Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru – 12 [END]

Yuuki Yuuna (7)

Sometimes you just gotta hug it out after a punch to the face!

The end is finally here! So how are they going to wrap this story up? I guess we will find out and I fully expect there to be tons of complaints, but I hope not…

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Sometimes you just have to knock some sense into your friends. Wow, this has been a series to remember, and I’m glad we got the chance to cover it, Fosh.

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Goodbye Magic

Yuuki Yuuna (8)

Yunna going all out for one final attack!

Fosh// I know throughout the series I have always talked about the possibility of the girls sacrificing their bodies in order to save everyone from danger through multiple Mankai transformations like Karin in the previous episode, but that was not the case in this final episode because all of the girls were pushed to the limit as they worked together as a team to save Shinju-sama after Toguou and Yuuna worked things out. I totally knew those two girls would use the power of friendship to solve their problems, but after everything was said and done Yunna was left motionless because she ended up losing everything which left her in a coma like state which I guess is due to her physically touching the core of the final Vertex? I think when they are in magical girl form they get some sort of protection, but honestly I have no idea why she was left in worst shape than Karin who took out five Vertex solo with several Mankai transformations or did Yuuna take on all the girls suffering at once? I could see that as possible explanation. Overall that was a tough few scenes to get through because we have always seen Yuuna as the bright happy go lucky girl of the group who often has to rally her friends or pump them up and she always had a smile on her face! So yeah I can definitely feel for her.

Yuuki Yuuna (2)

This was such a great moment.

While that was depressing to watch for some reason the other girls started to regain what they lost like Itsuki being able to speak again? That moment was more of a happy tears moment and I was a bit shocked that Tougou started to walk again which is probably HUGE for her. I kind of feel that a lot of people watching this series will find that part of the episode to be extremely weak because of them using their get out of jail free card to have the girls magically walking and talking again, but to the creators defence it was a slow time progression of them recovering so it wasn’t like it happened over night or would you have preferred to see them stay somewhat broken? At least they told us why they started to recover instead of shrugging it off as a “miracle” and I almost wonder why Shinju-sama didn’t do that before by creating a new system that allows the girls to use Mankai without giving up part of their bodies? I guess if he did that earlier we wouldn’t have much of an anime series.

Hero time

Yuuki Yuuna (9)

What a cool shot of Fuu and Karin~

Skylion// If there is one thing I’ve loved about this show from the get go it is how it has played with conventional genres. Lot’s of shows mix it up, but I don’t think I’ve seen one done with such style, and with such grace as this one. It wasn’t afraid to hit hard, but it never once fell into the grimdark territory we were afraid it would go. They had the sense to pull back and let the characters they spent precious time building do the thing that only they could do; not letting despair for the sake of it, or grimdark to garner attention do the job for them, but onto the cool stuff. LIke i said, sometimes you just have to knock some sense into your friends, and yes, Yuuki Yuuna is the Hero for that job as well. Finally, someone is able to get into Tougo’s head and convince her of what they fight for. Always themselves, and always what they stand for. I love that attitude. No, it doesn’t have to be grimdark, we can make a choice to stop that, cause that is what we want. It’s simple really, but kinda needed to be said at that point.

Yuuki Yuuna (3)

Yuuna-“I’m back suckers! You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

After that it was the trademark action the series has done so well from the beggining. Every hero has to wake up to the call, and shoulder the burden, even it they have to risk the Renge to do so. At first I felt like Karin’s injuries were all on Tougo’s head, but that misses the point. Friends can make mistakes and pick up after each other; be a team. And that was pretty awesome team work. And well paced, after the tremendous effort Ituski, Fuu, Tougo, and Karin put into stopping the mad Vertex, all it took was for Yuuki to touch it lightly. See, not so hard only it is Yuuki took on too much. Which is an odd thing for Karin to say, given how much she sacrificed last episode. But even after the great victory, Yuuki is lost in her sacrifice. She looks a shell of her former self, and the rest of the girls are at wits end at times to deal with it. But as the series has show, belief will pull you through. It got very emotional, with daily offerings to her, and prayers and hopes she would get better. It took the friend that thought she let her down to bring her back in the end. Yuuki had the will, but she had alot to come back to. Including a play that her costumed in a facsimile of her Hero outfit. And udon…

FK YA EXTRA MAGICAL GIRLS

Yuuki Yuuna (6)

I know right?!

Yuuki Yuuna (10)

Spinning those fat beats~

Yuuki Yuuna (1)

Break out the tissues!

Yuuki Yuuna (4)

I will miss watching Yuuna and the other girls.

