Shakugan no Shana S - Episode 4 (Completed)

It took a while (at least, a while considering this is a four-part OVA) to warm up, but the third and penultimate episode of Shakugan no Shana S finally brought us a story worthy of attention - a two-parter as well, no less, meaning that we get to polish off that story for this finale to the OVA.

Junko muses on how her cheap jewellery is much like her own name.

After seeing a bit more of Junko and Hamaguchi's relationship prior to the former becoming a Torch (complete with a deeply suspicious so-called photographer who asks to take Hamaguchi's picture), Shana heads out with Junko's boyfriend to meet said photographer who now seems almost certain to be the Tomogare she's looking for.  When Hamaguchi disappears these suspicions are confirmed, leading Shana in a chase to find her target and eliminate him, a prospect which comes all the more challenging once it's revealed that this Tomogare has hostages aplenty to play with.

Although this final episode felt a bit rushed in all honesty (perhaps some of the time from the more leisurely third episode should have been spent on part of this instalment?), it at least had a little action and tension to break up what would otherwise have become a rather monotonous story, although that said the simplicity with which Shana's enemy was despatched made it all feel a little inconsequential at the end of the day.  Still, I guess there was something here for the Shana fans (at least I'm hoping there was) - for me however, this was a hugely mediocre OVA that had nothing of note to make me sit up and take notice, even if this final storyline had far more going for it than the episodes which preceded it.