Shakugan no Shana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shakugan no Shana | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 灼眼のシャナ (Shakugan no Shana) |
|
| Genre | Drama, Fantasy, School life |
| Light novel | |
| Authored by | Yashichiro Takahashi |
| Artist | Noizi Ito |
| Publisher |  Media Works Viz Media |
| Publish date | November 10, 2002 |
| No. of volumes | 15 |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Yashichiro Takahashi (original creator) Noizi Ito (original character design) Ayato Sasakura (art) |
| Publisher | Media Works Viz Media |
| Serialized in | Dengeki Daioh |
| Original run | February 1, 2005 – |
| No. of volumes | 2 |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Takashi Watanabe |
| Studio | J.C.STAFF, Namco Geneon |
| Network | Animax, MBS, TVA, TV Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Namco |
| Original run | October 5, 2005 – March 22, 2006 |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Game | |
| Developer | MediaWorks |
| Publisher | MediaWorks |
| Genre | ADV |
| Rating | Ages 12 and up |
| Platform | PlayStation 2 |
| Released | March 23, 2006 |
| OVA: Shakugan no Shana Tokubetsuhen: Koi to Onsen no Kougai Gakushuu! | |
| Directed by | Takashi Watanabe |
| Studio | J.C.STAFF |
| No. of episodes | 1 |
| Released | December 8, 2006 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Game: Shakugan no Shana DS | |
| Developer | MediaWorks |
| Publisher | MediaWorks |
| Genre | ADV |
| Rating | Ages 12 and up |
| Platform | Nintendo DS |
| Released | March 29, 2007[1] |
| Movie | |
| Directed by | Takashi Watanabe |
| Studio | J.C.STAFF |
| Released | April 2007 |
| Runtime | |
Shakugan no Shana (灼眼のシャナ? lit. Shana of the Burning Eyes, also known simply as Shana) is a series of Japanese light novels and related media works written by Japanese novelist Yashichiro Takahashi and illustrated by Noizi Ito centering around Yuji Sakai, an ordinary Japanese high school boy who inadvertently becomes involved in a perpetual war between forces of balance and imbalance in existence. In the process, he befriends the title character: a fighter for the balancing force, whom he takes to calling "Shana". The series incorporates science fiction, fantasy, and slice-of-life "school days" elements into its tale.
Since the series' inception, it has spawned a wide range of media, ranging from printed prose, to a manga and even multiple anime adaptations. Shakugan no Shana began as a light novel series first serialized under the seinen label Dengeki Bunko published by Media Works with the first complete novel being released on November 10, 2002 in Japan. In time, the series gained popularity and a manga was created based on the series with art by Ayato Sasakura. It was first serialized in the manga magazine Dengeki Daioh, also published by Media Works, on February 1, 2005. An anime version was quickly adapted which aired between October 5, 2005 and March 22, 2006 by the animation studio J.C.STAFF and contained 24 episodes in total. Following the conclusion of the anime series, a Playstation 2 video game, developed and published by Media Works, was released in Japan on March 23, 2006. A second video game for the Nintendo DS is planned for release on March 29, 2007, also developed and published by Media Works. Additional anime adaptations include a 30 minute OVA which was released on December 8, 2006 and a movie which will be released in April 2007.
Viz Media announced at Comic-Con 2006 that they have licensed the right to release the English translations of both the Shakugan no Shana light novels and the manga series.[2] Additionally, Geneon has licensed the anime series in America[3] and the first DVD was released on September 5, 2006.[4]
Both the light novel and manga are currently being released in Japan. So far, there have been fifteen light novels and two manga volumes.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
| Infinite time stops its heartbeat, and people are soundlessly consumed by fire. Not a single soul notices as the world becomes dislocated, and is engulfed in the flames of the Crimson Realm. | ||
|
— Alastor
|
| 無限の時が鼓動を止め、人は音も無く炎上する。誰一人気付く者も無く、世界は外れ、紅世の炎に包まれる・・・ | ||
|
— 天壌の劫火 アラストール
|
Yuji Sakai, a high school student, expected his very normal life to last forever. However, this expectation is quickly shattered one day while on his way home.
The world suddenly freezes in time, leaving Yuji to watch in horror as blue flames engulf the people around him. Soon a monster resembling a large doll appears and begins sucking the flames into its mouth, until it notices Yuji. Surprised with Yuji's insusceptibility to the time-stop, it jumps with glee.
