Shy Season 2

Episode 23

After a long and dark road, Shy concludes this sisterly shinobi showdown on a sunny note. I want to emphasize the “long” part because the momentum sputters in this final stretch. Last week's climax left its cast, particularly Ai and Mai, in an emotionally satisfying place, acknowledging Mai's faults and darkness while emphasizing her capability of atonement and healing through her bond with others. This week's episode all but recapitulates that point. It's not terrible, but it's inelegant.

Additionally, the more Shy repeats itself, the bigger its narrative and thematic gaps appear. Doki once again appeals to Mai, and Mai once again rejects Amarariruku in favor of her sister and her new/old friends. I can't help but think this would hit harder if we knew more about Doki's past. Clearly, he harbors some trauma that endeared him to the similarly damaged Mai, and that's a connection worth exploring. All of Amarariruku seems to be made up of wounded people licking each other's wounds. However, by not delving into the specifics of Doki's situation, his appeal—while clearly sincere—sounds hollow to the audience. This is one spot where tighter writing might have allowed more time to explore his backstory and maybe even establish him as a foil to Mai. I expect Shy will cover him in more detail later, but I think it could have worked well here.

To play devil's advocate to myself, the repetitive nature of this conflict could be construed to communicate the depressive spiral people like Mai often find themselves in. Although she finds warmth in reconciling with her sister, she quickly flies off again to seek redemption in self-destruction. Context aside, the same mindset pulled her towards Stigma in the first place. Her doing so for a noble cause would have the same effect on her for an evil cause—she'd be dead either way. Living is much harder, and that's why it's worth doing.

I was legitimately frustrated watching Mai try to take on all that darkness, so it was a huge relief to see Teru speak up and put a stop to that nonsense. She exhibits the most spine we've seen in her yet. She even refutes Purity's original plan, eschewing the wisdom of a talking katana in favor of the absolute trust she's forged with her new companions. It's a heroic gamble that ends up being the right thing to do, and that's the kind of superhero schmaltz I want out of these stories.

Similarly, I love the bluntness of the symbolism in Teru's big moment. She uses her fire powers to conjure a literal sun that dissolves the dome of darkness and unites the light and dark sides of the twin's moon. Meanwhile, the whole world looks on in awe. It's cheesy as hell, and it works because of its sheer commitment. Shy consistently nails these bombastic feats and melodramatic confrontations. It's the connective tissue that needs to be stronger.

Rating:

Shy Season 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Steve is on Twitter while it lasts. If he has misspelled "Amarariruku" anywhere in the above review, you have permission to rub it in his face. You can also catch him chatting about trash and treasure alike on This Week in Anime.