(L) Kaze no Stigma

[InternHertz]

Yep, ep24 is the last one according to Ayano-chan.

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Deathkillz

Spoiler:

...but i was expecting a full on kiss than a love bite ~ but as we know kazuma is the type who likes to tease

Spoiler:

I would have liked a full on kiss as well. But a love bite is more than I expected the series to deliver, so I'm pleased with that. And you're right. It does seem more in character for Kazuma to offer a love bite rather than a lovey-dovey kiss.

[Kazuma77]

aaaaaaaaaahhh finally some Kazuma&Ayano moments...

Spoiler for ep 23:

Spoiler for ep 24:

i luuuuuuuuvv old Kazuma

[lacusclyne]

OMG! Can't wait for Ep 24. Glad to see some Kazuma & Ayano moments. I'll be sad to see this series end, though.

[TigerII]

Is 24 the last?

[FlareKnight]

Yeah from the way the episode ended I got the feel of 24 being the end anyways. Too bad, but since they can't cover the next volume in 2 episodes (since they should finish after the next one) it's to be expected they'd leave it at that.

Spoiler for Ep23:

Actually not that bad of an episode. The fighting was actually up there with what this series has pulled out. Now of course it still isn't where it could've been but that ship has sailed so working within the confines of the series.

Ayano impressed this time in finally showing what she is capable of and displaying the growth from the start of the series. Good use of dodging and using the flames in attack and for a defensive shield from the wind. Was also hoping to see the bright red flame again. Of course she has to knock him back to his senses with words then blast him .

No clue what was being talked about. Probably his talk about gaining that power to protect the things he wanted to protect and not just for blind revenge. On that note damn those youma got turned into mince meat. Guess you can get a whole lot more violent when they are no longer recognized as human beings.

Agree that a full kiss would've been nice but the love bite was still good. After all he's given her a peck on the nose, licked her face, so makes sense to get her neck as well. Preview also looked nice for some good moments between them to finish the series.

[TigerII]

Maybe they are saving novel 6 and possible novel 7 for a second season?

[FlareKnight]

Well anything is possible. Really could've slipped the 6th novel in if they had cut back on some of the extra episodes and make the series 26 episodes. But anyways will see what they do with the next episode and worry about everything else later on.

[TigerII]

Well there is no guarantee for a 7th. Was just giving a possibility.

[Impz]

Episode 23's summary and screenshots are up in T.H.A.T Anime Blog. For those who wants to know a bit more, pop by and comment ^+^

[tbl]

Kazuma going back to normal seemed a bit fast.

[Rusty Venture]

I dunno, it might have seemed fast, but those are pretty powerful thoughts, especially as to why he wanted that power to begin with.

[UPR]

title for ep24:

Kaze no mamorishi mono" (風の護りしもの)- "The one which the wind protects/The one protected by the wind"

[grprsa]

I wish Kazuma would kiss my neck! He's so HOT! Anywayz, I hope Kazuma and Ayano hook up! Luv them as a couple!

[maian330]

I've been watching this series for a while, but after seeing 23 eps and knowing there's only going to be one more, I must say I'm pretty disappointed with the series over all. Since I don't expect the finale to break any new ground, I'm going post a review now.

It had a good start - the first 4 or so episodes really kept my attention. But then it lost its touch. Or maybe it didn't have the touch and only the novelty of the setting attracted me. I kept watching the series in the hope that it would have another really interesting story arc, but it never met my expectations. Other than the first story arc, the story is too predictable. By that I mean that they reveal what's going to happen next way too early - for example, the earth mage's betrayal of her clan did not surprise me at all, since the episodes leading up to aforementioned betrayal were hinting heavily at it. A more recent example:

Spoiler for ep 23:

the episodes leading up to 23 were obsessed with the notion that Ayano alone could save Kazuma, so the only question to ask was "how was Ayano going to save Kazuma?", but considering the nature of the characters (see below) and series history of predictability, it was obvious that there was going to be a fight, and in the middle of it, Kazuma was going to see the error of his ways and return back to normal. Completely predictable.