Just as the monster prepares to consume Yuji, a sword-wielding girl in black attire with flaming red eyes and hair that burns like embers appears, swiftly and confidently destroying the monster, before noticing Yuji moving freely. The girl calls herself a "Flame Haze" who hunts the "Denizens of the Crimson Realm" and the "Rinne" they send to do their bidding. When Yuji notices a blue flame in his chest, the Flame Haze tells him that the "real" Yuji died some time ago, and that he is a "Torch", a temporary replacement for erased humans. Torches take on the forms of those erased persons, but after a period of time, they will vanish from existence and the memories of the living. Unfazed by his apparent death, Yuji befriends the strange girl and names her "Shana" after her sword. Expecting Yuji to slowly fade away like all other Torches do, Shana is surprised to find that Yuji is not a normal Torch, but instead a special kind called a "Mystes": he has a Treasure inside him, and an extremely powerful and valuable one at that. Shana resolves to protect Yuji from the Denizens, who would use the Treasure to disrupt the balance of the world, and Yuji decides to join Shana in her fight.
Shana's fight is actually a long-standing struggle between the Lords and Denizens of the Crimson Realm. The Denizens steal Power of Existence, the energy that forms the basis of the world, from living people and utilize it for their own selfish ambitions. Lords are the mortal enemies of Denizens, and utilize Flame Hazes to attempt to retain balance. Thus, the Flame Hazes create Torches in the image of the dead in order to relieve the strain on reality resulting from the actions of the Denizens.
During their time together, though, Shana and Yuji both begin to realize that their affection for each other is more then friends. During Shana's numerous battles with the Flame Haze she has come to realize that whenever Yuji is close and cares about her, her powers increase, thus awakening the Flame inside her.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Humans and Mystes
- Yuji Sakai (坂井悠二 Sakai Yūji?) (Mystes)
- The main character of the story. He is just an average high school student, but his world is turned upside down when he discovers he is already dead and hasn't long before he disappears. However, he is a Mystes, and unlike normal torches the treasure inside him restores his Power of Existence every night at midnight. Yuji's treasure is called Reiji Maigo (零時迷子? "Midnight Stray Child"). With Reiji Maigo, Yuji has the possibility to live on like an average human as long as he makes sure his Power of Existence does not run out before midnight. He also starts to learn more and more to use the yet untapped potential of the treasure kept within him.
- Yuji is kind and the type of person to put others before himself. This often draws much confusion and sometimes great annoyance from Shana, as prior torches of Shana's experience exhibited selfish attitudes. However, the compassion and empathy Yuji displays also sow the seeds of attraction between him and Shana.
- Voiced by: Satoshi Hino (Japanese), Kristian Ayre (English)
- Kazumi Yoshida (吉田一美 Yoshida Kazumi?)
- Yuji's classmate. She has a crush on him, but is a bit shy to directly tell him. She has now vowed to tell him her feelings and let Yuji decide between her and Shana, when Shana becomes her love-rival. Named after Shigeru Yoshida.
- Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (Japanese), Chantal Strand (English)
- Hayato Ike (池速人 Ike Hayato?)
- Yuji's friend since Junior High School. Carries the title "Megane-man" ("Glasses Man"). He is secretly fond of Yoshida. However, as Yuji's loyal (and best) friend, he is the one who helps her to show her feelings toward Yuji. He is named after Hayato Ikeda.
- Voiced by: Hirofumi Nojima (Japanese), Matthew Erickson (English)
- Chigusa Sakai (坂井千草 Sakai Chigusa?)
- Yuji's mother. She can seem gentle but she's strong and very intelligent. Her husband, Kantaro, works outside the country. Chigusa remains ignorant of Shana's and Yuji's true nature, but becomes a source of good advice for Shana on matters where Alastor can not counsel her. The Crimson Lord himself acknowledges and bows to her wisdom after a phone call between the two of them when he posed as Shana's father.
- Voiced by: Tomo Sakurai
- Eita Tanaka (田中栄太 Tanaka Eita?)
- A well-built classmate of Yuji's. He, as well as Keisaku, shows respect, admiration and affection toward Margery as an "ane-san" (respectable elder sister), but his feelings are more apparent than Keisaku's. Named after Kakuei Tanaka.
- Voiced by: Takayuki Kondou (Japanese), Alistair Abell (English)
- Keisaku Sato (佐藤啓作 Satō Keisaku?)
- Eita's friend and class-skipping companion. Being a member of a wealthy family and independent of his parents, his house becomes a place for Eita and Margery to stay. He and Eita like Margery, but he hides his feelings, although when betrayed by Margery, he displayed emotions even more powerful than Eita's. Named after Eisaku Sato.
- Voiced by: Kenji Nojima (Japanese), Brad Swaile (English)
- Matake Ogata (緒方真竹 Ogata Matake?)
