Genre : Action,
Fantasy,
Romance
Shakugan no Shana (灼眼のシャナ Shakugan no Shana 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.
Shakugan no Shana began as a light novel series first serialized under the
seinen label
Dengeki Bunko published by
MediaWorks with the first complete novel released on November 10, 2002 in Japan. In time, a
manga series was created with art by
Ayato Sasakura first serialized in the manga magazine
Dengeki Daioh, in February 2005. Both the light novel and manga are currently being released in Japan. So far, there have been eighteen light novels and three manga volumes. The most recent light novel, book SII, was released in Japan on June 10, 2008. An
anime version was adapted by the animation studio
J.C.Staff and contained twenty-four episodes. A
Playstation 2 video game released in March 2006 followed and a second video game for the
Nintendo DS was released in March 2007. Additional anime adaptations include a thirty-minute
Original Video Animation and a movie that was shown in theaters in April 2007. A second anime series was announced with the title
Shakugan no Shana Second, which started airing in Japan on October 5, 2007.In the Philippines, TV5 was the first to telecast the second season in Southeast Asia in November 2008.
Plot
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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 (fuzetsu), 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 appears, swiftly and confidently destroys 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. The reason Yuji was able to move in the fuzetsu is that he is not a normal Torch, but instead a special kind called a "Mystes": he has a treasure inside him, known as a "Hougu", a device possessing special abilities of sorts, and an extremely powerful and valuable one at that. The hougo inside Yuji allows him to remain in existence rather than fading away like other torches. 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 Guze. 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. Some Lords inhabit humans creating Flame Hazes in an attempt to retain balance by hunting renegades from Guze. Flame Hazes create Torches in place of the consumed to save the world the disruption of many existences being lost at once, allowing the Torches to gradually burn out over the course of time.
Main characters
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Yuji Sakai (坂井悠二
Sakai Yūji) (Mystes)
Voiced by: Satoshi Hino
Yuji, the main character of the story, is just an average high school student. However, his world is turned upside down when he discovers that he is already dead and does not have much time before he disappears. Fortunately, Yuji is a Mystes who contains a treasure known as the
Reiji Maigo (零時迷子 "Midnight Stray Child"). Unlike normal torches, the treasure inside him restores his Power of Existence every night at midnight. With the Reiji Maigo, Yuji has the possibility to live on like an average human as long as he makes sure that his Power of Existence does not run out before midnight. Later, he begins to learn to use the yet untapped potential of the treasure kept within him. He cares deeply about Shana, but has yet to reveal if he truly has feelings of love for her; also in the first season anime leading up to the final episode, he starts to see Shana as her old view of the world, where he is just a Torch and she is just a Flame Haze. With this going on, he distanced himself from the closeness than the two originally shared, leaving Shana hurt with the new feelings of love she has developed but cannot explain. However, Yuji and Shana have since repaired the damage to their relationship.
** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**
Yuji Sakai (坂井悠二
Sakai Yūji) (Mystes)
Voiced by: Satoshi Hino
Yuji, the main character of the story, is just an average high school student. However, his world is turned upside down when he discovers that he is already dead and does not have much time before he disappears. Fortunately, Yuji is a Mystes who contains a treasure known as the
Reiji Maigo (零時迷子 "Midnight Stray Child"). Unlike normal torches, the treasure inside him restores his Power of Existence every night at midnight.
With the Reiji Maigo, Yuji has the possibility to live on like an average human as long as he makes sure that his Power of Existence does not run out before midnight. Due to Reiji Maigo, no one is sure if Yuji will age like a regular human or be immortal as he is. Since Reiji Maigo restores his power of existence, Yuji is training to use that power in the hopes of fighting alongside Shana. In the second season of the anime, it is mentioned than Yuji's power of existence can rival that of a Lord of the Crimson Realm, in terms of quantity.
Even when Yuji was ignorant of the fact that he possessed the Reiji Maigo in the first episodes of the first season of Shakugan no Shana, Yuji develops a somewhat optimistic, yet ultimately fatalistic view of his life. Even when he believed he was slated to perish as a Torch, Yuji took the information in a stride after the initial shock, and did not seem too disturbed or melancholy with the idea that everyone would simply forget about him, accepting this. Rather, his acts of heroism, demonstrated often in the series, is justified by his belief that even if his existence would one day disappear, his sacrifice would be proof that he had once lived.
