StoPani has been both excruciating and entertaining. The ending wasn’t too surprising, given all the hints sprinkled in the run up to the final episode. I’m also relieved that most of the loose ends were nicely tied up, even though the final episode was entitled "Beginning" – unlike certain egregious recent SUNRISE series Which Shall Not Be Named. It also continues to affirm my belief that OPs can give a good indication of a series’ plot direction.

Firstly, hair or more specifically the tying and untying of hair was a pretty motif of this episode. I was thinking that if Shizuma cut her hair, it would really mean that she had really given up on Nagisa. We’ve seen this with Sei Satou at the conclusion of MariMite’s Forest of Thorns arc. Even in the romantic relationship-less Azumanga, Chiyo hesitates to ask Tomo about her new, shorter hairdo after the summer holiday and has to check with Yomi first.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Hikari gets Yaya to give her away by tying her hair with the Spica colours. As she finishes the task and lets go of Hikari’s locks, the scene transitions into the appearance of the groom.

To the Miator green, Tamao adds her Ribbon of Protection Against Shizuma +3. Unfortunately the last time she tried this trick, it was that very ribbon which was the trigger for Shizuma’s Hit On Nagisa no Jutsu to roll a critical hit of 20 with Pool Plunge and Firsto Kissu.

After running through a season’s worth of recycled Shizuma x Nagisa Happy Times footage (which was *shock horror* less annoying than Evangelion or GSD footage recycling), Shizuma raids the wedding to steal the bride. Well, one of them anyway. Tamao wins the admiration of Underdog Sympathisers everywhere by untying her Ribbon of Protection and releasing Nagisa to her One True Love.

Before discussing the conclusion and the series as a whole, a bit on one of the loose ends. As predicted in the OP, Yaya and Tsubomi get each other as Consolation Prize and sort of get together. Which I think is much more interesting than either of them pairing up with the too good to be true “Blandie” (as Mentar derisively calls Hikari LOL). Tsubomi finally reveals her dere dere side after lots of entertaining tsun tsun. I half-suspect that her constant interfering with Yaya’s attempts to sidle up to Hikari was a cutely confused mix of jealousy (keep away from Hikari, you shrew!) and wanting attention (pay attention to me, Yaya-senpai!). In any case, it looks like Yaya’s quickly gotten the upper hand in her relationship with Tsubomi.

Conclusion. And they live happily ever after. Well, at least until next March when Shizuma graduates. No mention of a loveless rich families arranged marriage like Miyuki though.

There’s been a general consensus that StoPani is a trashy series but as Erica has pointed out, the manga is even worse (though I must confess to enjoying the sheer OTTness of some of the characters e.g. Yaya is really evil, Shizuma is a shameless playgirl, Chikaru is even more eccentric with a propensity to plot against Spica and Miator and so on). Given that expectations of this series were never high, I dare say no one was terribly disappointed with it.

In many ways, it’s a MariMite parody gone berserk. I wonder if this is the first 26 episode anime that is unabashedly about girls loving girls – that isn’t on a planet other than Earth, I hasten to add, before the fans scream: “SIMOUN!!!” The “plot” of the second half was about Nagisa finding out that Shizuma still loves her dead lover and the story moves towards how both Shizuma and Nagisa overcome their own pain to act on their feelings for each other and get together. Which could also fit within the framework of a guy meets gal story.

Earlier series like Kannazuki no Miko, Yamibou and even MariMite / MariMite Haru have strong yuri elements but the romance still gets stuck in the rut of yuri as forbidden love – even if they were also vast improvements over a character’s lesbian orientation as a standing joke e.g. Maya Ibuki in Evangelion, Kaorin in Azumanga, Koyuki in Keroro Gunsou or Shinobu in 2×2=Shinobuden etc.

Any of those characters travelling from those series to the StoPani universe would probably be as disorientated as William Mandella from Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War when he returns from his time-dilated inter-stellar tours of duty to find that homosexuality is now the norm on Earth. Except, unlike Mandella, our heroines Chikane, Hazuki and Sei will either be jumping for joy or moping that their love lives have suddenly lost the tragic element that made them dramatically interesting.

I liked how the story ends on the note that, after everything, that Tamao and Nagisa are still friends – as predicated by Chiyo. It’s so easy to forget the underdog and just devote the remaining narrative time to how happy Nagisa and Shizuma are. Thus the moral of the story for underdogs:

If faced with overwhelming odds and the threat of total annihilation, make a graceful tactical retreat, live to fight another day, accumulate good will and then harry the occupying forces with guerilla tactics (which is more like the manga Tamao)! After all, Shizuma x Nagisa get together also can break up what. Also that damned white haired witch is going to graduate soon and Nagisa-chan will still be my bestest friend and roommate! Hope and horniness springs eternal. Mwahahaha!

©2012 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.

We’re into the final stretch and I’ve just managed to catch up before the final episode tomorrow! With the tension gone between Hikari and Yaya, I find myself suddenly bored with the Spica arc and am dropping any further comment or screencapping there. Though Chikaru-oneesama was great with her saintly smile as Hikari nuzzled her chest. Mmmm… ~~~ The big question that remains is: Is it going to be a Shizuma x Nagisa ending?