- Yuji's classmate. Matake is a strong-willed physically active girl, as well as a bit of a tomboy. She also has feelings for Eita, and worries about his well-being. Named after Taketora Ogata.
- Voiced by: Yumiko Kobayashi
- Kantaro Sakai (坂井貫太郎 Sakai Kantarō?)
- Yuuji's father.
- Yukari Hirai (平井ゆかり Hirai Yukari?)
- Yuji's classmate. She likes Ike (Yuji's friend) but she dies when a Rinne appears on her way home. Shana makes a Torch of Yukari on that very same day. Unfortunately, her flame burns out on the next day and she disappears as a result. The fading of her existence teaches Yuji some very valuable lessons about both the world around him, and his own inability to affect it. Shana uses the remains of Yukari's existence as an illusion to shift the perception of other's identification of Yukari Hirai to herself (others see her as Yukari Hirai, but she does not visually look like Yukari Hirai).
- Voiced by: Masumi Asano
- Tenmoku Ikko (天目一個? "The One Celestial Eye") (Mystes)
- A Mystes known as "the worst Mystes in history" or "monster torch", he is a huge man wearing samurai armor and one-eyed Oni mask. Tenmoku Ikko was a man who became Mystes of his own will so he could find the strongest person who he could entrust the treasure Nietono no Shana to - a sword made to destroy Crimson Denizens. In the anime, Tenmoku Ikko ironically reverses the usual order of things by consuming a Crimson Denizen, possibly to empower himself - or simply to end an annoying interference with Tenmoku Ikko's desire to face 'a strong one'. After Shana defeats him with a daring attack, she receives the Nietono no Shana.
- Voiced by: Takayuki Sugo
[edit] Flame Hazes and Lords of the Crimson Realm
- Shana (シャナ?) / "Slayer with Flaming Hair and Blazing Eyes" (「炎髪灼眼の討ち手」 "Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite"?) (Flame Haze)
- The female lead of the show and a Flame Haze. Initially she is concentrated solely on her duty as a Flame Haze, going as far as to not bearing even a name. She sees Yuji only as a Torch, an object, marginally interesting because of his status as a Mystes. However, she slowly opens up to Yuji, coming to think of him as a person, despite being a Torch, and eventually comes to love him. Until she met Yuji, she was identified by only her Flame Haze title "Slayer with Flaming Hair and Blazing Eyes," or her sword, Nietono no Shana (贄殿遮那? "Vairocana of the Offering Room"). Yuji, in his need to humanize her, chose to name her "Shana" after her sword. Shana has a habit of saying "Urusai!" ("Shut up!") three times in a row whenever Yuji asks her questions or makes remarks that disturb her original worldview. But in reality they really love each other.
- Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (Japanese), Tabitha St. Germain (English)
- Alastor (アラストール Arasutōru?) / "Conflagration upon Heaven and Earth" (「天壌の劫火」 "Tenjō no Gōka"?) (Lord of the Crimson Realm)
- He is the Lord of the Crimson Realm to whom Shana is bound. He expresses his will through a divine vessel called the Cocytus, which (in Shana's case) takes the form of a pendant. His name is actually the name of a demon in mythology.
- Alastor is considered to be the strongest of all Lords or Denizens, even comparable to a god in the Crimson Realm. But even so, he tries to keep the Denizens from consuming Power of Existence. Unlike other lords that have a Flame Haze, his contractor can perform a method called Tenpa Josai, which requires a lot of Power of Existence and will manifest him to the world to consume all Denizens around him. This method is his Flame Haze's last resort, as prior to Shana, no Flame Haze had survived after using it. Alastor and Shana seem to have a parent-child dynamic at first, but Alastor is aware that Shana must grow up and may be trying to adapt.
- Voiced by: Masashi Ebara (Japanese), Paul Dobson (English)
- Margery Daw (マージョリー・ドー Mājorī Dō?) / "Chanter of Elegies" (「弔詞の詠み手」 "Chōshi no Yomite"?) (Flame Haze)
- Margery is a tall, "well-endowed" and mature blond Flame Haze with a drinking habit. She uses the book Grimoire, which is the divine vessel through which Marchosias, to whom she is bound, expresses his will. Her main powers focus around chanting spells and turning into a werewolf. She casts spells by chanting an "Improvisational Poem of Slaughter" (屠殺の即興詩 Tosatsu no Sokkyōshi?). Her name comes from Mother Goose, as does what she chants. Eita and Keisaku look up to her because she saved their lives once. Her reason for becoming a Flame Haze is to get revenge on a Denizen with a silver-colored flame (who is somehow connected to Yuji). Prior to her installation as a Flame Haze, she was possibly a thief and a killer, one whose life had little virtue. Nevertheless, she resented having that little taken away from her enough to initially be filled with rage - and attracting the attention of Marchosias. In the anime, Margery's focus shifts from fighting simply to eradicate Crimson Denizens to fighting to protect the Balance. She notes her fighting skills are no less for the shift in focus.
- Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame (Japanese), Janyse Jaud (English)
- Marchosias (マルコシアス Marukoshiasu?) / "Claws and Fangs of Violation" (「蹂躙の爪牙」 "Jūrin no Sōga"?) (Lord of the Crimson Realm)
- The Crimson Lord to whom Margery Daw is bound. He expresses his will through the divine vessel Grimoire, which takes the form of a book. His name is actually the name of a demon. He talks wildly, makes comments without remorse, and often teases Margery, often earning a retaliatory punch. He does genuinely care about her, however, perhaps not in the form of friendship but as a companion in battle. The dynamic of their relationship is quite different than that between Shana and Alastor; Marchosias will serve as Margery's vehicle from time to time and occasionally suffers physical abuse at her hands, but they seem to be equals in their quest. In the anime, Marchosias craves battle more than protecting the balance. He has an 'ultimate attack' called the "Flame of Illusion", which summons a dragon-like form around his Flame Haze instead of the usual werewolf form; this shape is powerful enough to cause damage that can pierce a Timestop Seal. In the anime, when Margery temporarily sinks into apathy, Marchosias displays at least a measure of wisdom and understanding for her plight. Nevertheless, he is quick to re-ignite Margery's spark so they may continue their battle against the Denizens and is not above using trickery to do so.
- Voiced by: Mitsuo Iwata
- Wilhelmina Carmel (ヴィルヘルミナ・カルメル Viruherumina Karumeru?) / "Manipulator of Ten Thousand Ribbons" (「万条の仕手」 "Banjō no Shite"?) (Flame Haze)
- A young lady that wears a maid's uniform all the time. She is bound to Tiamat, whose will resides in the divine vessel Persona, which shifts forms between a headband, and a mask when in battle. During the great war, Persona's shape was a tiara. Her title's meaning is like the term for a player (in chess) who can predict moves far ahead.
- She is one of the great Flame Haze from the age of the great war, fighting alongside her friend, Mathilde Saint-Omer (the previous "Slayer with Flaming Hair and Blazing Eyes"). Together, they are like the counterpart of the "Pair of Wings" combination between the Crimson Denizens Merihim and Illuyankas. Her ability is the power to control an infinite number of ribbons which appear from around her. Wilhelmina, who always speaks in an overly formal and polite manner, has nearly no expression. She's very skillful in many things, like singing and house chores, and is the one who took care of Shana during the girl's training at Tendōkyū. Cooking, however, is one of her weaknesses.
- Wilhelmina hates Yuji as an overprotective mother might hate her daughter's boyfriend. She has, in the anime, advocated killing him so as to keep the Reiji Maigo out of the hands of the Bal Masqué and had to be stopped from performing the deed herself twice by Shana. Wilhelmina always uses de arimasu, the uncontracted form of desu normally seen only in writing, to end her sentences. (See Copula.)
- Voiced by: Shizuka Ito
- Tiamat (ティアマトー Tiamatō?) / "Crown-and-Sash of Fantasies" (「夢幻の冠帯」 "Mugen no Kantai"?) (Lord of the Crimson Realm)
- The female Crimson Lord to whom Wilhelmina is bound. She is described by her own Flame Haze as a most unsociable entity; she is taciturn and to the point, saying nothing more than what is necessary, usually in a monotone, betraying no emotion regardless of the situation. In the novel, her lines are always written in kanji, with no hiragana or katakana.
- Voiced by: Akeno Watanabe
- Khamsin Nbh`w (カムシン・ネブハーウ Kamushin Nebuhāu?) / "Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment" (「儀装の駆り手」 "Gisō no Karite"?) (Flame Haze)
- Khamsin is the Flame Haze contracted to Behemoth. While he is one of the oldest Flame Haze in history, perhaps even thousands of years old, he bears the appearance like a ten-year-old boy. Khamsin has the ability to create and move stone golem-like creatures and control stones. He is very powerful, but no other Flame Haze wants to be in front of him because of the notorious lack of accuracy in his attacks. In the anime, Khamsin and Behemoth are collectively labeled 'the geezers' by Margery Daw. Tellingly, the once battle-happy Flame Haze expressed some uneasiness and reluctance for the notion that they might join in battle against the Crimson Denizens.
