Ah, and so ends Sasami Mahou Shoujo Club. Seeing as it’s the final episode, it’s time to get critical again, as I’ve seen lots of awesome anime who rather screwed up with their ending. Let me first start with some things I really liked about this episode:
– Sasami as a little child. Seriously, the episode started with such an immensely KAWAII shot of her young version, playing and discovering her own powers, and that for the first time in the series.
– Sasami and Ami-chan at the first half of the episode. The two of them are just not involved in the fighting at all, they’re just with the two of them. Surprisingly touching.
– Washuu. I’m glad that she’s back to her chaotic self, seeing her hysterical screaming was as hilarious as always. I wish she had a bigger role in the Misao-arc. It would have made them a great deal better. She really is a brilliant character when she’s in her element. ^_^
– The CG. It was of the same high quality as always.
There was one thing I didn’t like: the five girls from the magical world. It felt like the creators couldn’t find a good role for them for the final episodes, so they just sent them after Misao and the others. A short fight follows, and they let them go without any problems. The only time we see them back is at the end of the episode, as normal schoolgirls.
But what about the ending itself? Well, it was decent. I liked how Sasami never really fought, even though she’s the main character, and the strongest out of everyone. Ami-chan’s way to sacrifice himself was decent, just was the fact that he didn’t wake up. The moment right before Sasami made her speech also was interesting. Though ultimately, the ending itself didn’t capture my interest. After the main climax, Ami-chan makes a short trip, in which everyone is happy and smiling, and in the end, nothing really remains of Keura.
Overall, it’s been a fun show. I hope someone’s going to sub this. Still, there are better cute mahou shoujo around. It didn’t manage to beat Akazukin in the end, and now that I’ve seen a number of episodes of Futago Hime, I also have to say that that’s a better show. Still, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy it. Especially the middle part was awesome.]]>
Sasami Mahou Shoujo Club – 26
I think you’ve misunderstood the end. Amitabu sucked out the Keura’s evil energies into himself and then combined with him. Itoki was then going to seal them up again, but Sasami stopped her, saying that Ami-chan/Keura only knew sadness, so she wanted to share her warmth with him. Her kiss made him envision the warmth from everyone from magic land (he didn’t go on a trip). In the end, Amitabu/Keura was in a sleep form, but in Sasami’s house.
In addition, I thought the other 5 magic girls were handled well. They were sent to keep the girls from interfering, and thought they sealed them in the world of darkness. They said that only Sasami’s light magic could let them escape. But Misao and the others showed that they could summon the same light magic just by thinking about Sasami. As they leave, their leader says that she wanted to share such a light magic also. They eventually figured out the error of their ways and went back to the human world and started going to school again.
The ending wasn’t as dramatic as I was expecting, but it was satisfactory.
Good news: while Funimation has licensed SMSC in North America (and asked all the torrents sites to cease and desist accordingly), a Chinese DVD set of the first season (Eps. 1-13) has recently popped up for sale. I see it now FS at various places from $7-$17. The shows are mastered in mpeg, so they are Region-free.
It really is an enjoyable, fast-moving, quirky show, full of sly self-referential humor about the mahou shoujo genre, but also having a flavor of its own. The DVDs play on my laptop without problems, and while the subtitles are Engrishy, they are perfectly serviceable. The most egregious problem is that the text of notes and signs are not translated. Also, “Sasami-san” gets rendered “Mr. Sasami” about half the time. But if you understand social Japanese, as most anime watchers do, you won’t have a problem.
It’s just nice to have access to the series after hearing a lot about it. Here’s hoping Season 2 follows soon.
wait this was the last episode of the series? or just the season? i wasnt sure….
CIAOSSU! This is good, KORA!