Kaede holes up in her room in depression. Asa realizes that Kaede’s absence from school must be due to her relationship with Rin but he blames himself instead for letting things drag on like this. Rin also tells Lisianthus and Nerine that he is moving out the Fuyou house when they catch him looking up rental real estate but spares them the gory details, only saying that he was also inspired by how each of the princesses had courageously confronted their own fears and moved forward. Primula runs up to inform Rin that Kaede has gone missing.
Asa buys some flowers with the intention of visiting Kaede but meets her on walkabout instead. After a melancholy exchange by the river, Kaede entrusts Rin to Asa and both have a good hug and cry. Rin finds Kaede later and tells her clearly that it is Asa that he loves. Kaede finally confesses her feelings for Rin and breaks down in his arms. After the rain stops, they part ways and Kaede returns home to Primula’s welcome of Devil’s Curry.
Rin meets Asa, confesses to her and asks that they be lovers. She asks if he will protect her like that someone (Ama-san) and when he accepts this duty, she answers him with a kiss. Asa FTW!
When I saw Kaede like that, I immediately thought of Asuka Langley post-Arael (the Angel that sang Handel’s Messiah in Asuka’s head). Although her deterioration did not come out of the Asa thread in the H game, I think this way the anime has handled it is a lot more holistic and in keeping with her past psychological profile. By the end of the episode, Kaede does get the character growth that enables her to be happy for Rin and to move on. This seems to fit the classical psychological process of people coping with emotional shock or trauma: Denial (Ep 16-18: Rin is paying a lot of attention to Asa but it’s just friendship, right?), Anger (Ep 19: I wish you were dead, Asa-sempai!), Bargaining (Ep 20: Offering sex; Ep 21: Offering improved meido service), Depression (Ep 21) and Acceptance.
Like in Ep 19, the dull greyish colours around Kaede reinforce the bleakness of her mood and how low she has fallen. One can’t help but feel her sadness and to feel sad for her. I was half-expecting that Kaede would either attempt suicide or attack Asa again but fortunately that didn’t happen. Great voice acting from her seiyuu, Yuko Goto, who has been doing a superb job this past three episodes.
One of my favourite scenes was at the end of Ep 20 when she asks “Nan desu ka?” (What is it?) in a way that was pregnant with hope mixed with desperation when Rin said that he had decided. Loved the music from that scene, rhythm string arrangement overlaced with xylophone notes and flute melody - it does evoke a MIDI sort of simplicity but it fondly reminded me of the H game’s background music.
The music changed also when Kaede finally says that she is happy for Rin and Asa, musically marking her acceptance of her loss and then the tears that followed that realization. The phrases used by both Kaede and Asa were similar to the game except the part when Asa adds that she had also been unfair because she knew from the start what Kaede’s feelings for Rin were. So this pretty much completes the receiving of acceptance of Asa from the last of the candidates (Sia and Nerine having more or less submitted theirs in Ep 18) - a “requirement” that was first elucidated by Sia in Ep 10 which I think makes SHUFFLE! quite different from other harem series in that the girls not only seek the male lead’s love but also want the positive acceptance of their rivals. All’s fair in love and war but it seems that the girls also value their friendships despite their love war. Given the steadiness that Asa has shown in handling her rivals, if the polygamy thing does pop up in the end, it does seem that she would make a rather good Chief Wife to the rest of them.
Primula’s voice, movements and expressions were the liveliest and most expressive yet. Her magic is also so powerful that it removes cooking stains from her apron in between scene transitions! (Got to learn that trick.) Hope Kaede won’t find her new life mission to be Over-Mothering Primula.
Asa had heard about Kaede’s previous hatred of Rin when Kaede first joined the Cooking Club. Again this conforms to the H game but with much less detail given to Asa by Rin. So now Asa finally knew what turned it round. Come to think of it, although Kaede was Rin’s childhood friend, Mahoro Kaede was relatively recent and only slightly predated Rin’s acquaintance with Asa. If Kaede hadn’t wanted to be Super Chef to Rin, Rin and Asa would probably never have gotten to know each other so well - especially since she’s a year older than him. And if Lisianthus and Nerine hadn’t arrived on the scene, Asa would have probably just continued accepting Kaede’s dominance and having to be content with just launching guerilla attacks on Rin.