- Voiced by: Junko Minagawa
- Behemoth (ベヘモット Behemotto?) / "Steadfast Sharp Peak" (「不抜の尖嶺」 "Fubatsu no Senrei"?) (Lord of the Crimson Realm)
- The Crimson Lord whose will resides in the bracelet Khamsin wears. He speaks like an old man. With his Flame Haze, his mission seems not to be the protection the balance of worlds through hunting the Denizens, but instead by re-tuning places where the distortion is too great, such as Misaki city, where Friagne had created so many Torches in his preparation for the City Devourer.
- Voiced by: Katsuhisa Houki
[edit] Rinne and Denizens of the Crimson Realm
- Friagne / Kariuto (「狩人」フリアグネ? "The Hunter") (Tomogara)
- Friagne, also known as "Flame Haze Murderer", takes his name's meaning as his hobby, "treasure hunter". He is a powerful Tomogara arrayed in robes of untarnishable white. Unlike other Tomogara, he doesn't associate with the organization Bal Masqué. He has very intimate relationship with his favorite doll, Marianne. He wants Marianne to have her own existence, not just that of a Rinne who needs to depend on the power from its master to exist.
- He has a vast collection of Treasure Items (powerful tools or implements contained within Mystes), pictured as mountain of treasure in an extra story in Guren (Itou Noizi artbook), of which all are useless. This is also the reason for his having the largest collection of hougu: most are not the highly sought battle-use hougu. His name is actually the name of an angel of Tuesday.
- Voiced by: Jun'ichi Suwabe
- Marianne (マリアンヌ?) (Rinne)
- One of Friagne's Rinne (servants). Friagne seems to treasure her a bit more than is healthy for him. She usually takes the form of a doll.
- Voiced by: Kimiko Koyama
- Lamies / Shikabane Hiroi (「屍拾い」／「螺旋の風琴」ラミー? "Corpse Retriever" / "The Spiral Organ") (Tomogara)
- A Crimson Denizen who has assumed the shape of an old man. Lamies collects the Power of Existence from torches on the verge of flickering out; he is rare among Denizens in that he respects the balance and does not simply feed on people. As his nickname 'Corpse Retriever' indicates, he only draws power from torches that would perish any moment anyway. Lamies is a master wizard, capable of creating new Unrestricted Methods (Jizai Hou). It seems that he is gathering power of existence in order to achieve a great goal. He is an old acquaintance of Alastor, but does not take part in battles.
- His true name is "Rasen no Fuukin" or The Spiral Organ and in the past, he used the name Leanan-sidhe.
- Voiced by: Motomu Kiyokawa
- Sorath / Aizenji (「愛染自」ソラト? "He who Loves Himself") (Crimson Denizen)
- He's an extravagant occidental looking boy with a beautiful hair, continuously perplexed despite being Tyrael's elder brother. With the "Butsuyoku" (an arms type hoogu) he uses "the olfactory sense of desire" to seek powers of existence.
- He is searching for the "Nietono no Shana" (Shana's Sword) but is initially armed with another sword called "Blutsauger". His name is the name of the Solar Demon.
- Voiced by: Ryoko Shiraishi
- Tyrael / Aizenta (「愛染他」ティリエル? "She who Loves Him") (Crimson Denizen)
- Sorath's younger sister. Though being the younger one, she thinks and acts in a much more mature way and teaches everything to her almost will-less brother. Their relationship is most likely incestuous; Tyrael has stated that her only goal in life is to fulfil every desire of her 'onii-sama' and to protect him. She will do so without regrets, even if drains her own Power of Existence. She can use an Unrestricted Method called "Cradle Garden", which alters a fuzetsu so its area becomes an advantage to the siblings.
- Voiced by: Yukari Tamura
- Merihim a.k.a Shiro / Niji no Tsubasa (「虹の翼」メリヒム? "Rainbow Wings") (Crimson Denizen)
- One of the lords that gather in Tomurai no Kane (or Toten Glocke) under the "Meiou no Kan" Azis. Merihim and the dragon shaped Illuyankas are famous as the "Pair of Wings". He also has the title Niji no Kenshi (虹の剣士? "Rainbow Swordsman").
- Wilhelmina loves him, but Merihim is crazily in love with Mathilde, who in turn, loved Alastor.
- To fulfill his promise to the woman he loved, he changed shape into the skeleton Shana known as Shiro and trained the next successor of "Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite" title. His promise is his only motivation, however.