Although Yuji lacks of the training and discipline of a Flame Haze, he has demonstrated an admirable amount of intelligence and logic, often thinking outside the box and solving puzzles others can't (though it still stands for a fact that he is totally clueless to the fact that Shana loves him and is often jealous of any girls who get too close to him). While many Flame Hazes and Lords of the Crimson Realm would be deceived or confused by unconventional casting of magic, Yuji is able to quickly deduce and see through the ploy despite his unfamiliarity with many magical spells, enabling his allies, generally Shana, to strike at the heart of their opposition. Furthermore, by the start of the second season, Yuji's training has enabled him to foresee as well as dodge a good majority of attacks from skilled Flame Hazes such as Shana and Wilhelmina, and he has gained the ability to cast Power of Unrestraint. He also has the ability to wield Blutsauger and infusing it with some of his own power. He also can create his own fire, which is silver in color, to fire at targets.
Locked inside the Treasure are two entities. One is Johan, the lover of Pheles who created the Treasure. The other is "The Snake of the Festival" (祭礼の蛇
Sairei no Hebi), the Crimson Lord with the black flame and silver shadow who is one of the
true gods of the Crimson World and is the founder/true leader of the Bal Masque. He is later reborn and merged with Yuji, whom he honored by telling his subordinates to refer to him as "Sairei no Hebi" Yuji Sakai (「祭礼の蛇」坂井悠二
"Sairei no Hebi" Sakai Yuji), unlike other Lords who used mythological names of angels, gods or demons. When Yuji first activates the Fuzetsu on his own, the presence of the silver flames indicates an omen to The Snake of the Festival's return into the world, for the silver flames were a tool created by the "God of Creation" (創造神
Sōzōshin) himself to collect necessary elements in his revival. Later, Pheles' second attempt to free Johan causes the Bal Masque's god to awaken.
Yuji is a kind person who puts others before himself. This often draws much confusion and annoyance from Shana, as prior torches from Shana's experience exhibited selfish attitudes. Simultaneously, Yuji's compassion and empathy sow the seeds of attraction between him and Shana.
Upon Chigusa's pregnancy, it was revealed by Kantaro that Yuji actually had a twin brother who died at birth. Thus, in memory of the first baby and from the parents' wish, the second baby was given the name Yuji, which means "Second (child) who shall live long ".
By the end of the second season of the anime and in the sixteenth light novel, it is revealed that Yuji chose Shana over Kazumi. So, in conclusion of this in the sixteenth novel, he accepted the direct proposal to merge from the Snake himself within Yuji's own will. Later, employing his new powers which exceed even that of a Lord class, Yuji defeats Shana and kidnaps her away to the Seireiden
Shana (シャナ Shana)
/ "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter" (「炎髪灼眼の討ち手」
"Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite") (Flame Haze)
Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya
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 "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter," or her
katana,
Nietono no Shana (贄殿遮那 Nietono no Shana"
Vairocana of the Offering Room"). Yuji, in his need to humanize her, chose to name her "Shana" after her katana. Shana has a habit of saying "Urusai!" which means "Shut up!" three times in a row whenever Yuji asks her questions or makes remarks that disturb her original point of view. But in reality they really care for each other. She has a great fondness for
melon bread. Shana later comes to the startling conclusion that she loves Yuji, and even confesses it to him in the last episode of the first anime series when she thought she was going to die, but he does not hear what she said. Shana is continually torn between her mission to protect the balance, and her love for Yuji. Due to a decision she made near the end of the first season of the anime version, the closeness they once had began to erode as Yuji kept a distance from her because of it. However, it seems that Shana and Yuji have repaired the damage from their previous relationship.
** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**
Shana (シャナ)
/ "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter" (「炎髪灼眼の討ち手」
"Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite") (Flame Haze)
Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya
Shana is the female lead of the show and a Flame Haze. She was formerly human (but as stated in the novels and manga, that once a human makes a contract with a crimson lord, they become a Flame Haze and live forever). 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. Yuji, in his need to humanize her, chose to name her "Shana" after her katana. 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 "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter," or her
katana,
Nietono Shana (贄殿遮那 "
Vairocana of the Offering Room"). Shana has a habit of saying "Urusai! Urusai! Urusai!" ("Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!") whenever Yuji asks her questions or makes remarks that disturb her original worldview or embarrass her. But in reality they really care for each other. She has a great fondness for sweets, especially the
melon bread. Shana is shown to be highly intelligent in the series, she has gotten a perfect score on every exam and is talented in Phys. Ed.
