So I just got finished watching the anime Shuumatsu No Izetta.
It’s an anime that is about two girls who are fighting a war around the years of 1938. It’s a fictional take of WW2 that involves a country by the name of Germainia who is trying to use magic to conquer the world. The main character, Izetta, is the last witch to be living and when she’s young she befriends a girl who she grows up with, Vetti, I believe her name was aka The Duchess. Nonetheless, the two girls form a close bond with one another over time and during the time of war, Izetta helps The Duchess and her country fight off Germainia.
The show premiered in October 2016 and ended it’s run in December 2016. It only has 12 episodes that are about 22-26 minutes long in length. The ratings for the show are extremely good; it holds a four star rating on MyAnimeList and 97% of up votes from Google users. There are subbed and English dubbed versions of the anime. I watched the English dubbed version. But the most important question is, is the anime a shoujo-ai as in contains elements of love between the two main female characters, or is it a pseudo shoujo-ai as in there are implications depending on the viewership but there is no actual references, visual examples, or declarations of love among the characters? To me, the anime is a pseudo shoujo-ai.
Most shoujo-ai is like this though, most are literally just a story of a strong friendship among female friends; yuri is usually the most explicit in regards to romantic feelings among female characters including sex scenes. Although a shoujo-ai, if it’s actually a shoujo-ai may have a kiss scene or a ‘I love you’ scene, a pseudo shoujo-ai usually just has lots of crying among the girls, hugs, and holding hands; as a result, it’s literally up to the audience to decide whether the girls are actually romantically interested in one another or if they’re just really good friends. This is one of the reasons why I like watching shoujo-ai that is usually rated 8-10. Shoujo-ai rated 8-10 are often about girls who are romantically interested and/or involved with one another, and it’s obvious and factual to the audience. While shoujo-ai rated 1-7 are usually just very strong bonds between female friends and leaves the audience to decide the rest. =/
In Shuumatasu No Izetta there is no kissing, there are no sex scenes, and there are no declarations of love. However, the girls often cry on one another shoulders, they often hug one another, and they even tell each other, ‘you’re my friend, my only friend I’ve ever had; I truly care about you’. The anime does have some fan service scenes such as the girls getting felt on by other female characters and even the scene where Izetta and The Duchess get into bed with one another as seen from above, but besides that-that’s it.
I thought the story was good, and the plot was okay; it’s not a shoujo-ai I will shout to the skies about but it’s a good anime to pass one’s time, something I had to do today. For me, this shoujo-ai is at the very bottom of my favorite shoujo-ai anime list. If you like historical, dramas with a little bit of action then this anime is for you but if you’re looking for an anime that has strong shoujo-ai elements then you’re going to be disappointed. Sailor Moon Crystal Season 2 had stronger shoujo-ai elements lol Over all, I give Izetta: The Last Witch a 6 out of 10 for shoujo-ai elements since one character named Bianca seems to be obsessed with Izetta but it’s hard to say because there’s also an episode, episode 8, I believe where she crushes on a guy who she ends up killing. Nonetheless, 6 out of 10 and I’d consider it a pseudo shoujo-ai. What do you think? The complete box set is already out!
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