- Merihim's name is derived from that of the demon Merihem.
- Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi
- Pheles / Saihyou (「彩飄」フィレス? "Colorful Flutter") (Crimson Denizen)
- A lord who once loved and still loves a human, Johan. In order to be able to be with him forever, together they created the most precious treasure in Guze, a Treasure that can grant eternity to the Mystes bearing it: the Reiji Maigo. Due to the Reiji Maigo, she doesn't have to consume other humans' power of existence; she can get enough to survive from Johan without him being in danger of disappearing. Because of an incident, she sealed Johan into the Reiji Maigo. The Reiji Maigo was then lost, so now she searches for him everywhere with an Unrestricted Method “The Wheel of Wind” (Kaze no Tenrin),a guiding beacon that becomes a duplicate of her own when the target is found.
- She is also friends with Wilhelmina who once she had saved from the trap set by the Denizen Lord Sabrac.
- Her name probably came from Mephistopheles, the devil that appears in Faust.
[edit] The Bal Masqué
An organization of Denizens who moved into human world. It is currently led under three powerful figures called the Trinity. Their goal is yet unknown, but they seem to be interested in the Reiji Maigo, which resides in Yuji. Using the Reiji Maigo, they plan on overflowing the land with Power of Existence - storing huge amounts of power such that so that it becomes a "spring of existence", sustaining all Denizens for a long time.
- Sydonay / Senpen (「千変」シュドナイ? "Thousand Change") (Crimson Lord)
- One of the Trinity of the Bal Masqué, entitled as the "General". For some time, he stayed outside of the Organization, because he wanted the freedom to do as he wants. However, after finding Reiji Maigo, he has returned to his previous position. He has great shape-shifting abilities, being able to change into various chimeras. Sydonay and Margery are known to be enemies already in the past during the battle and "reunion" with her. Sydonay is the alias for the demon Asmodai.
- Voiced by: Kenta Miyake
- Hecate / Itadaki no Kura (「頂の座」ヘカテー? "Supreme Throne") (Crimson Denizen)
- One of the Trinity of the Bal Masqué, entitled as "the Priestess". She also controls the movements of Seireiden, Bal Masqué's base. A small pale girl with white cape and hat, she doesn't speak much. Sydonay seems to care for her a lot. Bel Peol always mentions her having "eternal existence". Her position is very important with respect to what the Bal Masqué plans to do with Reiji Maigo, since she is the one who will be taking the power of Reiji Maigo and sending it out to everything in Seireiden.
- Hecate is a sad, quiet character, who has taken up the habit of prayer - despite having no one to pray to and despite Bel Peol considering it an odd thing to do - and frequently laments that she is 'empty'. Her prayers center around her desire to fill up her emptiness. Her nigh-infinite capacity for storing power of existence comes with the price of her apparently having a low sense of self; in a sense, Hecate is a perfect void. She possesses the unique power of synchronization, allowing her to merge with other entities and experience their sense of self. In the anime, Hecate synchronized with Yuji, allowing her to draw on his sense of self to fill the void inside of her. The purpose of this synchronization was more sinister, however; once midnight struck, the Reiji Maigo attempted to restore the power of existence of its bearer. Since Yuji and Hecate were synchronized at the time, Reiji Maigo started pouring out an infinite amount of power in an attempt to fill Hecate's capacity. She is defeated by Yuji when he points out that the memories and feelings Hecate is reveling in are not hers, but his. When he says that Hecate is just as empty as she was before synchronizing, the Denizen is forced to face the void that lies inside of her and loses control of the synchronization, Seireiden and herself, requiring Sydonay to save her.
- Her name is taken from Hecate, a Greek goddess usually related to witchcraft and crossroads, also called "Queen of Ghosts".
- Voiced by: Mamiko Noto
- Bel Peol / Gyakuri no Saisha (「逆理の裁者」ベルペオル? "Judge of Paradoxes") (Crimson Denizen)
- One of the Trinity of the Bal Masqué, entitled as the "Strategist". Takes the form of a woman with three eyes, but has an eyepatch covering her right eye.
- A scheming character who would have no qualms in manipulating her unsuspecting subordinates and sending them to die. Apparently she also has a gift for engendering loyalty in her subordinates, such as Vine, as she is capable of inspiring them to perform obviously dangerous tasks on her behalf. Her strategic skills are balanced by a considerable aptitude for combat.
- Her name could be from the demon Belphegor, or Baal Pheor.
