Ao no Exorcist 24

Yukio is possessed by Satan, who swears a lot and laughs like a jackass. Shura, Shiemi, and Rin try to get Yukio to snap out of it, but only Rin succeeds, after sufficient yelling and a few tears. They manage to free Yukio, but Satan is still on the loose, and the massive Gehenna Gate remains open.

The Satan in this series just doesn’t work for me as a character. I just hate him. I know, we’re supposed to hate him, but he’s so implacably evil and unlikable, there’s never any doubt that he will ultimately be cast aside and defeated. I hate that he’s a weak, goofy, one-dimensional villain. Why there was a flashback episode with Yuri and Satan I don’t know, but it certainly didn’t rouse any sympathy for the Satan character. He’s a big jerk, period. And yet this whole episode does nothing but prove that point ad nauseum, along with provide the predictable heartfelt beseeching Yukio to wake up.

Thankfully, Cardinal Ernst didn’t have any stupid longwinded religio-political speeches, but the line of the episode had to be (former) Paladin August’s: “But genocide using a weapon of mass destruction contradicts the Order (of the True Cross)’s principles!” Seriously? That line was written? And it actually had to be spoken by somebody?

Rating: 2.5

Kami-sama no Memo-cho 12

After following a hunch and Major analyzes Angel Fix, it’s determined that one has to take the drug in order to find a source. Narumi volunteers, and has a bad trip as he lurches through downtown, but he finds the hideout where Hakamizaka and a group of junkies congregate. Sou and his soldiers pacify the area, while Alice messes with Hakamizaka right until he keels over from overdose. Narumi then gives Toshi a beating. He continues to visit Ayaka, but she won’t wake up. Alice concludes she didn’t jump because of the drug, but because she didn’t want the school festival to invade the garden she and Narumi had made.

They say you should never get high on your own supply. I thought Hakamizaka was smart, but it turns out he’s just another junkie, who starts to believe his own drug-induced babbling. It was very satisfying to see Alice give him a very buzz-killing dressing down, and even a little cruel, but the guy had it coming. As for Ayaka, the fact that the AF amplified the negative emotions she felt about letting the festuval invade her garden was a good touch. It doesn’t let Narumi off the hook for never noticing trouble, nor does it make Hakamizaka the lone culprit in her demise. She also doesn’t wake up, which is kind of a downer, but works for dramatic purposes. It’s a wonder she’s alive at all, but the hope of her waking up continues to haunt Narumi.

So I believe this just about wraps it up for Kamisama no Memo-cho. I really enjoyed it, and it started and ended strong, and fielded a strong cast in a believable and richly-rendered setting in the heart of Tokyo. As a J.C.Staff piece, this was far better than either Index II (which got buried in its religious mumbo-jumbo) and Ookami-san (the fairy-tail gimmick was half-baked). Neither of those shows had nearly as likeable and original characters as the onese here, and as lolis go, Alice was not just tolerable, but downright solid. I was always wondering exactly how this eleven(?) year-old girl got into the position of bossing a bunch of people around, but hey, sometimes special people are born who just can’t wait until puberty to accomplish great things.

Rating: 4

Hanasaku Iroha 26 (Fin)

The Bonbori festival is a magical evening when people all over the prefecture converge and bring fresh vitality to Yusonagi. Everyone strings up their wish planks, all of them reinforcing their character arcs. Ohana wishes to be like her grandmother, Sui, who herself believes she should “fest it up” more often as Ohana does. Ohana seeks out Ko and finally confesses to him. Beanman announces his retirement. Enishi, realizing he has a lot to learn about running an inn, agrees with his mother to close Kissuiso, but only temporarily, so that he can train.

The staff pledges to return to work there when it reopens, and can live up to its name of “A place to make Sui happy.” Ko wants to “find his place” as he sees Ohana has, and if it’s the same place of her, all the better. Minko dreams to be Kissuiso’s next chef. Sui gives us one last tour of the inn where dreams are born. The series finishes with a montage of the staff in their new places, and in Ohana’s case, back in Tokyo with her mom and Ko.

It’s been a hell of a ride, with its share of bumps, but IMO Hanasaku Iroha couldn’t have had a better finale. It ties up all the loose ends, doesn’t cheat by keeping everything the same, gives everyone a solid goodbye and dream to follow, and, of course, Ohana gets the guy by finally speaking up. Even better, she gets that out of the way in the first minutes, before the suspense grows excessive, and moves on to other things. Just about everything worked here, from the utterly gorgeous visuals to the not-too-cheesy soundtrack.

I really liked Angel Beats!, but I think I have to consider this P.A. Works’ finesst work yet, which is encouraging, because it’s also their latest, and I can’t wait to watch their next one. After AnoHana wrapped, this has been the series with the most involving, likeable, fun-to-watch characters, as well as the prettiest setting and some of the best animation values. The inn itself was a character, and given no less fitting a sendoff. When it was populated, it was hard to sit back and admire just how beautiful a building it is, inside and out. I’m glad that the series was able to take its time and say a decent goodbye that left me wanting for nothing.

Rating: 4 ~series elevated to favorites ~