Saikano, Vol. 3: Changes
As this sci-fi romance nears its conclusion, its mood darkens. Chise and Shuji agree to "just be classmates," but the war interferes with even their limited happiness. Their classmates are killed in air raids or enlist in the military. While Chise spends more time with the army, Shuji stubbornly tries to remain a normal high school senior, despite increasing shortages of food and medicine. His involvement with Ms. Fuyumi ends tragically, as does Chise's brief friendship with Tetsu, Fuyumi's husband. It's easy to become impatient with Shuji for his feckless inaction and with Chise for her constant whining, but both of them are victims of forces they can neither control nor comprehend. The international popularity ofSaikanosuggests this grim melodrama has touched a nerve in young viewers who feel helpless in increasingly dangerous world. (Unrated, suitable for ages 16 and older: violence, implied sexual situations, tobacco use)--Charles Solomon