Blending genres is a popular thing these days in the world of anime. So many shows have come out that feature multiple concepts mashed together in an attempt to create something new. Recently I had the chance to watch Yumeria and can honestly say that series in particular didn't handle this process well. Going into Shana I found that the fantasy and realism worked well together and were presented in respectable fashion. This was a show worth paying attention too.

Based on some light novels and manga, the 24 episode series was popular enough in Japan to warrant an OVA and two video game adaptations. Granted that's not a major testament to how the show was received but in my opinion that means it was accepted enough by audiences to make it worth revisiting. My exposure to Shana prior to the fourth volume was rather limited. I had seen a few episodes here and there but was never able to get any semblance of continuity from what I had viewed.

The show follows the exploits of good and evil, or in this case the Flame Haze and Crimson Realm. The denizens from the Crimson Realm are a nasty lot and tend to prey on humanity for their souls and such. They are essentially demons who crave little more than power and their own satisfaction. Up in the heavens exists a group of warriors known as the Flame Haze and they stand as the only force with the ability to stop the Crimson Realm.

When ordinary high school student Yuji Sakai unwittingly gets caught in the middle of a conflict his life changes forever. Well, I say life but it's more like an un-life because Yuji is actually dead. The embodiment of the boy that we see is a "torch" or fragment of the recently deceased. Thanks to a power within him in though he has abilities beyond other torches and can actually stick around if he's careful enough. Luckily for him Shana with her flaming hair and burning eyes steps up to the plate to befriend and protect him. The show chronicles their adventures and shows us a bizarre yet intriguing world.

This fourth volume opens up in the midst of a battle that presumably climaxed at the end of the third installment. Shana is tied up by a magic spell and a city lies in shambles with deadly flowers all over the place. The source of the trouble is apparently a pair of siblings who spend about as much time French kissing as they do trying to hurt Shana. I suppose you have to understand their characters in order to appreciate it, but yeah, it was a little weird. In natural fashion Shana breaks free of the spell and kicks some butt. She's one of the good guys after all!

In the meantime Yuji has teamed up with Margery Daw who is apparently another Flame Haze. In good form there is some more fighting with some confusing (to someone that is just joining the series) bits tossed in. If you've been following the show you'll no doubt understand what's going on more than I. After the dust settles this volume sets forth to explain some back story and give us some insight into Shana's origins.

Living high above the Earth on a floating chunk of land, Shana was a fledgling trainee who was never quick enough in combat. When tough times land she embodies the power of Alastor, who is basically the fiery leader of all things, good and evil (or so it seems). She becomes the Flame Haze and sets forth to destroy the Denizens that are out to destroy humanity. There are some cool moments involving her background and plenty of fights throughout. I especially liked the way she came about wielding her katana, Nietono no Shana.

While my experience with Shana has been relatively limited (this volume and a few episodes) I've had a good time with the show. The characters are interesting enough, the world is cool enough, and the battles are intense enough to make it worth watching. If you have been following the show up to this point then you are undoubtedly going to be picking up this volume. The four episodes here tend to feel a little slow in pace but ultimately tell a decent tale. I'm definitely interested in checking out the rest of the show.

The anamorphic transfer for Shana is impressive mostly thanks to the show's recent production. With bright colors and a great deal of contrast the series absolutely pops in just about every frame. Compression was minimal on this volume though there was quite a bit of grain throughout most of the darker scenes. There really was no aliasing to speak of and the picture remained sharp. This is a nice looking show with some fantastic artwork to accompany the fine transfer.

While the video quality in Shana impresses, the audio certainly doesn't go the extra mile. With only 2.0 stereo language tracks for English and Japanese the sense of immersion that you get from most big release anime is nonexistent. The quality that you'll find in both tracks is pretty decent though and the dubs are equally appealing. The show sounds on par with how you'd expect a stereo program to and doesn't offer a lot of range in the audio.

Shana's fourth volume offer some supplemental features and though they are lackluster they are on par with what you'd get from most series. A few previews for other Geneon shows, a textless ending animation, a production art gallery, and a neat little video called Naze Nani Shana which basically describes some stuff in the show.

Shana is an interesting show with a concept that has a lot of promise. The fourth volume offers up a fair amount of action and history behind the show but does falter in the pacing department in a few spots. Still, if the rest of the series is as intriguing as this installment this is definitely a series worth checking out. Recommended

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