Shakugan no Shana/Tear Jerker

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Shakugan no Shana has one very early on; not even halfway through the first season, we are treated to the permanent disappearance of Yukari Hirai. And here, "permanent disappearance" is NOT a case of Never Say "Die". Her very existence will slowly vanish from everyone's memories, and when everyone forgets her, it will be as though she never existed at all. We get to watch Yuji try to prevent this. We get to watch her go from The Cutie in one appearance to Emotionless Girl in the very next. To the point where she barely acknowledges the same guy she was hopelessly in love with, and Yuji is happy because this is better than her now-usual reaction. Yuji at one point gets her to take a photo with her aforementioned Love Interest, which she is holding...when she finally disappears. And when Yuji picks up this photo, he doesn't see her in it, despite the fact that she just vanished right next to him. Damn.
    • It's made even worse because the entire sequence of Yuji trying so hard to help Hirai is set to happy, hopeful music, as though maybe, just maybe, she might have a chance, and every little sign of excitement or happiness from her is so heartbreaking, because it shows that Hirai really is in there somewhere, but she's fading so fast...
  • Yoshida Kazumi's Heroic Sacrifice is perhaps one of the most touching moments in the story. Take note this can fall into Rescued from the Scrappy Heap since Kazumi was often subject to Die for Our Ship and due to the nature of the situation.
  • The last two OVAs of Shakugan no Shana S are just heart wrenching.
  • Khamsin's death in the end of third season, and Kazumi's reaction to it.