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. I came into Shana later than I would have liked with the fourth volume being my first real experience with the show.

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. Ordinary high school student Yuji Sakai gets drawn into the conflict and he actually turns out to be something called a "torch" which is a fragment of the recently dead. He's fortunate because Shana steps up to befriend and protect him.

In the fourth volume Shana finished fighting the pair of incestuous siblings and killed off their weird flowers. While that battle was waging Yuji teamed up with Margery Daw and there was another fight with a big monsters. In the quiet aftermath the show traveled to the past to show some of Shana's story and explain some things about the series. I was left with an overall positive impression of the fourth installment and anxiously awaited the fifth.

This time around everyone is training and romancing after the previous volume. Yuji and Shana are working together to improve the torch's powers and the sub-characters are planning ahead for a festival. Yes, Shana is no different than other anime and the traditional Japanese festival episode does come into play. However, it is somewhat different than you'd expect it would be.

Yuji is asked to the festival by a girl other than Shana but before they get the opportunity to go she is given a special monocle by a strange newcomer. This artifact allows the user to see a torch for what it is and seeing Yuji like this shocks her to say the least. In the middle of the festival a Denizen attacks and chaos is unleashed upon the population. Shana and the big-boobed lady from the last volume fight off some monsters while Yuji uses some of his recently acquired skills from training to help as well.

Before long the real Denizen appears and so does a guy named The Professor who happens to be riding in a zeppelin. Shana has always featured eclectic bad guys but this one in particular takes the cake. Shana goes into battle but the true victor is the newcomer with the orange jacket who summons a giant rock monster to bash the zeppelin out of the sky. At the very end of the volume Shana's maid shows up and some feelings are laid down by Yoshida.

Like I have already told you my experience with Shana is relatively limited. I have seen a few scattered episodes and the entirety of the fourth and fifth volumes to this point. While I don't fully understand everything that's going on or what characters have a relationship I have been reasonably entertained. The action is very smooth here, the writing is decent enough, and there is a definite sense of something bigger at play. If you haven't seen this show yet you should go back to the first volume and check that out. I know I plan on doing that very soon.

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 and blocking 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.

The fifth volume of Shana features similar bonus material to what the fourth offered. Another installment of the Naze Nani Shana video is included along with a textless opening animation and production art gallery.

Shana is an interesting show with a concept that has a lot of promise. This fifth volume doesn't offer the development that the fourth did but it does further the story. Some interesting characters come out of the woodwork as the series begins to wind down and there is quite a lot of action to be had here. Given my limited experience with the show I'm not certain I fully grasped everything that went on here but I liked what I saw. This is one to watch again and have the blanks filled in because, quite honestly, it's a quality program. Recommended

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