The dance practice sessions aren’t going well because Nagisa is too nervous. Tamao herself has doubts about why she was paired with Nagisa. Is Miyuki using her as a salve for Nagisa’s emo-wounds and as a wedge to keep Shizuma and Nagisa from re-forging their bond?

I liked Tamao’s explanation about why the Etoile is a pair rather than just one person. But it under-emphasizes the asymmetry of the relationship, there is usually one partner who is the junior (or according to the Dynasty scanlation of the manga, called the "cadette"). The anime is working from a different completely perspective as by Ch 10, Shizuma has entered the Etoile competition with Nagisa while Tamao never had a chance. The anime almost seems to assume that there are a term limit (of one term) on an incumbent Etoile, besides Shizuma is graduating soon.

Whatever the problems of Tamao’s explanation, it proves to be the spur for Shizuma to come out from the shadows to actively assist in the formation of the Nagisa x Tamao pairing. What I think this is setting up is to show that after all their mutual hurt and pain that Shizuma and Nagisa’s chemistry is still there.

There’s a Chinese saying that the bystander sees things more lightly (and thus clearly) and Miyuki’s reaction is a good barometer for how her plan to help Shizuma and Nagisa get over each other is crumbling. Tamao, being a bright girl, quickly realizes it too though she tries to make the best out of a deteriorating situation.

I think Miyuki is right on the money when she thinks Shizuma is forcing herself and Shizuma’s denial isn’t particularly convincing even if it isn’t too sloppy either.

Nagisa mopes about how Shizuma seems to have gotten over her already. Tamao, of course, notices and I’m sure this hurts her and feeds her doubt about whether she’s the one for Nagisa. This also shows how Nagisa has less insight into Shizuma’s behaviour than Miyuki but it also sets the scene later.

Nagisa’s almost hypnotised acceptance of Shizuma’s offered hand, the beauty of their dance, the tenderness of their mutual gazes and Shizuma’s parting words that seemingly handed Nagisa over to Tamao; I had initially read them as both of them letting each other through that last and final dance. Particularly Nagisa’s realization that Shizuma had loved her and that their current state does not render past love meaningless. Given Miyuki’s and Tamao’s long faces, I think it further underlines how easily Shizuma and Nagisa reconnected.

Nagisa seems happy enough to make the announcement the next day. Again the Miyuki Meter eyes the absent Shizuma. Although Nagisa and Tamao have declared themselves standing, the earlier tea session between Miyuki and Shizuma discussing Amane’s recovery seemed to imply that the Amane x Hikari pairing will be a shoo-in (Shizuma’s remark about being to hand over the greenhouse without any worries). The whole nekkid Shizuma in bed thing was a bit puzzling. Is she just given to sleeping nude during the post-Nagisa phase or was Miyuki leaving after a consolatory romp with her long unrequited love?

My speculation for the finale: Amane and Hikari end the Miator hegemony. Miator loses gracefully. Nagisa blames herself. Shizuma comes in and sweeps Nagisa back off her feet. I don’t see Miator winning unless circumstances (deus ex machina) somehow is forces Tamao to withdraw and Shizuma to come in as replacement but that’s pretty far fetched. But StoPani in general is pretty far fetched. Looking forward to the endgame.

©2012 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.

Miyuki sets up Tamao and Nagisa to be Miator’s Etoile candidates and even gets Shizuma to endorse her decision. Nagisa has a whole crying fit as a result but is nannied by Chiharu. She then latches onto the idea of standing for Etoile with Tamao to forgot Shizuma.

After showing a lot of her crybaby side for the past few episodes, Miyuki is back on form as ruthless Student President. That way she operated was almost brutal. It’s for Nagisa’s long term good to forget about Shizuma. It’s better to tell her bluntly that Shizuma has agreed. Given the way Tamao and Shizuma were implicated by their acquiescence, Chiharu was the only authority figure left to soothe Nagisa’s hurt feelings.

Much happiness for Tamao as Nagisa asks her for her help and company in the Etoile selection. Quite a contrast to the manga where from the start, Shizuma frivolously uses the Etoile selection to deter rivals for Nagisa as well as an excuse to try and get into the clueless girl’s panties. Instead the anime seems to have turned the Etoile issue to show how Shizuma x Nagisa are really serious about each other and that they should be together.

Which will leave Tamao ditched at the altar in the final episode methinks. Despite Shizuma and Nagisa’s attempts to forget each other’s feelings for each other, I suppose the following episodes will just serve to emphasize how strained and ultimately impossible such an attempt will be. At least Tamao comes out of it with her integrity more or less intact. She was clearly most concerned about Nagisa’s emotional well being even though Miyuki came to her with a perfect proposal to get rid of her chief rival and irrevocably bind her with Nagisa.

The ending of this episode was pretty awful though and just reminded me how cheesy this series is. The focus on the stirrup three times or more was just too heavyhanded. Ok, ok, we get the omnious vibes already!

©2012 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.