I’m quite happy with how the Rin-Asa relationship was built up to. Right up to Ep 12, I thought that she would have zero chance, no chance at all. Until Ep 13 when she told the other three girls off for not supporting Rin’s decision to go and see Primula. Asa herself was really surprised that Rin was concerned about her illness in Ep 16 when he went to her classroom to look her up - she probably didn’t dare to hope for too much either given the strength of the competition - which basically self-destructed since her three rivals all had split personalities (Lisianthus/Kikyou, Nerine/Licorice, Meido Kaede/Psycho Kaede).
Rewatching the first episode, I was also struck by how much Rin was affected by Asa’s teasing and flirting, grumbling that she was playing with his heart and wearing out his nerves. If there wasn’t any latent attraction and that he really saw her as “just one of the guys” (as he claimed in Ep 7), he shouldn’t have been that affected in the first place. One of the reasons why I think they’re a good couple is that their relationship is the most balanced (none of the silly deference of the other three towards Rin), both understand and connect well with each other (Asa through her advice and Rin trusting her advice and accepting it - it’s no use having a good advisor if one refuses to listen!) and the attraction being strong and mutual (both flirt, tease and chase each other very naturally - well, for Rin at least when it isn’t Itsuki’s plan).
Wild Speculation. Next episode (22) is another Normal episode but highlighting the small changes that are taking place as Asa and Rin consolidate their relationship. Asa will probably have a major attack before the end of the episode and her non-human heritage revealed - possibly with Ama-san losing her nekomimi headgear? In the game, Rin accidentally saw a photo showing Ama-san’s demon ears in Asa’s room. Ep 23 should be Rin acting on his promise to protect Asa by trying to cure her illness. I also get the feeling (from Ep 20) that the crux is solving Ama and Asa’s mutual miscommunication and misplaced guilt - what Ama needs to hear from Asa is that she doesn’t blame her mother for her condition and what Asa needs to hear is that her mother values her being alive and happy much more than trying to hide her painful past as experimental subject by denying anything and everything connected to it (especially magic). Ep 24 should then wrap up with Eustoma and Foebeshii wackiness - suggesting the polygamy solution and Lisianthus, Nerine and Kaede actually being willing to consider it, much sweatdrops for Rin and Asa. LOL.
Wish list:
Itsuki hitting on Ama-san without realizing who she is.
Asa getting Rin to feed her lunch in front of everyone else.
And Kareha professing her love for Asa! LOL.
HEY where can I download this episode I cant find it anywhere Please some one help Im in NEED for some Shuffle!
Nocturn, if you are referring to the raws for Ep 21, there are two entries on tokyotosho.com. However fansubs, either by KnKF or AnimeU, are not out yet.
Also you should note that asking for links to torrents or downloads via comments is not good etiquette - one generally realizes this when looking at the “please do not ask for downloads” notes in the most popular anime blogs like Matthew’s Anime Blog or Random Curiosity. Since I am guessing that you are new to the community, I thought I’d point this out to you. Cheers.
Ah, another person who realises that Kareha is MADLY in love with Asa. So if you think about it, the end of this series is really bad for Kareha. She’s sacrificed her own happiness to get Rin and Asa together.
And the scene with Itsuki and Mayumi not realising who Ama is in the game is hilarious! It would fit in perfectly in the final episode, which has to be a really funny episode to bring everything together.
There is a big danger about the idealistic Asa/Rin ending. Rin isn’t an insensitive asshole. If he completely abandons Kaede without any attempt of acknowledging or declining her love, or helping her with her “emo” it will come back at him when she commits suicide or kills someone. (I speak of this from true real life experience, “emo” never heal until they get what they want. NEVER. I was essentially my mom’s wrists the 20 years she was single, being abused all the time, until she started dating again.) All “emo bitches” are capable of hiding their emotions, and Kaede is just being nice at Rin since she might end up _killing_ Rin for being an asshole (YES, remember the box cutter incident!). Either that or if she suicided, Rin would be branded insensitive and BAM, bye bye Asa. Rin would be an idiot to leave that window of potential jealousy open and abandon her. If the polygamy ending was potential he would end up spending time with BOTH Asa and Kaede. He has to help Kaede before anything serious could ever happen with Asa.
I don’t think they’d have him completely abandon Kaede like that. At the end of the game, the other four girls are all perfectly happy in accepting that he and Asa are a couple. And remember, in Episode 21 he did tell Kaede that she was ‘very important’ to him, and that he’d never forget everything she’s done for him.
