Intro: Hello for context on this review the Yuki Yuna series is one of my favorite series ever made and I would consider myself a huge fan. Still I wanted to create this review on what I would consider the worst entry in the series to explain where it fails but also compliment it in places where it does succeed. NOTE: I will list major spoilers for both this anime as well as the original source material I will be making active comparisons of key differences. The light novels are incredible and I advise you to read them if you want to read them without specific spoilers I would do so otherwise Im hoping what Ill talk about will sell you on them. Anyways lets get this started 520https://i.ur.com/8qS9KLD.gif To start the contents of the Great Mankai Chapter are part original and part adaptations of two of the light novels. It is scattered around with episode 1 being almost all new content episodes 2 through 4 are adapting Kusunoki Mebuki is a Hero episodes 5 through 8 adapt quotation marks intentional Nogi Wakaba is a Hero. Then 9 and 10 are part of Kusunoki Mebuki epilogue chapters 10 and 11 are new versions/cut of the ending of season 2s Hero Chapter and 12 is an overall epilogue to Yuki Yunas story. There are some intermittent new scenes added into the adaptation that are worth mentioning as well. A lot of my critics will come with the adapted content and generally whats added is very strong the only problem is the time taken from the adapted content which desperately needed more time to develop. Ill go chronologically through episodes with episode 1 being mostly new as said I have little to criticize. A lot is pretty cutesy and fun with the main Yuna six having fun giving comedic relief. Of note we get a scene between Tougou and Sonoko discussing Gin. Talking about their time when they were the three heroes Tougou being upset with how she forgot such an important friend having Sonoko consoling her. This stuff is great and we get to see Tougou get more closure on these feelings with other short scenes similar to this one. Kusunoki Mebuki is a Hero Adaptation: 520https://i.ur.com/FFmRJOr.gif But moving into 2 through 4 we get into the adaptation of Kusunoki Mebuki is a Hero about 6 chapters and roughly around 150 pages of light novel content. This is clearly not enough to get everything and the content cuts are pretty huge. This part is coherent but lacks a lot of the emotion and character payoffs from the light novel. They were able to keep key story beats of the events but a lot of the lessons are cut off. Ill give an example with Suzumes character arc. There is a short moment in episode 3 that is 5 minutes at the start of the episode and in the light novel its about half of chapter 3. In the anime Suzume describes her encounter with the Hero Club to the rest of the group going into a flashback of her meeting with it ultimately being pretty comedic telling the group that these heroes are just normal girls. It gives a general detail of the events and passes important information to the characters but this doesnt give any incite or development to the characters. But in the light novel the Hero Club assumes that she has come to ask a request to help her and Suzume in a quick rush asks: IIve always been a coward Thats why...I want to get a bit more brave even just slightly Both anime and LN readers know she is a scaredycat but this is something she wants to grow from. Then following the plot line of the lost cat that was still in the anime Suzume ends up seeing the missing cat on the roof so she and the heroes go up to the roof to get the cat. Yuna ends up in a dangerous situation and falls over the railing and instinctively Suzume ends up going to grab her leading them to both falling. There fall was protected from Yunas fairy and nobody is seriously hurt but this leads into a moment where the heroes doubt her lack of bravery and try to raise her confidence: Yuuna clasped Suzumes hands. Im a coward too. I hate when its scary or it hurts. But if my friends were in trouble I think Id definitely save them even if it was painful or scary. Just like you did right now Suzumechan Brave but cowardly? Suzume didnt really understand. Mimori came near Suzume and said: First of all let me deeply thank you for saving Yuunachan. And Kagajousan. I think bravery and cowardice arent opposites of each other. I think they can coexist. A person whos cowardly but at the same time brave. Kagajousan I think youre a person like that 420https://i.ur.com/8rg2oN4.png This being lost in adaptation really takes away from understanding Suzumes character. While she is the lowest ranked sentinel her instinct to help and dive in to save others is her power even if outwardly she shows fear unlike any other. Every characters background growth and understanding is neutered like this or worse. Especially Shizuku who in the anime is boiled down to a multiplepersonality disorder gag with angry Shizukuchan while in the light novel she has an arc along with Mebuki where Mebuki learns to work with both versions of her while Shizuku for once has person who can accept both versions of her making her very happy. While we understand the characters on the basic troupe