- Voiced by: Sayaka Ohara
- Vine / Ryuugan (「琉眼」ウィネ? "Glazed Eyes") (Crimson Denizen)
- Subordinate of Bel Peol. Depicted as a motorcycle-rider, with only his eyes visible due to his bodysuit clothing. He brought the Gordian Knot, which can activate a large-scale destructive Unrestricted Method, to the Tendoukyuu (Palace of Heaven's Road) to stop the exaltation of the new Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite (i.e. Shana).
- Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki
- Orgon / Senseirei (「千征令」オルゴン? "Commander of Thousand Conquests") (Crimson Denizen)
- Subordinate of Bel Peol. Depicted with a transparent body in an old-french royal costume. Sent on a different mission with respect to Vine, but the destination is still Tendoukyuu (Palace of Heaven's Road), only to meet his fearful doom when facing his old rival- Rainbow Wings, Merihim.
- Voiced by: Atsushi Ono
- Dantalion / Tantankyuukyuu (「探耽求究」ダンタリオン? "The Discovery-Addicted Utmost-Researcher") (Crimson Denizen)
- The stereotypical mad scientist, Dantalion is not liked by most Denizens, even in the Bal Masque, because he would do research on their own people. Among the Trinity, Bel Peol doesn't like him and Sydonay hates him, but somehow Hecate seems close to him, even calling him "ojiisama" (the greeting toward grandfathers or respectable seniors) and protected him most of the time from getting into trouble with the higher-ups.
- He created a lot of treasure tools, from creatures like the "Rinne" Cantate Domino 28 (a parody of Tetsujin 28) to huge trains. He's also notorious for conducting meaningless experiments, for the sake of conducting experiments, which in the end serves no actual useful purpose but to cause exaggerated alert to others.
- Dantalion's name is the 71st demon listed in Ars Goetia.
- Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita
[edit] Terms
Power of Existence
- As it name suggests, Power of Existence is a power, that is contained within any biological or magical entity, thus, it is not limited to reside in living humans. Crimson Denizens can steal it from humans or Torches.
Torch
- A Torch is a replacement entity for a human, whose Power of Existence is gone. Torches are "shock-absorbers" for the sake of balance in real world. They are only temporary, and will disappear after a certain amount of time, eradicating all traces of existence related to the Torch.
Mystes
- A Mystes is a special kind of Torch, who contains a Hougu.
Flame Haze
- A Flame Haze is a servant, whose duty is to maintain the world's balance. Each Flame Haze has contracted a Lord of Crimson Realm.
Lords of Crimson Realm
- Lords of Crimson Realm are powerful entities who take care of the balance of the world, by monitoring the Power of Existence, and utilizing their Flame Haze to terminate those Crimson Denizens, who alter the balance. Lords represents themselves as magical objects, in Shana's case, a pendant.
Crimson Denizens
- Crimson Denizens are mostly evil entities who usually don't care for the balance of the real world, collecting and using Power of Existence for their own purposes.
Rinne
- Rinne are servants for the Crimson Denizens. They vanish, if they don't get Power of Existence, either from their master, or from humans and Torches.
Unrestricted Methods
- Unrestricted Methods are powerful magic spells, mostly with battle purposes. They can be invoked with chanting, and they consume Power of Existence. Unrestricted Methods can be seen as blue insignia upon invoking.
Hougu
- Hougu is the name of magical objects, which can provide special abilities, or even Unrestricted Methods. Reiji Maigo is a Hougu, which is able to replenish its owner's Power of Existence at midnight every day.
Fuzetsu
- Fuzetsu is a special dimension, where the Crimson Realm and the real world intermingles, and time is stopped for ordinary living beings. Flame Haze are able to create such Fuzetsu on their will, as Crimson Denizens too. However, battles in the Fuzetsu can damage real world objects, and harm the paused living being, but it is possible to reverse the effects, using enough Power of Existence.
Haridan
- Haridan is a crystal-like projection of the real world. It can be used to observe the location of Torches and Unrestricted Methods.
[edit] Media
Shakugan no Shana first began in the form of a light novel series though later grew to include an anime series, a manga adaptation, and even a video game based on the series. Additionally, there are two more animated works - an OVA and a movie - though the movie has yet to release.
