Otaku USA Magazine
Shuffle! Volume 5-6
by Emily Balistrieri October 6, 2008

Shuffle! has become painful in its final episodes. The once light-hearted fan service gave way to creepy, pathetic drama. By the time they try to make it even a little funny again, it’s too late, and the switcheroo of apprehensive eyecatches and episode title screens vs. cute ones only highlights the fact.

Disk five begins with the resolution of the cliffhanger from disk four, Sia’s naughty mirror twin. Honestly, you don’t even want to know. It’s too ridiculous. If you were hoping for a return of the goofiness of the first disk, the closest you’ll get is the following episode where everyone plans a date for Rin and Asa, so he can invite her into the love megagon.

Rin will never make up his mind about who he wants to marry. Ever. Princess of the Gods, Princess of the Demons, every other girl in his class—he could have them all, but he’s just pussy-footing around, eating everyone’s homemade bento, even if he’s not hungry anymore. At least he finally picks a girl to focus on, and realizes that he needs to quit relying on Kaede to do his laundry.

As for the big finale, I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say I knew someone would crack and slit their wrist, even if I was wrong on which person. There are some other twists I didn’t see coming, but by the end I was just so sick of all the characters, their stupid stubbornness and helpless love. Just because the gods are allowed to be polygamous, all the girls basically decide that they can just go on loving Rin forever. My roommate posed the question, “Is he really that great a guy?•bCrLf Decidedly not, and while that is probably true of any harem show, I’m glad that this one, in particular, is over.

Studio/Company: FUNimation Entertainment
Available: Now
Rating: TVMA

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