[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Kashimashi episode 12: Final thoughts on the closing episode
It’s the end of the road for this delightful and touching romance story as Hazumu finally makes up his - sorry, her - mind about Tomari and Yasuna. I’m not going to spoil things for you but I will go as far as saying it’s as satisfactory an ending as anyone could expect from a messy love triangle! The ending made sense, it was in keeping with the series itself and there’s even enough left open for a sequel (I’ve heard rumours of an OVA but I’m not sure if and when this will materialise). Without dwelling too much on the conclusion (my file was glitchy so it froze up before the closing credits rolled, hence there being only two screenshots) I thought I’d post my thoughts on the major characters and plotlines.
The whole sex-change thing
I *think* that this is based on a yuri manga series so it was a given that the main character and love interest(s) would be female. This didn’t bother me in the slightest - a love story is a love story so as long as the characters’ feelings are genuine it doesn’t matter what gender they are. Granted, some of the main situations could have played out just the same with Hazumu staying as a boy but things wouldn’t have been quite as interesting! This plot device doesn’t harm the storytelling so the end result is a romance series with a difference.
Yasuna’s vision problem
Just a few quick thoughts on this one: I’m not sure how the manga portrays this but it seemed rather pointless at first. Fortunately it turns out to be a valid plot point towards the end so all is well.
Hazumu, Tomari and Yasuna
It’s odd that Hazumu does better as a girl than as a boy. While writing these reviews I’ve found myself thinking of her character as a ‘he’ and a ’she’ interchangeably but by the end it was hard to imagine Hazumu ever being male again. After all, she has adapted pretty well - the process being one of the more interesting aspects of the series!
Tomari is a really likeable character - her tomboy-ish air exaggerated Hazumu’s femininity (even as a boy!) but it was interesting to see how she comes to terms with her feelings and the whole situation. In a cast of likeable people she is probably the most engaging.
I never really warmed to Yasuna as much for some reason. Sure, she’s had real issues (her troubled relationship with her distant-looking family could have done with some more attention) and her feelings are genuine but she seemed all too ready to offload her pain onto others. I can’t say her character was unlikable though.
The supporting cast
Supporting characters often end up as archetypes/stereotypes in my limited experience but fortunately this isn’t so pronounced in Kashimashi. Asuta is the laddish male buddy, the teacher is suitably insane and so on but they at least have their roles to play in the story. Ayuki comes across as a passive spectator, which often left Tomari wondering if she was stalking her (I felt inclined to agree with Tomari on that point). I’m sure there’s some fancy name for a character in a film who explains things and draws attention to things for the viewer’s benefit…I don’t know. Anyway, Ayuki is around to offer advice and form a sort of narrative link between the whole love triangle thing and the viewer, and she does it well.
The teacher was funny at first but after a while her habit of falling over wore a little thin. I was actually hoping she would find a bit of romance before the end though…Hazumu’s parents on the other hand were really eccentric. Her dad’s obsession with photographing and trying to share a bath with his newly-converted daughter just wasn’t funny. Odd but not shocking and definitely not funny.
Summary
Well, I’ve let this entry run on longer than planned! Kashimashi started off cutesy and silly with a strange premise and fillerish middle section before getting into some pretty profound stuff about the meaning of love later on. This and the rather sugary shoujo-friendly art style reminded me a little of Chobits actually. So, am I glad I watched it? Yes. Would I watch it again? Probably. Would I watch any sequels? Again, yes. Would I go as far as buy an English language DVD, OST album and so on? Probably not. I wouldn’t rate it amongst my favourites but it’s still a cute, (occasionally) funny and (mostly) enjoyable romantic drama that managed to hold my attention to the end. Here endeth my first completed blogged fansub. ^_^
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