Shana is clearly a powerful and talented Flame Haze, known and feared by most Tomogara by title alone. This has allowed her to defeat many powerful Tomogara along the plot, and permits her many different abilities, including her proficiency with the Nietono Shana, the ability to wield flame, manipulate the power of existence, harbor extrasensory traits, and fly with wings of flame. In the third volume of the manga, the first volume of the visual novel, and the movie, Alastor states that the reason why she did not explode after being shot by Friagne's Trigger Happy was because she held a capacity that existed in dimensional space, who was able to contain the Flame of Heaven's and has thus stated her as "The Great One". Her duty initially made her indifferent towards human life, but through Yuji's influence, Shana has opened up slightly, although she still remains confused and disgruntled by some human traits which she considers as pointless, although some of it is used to mask her jealousy of her desired monopoly on Yuji.
Despite being the title character of the anime, Shana has few character relations with many of the characters in the show. Her main social interest is Yuji, whom she sees as her love interest, although she never admits it (except once at the end of season one). Her relationship with Yuji is one of the driving forces of the series. Shana takes orders and advice from the Crimson Lord she is bond to, Alastor, and has a mentor and guardian in the form of Wilhelmina Carmel. Kazumi Yoshida is her love-rival for Yuji, and Shana treats her with contempt and disdain. She generally treats most other characters with ignorance and indifference, with the exception of Chigusa Sakai, who she looks to as a source in answering certain difficulties when Alastor or Wilhelmina are unable to do so. Shana eventually starts to be more open to the other characters, especially in regards to her relationship with Kazumi becoming more friendly.
In volume sixteen of the light novels, Shana is defeated by Yuji and currently kidnapped to Seireiden.
Alastor (アラストール
Arasutōru) / "Flame of Heavens" (「天壌の劫火」 "
Tenjō no Gōka") (Lord of the Crimson Realm)
Voiced by: Masashi Ebara
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 one of the strongest of all Lords or Denizens; in fact being one of the
true Gods of the Crimson Realm. But even so, he tries to keep the Denizens from consuming Power of Existence.
** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**
Alastor (アラストール
Arasutōru)
/ "Flame of Heavens" (「天壌の劫火」
"Tenjō no Gōka") (Lord of the Crimson Realm)
Voiced by: Masashi Ebara
Alastor 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. Alastor is considered to be one of the strongest of all Lords or Denizens; in fact being one of the
true Gods of 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
Heaven Destruction Earth Break (天破壌砕
Tenpa Jyōsai), which requires a lot of Power of Existence and will manifest his being as the God of Atonement (天罰神
Tenbatsushin) in the form of a giant minotaur 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.
Margery Daw (マージョリー・ドー
Mājorī Dō) / "
Chanter of Elegies/Interpreter of Condolence" (「弔詞の詠み手」 "
Chōshi no Yomite") (Flame Haze)
Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame
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 Marcosius, 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, and act as her subordinates. She holds a vendetta against a Crimson Denizen with a silver flame. She is also known as the Interpreter of Condolence, a title synonymous to her name as a Flame Haze.
** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**
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)
Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame
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 specialty seems to be Power of Unrestraint, and 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). 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 linked to the Reiji Maigo within Yuji). Even before her installation as a Flame Haze, she lived only for vengeance. She was once a daughter of a landlord in medieval time, but after countless betrayals, her father was killed and she had ended up in a brothel. She gained a chance to avenge for her misery and humiliation on her enemies, only to see them be destroyed by the Silver. Her fury from being stolen of the last reason to live had attracted 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. In the light novels, Margery would not only face the Silver in an unsuccessful battle, but would later realize that the Silver had been acting on her wish for revenge in her life of misery prior to becoming a Flame Haze before she nearly got killed by Sairei no Hebi Sakai Yuji.
