What is the most important part of a story? Me personally, I would argue it’s the ending. That’s what the whole journey is building up towards. If the destination isn’t worthwhile, I start to feel the journey wasn’t either. There are of course plenty of stories that I like in spite of a bad ending but I also rarely want to revisit them because I don’t like how it ends. It’s a matter of preference but I would rather see a flawed story with a good ending then a good story with a flawed ending. I bring this up because it does pertain to how I feel about Granbelm and its finale. I do think this show is not without its flaws, especially early on, but I also feel this show does find its stride and by its final episode, it does stick the landing. Endings are very important to me and this show’s ending is one that’s stuck with me.
The first half of the final episode is dedicated to the very last fight between Shingetsu and Suisho. I said in the last post that Suisho works as Mangetsu’s foil but after watching this episode again, she may also work as Shingetsu’s. Both girls are being tested by the Magiaconatus and they stand at opposite ends of each other over who should win. Shingetsu must prove that she is worthy of becoming the Princeps. Suisho is tasked with proving that Shingetsu is just like every other human she’s defeated for the past 1,000 years, unworthy of the power the Magiaconatus has promised them. Shingetsu intends on using the Princeps’ power to destroy magic but Suisho believes she won’t follow through with it, having seen humans fail to hold true to their ideals countless times and knowing how much Shingetsu cares about Mangetsu. I still think Anna is the better opponent for Shingetsu, since she had the added element of being our hero’s surrogate sister, but Shingetsu does work thematically.
This fight is arguably the craziest one in Granbelm. Both fighters get buffed by the Magiaconatus and they throw everything they have at each other. Suisho appears to have more firepower but Shingetsu is fast enough and aware enough to keep up. One particular moment that always stood out to me as insane is when Shingetsu deliberately leaves her Armanox, just so that she can control it externally to get the jump on Suisho. Is it necessary for Shingetsu to do? I’m not really sure. I can’t deny it was awesome, however. It’s all absurd but I suppose it’s appropriate since this is the last action sequence in the show.
Just when it seems like Suisho is about to win, the magical energy in the area begins to respond to Shingetsu’s will, granting her a new outfit and an upgraded version of her Armanox, allowing Shingestu to defeat Suisho once and for all. This seems extremely late to me. After all, we’re at the final episode! Then again, I don’t know if there was an appropriate time before this episode where this show can give away power-ups. I do like how the magic also manifests in the form of Mangetsu. Even in death, she’s still aiding Shingetsu in fulfilling her mission. I’m not sure if I like the new outfit or the new mech over the old ones, if only because they’re not around for very long, but there are a couple of aspects to appreciate. Viola Katze’s new look borrows some design elements from White Lily. That’s a cool touch. As for the new outfit, it looks a little busy at the back and I miss the face mask from the old outfit but the new one does make Shingetsu look more regal, fitting for the future Princeps.
After the fight, Shingetsu confronts the Magiaconatus. Taking on Anna’s, Kuon’s, and Suisho’s forms, the Magiaconatus informs Shingetsu of what will be the consequences should she wish for magic to go away. The most important and most damning one of all is that Shingetsu will barely exist when she returns to the real world. No one will acknowledge her presence and she will be cursed to live for all of eternity. It’s a cruel and yet fitting penance for Shingetsu. Shingetsu felt she had nothing besides magic so by getting rid of magic, she’ll forever live an empty existence. Of course, there is an alternative. It’s not explicitly stated but Shingetsu could wish to bring back Mangetsu. So once again, the show puts her on this crossroad.
There seems to have been more than one motive behind the Magiaconatus’ decision to create Mangetsu, beyond assisting Shingetsu. By creating Mangetsu, Shingetsu has something magical that she cares about. With Mangetsu’s death and considering how consequential getting rid of magic is, Shingetsu could alternatively wish to bring her back. Perhaps the real goal was to test Shingetsu and see if Suisho was right, that Shingetsu wouldn’t hold true to her ideals and she’d instead wish for something more selfish, just like every human would if they became the Princeps. It’s one final test to see if Shingestu really is worthy of the title and the power.
