Review: Re-Kan!, Episode 6: A Super Awesome Holy Night

Screenshot taken from: http://www.crunchyroll.com/re-kan/episode-6-a-super-awesome-holy-night-678281

Review:

It’s kind of weird watching a Christmas episode in June, although this episode barely counts as a “Christmas” episode outside of the time frame and mention of a Christmas party. A neat little fact is that the episode deals a lot with a mother/daughter relationship, and it debuted on Mother’s Day. Why not just make a Mother’s Day episode, you ask? Who knows!

Anyway, Hibiki’s friends are quite surprised when they come into school to find Hibiki dressing and behaving in a manner completely out of her character, at least until Kana takes a picture of Hibiki, which reveals that a ghost is possessing Hibiki’s body. The ghost is that of a high school girl who wants to fulfill a particular desire before she can pass on, and Hibiki is now playing host to the ghost to make this happen. The episode ultimately delves into parent/child relationships, as it is revealed that Kana’s love of reporting comes from her parents, both of whom are career reporters and, as a result, are frequently absent from home. Throughout the episode, the line between comedic and serious is crossed several times, with some scenes (such as Inoue and Kana following possessed Hibiki) being flat-out amusing while others (such as the ghost girl confronting her mother) carry a much heavier, sobering tone. It is a good episode for reflections on how important it is to value the time we have with those we love, while also emphasizing the importance of being able to move on instead of being stuck in the past.

One thing that viewers should be able to appreciate about Re-Kan! is that it treats its cast of characters equally. While the beginning of the show seemed to focus primarily on Hibiki and Inoue (and, indeed, that still may be the primary focus), the show has sought to further develop the girls in Hibiki’s group of friends. This episode, for example, gives a strong emphasis on Kana, and actually features very little of Hibiki outside of her possessed state. Even Inoue takes a backseat in terms of character progression, although she is there for comic relief if nothing else. The fact that the episode also deals with some tough issues (the loss of a child and absentee parents) without feeling too overbearing or depressing is another highlight. Oh, and the lack of Eroneko was definitely an added bonus.

There really isn’t anything negative that stood out about this episode. Of course, Re-Kan! is an episodic show, so if you prefer shows with a more cohesive plot then the lack of such a thing will probably still be a sore spot for you, but otherwise this was a really touching episode that, ultimately, managed to be a feel good episode (just see the ending). It may not win any awards, but Re-Kan! serves as a great show to just kick back and enjoy when you want to relax.

A Christian Perspective:

1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

This was one of those episodes where I wasn’t getting anything as far as a perspective. I’m sure some more perceptive viewers could probably pull out messages that I’ve missed, but for the majority of the episode no clear “Christian perspective” struck me, until almost the end of the episode.

Hibiki and her friends proceed to have their Christmas party once the ghost girl has delivered her desired message and, presumably, passed on. While they are enjoying themselves, Hibiki is suddenly possessed again, revealing that the ghost has not, in fact, passed on, and this time it’s for Kana’s sake. If you recall, Kana pretty much wrote off any chance of her parents actually coming home for Christmas, and simply chose to have the Christmas party with her friends instead. Ghost girl, having reconciled with her mother, returns to tell Kana that she has somewhere to be. Kana rushes home, opens her door, and is shown to have a very happy look on her face before the episode ends, suggesting that her parents were, in fact, home. She may not have found this out—or, at the very least, may have missed out on quality time with her parents—if ghost girl hadn’t encouraged her to go.

The same can be said of the Christian life. How many opportunities do we allow to pass us by because we feel discouraged, or because we simply think we can’t do anything? Perhaps we are just good at making excuses or justifying our procrastination. The point is, left to our own devices, we can do a good job of missing opportunity after opportunity, which is why it is important to have people to encourage us to go out and try new things. More importantly, it is also very easy to be discouraged in your faith, especially when Brother So-and-So seems to pray better than you, worship better than you, serve better than you, praise better than you, etc. Having people there to encourage us in our faith walk (and to remind us not to compare ourselves to Bro. So-and-So) is important, because we need to know that we are not alone and that there are people who care.

Content Guide:

Spiritual Content: Ghosts are shown, as usual; Hibiki is possessed by a ghost;

Language: 3 “j**z”, 2 “h*ll”, 2 “p*ssed”, 1 “d*mn”

Alcohol/Drug Use: None

Nudity/Sex/Fanservice: None

Violence: Yamada is hit with a can; Inoue tackles (possessed) Hibiki

Blood/Gore: None