Marcosias (マルコシアス
Marukoshiasu) / "
Claw and Fangs of Violation" (「蹂躙の爪牙」 "
Jūrin no Sōga") (Lord of the Crimson Realm)
Voiced by: Mitsuo Iwata
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.
** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**
Marchosias (マルコシアス,
Marukoshiasu)
/ "Claw and Fangs of Violation" (「蹂躙の爪牙」
"Jūrin no Sōga") (Lord of the Crimson Realm)
Voiced by: Mitsuo Iwata
Marchosias is 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. 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.
Kazumi Yoshida (吉田一美
Yoshida Kazumi)
Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi
Yuji's classmate. She has a crush on him, but is a bit too shy to tell him directly. When Shana becomes her love-rival, she vows to tell Yuji her feelings and to let him decide between her and Shana. She is a shy but kind and pure person, who later finds out about Torches and Flame Hazes.
** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**
Kazumi Yoshida (吉田一美
Yoshida Kazumi)
Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi
Kazumi is a fifteen-year-old girl and Yuji's classmate. She has a crush on him, but is a bit too shy to tell him directly. In the first season, she spends most of her screen time remaining ignorant of Shana's true nature and her actual relationship with Yuji. When Shana became her love-rival, she vowed to tell Yuji her feelings and to let him decide between her and Shana.
These state of affairs, however, changed after her chance meeting with Khamsin Nbh'w, a Flame Haze, who requested her assistance in his tuning of the distortions in the city. After revealing the truth of the world to her, Khamsin provided Kazumi an eyeglass which can detect Torches after he realized Kazumi was worried if Yuji was a Torch. Kazumi decided to test the eyeglass on Yuji during the Misago Festival, and was horrified to discover that Yuji was indeed a Torch. However, as the battle with Bal Masque raged on, Yuji revealed that, with the Reiji Maigo, he would not disappear, and Kazumi eventually accepted that near the end of the season.
Kazumi carries a small relic provided to her by Khamsin during their first meeting, permitting her to move within a Fuzetsu. Yuji became aware of this in the second season. Also, it is revealed that Pheles gave Kazumi a cross shaped hougu, which would summon Pheles if there was any trouble happening to Yuji/Johan. The setback was that it would take all of Kazumi's power of existence, if she used it.
In the sixteenth volume of the light novels, Kazumi is currently in a state of shock after being rejected by Yuji.
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Terminology
** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**
Power of Existence (存在の力 Sonzai no Chikara)
As its name suggests, Power of Existence is a power that is contained within any biological or magical entity and functions as fuel for one's very existence. Thus, it is not limited to reside in living humans. Crimson Denizens can drain it from humans and Torches, while Flame Hazes are able to use the remaining Power of Existence from Torches. When all of the Power of Existence from a human or Torch is lost, the very existence of the human or Torch is annihilated. All humans who had memories associated with the human or Torch will have that memory erased; however those who know of the hidden physics of the world retain all of their memories, such as Crimson Denizens, Flame Hazes, and humans and Torches who have been exposed to the hidden workings of the world.
Torch (トーチ Tōchi)
A Torch is a replacement entity for a human, whose Power of Existence has been significantly depleted. Torches are "shock-absorbers" for the sake of the balance in the 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 (ミステス Misutesu)
A Mystes is a special kind of Torch, who contains a Treasure Tool. The main character Yūji is an example, albeit a special one who can sustain his presence indefinitely due to the power of his Treasure Tool, Reiji Maigo. In general, Mystes will eventually be extinguished like normal Torch, unless the Mystes feeds on Denizens or Flame Hazes like Tenmoku Ikko did to refuel himeself, though it is very unlikely for anyone else to be able to do the same.
Flame Haze (フレイムヘイズ Fureimuheizu)
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, with exceptions like the Flame Haze "Archer of Aurora" (極光の射手 Kyokkō no Ite) whom has contracts to twin lords. Flame Hazes mostly fight against Crimson Denizens who consume great amount of power of existence and endangers both world, although some work to restore the balance of the world that has been disturbed.
The Lords use Flame Haze as their medium because if they are to exist like other Denizens, they will also require Power of Existence. However, the Lords can manifest in the human world, although this means they will consume a vast amount of Power of Existence. This sudden surge of Power of Existence will usually exceed the limit their Flame Haze may contain, and will result in the death of the Flame Haze. When someone becomes a Flame Haze, they will have their existence burned, making them as if they never existed before. Flame Hazes become a new existence and live solely to protect balance of the worlds.
