For a series that has barely put a foot wrong for its entire run so far, there is perhaps added pressure to make sure that said series finishes in a suitably fantastic manner. This kind of stratospheric expectation is never good for any show in all honesty, as virtually no ending can live up to what has gone before, and that is perhaps true of Kurenai in exactly that fashion.Having said that, the finale of this show excels by giving us a conclusion that is actually unexpected, with its ending managed to duck out of the simple black or white view of life that we have come to expect from any kind of visual medium these days. Kurenai has excelled in portraying the nuances of real life throughout the series, so perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that it managed to fashion its ending in a similar fashion, but either way it should be highly commended for not only attempting it, but for pulling it off in the process. It may not be the dream ending that everyone watching the series hoped for, but when has anything in life ever had a perfect, dream ending?Despite its 'heavy' overtones, there is still plenty on show in this closing episode of Kurenai to remind us of why we love it so - The dialogue is once again excellent, as is the interaction between various characters, and even in the most deadly series of moments we get some great quips (from Benika in particular) and some even better cut aways to some of the characters that have been left behind and worried by Shinkurou's decision to go after Murasaki... Indeed, the two brief 'interludes' that basically sandwich the episode featuring Ginko and Yuuko are the kind of subtle genius which has made this series what it is.I do have one major gripe about the episode which amounted to a cop-out to me, and I can't really talk about too much for fear of spoiling the episode for anyone who hasn't watched it yet. All I will say is that people who have been seriously injured in a stabbing shouldn't make quite such a remarkable recovery just a few seconds later. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that you'd expect them to die rather quickly.Anyway, following episode eleven I called this series out as my favourite of this season by far, and I think now is the time to extend that praise to 2008 as a whole. I have to accept that no ending to this series could have lived up to what came before it, and thus I really just have to welcome that this finale was more than good enough to reap my praise. That aside though, Kurenai has probably proved itself to be one the best, most subtle commentaries on modern life, love and the human condition you could ask for. It doesn't preach or teach you anything, nor does it intend to, but it shows such a wide gamut of humanity that I can't help feeling that just by watching it, I've improved myself somehow. A pretentious thought perhaps, but there you have it.
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