SS-Eclipse has released a sub of the first Shanatan special that accompanied the first DVD release of Shakugan no Shana II. It’s as chibi-licious as all the previous editions from season one, but the jokes are actually tame. Nothing really all that ecchi … for now at least.

Summary

Shanatan is chomping infinite melonpan on Yuuji’s head again. In this parody of episode 1, Yuuji asks Shana what it was she said at the end of the last battle at Seirei-den (at the end of season one). Shanatan blushes, denying that she said she loved him but instead said that he just did a really good job. Yuuji remains unsure, and Shanatan proceeds to beat his head with her melonpan, shouting “Uruchai!” over and over again.

Not too far behind, Kazumi stalks Yuuji behind her usual personal electric/telephone pole.

What’s even more interesting is that Ike is not far behind Kazumi, also in stalking position. This reminds us all of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.

First eyecatch has the cutest line ever: “Yuuji! Dai~chu~ki!”

Moving forward, Yuuji senses something strange in town. Maybe it’s an unrestricted spell! He runs off to tell Margery at her apartment … but ends up at a masseuse .. uh .. parlor instead. He then tries another path to get there .. but ends up at a church.

He tries again a third time .. and finds a construction site with a weird statue. Yuuji is getting agitated.

One more try … but he ends up at a restaurant. Eyecatch 2 .. with Kazumi declaring her love.

At school, Kazumi makes Yuuji lunch (curry), but Shanatan interrupts and gives Yuuji a bento box of melonpan instead. Kazumi is not pleased. Then some really weird noises during the third eyecatch, which is of cute Shanatan.

Fumina then transfers into the class. Shanatan stares at her intently and suspiciously. Yuuji suspects the two are twins (or maybe that Fumina is Hecate’s twin sister .. rather than being Hecate herself?). All the girls can do is look at each other in an awed state.

Fourth eyecatch — Fumina with melonpan.

Credits! –Oh wait, we see Margery open up Marcosius … which happens to be her secret diary. And she writes about her day all cutely and swinging her legs. Who’d have ever thought she had a moe side?

Final eyecatch — Ike going “Dai~chu~ki” — not as cute.

Thoughts

Okaaaay… ^^; Well I certainly wasn’t expecting it to make sense. I’m still having bad visions about how so wrong and so ecchi Itadaki no Hecatetan was. So I was expecting the same for this Shanatan of the new season. But it’s actually pretty tame! Maybe that means it’s more boring, but at least I don’t feel weird or violated after watching it.

All of the Yuuji-gets-lost-in-town references don’t make sense to me. I wonder if they are more obscure Japanese jokes that I don’t know. Or even simple jokes… Maybe those landmarks are easy to find in towns, or ending up at those locations means bad luck? Nevertheless I liked seeing Yuuji get more and more agitated that he couldn’t reach his destination.

Seeing Fumina again is nice, as I get to hear more Kotomi in her. :3 And as such, I just enjoy the sound of awe she makes; it’s so wispy and cute and yet emotional.

Shanatan continues to be adorable with her bite-size melonpan and prominent ahoge and extra tsuntsun. Although she did get a deredere face in the beginning, too.

But while I don’t miss the ecchi, I do miss the usual gags from the other Shanatan episodes, like Alastor being in weird random places in the world. Or even the tangerine (mikan) boxes.

Can’t wait for more!

~Crisu