End thoughts

Overall this final episode gave me what I wanted in the end! A sort of happy ending and the aftermath of the final battle, but by far the best moment for me was how the animation team used the passing seasons to show us just how long it took Yuuna to recover and OH MY GOD that final emotional scene with Tougou’s breakdown before Yuuna started to talk was amazing! I guess the full credit goes to Suzuko Mimori for showing us that she has what it takes for acting. So yeah Yuuki Yuuna was a rollercoaster of emotional moments from Fuu’s breakdown about her sister never singing again all the way to the end with Tougou and Yuuna sharing a sad yet happy moment together! I am glad that I decided to review this weekly because it was easily the biggest surprise of the season for me, but I will be honest and say that I was really turned off early on when people started comparing this series to Madoka Magcia after seeing just one damn episode or not even seeing the series at all! Yeah I know that is something that will always happen with each passing anime season because  fans tend to compare things out of habit; however I do it to so I can’t really complain all that much. Anyway! What did you like about Yuuki Yuuna and did you have fun watching it weekly?

I had heard some talk about there on the net that the creators did want to take the story down the darker paths. But in the end, they felt the girls had fought the good fight, and wanted to give them the happy ending they fought for. And as I said earlier, that it to their credit. We’ve seen the darker paths, and we need to walk the lighter ones to balance that out. To which they did a fine job. It made for one very happy, and memorable series. Thanks for joining us, I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. It’s all over for us, but the pancakes….Fosh loves him some pancakes…

THE END

Yuuki Yuuna (5)

Thanks for joining in on this wild ride.

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We live, laugh, enjoy and strictly believe on "more the merrier". When together, we usually come up with very chatty, conversation-based episodics and interesting posts.
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26 Responses to “Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru – 12 [END]”

  1. Highway says:

    Maybe I shouldn’t think about it as much as I have, but I can’t help it. One thing I was thinking a day after the episode, which might make it be not so jarring to get their faculties back: There was that discussion we had a couple weeks ago about their innocence. Well, in this fight, they lost their innocence. They learned the true nature of the world, and they still battled to save it at Yuuna’s insistence. I think that’s why they lost their ‘status’ as heavenly beings, and thus had no reason to keep their ‘sacrifices’.

    I don’t know if that explains Sonoko, since she knew, but maybe in combination with the ‘winning’ at least for now.

    I have no idea if it’s true that there won’t be any more fighting for the forseeable future, just that the Yuushabu is no longer needed for the fight.

    And that scene where Itsuki started to regain her voice was just terrific. I think it was made even better by the audience knowing what was coming while Fuu didn’t, since we’d seen Tougou realize that her legs were there (and her memories).

    • skylion says:

      I have seen some discussion about how this is a Shinto heroes tale. That Yuuki herself received worship during her recovery. I don’t know enough about the mythology to say if that is the case or not, but it’s of interest nonetheless….So maybe the worship, or the respect given to Sonoko finally payed off?

      • Alexandre says:

        Hmm, interesting theories, both.Yeas, you may both be right. In some myths in the Kojiki, the hero is killed and then brought back to life, over again, until his sacrifice achieves some relevant change, after which he is allowed to live the rest of his days in peace, if not necessarily our “happily ever after”, which quite matches this story. After all, not only is the girls recovery gradual and, as far as we know, may never be 100%, but also the world is still the Tree and I’d say the battle is neverending, with future generations of Yuusha battling the Vertexes, because it get the impression that neither the other gods nor the Shinto-sama group will change their minds, as is the wont of gods (pigheaded that they mostly are).
        Highway, I think the comparison with Madoka does not come only from fans’ habit of comparing things, but from the fact that that series left its mark (at least for sometime) in the Mahou Shoujou genre. Which, albeit my loving the series (not the movies, like Evangelion, the actual ending of the story for me is in the TV series), is unfair to anime like Rayearth, where you have magical girls also finding out a very dark truth about their mission and having to suffer for it. The end of the first season, with the Hikari, Fuu and Umi hugging each other in Tokyo Tower, crying over Emeraud’s death, was as heartbreaking as anything in current magical girls shows for me. Just like Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou, that, despite having a happy ending, also has the same grimdark overtones dominating the series after a few episodes. Yet, I fully agree that Yuuki Yuuna is not a mere Madoka clone, but takes on a totally different approach.
        The final episode was both moving and fascinating. I really was rooting at the same time for Tougou and Yuuna and the other girls when they were fighting themselves, as both viewpoints were perfectly understandable. Usually, when a character in anime says they are fighting for themselves it just sounds juvenile and selfish to me. But Tougou’s anger at the world was made perfectly clear and totally justifiable, even though Yuuna is right if you take the larger view, especially when she says that most people in the world have no idea of what is happening and should not have to die for it.
        Excellent show, indeed!

