[elior]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

The one thing I have to say about this episode and this season in general is that the overall direction of the show has a very strong sense of confidence -- like they know exactly what they're doing, where they're going, and nothing's going to stand in their way. That's not just reflected in Shana's growing attitude, but just the way everything comes together. A lot of people were concerned in the early days that it was a bit confusing and that the transition from the last season was a bit rough, but I feel like the show is only continuing to build more and more with each week as the pieces are starting to fall together on what's going on and why. It's sort of like my feeling as a viewer has mirrored Shana's attitude a bit -- first a bit lost/confused/tentative, then waiting as things built up, and now increasingly confident in where things are heading. The destination of the show is in sight. This is a sense of confidence that got lost a little bit in the middle of the overall story as themes of adolescence, romance, and major decisions were explored. I still liked those parts of the story, but there's no question that there is something much more powerful propelling this season forward. And yeah, it feels great.

Incidentally, as with all all past seasons, the show will be taking a one week break over the New Year holiday. I'm starting to wonder if the show will end this "cour" with a sense of resolution, or on a cliffhanger note. It seems like we're working towards a resolution to this part of the plot, but I'm sure a twist is coming. Time will tell...

acording to the anime pace until now i can see they will left us with cliffhanger about the snake of the festival