Vaguely disturbing, slightly embarrassing, and melodramatic, volumes 5 and 6 bring Shuffle! to a rather unsatisfying conclusion.  For a series that began life as a fluffy puff of cotton candy, Shuffle!'s dark progression through misplaced motives, guilt, and dramatic rescues raises more issues than it provides entertainment value.  What began as mildly entertaining fanservice ended up with questions about characters' sanity and irritated groans over yet more fanservice.  Honestly, how many times does the audience need to see bouncing breasts and striped skivvies?  This question especially comes into play when the fanservice clashes with some very real problems exhibited by the characters.  It was out of place and more than a little creepy.  Actually, quite a few aspects of this series are creepy.  As the credits rolled on the last episode, it was with a sense of relief that I popped out the dvd and put it to bed in its case.

It's safe to assume that several characters in this series will find themselves looking forward to years of therapy in the future.  The competition over Rin reaches dangerous proportions as what began as friendly rivalry turns into a knock-down drag out fight over who gets the guy.  Heavy tension and the stress of wanting someone who may not return such affection causes the girls to change in ways that are hard to imagine, given the silliness of early episodes.  Alternate personalities, deep guilt, and hidden anger surface, leading to changes and decisions that alter all the characters' lives.  The last two volumes really pile on the drama, and watching the series is like watching some kind of slow motion train wreck.  Instead of wondering who will win Rin's affection, it's easier to contemplate who, if anyone, will emerge from the mess unscathed.

While Shuffle!  is supposed to be funny, some of the attempts at humor in these two volumes are truly cringe-worthy.  A father attempting to sell off his daughter, highlighting her...attributes isn't funny.  What kind of father would do that to his kid?  Sure, maybe there are cultural differences at play; families might do things differently in the lands of gods and demons, but it didn't set well.  Another instance of creepy humor came after Rin made his choice, and the other girls never really seemed to acknowledge his decision.  The girls' attempts at hanging on are definitely played for humor, but it just came off as pathetic.  It left me wondering about the importance of pride, and where these girls' senses of self-worth had gone.  Gather the tatters of your dignity and move on, ladies.  Rin found a girlfriend.

Admittedly, the last two volumes are full of surprises, especially given the lighthearted nature of the previous volumes.  There were hints of darker days to come, but when they arrive, the series turns darker than expected.  The characters' actions and reactions in the last two volumes safely put Shuffle! into the drama genre.  Some of the drama had me rolling my eyes in exasperation, however, some of the best parts of the series are the dark bits.  Where attempts at humor and fanservice fail, there are a few dramatic moments that are successful.  Where most of the series had me either staring blankly at the TV screen or worse, had my attention wandering to the window to watch the squirrels, there are scenes in the last two volumes that grabbed my attention, and even the squirrels couldn't pull me away.

Shuffle! is not one of the better series out there.  The last eight episodes tie up the loose ends and offer a sense of closure, but as those final scenes play out, it's hard to care.  Too many schemes, too much rivalry, makes it difficult to cheer for any one girl.  Rin spends too much time listening to his friends and is painfully clueless at times.  The bright, happy colors and middle-of-the-road animation are not enough to save this series with prettiness.  If you've been keeping up with the series, it's worthwhile to cash in your investment and see how it ends.  Closure is a good thing.  Otherwise, skip it and look for something else.

A note: Shuffle! is rated TV-MA, mostly for the ridiculous number of bouncy breasts and panty/crotch/naked-shots.  While the fanservice is prolific but mostly harmless, there are some adult themes involving mental health and extreme measures that might be a bit disturbing for kids.  Especially since these issues aren't fully addressed and never reasonably resolved.

Details: Runtime 100 minutes each for Volumes 5 and 6.  Volume 5 contains episodes 17-20 and volume 6 contains episodes 21-24.  Extras in both volume 5 and 6 include textless songs and trailers.  Each volume comes with a pin-up poster.