English Dub Review: Hand Shakers “Finally Fairy”

Who you callin’ a fairy?

Spoilers Below

Hand Shakers episode “Finally Fairy” picks up almost exactly where “Sing a Sonic” left off. Tazuna (Justin Briner) and Koyori (Lara Woodhull) exited the last battle with hand shakers Kodama (Bryn Apprill) and Hibiki (Sonny Strait) unceremoniously. Due to their formidable opponents, Koyori and Tazuna were outmatched. Lacking a Nimrod, or weapon within the Ziggurat, or realm of the hand shakers, Koyori remained unable to aid Tazuna in battling Kodama and Hibiki.

Against the suggestion of Professor Makihara (Anthony Bowling), Tazuna and Koyori once again fight Hibiki and Kodama. Their second battle royale manages to end differently. It’s still neat watching Tazuna and Koyori struggle. Whereas Tazuna reluctantly fought in previous hand shaker matches before winning easily, Kodama and Hibiki present a major challenge. Though hand shakers can’t sustain injuries in the Ziggurat that last in the real world, upon leaving the Ziggurat unplanned, Tazuna sustained major damage in “Sing a Sonic.”

There’s been a subplot where Makihara seems to hide a major secret. Hibiki reveals a bit about Makihara that suggests there’s more mystery behind his character. Potentially this ties to Makihara’s involvement with a shadowy man Tazuna encountered earlier.

The animation persists in its excellence. Backdrops like cloud-blotted skies float. Kodama’s radioactive green charges fly forth with destructive power. Dubbing is mostly solid. I like Kodama’s solo performance, and it’s a refreshing touch that her singing infuses her abilities with more power. Additionally, hand shakers may alter the appearance of the Ziggurat as Kodama explains.

Unfortunately, Tazuna once again stands as a somewhat unlikeable character. He’s a bit whiny, and moreover “Finally Fairy” goes exactly where you think it will. Complete with a rather cliché montage of flashbacks. Koyori and Tazuna’s relationship continues to advance in the precise direction that you expect.

However, Koyori’s character finally evolves. Whereas previously Koyori stayed completely silent and reliant on Tazuna, she takes control and becomes a bit more independent. Yet Koyori still doesn’t overcome her reliance on Tazuna, and despite gaining more power she still seems a bit meek. I hope to see Koyori’s character blossom as the series progresses.

Where Hand Shakers excels is introducing likable secondary characters. Kodama and Hibiki each defy expectations. “Finally Fairy” closes with their individual, and collective, origin stories. Hopefully, this pair of former hand shakers is poised to return as recurring characters much like Chizuru (Sarah Wiedenheft) and Hayate (Aaron Roberts).

“Finally Fairy” does a lot well, including advancing Koyori’s character in a less passive direction. New characters Kodama and Hibiki offer potential as series newcomers. Unfortunately, Hand Shakers series protagonist Tazuna is decidedly less enjoyable as the case of secondary characters. Overall, “Finally Fairy” perpetuates a few engaging sub plots while offering ample character development.