Crimson Denizens (紅世の徒 Guze no Tomogara)
Crimson Denizens are mostly evil entities who usually do not care for the balance of the two worlds, collecting and using Power of Existence for their own purposes. Unfortunately for the few that respect and do not seek to upset the balance, some Flame Hazes do not distinguish between them, and thus become targets. As in human world, some Denizens will stand out and are known as Lords (王 Ō).
Lords of Crimson Realm (紅世の王 Guze no Ō)
Lords of Crimson Realm are Denizens whose power stands out among their peers, such as the Trinity of Bal Masqué, Friagne, Pheles, or the Lords that bind themselves to Flame Hazes. Most of the Lords in the series inhabit Flame Hazes and work to maintain the balance, but some are similar to the Crimson Denizens and use Power of Existence for their own purposes.
For the Lords of Crimson Realm who work to maintain the balance, they 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 harm the balance. Lords represent themselves as magical objects, in Shana's case, a pendant. They can manifest fully, but to do so requires tremendous amounts of power. Lords that are even more powerful, such as Tenjō no Gōka (天壌の劫火 ) or Sairei no Hebi (祭礼の蛇 ) are known as Gods (神 Kami) of the Crimson Realm, and each of these Gods are bestowed upon the duty of materializing the very laws of the Crimson world; for example, Alastor is known as the God of Atonement (天罰神 Tenbatsushin), while the Snake of Festival is the God of Creation (創造神 Sōzōshin), each having abilities that suit these names.
Rinne (燐子 Rinne)
Rinne are created servants for the Tomogara. They are unstable existences and require Power of Existence from their master in order to survive.
Power of Unrestraint (自在法 Jizaihō)
Also known as Unrestricted Methods, they are powerful magic spells. These spells can be used for any purpose, from restoring the fragments of a long-lost painting to transforming normally untransferrable objects in a whole city into a big hunk of Power of Existence, however are mostly used in battle in the series. They can be invoked by chanting (some high-class Methods may require centuries of work to activate), and consumes Power of Existence. Power of Unrestraint can be seen as a blue insignia upon casting.
Treasure Tool (宝具 Hōgu)
Treasure Tool is the name of magical objects which can provide special abilities or even Power of Unrestraint. A Treasure Tool is created when a single Denizen and a human, each representing their own world, has the same desire to one another; if worked out with the right Power of Unrestraint & physical materials, a Treasure Tool for the sole purpose of fulfilling that desire will be created; Reiji Maigo, which is sought by many for its ability to replenish its owner's Power of Existence at midnight every day, was originally created by the Lord-Mystes lovers, Pheles and Johann, under their desire of "being together forever," using a single whole clock tower for the physical material part. Most Denizens, Flame Hazes, and even humans who aid them possess one or more of these, and would try to acquire as many as they can for many reasons, like getting an upper hand in critical time during battles.
Seal (封絶 Fūzetsu)
Seal is the most common of all Power of Unrestraint, and it also refers to the special dimension the Method creates; here the Crimson Realm and the real world intermingles, and all sorts of causalities, including time, is stopped for ordinary living beings. The mad scientist Lord Dantalion originally created the complex and flawed version of the Seal; later, the genius spell creator Denizen Leanan-sidhe fixed it into the easier modern version, which quickly spread over all related beings in the world. Flame Hazes are able to create such Seal at will, as may Crimson Denizens. However, battles in the Seal can damage real world objects, and harm the paused living beings, though thankfully for both it is possible to reverse the effects, if one uses enough Power of Existence. However, if the Seal is ever unlocked during a battle, the damage is irreparable.
Crystal Altar (玻璃壇 Haridan)
Crystal Altar is a Treasure Tool that functions as a miniature projection of the real world. It can be used to observe the location of Torches and Power of Unrestraint, and other things related to Power of Existence. From Margery's story, it is told that Crystal Altar was made about three milennia ago by a God-class Crimson Lord called the Snake of the Festival (祭礼の蛇 Sairei no Hebi), who had taken a liking to the act of "ruling." He created a human city and then watched over that city using the Crystal Altar. However, he was sealed in an alternate dimension after many battles with various Flame Haze. Friagne, who discovered and took possession of the Crystal Altar then brought it with him to Misaki city. While one may be deceived that it looks like the city's replica, the Altar itself is actually shaped like a small bronze mirror, hidden inside Friagne's enormous pile of Treasure Tools.