[edit] Light novels
There are currently 15 novels out for Shakugan no Shana. They are numbered from I through XIII, along with volume 0 and S which consists of short side stories. These novels are called light novels, which feature a light amount of text and occasional black and white illustrations. The series was authored by Yashichiro Takahashi with illustrations by Noizi Ito. The series is serialized under the seinen label Dengeki Bunko. The first novel was released in Japan on November 10, 2002. The novels have sold exceedingly well, and have jointly sold over 3.5 million copies.[5] At Comic-Con 2006, it was announced that VIZ Media licensed the novels for the US market.[2]
[edit] Manga
The manga, by mangaka Ayato Sasakura, is currently serialized in the monthly Dengeki Daioh, which started on February 1, 2005. The first bound volume hit shelves October 27, 2005. The manga is doing well and has already sold over 500,000 copies.[5] At Comic-Con 2006, it was announced that VIZ Media licensed the manga for the US market.[2]
[edit] Anime
An anime version of Shakugan no Shana, directed by Takashi Watanabe, was aired in Japan between October 5, 2005 and March 22, 2006.[6] The series has been licensed for North American distribution by Geneon,[3] and the first DVD of the series was released on September 5, 2006.[4]
[edit] Staff
- Original Work: Yashichiro Takahashi
- Illustration: Noizi Ito
- Director: Takashi Watanabe
- Series Composition: Yasuko Kobayashi
- Character Design: Otsuka Mai
- Music: Kō Ōtani
- Animation Production: J.C.STAFF
[edit] Theme songs
- Openings
- "Hishoku no Sora" (緋色の空?) - Episodes 01 to 16
- Performed by: Mami Kawada
- Lyrics by: Mami Kawada
- Music by: Tomoyuki Nakazawa
- Arrangement by: Tomoyuki Nakazawa
- "being" - Episodes 17 to 24
- Performed by: KOTOKO
- Lyrics by: KOTOKO
- Music by: KOTOKO
- Arrangement by: Kazuya Takase
- Endings
- "Yoake Umarekuru shōjo" (夜明け生まれ来る少女?) - Episodes 01 to 14
- Performed by: Yoko Takahashi
- Lyrics by: Yoko Takahashi
- Music by: Toshiyuki Omori
- Arrangement by: Toshiyuki Omori
- "Aka no Seijaku" (紅の静寂?) - Episodes 15 to 23
- Performed by: Yoko Ishida
- Lyrics by: Yoko Ishida
- Music by: Masayoshi Murakami
- Arrangement by: Masayoshi Murakami
- Note that the last episode's ending theme was "Hishoku no Sora".
- Soundtracks
The Shakugan no Shana original soundtrack was first released on January 25, 2006 by Geneon. There have also been three other soundtracks called the Assorted Shana albums, volumes I, II and III which were released on February 24, March 24 and April 21, all in 2006, respectively, also published by Geneon.
[edit] Episodes
The anime series contained 24 episodes which aired between October 5, 2005 and March 22, 2006. Later, three mini omake episodes depicting Shana and Hecate in chibi form were released with the first, fifth and eighth DVDs on January 25, May 25 and in October, all in 2006, respectively. Lastly, an OVA was released on December 8, 2006.[7] The events of the story take place between the storyline of the TV series' episodes 13 and 14.
[edit] Trivia
- In episode 1, posters of Kirito's first album, Hameln, and first single, Door, can be seen around 10:13 on a support column.
- In episode 3, the line that Shana recites in English class, That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet, is a line from Romeo and Juliet, a famous play written by William Shakespeare.
[edit] Video games
A video game named Shakugan no Shana for the Playstation 2, developed by MediaWorks, was released on March 23, 2006. Also, another video game for the Nintendo DS is planned for release on March 29, 2007.[1]
[edit] Movie
According to the last episode of the anime series and the official website,[8] an animated film based on the series is to be produced. The release date has been set tentatively for April 2007.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Amazon.co.jp on Nintendo DS game
- ^ a b c New licenses announced at SDCC 2006
- ^ a b "Geneon Anime Licenses", Anime News Network, 2006-07-02. Retrieved on 2006-11-24.
- ^ a b ANN Encyclopedia: Releases. Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2006-11-24.
- ^ a b MediaWorks's website about Shakugan no Shana
- ^ Shakugan no Shana (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- ^ DVD details at animate.tv
- ^ Official website
- ^ Dengeki Bunko news
[edit] External links
- (Japanese) Official Shakugan no Shana Anime Website
- (Japanese) Media Works' Official Shakugan no Shana Website
- (Japanese) Official Shakugan no Shana Movie Website
- Official Shakugan no Shana English Anime Website
- Shakugan no Shana (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
Categories: Manga series | Anime series | Anime OVAs | Anime films | 2006 computer and video games | 2007 computer and video games | Anime of the 2000s | Drama anime | Drama manga | Fantasy anime | Fantasy manga | Japan exclusive computer and video games | Light novels | Manga of the 2000s | Nintendo DS games | PlayStation 2 games | School anime | School manga | Seinen | Shakugan no Shana | Viz Media manga
