Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA Concludes With a Two-Part Reflection on Legacy and Ethics
The finale stays true to the series' refusal to deliver neat theatrical climaxes, instead using a book project to examine how a school's legacy affects people who never became actors.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
The final two episodes of Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA form a two-part story about Wakana's book on Emi Okabe and the tragedy at Awajima. The first part covers her research and writing, the second the aftermath of publication. The show maintains its quiet, bird's-eye view of the school, rarely focusing on theatrical performance. Wakana, a former student who became a writer, embodies the series' recurring theme that most alumni do not become actors. The penultimate episode explores journalistic ethics through the differing reactions of Emi's surviving family members.
The final two episodes of Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA form a two-part story about Wakana's book on Emi Okabe and the tragedy at Awajima. The first part covers her research and writing; the second follows the aftermath of publication. The book itself gets minimal detail, which is typical for a series that rarely focused on the theatrical side of its characters' lives.
Wakana, a former student who abandoned acting to become a writer, embodies the show's recurring observation that most alumni do not become actors. The penultimate episode considers the morality of her project through the differing and sometimes contradictory opinions of Emi's surviving family members. One son is cynical; her husband is more open to preserving her legacy. Wakana does not reach a firm conclusion.
Creator Takako Shimura has approached every story in the series with nuance that defies satisfying conclusions, and the finale is no exception.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA Episodes 11-12