|
Now in Japan
|
|
Saturday, 17 February 2007 00:00 |
 Momo and Daniel return for their final on-screen outings, which have some slight differences from the previous four, as first there's the return of one of Momo's previous "patients", before we get to see how she deals with people who are already dead. Sort of.
5 - The Glow of the Fireflies
Kouta, after the events of episode one, still gets regular social visits from Momo and Daniel. They show up during a late-night test of courage at Kouta's school, but this time it's business - someone connected with the test is suffering from feelings of regret, and Momo's on the case. Enter Eko Miyazaki, a middle-school student who's crashed the test and is playing the part of a ghost - quite effectively, too. Not surprising, maybe, as the ghost that's rumoured to haunt Kouta's school is the ghost of her older sister, who used to teach there...
6 - The Journey of One's Heart
Sakura Kosakai has a problem - people seem to have forgotten she exists. At school, she's ignored as though people just see right through her, and she's having problems interacting with the things around her. The problem's simple: Sakura's a ghost. She just doesn't realise it at first. Fortunately, Momo's on hand to help her come to terms with her new status - but first there are a few people she'd like to say goodbye to...
The little bit of continuity provided by episode 5 is a nice touch - although it's been so long since I saw episode one that it took me a while to draw the connection and remember who Kouta was. His previous meeting with Momo has given him the ability to see and talk to her - something Eko can't do - so he becomes almost her guide in finding the ghost of her sister and putting her to rest. Nice episode.
The final episode (oh what I wouldn't have given for a tie-in with HanTsuki here - the two shows shared a timeslot) turns things around a little, and instead of dealing with the recently bereaved deals more with the recently deceased. Sort of. It's hugely disappointing for Sakura, looking down on those she's left behind and seeing that they don't really seem to be overly upset at her death, and the story looks at how Momo and Daniel try to make her see the positive side of things. There's a twist, of course, for which there are plenty of pointers in the episode if you can be bothered to look (benefit of hindsight there - I didn't see them myself until it was too late), as Sakura gets a second chance at doing the things she wished she'd done while alive, so all's well that ends well and the series ends much as every episode has, with that warm & fuzzy feeling building inside the viewer.
Shinigami no Ballad hasn't been anything outstanding, but it's a good slice-of-life show that looks on the positive side and doesn't throw anything too depressing at the viewer but definitely has the feel-good factor about it. Its short length and low profile mean its probably unlikely to ever get an English-language release, which is a real shame, as it's definitely worth a look for people looking for something undemanding and a little different. |
Reviews Archive 
