Shigofumi - Episode 4

After yesterday's True Tears post, here's another series that has been snaffled up early on by Bandai Visual. After a really rather disappointing third episode, can Shigofumi return to its ealier promise in episode four?

In short, the answer is yes. While it comes nowhere near the dark but masterful opening two episodes in tone (nor indeed the edited for nastiness third helping), this outing for Fumika was a really quite excellent story of love, hate, and the thin barriers than can so often divide those two emotions. The main storyline overall was simplicity itself, but delivered in a rationed manner that somehow avoided making the whole thing feel trite.

Aside from the subject of this week's Shigofumi itself, we also see more questions raised about Fumika, with regard to both who she was and what she is now. The aside between Fumika and Chiaki, another deliverer of Shigofumi, certainly sets the former apart as an unusual case, doubtless setting the tone for any revelations that may take place in the weeks to follow.

In all honesty, and from a purely personal point of view, I'd really be quite happy to see this series simply tackling the individual story surrounding each Shigofumi assuming it's done successfully - I can't help but find myself unable to rouse any real interest in Fumika's background (or future for that matter), given her detached personality. Does it really matter at all? Doubtless it will become a bigger focus of future episodes, so here's to hoping it's worthy of the otherwise decent start this series has enjoyed thus far.