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 fifth volume Shana and Yuji went through a bunch of training which proved useful during a festival in the city. Some Denizens attack with a zeppelin and in the midst of the chaos Yuji uses his power to aid others while Shana and Margery attack the Professor. The dust settled quickly enough but not before Yoshida told Yuji that she loves him and a person from Shana's past arrives to muck things up.

This sixth and final installment in the series picks up right where the previous one left off. Wilhelmina has arrived with less than favorable intentions but Shana manages to persuade her to not do in Yuji. You see, the world is thrown into chaos and according to Wilhelmina a lot of that has to do with Yuji and his Reiji Maigo treasure (the thing that allows him to continue to exist as a torch). In any even, Shana and Yuji convince her that he'll leave the city in order to restore balance.

The nice thing about Shana from what I have seen so far is the way emotion is worked into each episode. For example in the last volume Yoshida and Yuji had some kind of tender moments and feelings were put on display. The same thing happens with this volume but instead of Yoshida it's Shana expressing herself and what she feels. This helps add depth to the characters which is nice because shows of this style typically feature stagnant development and one-dimensional personalities. You'll really get the impression that these characters are real in some way and the much more serious tone of this volume helps that sensation.

In good Shana form there is a huge battle that leads right up until the end of this volume. Given that I have only seen volumes four and five prior to this one I have to say that this was the biggest conflict in this series. The stakes were higher and the fighting was thusly more intense. If you have been collecting the series you'll be mighty impressed with the way things wrap up here.

Like I have already told you my experience with Shana is relatively limited. I came into the show late and missed a lot of necessary plot exposition and character development. However, from what I have seen I say with certainty that this is one hell of a show. The action is over the top and the characters, though children by comparison, are very interesting. Going back to check out the first three volumes is on my "to do" list but if you have already done that then you know what I'm talking about. Give Shana a try and you're likely to have a good time.

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 final volume of Shana completes the circle and provides the last Naze Nani Shana video. There is also a textless ending for the final episode and some previews. The best inclusions here, however, are two mini episodes called "Shana-tan". These are basically super cute chibi style recreations of Shana and going through various scenes of the show. It's amusing watching different clips of this such as Yuji walking down the street with Shana eating stuff on top of his head.

I honestly wasn't expecting a lot when I picked up the fourth volume of Shana and I certainly wasn't expecting to get hooked. Catching a full volume of the series really drew me in. The gorgeous artwork accompanied by fine writing and some interesting developments really made this one stick in my mind. I'm pleased to say that the rest of the show panned out quite nicely and this final volume gives a fitting send-off for the series (though there are some OVA out there). If you haven't seen it yet, you may just want to give Shana a chance. You may be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

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