the house.

Gen2K_ said:
A fine example of how end an anime series in the worst way possible. It's like the series itself just said "I'm done" and left.

noteDhero said:
Terrible. I don't have words for how terrible this was. It's bad enough that they couldn't stick to a single rule they made in this universe, but to not actually end the show when episode 13 of Aka was a recap is flat out ridiculous. Honestly this is one of the worst endings I've seen in recent memory.

2/10 for the whole fucking show.

firstblood said:
p.s i liked the show overall but its was pretty dissapointing to see the unrequited love between Ouji to Makina all the show without any change.

firstblood said:
everything has been said about the ending, terrible, i watched over pretty 275+ animes and this one is easily in the top 3, i was not asking for a kiss or something cute, BUT THIS? even its bad for a cliffhanger

p.s i liked the show overall but its was pretty dissapointing to see the unrequited love between Ouji to Makina all the show without any change. this kind of thing can happen to secondary characters for a short time, but its not really a good thing when you apply this all the show to the Mc without any change at all

ScarletGensokyo said:
You guys don't get it do you? The ending was great.
Pretty much everything is already resolved.

The creation of Shikabane Himes is something that the original founder did and was kept around as a scripture.
That's the only way the Kougon sect knows and it's not some mysterious power that the Dai Sojo has.
Akasha used the original scriptures with that technique and that's how he made Hokuto a Shikabane Hime.


The issue about En. En is literally a bond and that's exactly how their started getting their runes again. Originally it was held by the first hime as a catalyst but just as stated in the show, just because you break off a bond once it doesn't mean you can't reform it again and again.
Especially with our characters that are that close to each other. Yes power of friendship and what not but it checks out this time. Doesn't defy the logic in the series.


The main antagonist of this series was not the Shichisei but rather the secrets behind the Shikabanes and the Shikabane himes.
The issue was that the Kougon sect was lying to all the Monks and their himes about the 108 kills and ascending to Heaven.

You are only complaining about that not being resolved because you don't want to accept it.
To those asking about the fates of the Shikabane Hime - Itsuki, Flesh, Saki, Kamika and Makina are just trying to avoid the only conclusion.

You say that the flawed practice, the lie of the Kougon sect wasn't solved and that the himes are still being lied to and will eventually become shikabanes again after 108 kills right?
Yes. That's exactly how it is. We were shown Sadahiro inheriting the previous Gon-Dai Sojo's post as the keeper/enforcer of the dirty secrets for a reason.

The practice is flawed but necessary, there's nothing they can do about it so there is only one way for this to go. Shikabanes ironically are in a sense part of nature's occurrences and so they will always be born. Hence they need the himes to eliminate them. Two sides of the same coin.

All of the characters will eventually, if not now, either reach their kill limit becoming destroyers shikabanes and locked inside the coffins as 'going to Heaven' or being assassinated/executed before they turn.

There is no happy ending but it isn't necessary a sad one. In my opinion the whole show's premise is about the inevitability of things. It's somewhat a tale about acceptance.
Just like how death is inevitable(brought up multiple times in the show), so is the nature of many other things.

But just like Makina said in the last parts. You cannot escape death, but you can fight it.
Shikabane himes cannot escape their sorrowful end but the special inspectors can help them go towards it with dignity.

Struggle. To live is to struggle, the world is a crappy place but that's exactly what living is about.
It's not simply about staying alive and being an eternal corpse. So our characters will definitely, without fail head towards their death just as all the others have done so before them.


The conclusion of the fight between Hokuto and Makina will not add anything else to the story so it is perfect that it ended there.
It doesn't matter whether Makina is the one to kill Hokuto or Hokuto, Makina.
The ending fight was to show us the decision and determination that Makina made. To fight despite knowing that this path would lead to her demise.

Because doing that is what makes her feel alive. That's her way of living.



I agree that the issue with Hokuto isn't very well done. I know it sounds stupid but her character isn't fleshed out at all. She has no motivation or anything like that. Just like what her character is supposed to be I guess.

So maybe that's why but I feel like Hokuto can't die, shouldn't die. I was pleased that they didn't kill her off at the end. To die before having anything, the same way as she was killed when she was alive is just pointless and sad.

It goes with Makina saying that she'll make Hokuto remember and realize that she, too is human and has emotions, wants and regrets.


So I guess in the end it's a very Gainax type of ending?

tl;dr: Nothing changes. Shikabanes hime will die and more will be born. Life goes on and that's just how it is because it can't be helped.

aero said:
Lol, it's not even a cliff hanger ending. Just a cut off ending which is worse.

Saorin said:
The show's premise wasn't bad, but it didn't really manage to bring out the full potential the material could have had.

FullmetalCarrot said:
Pretty good series up till the end. The ending was bullshit.