level everyones moments of personal growth are almost completely cut out. Nogi Wakaba is a Hero Adaptation: 520https://i.ur.com/s1xo9or.gif But now we get into episode 5 through 8 or the adaptation of Nogi Wakaba is a hero which is 2 books 22 chapters and over 450 pages of content. So every issue of content removal from Mebukis story is now ten times worse. To start they cut the first 13 chapters from the novel which is all of the first book and jump in at the middle of 14 to the point where Tamako and Anzu have died. Now while I could probably say this and already be justified having to cut all this development has huge consequences on character motivations which are needed to justify the actions that follow in what they will go and adapt. The biggest loss is Wakaba who is actually presented as a more stoic unfeeling asshole with Chikages aggression towards her being more justified. 420https://i.ur.com/A8b7o2h.png 420https://i.ur.com/ZoqovtT.png 420https://i.ur.com/XXa12ob.png 420https://i.ur.com/cGMpKk6.png They need to utilize Tamako and Anzus death as what starts tension between the two while in the LN it is a many reasons coming together her background her motivations as a hero the rivalry her emotional support and use of power. In the LN youll learn Chikage has this desire to perform as the best hero because her being a hero is the only time the community she grew up in has seen her as valuable and her gaining this status is the first time she is treated with common human decency. All of chapter 4 is to set this up: The sound of the impact echoed and everyone around her went silent. ...I have something...To ask of you all. With everyones attention on her Chikage said with a tiny voice. Am I... a person of worth...? They all stood there looking dubious when someone broke the silence. Of course. Youre a hero after all. The others followed suit and said the same thing. Everyone praised the hero Chikage. Up until recently she had lived as the lowest of the low. Bullied mocked and hurt. The fact that she was useless drilled both into her body and mind. How about now though? Those who had hurt her once were now trying to get on her good side. The adults who thought of her as nothing more than a stone by the side of the road were now holding her hands. All because...Im a hero now... 420https://i.ur.com/eFbdZkf.png Chapter 4 is extremely dark going into abuse and torment she would receive at school and in her small hometown because of her mother cheating then getting sick and coming back to Chikages dad. It comments on how ugly collectivist family based culture can be to people who have no involvement in doing bad to their name. Admittedly this chapter I feel would need to be cut or softened for just how brutal it would be to picture the contents of it. Still losing the developed motive as a hero from this chapter plus losing moments of tension between Hinata Chikage and Wakaba in Chapter 15. In that case fine Ill just stop using trump cards... And then well see how many victims turn up. Thatll teach them... Shikoku and the Taisha alike... They talk big for cowards in their safe places... What the hell do they even Chikage thats enough. Wakaba interrupted as she had noticed the sad look on Hinatas face. Hinata knew her role put her in a safe place in society and felt guilty about it. The phrase cowards in their safe places just rubbed salt into the wound. ... Wakaba placed her hand on Chikages shoulder stopping her. I know youre frustrated in this situation. Of course you are But thats no excuse to hurt someone else like that Its difficult times like these that we really do need solidarity What a logical statement. Everythings logical about you isnt it...? What? You cant live on cold logic alone... Not without a thick skin... But me? Im not as strong as you...Im not thick skinned like you... You have no idea what it feels like to be weak like me... ...Nows not the time to whine Shut up Chikage pushed Wakaba away. The sudden motion took Wakaba by surprise as she fell onto the floor alongside a nearby decorative plant. A shattered shard of the flowerpot pierced the skin of Wakabas hand causing red drops to scatter on the floor. Gh... Hinata rushed over to Wakaba as she winced in pain. Wakabachan Ah... The sight of Wakabas injury caused Chikages face to tremble. She had only pushed Wakaba away impulsively and didnt mean to hurt her. It is moments like this that show tension between the two after the deaths of Tamako and Anzu the added aggression caused as a side effect from prior powerups in battle. Wakaba is a lot more emotionally aware in the LN especially after development in the first book while the anime makes her very stoic in all moments making her come off again as an unfeeling asshole when Chikage is reasonable hurt from the deaths of two of her very few friends. This makes the fight between them as well as Chikages death much emptier. And while this isnt huge changes the small things show how the little development makes them need to cut subtly out of the scene. I thought... that if I died... nobody would mourn me... Chikage wanted to be loved. She thought that if she strove as a hero she would prove her worth