Shuuen no Shiori

So, what is Shuuen no Shiori?

At its absolute basics, Shuuen no Shiori is a song series that first began in 2012. The core members of the project were 150P (composition), Suzumu (author/lyricist), Saine (character design), and Komine (illustration). It has, alongside its albums and MVs, received novels, a manga, and several pieces of merchandise. It received an abrupt end in late 2015, when Suzumu admitted that he had plagiarized some of the music he had released for songs unassociated with the project. Since then, after the manga's end, Shuuen no Shiori has existed in limbo, without a proper end.

So why do you care about this dead series?

Shuuen no Shiori is easy to dismiss; it is a story with much repetition, a circular storyline where it's unclear what's real and relevant and what isn't, and an abrupt, unhappy end. Yet, it is dearly important to me. My personal connection with the world itself aside, Shuuen no Shiori is best experienced through analysis that picks apart its surface-level aspects and digs deeper.

Character Intros

Occult Club

An unofficial club of four second-year highschoolers that meet in an old, abandoned school building that their highschool doesn't use anymore. They meet to discuss rumors, urban legends, and other supernatural existences in the world.
The theme that ties them together is denial. Denial of feelings, truth, oneself.

A-ya
"'Boring'—that was his catchphrase."

A boy with a singleminded interest in rumors and the occult. He prefers solitude, watching others with no desire to form friendships, and enjoys spreading rumors in order to observe how information spreads. If it's to sate his unending boredom, he'll do anything, even if it risks his and others' lives.
His associated urban legend is One-Man Hide and Seek.

B-ko
"Everyone has aspirations and ideals."

A girl who uses a mask to appear perfect to others. Having worn her mask for so long to protect herself from the vitriol of others, she feels split into two selves; her outward friendliness, and her inner anger. She only feels safe dropping her mask around the others in the Occult Club, since they know about her inner self.
Her associated urban legend is the doppelgänger.

C-ta
"Please, tell me. I want to save you."

A boy whose creed in life is to keep balance in all things. He spends his time making sure that his social relations are secure enough to provide a safety net for his childhood friend, A-ya. While he acts cheerful, his emotions are quick to instability, and he will violently panic as soon as anything seems amiss in his relationship with A-ya.
His associated urban legend is Mearry-san.

D-ne
"Something cannot be created from nothing."

A girl who was alone before she was approached by B-ko, and fell in love with her because of it. While harboring an outwardly pleasant personality, she is irritable and won't hesitate to release a biting comment if someone annoys her. She idolizes B-ko and wants to become just like her.
Her associated urban legend is The Monkey's Paw.

Film Club

A group made up of five second-year highschoolers and their club advisor. The Film Club comes together to write and film a horror movie, which they present at their school's cultural festival. But what happens next may shock you! (They almost all die. This is very typical shuuen.)
The theme that ties them together is bonds.

A-no
"quote."

introduction.
She played the role of B-ko in the film.

B-ka
"quote."

introduction.
He played the role of A-ya in the film.

C-na
"quote."

introduction.
She played the role of D-ne in the film.

D-suke
"quote."

introduction.
He played the role of C-ta in the film.

E-ki
"quote."

introduction.
He was the director of the film.

W-sensei
"quote."

introduction.
He was the advisor of the club.

And Then There's This Guy

After we see the disasters that befall the Occult Club, and learn about the process that the Film Club went through to unintentionally create them, we are brought back to the Occult Club, with a new addition; a mysterious transfer student, bringing with him information about the Bookmark of Demise that the club hadn't known.

E-noru
"quote."

introduction.
role.


You will look at them. You will look at their happiness and A-ya's little :< face and feel joy.