The Crystal Altar was originally intended to be used with the Gehinnom, an enormous stone bowl found inside the Bal-Masque's headquarters filled with iron grain which moves to make quick, accurate replicas of the desired area nearby; but as the Altar is missing, it is normally seen containing the three weapons of the Trinity, who are none other than the closest subjects of the Snake of the Festival.
Outlaw (外界宿(アウトロー) Autorō)
The facilities or organizations that support the activities of Flame Haze with finance, information, transportations, etc. They were merely hotels each with Treasures called Tessera, the regular dodecahedronal objects that conceal the presence of Flame Haze. Then a half-retired Flame Haze became the keeper to one of the Outlaw and made improvements, turning it into a place to trade information. The plan turned out successful after many years later as many other Outlaws had followed and thus the networks and connections were established throughout the world.
Novels and adaptations
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Light novels
There are currently nineteen novels out for
Shakugan no Shana. They are numbered from I through XVI, along with volume 0, S, and SII, which consist of short side stories. The most recent novel, book SII, was released in Japan on June 10, 2008. 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, published by
MediaWorks. The first novel was released in Japan on November 10, 2002. At
Comic-Con 2006, it was announced that
VIZ Media licensed the novels for the US market. The first
English language volume was translated by Yuki Yoshioka & Cindy H. Yamauchi and released on April 17, 2007.The second volume was translated by Yuki Yoshioka & Cindy H. Yamauchi with
Mark Giambruno.
Manga
The first manga, by
manga creator
Ayato Sasakura, is currently serialized in the monthly
seinen manga magazine
Dengeki Daioh, which started on February 1, 2005, published by MediaWorks. The first
bound volume hit shelves October 27, 2005. At Comic-Con 2006, it was announced that VIZ Media licensed the manga for the US market. VIZ released the first volume of the manga (translated by Yuki Yoshioka & Cindy H. Yamauchi) on April 17, 2007.Later volumes were translated by Yumi Okamoto &
Mark Giambruno.
The second manga under the title
Shakugan no Shana X Eternal song -Harukanaru Uta-, by
Shii Kiya, is based on the events of the tenth novel and began serialization in the
seinen manga magazine
Dengeki Black Maoh on September 19, 2007, published by MediaWorks.
Anime
See also: List of Shakugan no Shana episodes
An
anime version of
Shakugan no Shana, directed by
Takashi Watanabe, was aired in Japan between October 6, 2005 and March 23, 2006 containing twenty-four episodes.The anime was produced by the Japanese
animation studio J.C.Staff. The series has been licensed for North American distribution by
Geneon,and the first DVD of the series was released on September 5, 2006.
In addition to the first season, two mini
omake episodes depicting Shana
super deformed were released on two separate limited edition DVDs that were bundled with the first and fifth Japanese region 2 DVDs that was on sale on January 25 and May 25, 2006.Both episodes were included in the sixth English region 1 DVD that was released on July 3, 2007.A similarly themed episode featuring Hecate was released on a DVD bundled with the "All About Shakugan no Shana" book.Later, an
original video animation was released on December 8, 2006.The events of the story takes place after the storyline of the first season's thirteenth episode.
A second season, under the title
Shakugan no Shana Second (灼眼のシャナⅡ), was officially announced on May 30, 2007 and aired in Japan between October 5, 2007 and March 28, 2008, containing twenty-four episodes.
Music
Kō Ōtani was in charge of the music direction in the anime.
Shakugan no Shana had two opening and ending themes. The first opening theme, "
Hishoku no Sora" by
Mami Kawada, was used for the first sixteen episodes and the OVA. The second opening theme, "
being" by
Kotoko, ran the rest of the series to episode twenty-four. The first ending theme, "
Yoake Umarekuru Shōjo" by
Yoko Takahashi, ran for the first fourteen episodes and the OVA. The last ending theme, "
Aka no Seijaku" by
Yoko Ishida, was used between episodes fifteen and twenty-three. The last episode's ending theme was "Hishoku no Sora".
