Shion no Ou – 05

I’m not sure whether it is because all three series have an excellent soundtrack, but by now I’ve managed to pin down my three favourite series for this season: Kaiji, Ghost Hound and Shion no Ou. Especially the latter two have been getting more solid with every episode, and I’m always looking forward to when a new episode airs. This episode of Shion no Ou showcases the final match of the tournament between Ayumi and Saori, and yet again I was captivated by the match, despite not understanding 50% of the moves that were made. Yet, I did notice how I’ve been getting better and better at following the matches as the series went on. Surprisingly, Ayumi loses, despite his determination to win the prize money for his mother. And finally we get to see his teacher again, who scolds the guy because he was starting to play shougi for the enjoyment, instead of the money, but does give him a decent sum of money. Saori also gets quite a bit of development in this episode. I liked how she too was trying to adapt her own style. Something also tells me that Hanimeji knows fully well that Ayumi is actually male, due to a very obvious hint he gave away. I’m curious how this anime will develop further, now that the first major tournament is over. I didn’t quite get whether Ayumi received enough money from his teacher or not, and we’ve also yet to see the yellow-haired dude in action.]]>