Watching the first two seasons, I found myself enjoying Shakugan no Shana very much. The story and character development, along with the romantic tones, were very well structured. It was something I was hoping for in this anime, and it lived up to my expectations quite well.
The third season, however, changed this, if only a tad. The random change to Sakai Yuji's position in the show was not only very unexpected but was something I rather disliked. I found myself halfway through the season and extremely bored at times. I actually ended up only watching a single episode, if that, when I went to watch.
Towards the end of the final season I still found myself bored at times but it became far more enjoyable. The final few episodes made for a great end to the series, with large battles, the defeat of some really annoying characters (The Professor for example) and a resolution to the lover's quarrel between Yuji and Shana in the final moments of the final episode. The final two episodes unexpectedly became a huge redeemer to my overall disappointment in the final season.
I would highly recommend this show to anyone willing to watch. If you prefer to skip out on the frustration of the final season, the end of the second season is almost a perfect place to stop. That being said, I'm a guy who likes to see things to the end if I can.
First season: 8/10
Second season: 8/10
Third season: 7/10 (It would honestly rank as a 6.5, but I prefer whole numbers)
