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<\/a>I noted last week how strange it was that Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun<\/em> seems to draw very little commentary, despite being both popular and well-reviewed. Another notable thing about it \u2013 it\u2019s extremely difficult to screencap. From a blogging perspective this show is brutal, because simply put I just want to screenshot everything. It\u2019s an extraordinarily beautiful series both in manga and anime form \u2013 an explosion of pure imagination and symbolism. It just seems like there are no \u201cwasted\u201d visuals here \u2013 no throwaway shots. Everything is carefully constructed, whether it\u2019s \u201csignificant\u201d or not (and it often is).<\/p>\n<\/a>That calls to mind Hyouka<\/em> for me, because that was another parallel tracks sort of series. By that I mean that the\u00a0 storytelling was not only the traditional narrative variety, but a purely visual sort of storytelling running alongside it. Hanako-kun<\/em> isn\u2019t on the same level for pure production quality (what is) but it carries the same sort of visual weight. Given that, this arc is a sort of natural apotheosis of the style. The whole reality is the imagination of a girl \u2013 whether human or apparition is in doubt for a long time, but that probably doesn\u2019t even matter that much.<\/p>\n<\/a>The one constant running through every arc of this series is death. Most of the main cast is dead, for starters. A story focused on death and teenagers is naturally going to be pretty dark, but this one goes deeper than almost any out there. Shijima Mei is at the heart of it, of course. And it\u2019s been clear for a while that the cover story with her was dodgy. And that the suicide rumor was nothing more than that, a rumor. It seems that the real Shijima Mei<\/a> was a girl who was supported in her dreams of being an artist by her parents, but died of illness in a hospital. Yet the Shijima we\u2019ve seen exists, clearly.<\/p>\n<\/a>Shijima is Mei\u2019s creation, it seems. A desperate attempt to maintain some sense of control and hopefulness as her life ebbed away. But Shijima \u2013 who had no say in the matter \u2013 doesn\u2019t relish the role that\u2019s been thrust upon her. It\u2019s Tsukasa\u2019s interference that directly led us to this point (we don\u2019t know if he had an ulterior motive beyond his usual trickster role). But ultimately it\u2019s the split between Mei and Shijima that led to this situation. Nene and the boys are caught up in it almost as an afterthought \u2013 or perhaps, because the broadcasting club saw the situation as a chance to entrap them. But Shijima Mei is the one whose psyche needs to sort all this out.<\/p>\n<\/a>There\u2019s a beautiful, terrible sadness in finally giving witness to Mei\u2019s side of the story. What can be more tragic than the death of a child \u2013 and this is a story full of them. Ultimately Mei makes a courageous decision \u2013 to go back to the reality where she now knows (thanks to Shijima) that her future has almost run out. Shijima tries to prevent this, even Nene questions Mei on whether this is what she really wants. But ultimately she chooses acceptance, for better or worse. Whatever sadness lurks there, she chooses to face her truth rather than hide behind a lie.<\/p>\n<\/a>The question, then, is what are the implications for Nene? Mei initially tries to take her back with her but that doesn\u2019t work. Only Mei can return to her reality \u2013 it belongs to no one else. The stairs wouldn\u2019t hold Nene\u2019s weight<\/a> even if she didn\u2019t have daikon ankles. Shijima \u2013 trapped in this world whatever happens to Mei in hers \u2013 has stopped fighting Nene, Kou, and Sousuke. But there are rules she must abide by as a Wonder, she says. She can\u2019t stop painting, and once this painting is finished Nene can never go back to her own world whether she wants to or not.<\/p>\n<\/a>Whether Nene wants<\/em> to go back is a fascinating question. She will eventually, to be sure \u2013 but she absolutely hesitates, knowing what she now knows. Even if she decided to follow Mei\u2019s example, she\u2019ll have to win over Hanako-kun, who\u2019s determined to stop her. Brush-chan<\/a>, as it happens, is an aspect of Shijima \u2013 a \u201cfailed\u201d copy of herself that lived on. And it represents the side of her than wanted to help Nene and the others all along. It, perhaps, can show Nene and the boys the way home \u2013 but only if Hanako is willing to stand aside and let Nene face the fate he brought her here to escape.<\/p>\n