  2. Namaewoinai says:

    Well, I Guess That’s it, I Enjoyed a lot of this even though it’s kinda weird but not too lame, i heard they will be a second season, but i guess we never going to see them fighting or yet to be seen again, who knows! BTW, i got a special picture along with the other shows around! it’s actually a compilation anyways

    BTW, I Like to Thank this guy to Heal the girls up LOL!…OOPS

    • skylion says:

      Well, the last bit we saw on this was “Yuuki’s Chapter” so this story is over. Which is a good thing. I like it when stories end, and the creators know when to end them. I think I heard that the next one is going to be Sumi Washio is a Hero….so prequel!

      and your first link is broken….

      • Namaewoinai says:

        Wha….UGH i see anyway here is a new one

        and as for the new chapter, i think it will be a new story, i dunno unveiling ever more of its secret about their universe around it, and they facing up a new threat even more dangerous than the vertex…

        Show ▼

        OK i honesty can’t tell anyways…

        • Foshizzel says:

          Not sure what that picture is about LOL

          If it does continue then it is certainly possible for a prequel or season two to come out, but for me that factor depends on how much money they can make off DVD/BD sales to push them to do another season.

          • skylion says:

            Looks likes a collection of possible character traits in Magical Girl or Magical Girl-like cast members…

            Given a good offer, I may just get these discs…

          • Namaewoinai says:

            Probably, and don’t forget other merchandize too…

            still they need more than that! i may wait for very very long to unravel it up, but again, it’s up to the them now…

  3. JPNIgor says:

    Yeah, seeing this ending, it was underwhelming after all the expectations I built by myself, but it’s not like it was bad per se. I had the same feels as Fosh when Itsuki started talking again and Tougou started walking again.

    I’m not sure because I haven’t read Washio Sumi wa Yuusha de Aru yet, but this happy ending must have felt very weird with the (probably) desperate ending it must have had as a prequel to YYY…

    Maybe there will be an anime to Washio Sumi’s arc? Or a sequel? Seeing the “Yuuki Yuuna chapter” at the end made me kind of happy.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Yeah seeing them regain what they lost was a nice touch and again it didn’t happen over night so to their credit it wasn’t a magic thing.

      Same I didn’t even know there were novels out until a few days ago! I thought this was original content I mean yeah I know that prestory is about Tougou.

      Probably! I think that depends on DVD/BD sales before we assume that they plan to do more! Worst case id say is an OVA.

    • skylion says:

      I would really dig reading the WaSuYu chapters…

  4. HannoX says:

    Looks like I’m in the minority here. I thought the ending was a cop-out. Through most of the series we hear about how the heroes are sacrifices and the price they must pay with no hope of recovery. Then all of a sudden the Shinju-sama decide to change the system and the girls begin to recover, albeit slowly.

    Mind you, I’m all for the girls having a happy ending, but not just out of the blue. There should have been something said or hinted at earlier that held out that possibility.

    • Foshizzel says:

      True I can see that side of the fans as well, but again their recovery wasn’t the next day it took a few months at least because we saw the passing seasons! Especially with Yuuna. That said yeah I can see people hating the fact that suddenly Shinju-sama changed the rules on them when he could have done it before?

      Saying that is tough because I still think it would have been a “fix all” ending with the girls recovering, but I guess that is just that then? Yuuna would have “died” and the others would be in recovery mode while Tougou is alone? Even that sounds depressing…

  5. IanDK says:

    Just wanted to mention a few things that seem to indicate the story is not quite over (especially given the way that the anime has liked to drop little hints here and there)…

    – Yuuna didn’t get her faeries taken away, nor petals dropped on her at the end of the battle
    – Her coma as well
    – Tougou reading about the hero continuing to fight alone
    – Yuuna fainting at the end
    – “Yuuki’s Chapter”

    All that adds up to one thing in my mind… she’s still fighting (was the ‘fainting’ at the end a battle?).

    I want to know what happens next now…

    [All that said, none of it explains how the whole hero system works and why they recovered and all, which I’d like to know as well]

  6. Highway says:

    One thing I’d like to mention about the show is that I thought it was terrific how they handled the disabilities of the characters throughout the show, primarily Tougou’s being in a wheelchair, and then even Yuuna swapped with Tougou. They threw in enough about it to make it realistic, like Tougou being picked up by an accessibility van. They didn’t make the show be about having limited accessibility, but they did enough to make Yuuna’s attention to Tougou be an indicator of what a good person Yuuna is. And then to have Tougou reciprocate that kind of attention was a lovely touch as well.

    • skylion says:

      The blend of SoL charm and Magical Girl tropes was superior..

    • Foshizzel says:

      I thought it was terrific how they handled the disabilities of the characters throughout the show

      Yeah ill agree with that because it is rare to see a series throw something like that in for characters and the role reversal with Tougou and Yuuna was also great! That is some true friendship <3

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