Welcome, one and all, to my continued weekly review series for The Helpful Fox Senko-San, aka Sewayaki Kitsune no Senko-san. This week, I’m looking at episode 12, which is titled Still… this is actually the final episode too, so I’ve been hoping it would be a good one. Was it a fitting end? Let’s find out.
Unlike the last few episodes, this one was one complete story rather than two shorter parts. Basically, this dealt with Nakano and Senko’s relationship, with both of them having to face up to how they feel.
For Nakano, this began with a mix of emotions. For one, when his Mum asked if the girl he was trying to call was his girlfriend, he started to ponder what their relationship is. Once he realized that she wasn’t home though, he got worried. Eventually, he started to put the pieces together and thought back to Lady Sora’s words again, coming to the conclusion that this was the bad thing she warned about. Nakano ran out into the rain and spent the evening looking for the missing kitsune.
For all his indecision, it was nice to see Nakano realize that he didn’t want to lose Senko. He’s never really taken her for granted, but he’s not come to terms with his feelings for her either. This was some actual development for him.
While all this was going on, Senko and Sora had a bit of a stand-off. In Senko’s mind, there was no question that she was returning to Nakano, but Sora had other thoughts. We finally got to see that Nakano’s ancestor cared for Senko when she was hurt, and she was devastated when he died. That left Sora to tell Senko that she understood her feelings, but that no matter the outcome, all that would remain for her is another sad departure. She asked if Senko could really put herself through that again. Eventually, Senko responded that it’s selfish, but she wants to keep pampering him anyway. Sora told her that she may yet refuse, as all things come to an end, and Senko reiterated that she knew that, but still wanted to continue.
There was a nice touch here that when the stand-off began, the weather in the kitsune realm changed. The colourful scenery was enveloped in storm clouds, and lightning flashed to the floor. Once Senko’s resolve kicked in in force though, the sky brightened again.
The ending touched on little bits of everything too. Nakano, still dejected and wandering alone, finally found Senko, and they settled down together to view the cherry blossoms. After some sweet moments, Koenji and Shiro turned up to bring the noise. Finally, Nakano and Senko admitted to each other that no matter what, they want to stick together. And so, the end credits ran highlights of the next day going back to normal. No Super Senko-San Time this week either.
Overall, I thought this was a decent conclusion. The excellent use of background music continued, with the sad pieces being particular highlights. The animation was consistent throughout, and the visual touches like the weather in the kitsune realm were nicely done. The story tied up a bunch of loose ends, revealing not only Senko’s past but Sora’s goal. And we almost got a love confession. In all, it’s been a fun little series, and I’m glad that the final episode did not disappoint.
So, those were my thoughts. But what about yourselves? Did you enjoy these episodes? Do you agree or disagree with any of my observations? Let me know in the comments below.
Matt Doyle Media 