I think the Asa ending of the game is going to played out almost word for word over the next couple of episodes, with the final solution to Asa’s health issues being what happens in the game.
re: Kareha x Asa: I sort of got the impression from the game that Kareha also liked Rin but I just think she’s so much more suitable for Asa. A few random bits of circumstantial evidence for this: Kareha seems awfully concerned about Asa’s happiness (giving a particular crucial nudge in Ep 7 by pressing Rin for his opinion about Takizawa’s confession to Asa); they were the twin pillars of the Cooking Club; Kareha already knows about Asa’s aversion to magic; despite being a very attractive girl (beside whom Asa felt very plain and tomboyish in the game), she is also very single and she sports a similar brown ribbon hair braid as Asa except on the right rather than the left.
Haven’t watch the Raw myself…nut I somehow think that things end too easy.
The story itself could went on a little bit more… I think that they cut it off here and just let everything ends…
Well, I know they try to come back to the game, but as they went on and totally make a Psycho-Kaede, there should be some twists, somehow.
However, I really agree with Zyl’s prediction on the rest of the episodes. If it turns out to be like this,
there couldn’t be anything more to add to the story rather than solving Asa-chan’s condition.
Hey, or they would somehow make us surprise with Ep.24 as a New year present??
We could only dream of it… but right now… I’m still both happy and frustrated with this RinxAsa plot
Another observation about Kareha x Asa: At the end of episode 7, we see Kareha walking up the stairs to find Asa. She actually looks really upset, as if she was fully expecting her to have said yes to Takizawa. Then when she sees him still with the present, her face actually becomes brighter and happier. By the time she’s out on the roof with Asa, she’s smiling as usual.
Oh, and I know she’s definitely single in the anime, but didn’t she mention having a boyfriend in the game? Or was that just to tease Rin?
HeliumHe, the episode spent quite a bit of time on the Asa-Kaede talk so I didn’t feel too let down. Making Kaede go totally nuts might have dragged things on a bit too much as well as alienate the KKK fanbase. Am glad they gave her a fairly dignified way out and recovery. Anyhows I had been in suspense about Rin x Asa for so long that am glad it’s finally settled!
Jade Maehara, about Kareha’s expression changes, I like your theory though I do wonder if it had more to do with Kareha fearing that Asa would “settle” for Takizawa rather than being more open about her feelings for Rin. In the game, it was quite ambiguous esp since not a lot of pronouns in the dialogue - my reading of it was that Kareha liked Rin and said so when asked - due to Asa’s fearful and possessive reaction to interpose herself btw Rin and Kareha as well as grabbing hold of Rin (who’s made no secret that he regards Kareha as one of the great beauties of the school). Or did I just read that part completely wrong? :P
Mm, I agree it is very difficult to understand the dialogue between Rin and Kareha if you aren’t Japanese. I’m in agreement with you though. It does seem more likely that Kareha would act to support Rin and Asa rather than trying to take one of them for herself. Of course there’s a ‘very’ small scene in episode 11 of the anime between Kareha and Mayumi where Kareha questions Mayumi about why she doesn’t feel attracted to Rin, and she does give some indication that she does like Rin in that way.
I think the PC game gave us a slightly cut-down version of Kareha as compared to the PS2 game (where she was one of the choices you could make), and the anime takes this a little further by (so far) only having one scene with Rin and Kareha alone together (when Kareha makes Rin go and visit Asa at home).
I must admit it would have been very interesting if Kareha had admitted that she liked Rin, either in the game or the anime, but her hesitancy to do so and her obvious prompts for Asa and Rin to tell each other their true feelings really does show that she cares more for Asa than maybe a ‘normal’ friend would.
Since Kareha is from the Shinkai, she also mentions the polygamy solution in the PC game. That way, she gets to be with both Asa and Rin! LOL
And Rin can bring Kaede, Primula, Sia and Nerine. There we go, That’s the ending sorted out right there!
Just saw the episode and OMG it was awesome!!! Hope it goes like ZYL says. That be pretty cool lol
I just wanted to say that this ended up being pretty good. Kaede and Asa make up and Rin finally tells the people most important to him how he really feels. I think that this episode gives great character depth for Asa being the older sister type towards Kaede and Rin, Kaede finally seeing that her life is just more than just atonment that she can live a life with out Rin, and Rin says his fellings with out any loop holes. He tell Kaede for she can move on and actually know where she stands up (a little sister) and whit Asa being her protector. I just hopes it ends like the way Zyl posted in the ending section. I thought that this episode wrapped up alot of loose ends.
I don’ t speak english
juste un peu!!
lol