Uknighted Manganime Life is too short to watch bad anime

Shakugan no Shana - S2:E1 Time for Restart

The long awaited SHANA S2 opens to a bass beat pounding along in time to scenes of steam punk machinary.

A few mysterious words, “transient and eternal dreams” echo across the foggy scenes, before transistioning to an every day scene in the heart of a city, with Sakai Yuji walking to school, and a meeting with his friend Ike, before starting their first day at high school. Sakai feels a moment of dejavu, as their conversation seems a repeat. Other characters reenter the series, Yoshida, Margey (who still hasn’t changed clothes from last season) goons also arrive at school. Shana arrives with Wilhelmina in escort, much to her disgust.

In their first class, as Yuji ponders if there was a possible confession from Shana in episode 26 of S1, he feels another moment of Dejavu as Shana correct’s the teachers english problem in an awful mangle of english pronounciation.

The gang are enjoying a meal break, when suddenly the puppet master (Friagne the Hunter) appears. As the firghters test each others mettles, it becomes clearer and clearer to Sakai that the past is repeating and is most likely the creation of some unknown Tomogara. As Yuji tries to make his way to Margery’s house for answers, he finds himself blocked by reality, and is overwhelmed by some mysterious sound.

The situation becomes clearer as Sakai Yuji plumbs the depths of the effect, and the incest twins reappear and hold Shana captive again. Suddenly Yuji realises that this world is drawn from his own memories, and breaks the illusion by allowing himself to be wounded, finding himself back in ‘reality’ with Shana, fighting the mysterious Tomogara that he sensed before. The Tomogara is surprisingly easy to destroy, and with no time at all, the fight has ended and the two are back in the real world.

The battle between Shana and Yoshida for Yuji’s affections is on, and Magery is on a couch recovering from a hangover. However the footage of Shana, Yuji and their friends with a voiceover of sinister laughter bodes ill for the gang.

The preview at the end of the episode suggests next time Yuji along with Shana and Yoshida get pulled into the dreamwold again.

Looking good, bring on the next episode, may this years season of Shana be as entertaining as the first.