and be loved by others. So she fought and fought... When unbeatable Vertexes appeared when she lost her hero power when people stopped loving her she had thought she had lost everything. But in truth she didnt. The days they spent in Marugame castle together the udon they ate together. The Vertexes they fought together. The hotspring trip they spent together. The games they played together. The leisurely hours they spent together. Regardless of her hero power or her Vertex fights Chikages friends had loved her as a friend. ... Im such... an idiot... If only she had made that realization Chikage would probably have been satisfied. She would have been satisfied just being loved by her friends. ... And then With the last of her strength Chikage told her. She told Wakaba the one thing she never could before. ... Nogisan... I... hate you... I know... But... I adore you... just as much... ... I loved... you... 420https://i.ur.com/SnJAOo5.png Change wise the first part in parenthesis was changed from an inner thought to spoken dialogue losing the subtlety of showing this late realization visually as to this point in the anime the story has failed to fully establish just how empty her life is outside of her time as a hero and how her overall desire for love from people who never truly care blinded her from a new found family with the heroes. They also give Wakaba more dialogue where she gets to be emotional in the anime its a okay change that helps give her more life and removes the bit of stoics for once but the LN really takes the cake by having a more simple but powerful dialogue where in the anime they say: Chikage: I still hate you...But...But I looked up to you just as much...Maybe I really liked you...after all... 520https://i.ur.com/W6yYgQ2.png While the silence for Wakaba works parts like maybe I really liked you feel off as Chikage does realize in this final moment that she is one of her few friends there is no doubt or question to it. So she does love her but the reason she hates her is this envy over how she has handled being a hero and how she acts as a true hero doing her best to keep her alive even after she had tried to kill her. To summarize this stretch of episodes get some basics on the events of what happened in the book yet they still fail to adapt any of this huge emotional moments and they really shift the motivations with Wakaba painted as quite differently in a bad way Good Additions: But to lighten up finally I want to talk about some of those smaller new scenes that were added in during these adaptation episodes. The first one is in episode 4 giving some added content to when Tougou goes and sacrifices herself for the fire offering. It gives her this near death moment where she gets to talk with Gin before the heroes go and rescue her. 520https://i.ur.com/LSGaqaC.png Giving a pretty sappy moment where Gin rests her ease about forgetting her and how her friends are never going to let her be sacrificed for the sake of humanity. It does get me teary eyed and nobody is going to argue for less Gin moments. 520https://i.ur.com/FtQThTF.png But these out of body meetings are not done because in episode 8 we have the two Yunas conversing with each other. This taking place when Yuki is suffering from the curse on her after saving Tougou from the fire offering Takashima whose soul is with the Divine tree talks to her and says that the gods view them closely as one in the same and that she can take the curse off of her and onto herself. The moment bolsters the kindness of both characters. When Yuki asks what would happen to her Takashima is quiet showing that taking the curse while in the Divine tree would be very bad but she would do it so Yuki wouldnt suffer through the future. Then Yuki rejects the offer and says: 520https://i.ur.com/G6hSJkN.png The moment is good for both characters and also gives a little more understanding to the ending of the first season of the anime. Overall another great point. And while mentioning these points in the story I wanted to talk about one other portion that feels similar. This happens in episode 12 with all of the original content. Particularly the final scene where Tougou and Sonoko visit Gins grave while the exchange those two have is great. I feel this scene is really nice for the closure of Aki the Taisha member who always had to be closest to the girls. Being the teacher for the three of them in the Sumi Washio chapter where she was really allowed to show her emotions then she sits in the background being the Taisha member informing and sending the sentinels out on their missions where she would not show her face and hid behind the mask trying to give her distance between the girls. She is a unique character for being the only adult who we see suffers through the guilt of having to help the government in sending these young girls on death missions. She is the only one to voice any discontent about the Taisha from within it 520https://i.ur.com/bIyhWOh.gif And this scene after all the conflict is over do we see Aki come with flowers to visit Gins grave. She is afraid to come in contact with Tougou and Sonoko after what she had done but both are very happy to see her