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Guido, I started watching this show a long, long time ago (somewhere in 2007), which indeed makes the ending of this show the end of an era, for many of the reasons he states. This show, its characters and setting hold a lot of value to me, even after sitting through the admittedly disappointing season 3. I'll try not to dwell on past installments of the series too much, but some comparisons are in order, given that this series has clearly has its ups and its downs.
In this final installment, I did feel that there was effort put it. I actually felt that the pacing was good, except for the very end, when things became a little rushed. However, I enjoyed having a dynamic plot where things, lots of things, actually did happen. It's a huge step up from the last season, and I'm willing to forgive a few shortcomings to be able to enjoy a genuine fantasy story with characters that I've grown to love. I'm not here to nitpick. As much of a cynic as I am, this is a series that I genuinely enjoy.
The fantasy element was really played up this season, and I for one found that to be very enjoyable. Flocks of dragons, aloof elves and a pope with magical powers. I love fantasy, and I loved these additions. There was also a lot of variety in the settings, from the grand holy city to the elven desert to Saito and Louise's humble abode.
On the character side, most of the good old team reprise their roles, and retain their personality. One notable exception is Tifania, who actually becomes useful this season. Thank GOD! Saito and Louise's relationship also develops and matures, and the culmination of these four seasons is a very beautiful wedding scene. Worth the wait, Louise looked stunning. I'm incredibly, incredibly grateful and happy that they chose to go with a serious, romantic resolution, rather than having a harem-like scene where Saito is hugged by every female in the cast. Both Louise and we, the audience, got what we deserved: a respectable ending.
Overall, I think this fourth season does a lot of things right. Although it stumbles slightly here and there, on the whole I found the plot compelling. The characters shine brightly, and they significantly cut down on the fanservice, especially compared to the last season. (It's still there, and some of it is still a bit much, but it hardly detracted from the overall experience in my case.)
This season doesn't quite rekindle the pure magic I experienced watching the first season way back in my anime infancy, but nor should I expect it to. It does, in my opinion, rise above both the second and the third season in terms of quality, and that is more than enough to make me very happy with it. I mentioned that ZnT was an uneven series, and that is certainly true when you look at how I've rated all four seasons. On the numerical scale, all four received a different rating; pretty unusual (impressive?
) for a continuous series! Season one got a "8" (Excellent), season two a "6" (Good) and season three a "5" (Average.) Lastly, season four, the final installment gets a 7, (on my rating scale) "very good."
Final Rating: 7 (Very good)
I thank everyone involved in making this series. I know it wasn't everything it could have been, but I choose to highlight the good times I had with this franchise. And there were many. I won't forget them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guido
Farewell, Louise Francois du Blanc de la Valliere!
Farewell, Saito Hiraaga!
Farewell, Derflinger!
Farewell, both the headmaster, the teachers, and all of the students of Tristain Magical Academy!
Farewell, to the people of Halkeginia!
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You said it, man. Fare the well, you wonderfully imaginative world filled with wonderfully imaginative people.