The first opening theme for the second season,
Shakugan no Shana II, is "Joint" by Mami Kawada and ran from episodes one to fifteen. The
single was released on October 31, 2007. The first ending theme for the second season is "Triangle" by Mami Kawada, which also ran for the first fifteen episodes. The second opening theme for the second season is "Blaze" by Kotoko, and the second ending theme is "Sociometry" by Kotoko. The third ending theme in episode twenty-four is "sense" by Mami Kawada.
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, were published by Geneon.
** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**
Video games
A
video game named
Shakugan no Shana for the
Playstation 2, developed by
MediaWorks, was released on March 23, 2006. An
A4-sized book named Honō (焔) spanning thirty-six pages was that included illustrations by Noizi Ito was included in preorders of the game. The player takes on the character of Yuji Sakai in the game. The game plays out like a
visual novel but with the addition of a battle system and dating sim elements. Choices that are made throughout the course of the game determine which of the five endings the player gets upon completion of the game.
The Playstation 2 game was ported to the
Nintendo DS and released on March 29, 2007.Preorders of the DS game was eligible for receiving a calendar that spanned April 2007 to March 2008 and a collection of rough sketches named Tōka (灯火) by Noizi Ito.The NDS version adds onto the PS2 version with the addition of an image gallery that allows the player to see what Shana and Yoshida Kazumi looks in different clothing and a battle mode that lets the player fight against the computer with a character other than Shana.
Movie
An
animated film was first announced after the ending credits of the last episode of the first anime series. The movie was released in Japanese theaters on April 21, 2007 as one of the three movies released at Dengeki Bunko's Movie Festival.The movie is not a sequel to the anime, but is an adaptation of all the events in the first novel and contains events that were not in the anime series. The DVD was released on September 21, 2007 in two different editions, the special edition including the director's cut version, the original version and extra material, and the normal edition including only the director's cut version.
** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**
Interviews
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Shakugan no Shana Second -
Cast Interview
J.C Staff Interview
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Trivia
** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**
Shakugan no Shana
The girl in the drama Yuji and Shana are watching in Episode 11 is named "Rie", a small nod to Rie Kugimiya, Shana's seiyuu.
In ep1, Yuji walks into a music store named "HNV", a blatant parody of HMV.
The seiyuu for Hayato Ike (Hirofumi Nojima) and Keisaku Satou (Kenji Nojima) are actually brothers.
In episode 21, somewhere in the episode, Shana is shown keeping away her sword inside her robe. Then as Wilhelmina is looking away, Shana is shown holding her sword on right hand. Suddenly, as Wilhelmina moved away, Shana is shown not holding her sword again.
Shakugan no Shana Second
Episode 12: During the parade scene, a boy in a dog suit, a maid, and a cloaked girl are seen from behind. These are likely supposed to be Saito, Siesta, and Louise from the "Zero no Tsukaima" anime.
Shana's new sweater, if combined with her battle cape, will result in an attire similar to Louise's. This is perhaps most noticeable in episode 21, at 19:17.
The prominent difference between the art of Shakugan no Shana Second and Shakugan no Shana is perhaps partly a consequence of the change in the holder of Art Director position from Shin Okui to the current Yoshinori Hirose. This may also account for the similarity between the art of Shakugan no Shana Second and Zero no Tsukaima: Futatsuki no Kishi.
Aster, Hecate's signature attack, may be named after the microtubules of centrosomes as both are radial and tubular.
The piano instrumental used as background music in the latter parts of episode 7 and 24 is Hishoku no Sora, the first opening song for season 1.
External links
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Official Shakugan no Shana website (Japanese)
Official Shakugan no Shana website (English Translated)
MediaWorks' official Shakugan no Shana website (Japanese)
MediaWorks' official Shakugan no Shana website (English Translated)
Official Shakugan no Shana movie website (Japanese)
Official Shakugan no Shana movie website (English Translated)
Official Shakugan no Shana English anime website
Shakugan no Shana (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
Shakugan no Shana Second (Japanese)
Shakugan no Shana Second (English Translated)
Madman's Official Shakugan No Shana Sales Site
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