coming to visit Gin. Before she can step down to the grave site she breaks down in tears releasing the guilt built up after years of working alongside Heroes and sentinels. I love that we get a bit of closure for Aki a character most people wouldnt think about too much. 520https://i.ur.com/rC1Yhmb.png Remaking the Ending: This is the last thing I want to cover in this review I could gush and make whole segments on other parts between 9 and 12. But Ill keep it short. The adaptation of the first epilogue chapter of Kusunoki Mebuki is great they shift perspective a bit to Karin but this makes sense for adaptation sake and god that fight is awesome: 520https://i.ur.com/oecjnLB.gif 520https://i.ur.com/rQgPuEz.gif Mebukis confrontation with Aya during the Shinkon ceremony in episode 10 is an amazing sequence. 520https://i.ur.com/Zsv71gG.gif And of course the four years later epilogue is a yuyuyu fan dream to see and we love seeing them living their best life. 520https://i.ur.com/8PHA4qF.gif To the remake of the ending of the Hero Chapter as they dont change events but there are a ton of small changes to dialogue score and shots. Some are good and others bad. Ultimately I think asking a yuyu fan which version of the ending they like more is a good bar argument. Personally I like the original more for a couple of reasons. First and honestly huge to me have the peice Hana Kanmurihttps://open.spotify.com/track/5bjT6I80dKkcZVdAs2Eh3Q?si=4311ac5d521a43f1 play from when the spirits start flying down towards Tougou the score is just literally made perfect with the show and everything is paced so perfectly with the climax the soundtrack for this entire series is one of the best so what they change it to is still great but Im sold by this track more. Second is I personally like the dialogue choice more in this moment before Yuna is broken out. I can see why someone likes the other and its again a toss up to preference. HERO CHAPTER VERSION Tougou: This cant be...We...Shouldnt be doing this...I am thankful...but...but...its fine. I dont want a world you can only gain by sacrificing my friends and other people. I dont want...a world like that. That is... GREAT MANKAI VERSION Tougou: No...This wasnt what we fought for...I truly am grateful...but...but...Ive had enough. I dont want to lose those around me. My friends...Who needs a world without all of them? I dont...this what it means to be... Subtleties like Its fine instead of Ive had enough just flow a bit nicer and give a better feeling of that defeat for me. I also feel similarly for the dialogue from the other heroes after these lines. Still with the additions of showing the Chikages tower from the sentinels and other shots that pay homage to Gin there are many reasons to give the Great Mankai chapter pick as your favorite. 520https://i.ur.com/v8nT5Hx.gif Conclusion: To wrap it all up what are my overall feelings of The Great Mankai chapter. It might be surprising for how critical I was for over half of this review but the high number at the bottom of this review reflects that I still view this season highly positively. The reason for this is that for all the shortcomings of this season and how it really butchers adapting some of the best material in the entire series. This entry got me intrigued and interested in reading into the light novels. It shows enough of the deeper connected lore and makes you think about the series in a more broad way. Yuki Yuna is a Hero was not so highly regarded by me initially. I would have given the original maybe an 8.5 or 9 but not view it as something with a deep level of thought and care but after watching this then going into the light novels. I began to think very highly of the series. I like to say it is the inverse of Madoka Magica. Madoka Magica is a deeper look into the psychology of the girls and expressing it through giganticuniverse altering events. Yuki Yuna is a Hero is a deeper look at societal flaws and human perseverance and expressing it through the lens of the girls personal dramas. Yuki Yuna might get perceived as a cheap version of Madoka when it is looked at through the perspective of it being simply about the drama from the heroes. But the Great Mankai chapter is the catalyst to make me realize the strength of this series is the reflection of the world made by the characters. Without this I dont know if I would have ever read all the light novels and been such a huge fan of this series and I think that Im not the only one. Thank you for reading is whole review I know its long. If you havent got the message already Read the Light Novels https://anilist.co/manga/99559/NogiWakabawaYuushadeAru/ https://anilist.co/manga/100676/KusunokiMebukiwaYuushadeAru/ 420https://i.ur.com/QF5noKj.png They are so damn good I would start with Nogi Wakaba first as the story is just as big as the Yuki Yunas. Then you get to cry your eye out at the Anzu and Tamako death You also get bonus points for reading the Hero History Apocryphas https://anilist.co/manga/142100/YuukiYuunawaYuushadeAruYuushashiGaiten/ Yuki Yuna fans are rare to come by so if you get really into like I have the community would love to have you 520https://i.ur.com/oupvNQh.gif Peace out