Reviews

Feb 23, 2019
This a a four episode OVA which takes place between Seasons 2 and 3. On the whole, it is quite a respectable OVA, so I hope you'll read what I have to say about it.

Story 8/10

The first two episodes were lighthearted and primarily comedy. At the end of both, they had a heartwarming moment revolving around love, the common theme of the series. Both of these episodes are executed well and are exactly how a lighthearted, comedic special should be. Have cute moments, make you laugh a few times, and warm your heart at the end with it's conclusion.

The final two episodes were about Shana right before she met Yuuji. She takes the place of a torch in order to gather more information on a denizen she's hunting. She coldly erases the torch's fading existence and takes its place to do so. She does this while helping the torch's family and friends get some closure on the torch's death.

This final pair of episodes also resonate strongly. One of the strengths of the main story in the original seasons is about existence itself, and what it means to live. Getting to see more of how Shana acted before she met Yuuji was charming to me. She is undeniably cold in her attitude but is also understanding of the dilemma of a torch's existence, given her own circumstances as a flame haze. I think the question of existence and love are two threads that are easy to sympathize with. I would have loved to see more short stories like this involving Shana from the series. It's a good short story, with a bit of action at the climax without being overbearingly long.

In conclusion, considering this is a special, these short stories were rather impressive. But other than Shana, we get no development on anyone else, and nor is there an overarching plot in this OVA. So bear that in mind. For what it was, I was impressed and found my heartstrings tugged on at the end of each episode.

Art-7/10

Certainly not bad by any means, even more so since this is from 2010. I think the one thing that I've never like much about the art from this series is the lighting and mouthing style used makes mouths occasionally look too small while talking, and the lighting choice doesn't make that any easier. But for the 76 total episodes comprised from this special and the 3 seasons, I was only bothered by this a handful of times.

Sound-9/10

Ah, the music in this series is so good! The OST impresses on several levels. One of the better ones out there. The OP and ED are okay-ish. The english dub is respectable too. Particularly impressive given that good dubs were hard to come by before the 2010s. Overall, the sound is the series most consistent aspect.

Character-7/10

If you've seen the previous two seasons, you already know what you're getting into. Personally, I don't find most of the characters in this series particularly interesting, save for a couple of side characters and Shana, the star of the series. Thankfully, Shana plays a big role in all four episodes, and is the center of attention in the final two episodes. She is a big reason why this OVA turned out as well as it did.

Enjoyment- 8/10

Overall this was a very good OVA- one of the better ones you'll find. The music is as exceptional as always. Shana truly shines in her role as the series heroine with these heartwarming short stories. Although there is no overarching plot here or character development for other characters, as an OVA, this worked well for what it was.

Overall- 8/10

Pros:
+Heartwarming short stories
+Shana is a fantastic heroine
+Great OST

Cons:
-Lack of meaningful plot may be a turn off
-Occasionally inconsistent animation
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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