The characters are so 2D that you know what they'll do next. Of the two main characters, I expected the character of Ayano to develop the most, but she remains uninteresting throughout the series. Although she does get stronger in combat, the anime barely makes this apparent at all, so the power-ups just feel gimmicky. In terms of non-combat growth, her growing love for Kazuma just didn't connect with me - maybe that's because the dialogue sucks (which I'll elaborate on a lot more below). Character-wise, Kazuma is the best and most complex, but he's just plain overpowered, so there's no room for power-ups, and the only tension I really feel is "can he defeat the enemy before the enemy harms his friends?" as opposed to "can he even win?" The other characters are mostly forgettable and predictable. One exception though is Kazuma's father - I liked how he was never honest with his feelings concerning his son, which led to the interesting tension between the two.

And the dialogue! Ugh, the cheesiness almost makes my ears hurt. Of all the flaws of this series, this takes the cake. The dialogue is horrendous. Cliche and predictable. The anxious calling of names - although typical in anime - is especially bad (I'm not sure how to describe this, but I'm talking about when a character shouts out another character's name in concern). It's funny that I can always tell whenever Ren or Ayano will say "Kazuma!" Actually that goes for any character - the dialogue is that predictable. And even when it's not predictable, it still sucks - just witness how fast Kazuma returned back to normal in ep 23.

Also, the light-hearted aspect of the series did not mesh very well with the more serious parts of the series IMO. They just seemed out of the place. Ayano's odd embarrassed reactions just looked ridiculous. The occasional comedy just seemed to lack the "oomph" characteristic of good action-comedies. I can't pinpoint the reason why I'm not appreciating its attempt at comedy, but I'm just not feeling it.

The only really good thing about the series is the setting. It is a fascinating world. Modern-day mages? That just kick ass. The powers looked cool, albeit repetitive (if you've seen a flame attack, you've seen em all). It's just a bit unbelievable though, if you consider that the public seems to be mostly ignorant of mages despite all the information technology.

The other aspects of the anime are just so-so. Neither good nor bad. The voice actors were decent, with a handful of annoying ones. It didn't like Ayano's voice that much, and Ren's tall male friend sounded a tad weird. The animation is generic, but it has its bright moments in some cool action scenes - the wind and fire effects look cool, but all the animation in between fights is rather shoddy, which just reinforces the suckiness of the dialogue.

I've used the word "predictable" at least 10 times already (I think), and predictably, I just used it again. And that's intentional, since that's what this series really boils down to. A setting and story with great promise but crappy execution.

Note: I haven't read the light novels this anime is based off of, so I don't know if it's just the novels that suck or the anime adaptation that sucks.

[Anh_Minh]

Spoiler for ep 23:

Who's the certain someone Ren supposed to start resembling?

He sounded more self-confident, but self-confidence bordering on arrogance is common to practically all Kannagis.

His altruistic streak, his gentleness? They're pretty much his. Kazuma certainly isn't like that, and even if Ayano has it, a bit, she's much more brutal than Ren.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Spoiler for ep 23:

Who's the certain someone Ren supposed to start resembling?

He sounded more self-confident, but self-confidence bordering on arrogance is common to practically all Kannagis.

His altruistic streak, his gentleness? They're pretty much his. Kazuma certainly isn't like that, and even if Ayano has it, a bit, she's much more brutal than Ren.

Well I think they were going for something simple. With Ren talking about having more power and using it to protect everyone. That kind've thing.

Well one more episode to get through and we'll see how this finishes up. If the anime did anything it got my interest in the novels up. When they do get fully translated it'll be nice to get the full story.

[Kazuma77]

yeah novel and manga is much more interesting then anime, because its much more perverted and we can see dirty - thinking Kazuma and suprised Ayano (clearly enjoying every perverted moment with Kazuma)

[waterchan]

I'm disappointed that the anime has to end. There are so many unanswered questions of the past and the future, such as how did Kazuma gain his tremendous powers within just four years, more of his history, and what happens to Ayano and Ren as they grow and become stronger.

Does the novel answer these questions? I only read the anime so I wouldn't know. But it better not end with one season.

[Edgewalker]

Utsumi is amazingly stupid. Challenging the guy who was able to give you and everyone else that much power ? How does Utsumi know that he could just simply strip away the power given to him ? Ahh well at least what happens to him next episode will be sad in a funny way.