How ironic then that the person who convinces Shingetsu to stick with her wish is Mangetsu, who appears to her again as a spirit. That’s maybe an oversight that Magiaconatus failed to see. It designed Mangetsu to help Shingetsu, maybe even tempt her to betray her own ideals. But because Mangetsu befriended Shingetsu and could think and feel on her own, she came to the conclusion that Shingetsu should go through with her wish and she supported that goal all the way to the end. If the Magiaconatus intended to have Mangetsu tempt Shingetsu, it failed because Mangetsu ended up doing the opposite.
That all said, the end result is rather perplexing. After making her wish, Shingetsu heads off to the school (which seems pointless since the school probably doesn’t remember her but whatever). True to the Magiaconatus’ word, barely anyone notices her. During this scene, Shingetsu inner monologues about Mangetsu, saying her companion wasn’t just a doll but rather, her friend. Where things get confounding is when Shingetsu notices some flowers have yet to bloom. When she leaves, the flowers have suddenly bloomed, suggesting that Shingetsu still has her powers. At the same time, a transfer student joins Shingetsu’s class and judging by Shingetsu’s reaction, it’s all but confirmed that the transfer student is none other than Mangetsu.
So what gives? Did Shingetsu wish for Mangetsu to come back? I don’t think that’s the case for a couple of reasons. One, we see everyone ignore Shingetsu, which the Magiaconatus warned would happen. The show also shows other signs of magic being gone. For example, Nene now appears as a young adult; she’s no longer affected by the curse that kept her looking as a child. As far as one can tell, it seems like Shingetsu did go through with wishing magic away. Two, I don’t think Shingetsu would change her mind after Mangetsu told not to hesitate on her wish. To change course would be to betray Mangetsu’s own wish and I imagine Shingetsu would respect it after hearing her inner monologue.
My guess then would be some sort of loophole. The show did establish that the Magiaconatus uses magic to cancel out the magic used to alter reality so that people would not notice magic is being used. It’s how people don’t realize the truth about Mangetsu’s existence or the deaths of mages who participated in Granbelm. In that sense, Shingetsu would need magic to get rid of magic, hence her still having her powers. Alternatively, active participants of Granbelm are immune to the Magiaconatus’ reality warping. Thanks to this, it’s entirely possible for Shingetsu to retain her powers after the last Granbelm. Regardless of how this is possible, the fact remains that Shingetsu has her powers and that already explains how Mangetsu can cheat death. Just like before, Shingetsu subconsciously wishes for a friend and the magic responds to her wish, thus bringing Mangetsu back to life.
That’s just how I see it. The whole ending is up to interpretation and I can see someone getting confused or frustrated over the lack of clarity. All I know is this: when I first saw Mangetseu walk into the classroom, I cried. I cried upon the realization that Shingetsu still has a friend and she won’t have to walk the Earth alone for all of eternity. And when the show cuts to the ED, I realized how perfectly this story ended. My memory of Granbelm got hazy over the years but even before rewatching the show, I never forgot this scene. As I said before, endings are very important to me and this is one ending that’s stuck with me.
Granbelm is a very surprising anime for me. I think I made it clear over the course of these posts that I do find issues with the show and I don’t necessarily consider it to be perfect or anything. Honestly, I’m trying to remember what possessed me to finish it the first time around. Whatever the case may be, I’m really glad that I gave the show a chance. It did eventually find its stride and there were moments that really struck me emotionally. By the last couple of episodes, I was deeply invested in the show. I will also say that rewatching this show, I feel a little more positive about it. Now that I know where the puzzle pieces go, a lot of what happens early on makes a lot more sense.
I admit that I feel a little embarrassed about liking this show. It didn’t really make a splash when it aired and barely anyone talks about it now. There are some positive reviews out there but the consensus seems to be rather middling. I can’t help but feel a little alone over how I feel about Granbelm. That said, how famous or obscure something is has no real bearing over how you feel about it. I might be one of ten Granbelm fans on the internet but the fact remains that I really like the show. If Granbelm is underrated, it is one of the most underrated anime that I’ve seen in recent memory.
Watch Granbelm on Crunchyroll
Xenodude Scribbles 