EPISODE. It was. Wow. But I'm dead from the week so short summary ahead.
Hana falling and the hairpin flying off was so good. We have to appreciate every single good animated shot like it's a rare species.
Yohane blushing remembering the date :3c he's feel in love so fast.
Ami Koshimizu screaming gets me everytime, she's so good... Too bad this is the last of Luca we'll see :')
I have to say but Yohane's reactions were kinda underwhelming like he was mostly standing there and not even his screams for Hana or his body language fit the scenes much... But anyway. Flashback.
The Middle East flashback was done quite good, they didn't show Yoh and Anna's faces thank god. Welcome Megumi for her single line here. The whole SoE moment and the bullet rain were SO GOOD. And then Hana waking up and gasping for air... incredible.
They added the balancing and murmuring and the glitchy effects... chef's kiss. It's cool to see white oni made of dirt.
And I'll detour for a bit now because suddenly too much happened in one second, namely, Luca used stone Daikyo to made an OS identical to Yohane's and I have two observations... first one is interesting how few characters can make an OS identical to someone's else, seeing OS are very personal, and two, if stone Daikyo's soul could be used to make an OS, and forgive me for a moment I'll insert some late Flowers spoiler, but this could be how Black Maiden keeps Jeanne's soul too? And that's why we never see her, but she can still use her. Food for thought.
Second half has some repeating scenes but I'll point out my absolute favorite moments.
1. Hana saying oni wa SOTO, particularly the time he invokes Oh-oni and his voice breaks a bit, I keep listening to it on repeat because it's too great. I'm grateful the official twt account made a clip out of it:
— 『SHAMAN KING FLOWERS』TVアニメ公式|24年1月放送決定 (@SHAMANKING_PR) February 11, 2024
I'll interrupt the greatness list with how I absolutely do not like how they made the yamioni's aura. I can't see sheet. It should have been drawn with some effect on top, the silhouette gets completely lost and doesn't even look as terrifying as in the manga (which I have to say, I vividly remembering reading this chapter for the first time and the sheer HORROR will never leave me, it's definitely in my top of biggest impressions in everything Takei has made).
2. LUCA SCREAMING. AMI KOSHIMIZU GODDESS.
3. How Shinden and Raiden undo the OS and go attacking BEAUTIFUL... It was amazing until yamioni grabbed them and it got static and also the 3D effect and 2D characters looked too badly integrated.
4. LUCA SCREAMING (PART 3487). The moment she's desperate saying yamero as yamioni is about to destroy the eye... Art.
5. SHINE SHINE SHINE SHINE S̴̳̞̒Ḧ̴̗̝̋I̶͕͒̈́N̴̘̣̾Ḛ̶̛͘ S̴̮̳͎̀̀͜H̷̺̯́͂̿͌̇͆̐I̵̧̗̪͖̞̍̄͗͆̍̈̈͜ͅN̵̜̺̖̝͈̦̭̆̾̎͋̎̚͜͠Ě̶̜̜̩̤̩̮̊́̋̏͛̑͘. This part with the glitchy effect was absurdly great (I have to say I was suddenly expecting to see Yosuke's face as a blurry flashback and as a callback to TSS when Hana mistakes Yosuke for Yohane...)
6. Alumi's wings flapping. That single movement made my entire day.
Then Hana falls like he was a sack of potatoes and starts bleeding ketchup again so the mood is gone. BUT THEN YOHANE'S CLOTHES ARE ALL SHREDS AND HE'S ALMOST NEKKID AND NO GLASSES... I knew that happened but seeing it like this just gives me a new perspective and a new nosebleed.
AND THAT'S THE END WE GET YOSUKE NEXT WEEK (and by next week I mean tomorrow because I'm super late writing this)
Rubbing Yosuke's shoes for some merch announcement pls.
