Toshokan Sensō – Library War 12

The final episode! I’ve been drawing out my viewing of this anime because I didn’t want it to end. I also find it difficult to find the time to watch any anime at all these days.

Poor Dojo is in the hospital recovering from his injuries in the battle for the museum. He isn’t in bad shape physically but is suffering from shell shock. He just sits and stares blankly at a TV. Iku runs up to talk to him, but he doesn’t respond to her.

She bursts into tears. Tezuka and Komki discuss the situtation. Genda is also alive, but in a coma. Iku tells Tezuka in a horribly cheerful voice that the reason why they were injured is because they are both reckless, and that’s why they need extra time to recover. They’ll be better soon.

The political climate has shifted and now more people are against the Library Corps due to the Media Enhancement casualties.

Shibasaki is talking to the commander, who tells her to update him if the patients’ condition improves. He then tells her that he’ll be looking forward to her becoming the first female Library Corps commander.

Iku opens the window in Dojo’s room, but he doesn’t react to the fresh air. She continues to train alone, completing running drills and practicing martial arts. Shibasaki visits her and asks what she’s doing, and Iku says that since Dojo will wake up soon she has to make sure that she can show him she’s progressed while he was out sick. Komaki gives Iku Dojo’s favorite books from childhood to read to him when she visits him next. He tells her that two of the books are targeted for inspection, so she needs to watch out for Media Enhancement forces.

Genda wakes up and asks where he is. The female reporter that profiled Iku is sitting by his bedside. She tells him that his surgery lasted 13 hours, but the artwork he was trying to protect is safe. He tells her to spare him the sight of her tears, and she replies that he has to look at her cry as punishment. Genda is promoted, skipping a level. He is dismayed because he isn’t dead yet. The reporter thinks this is the commander’s farewell gift.

Iku is upset when she hears the commander is going to resign. He gives his farewell speech to the corps. He isn’t resigning because of the increased political pressure but because he allowed the base the corps were defending to become weak. Freedom of expression is still the most important thing that they all fight to protect.

The media have staked out the library, and Iku is being followed as she goes to the hospital. A mysterious man calls someone to tell them that the lieutenant is at the hospital and Iku comes every day to visit him. When Iku goes outside she’s cornered by the media. They demand that she comment on the casulties. One of the reporters jostles Dojo’s book and steps on it. Iku shoves him aside to pick up the book.

She glares at the reporter, but remembers Dojo’s advice to remain calm and not give into her emotions. She collects herself and gives a calm statement to the media expressing the Library Corps’ philosophy, saying that everyone has precious books, films, manga, or anime that touched them deeply and it is wrong for an authority to take away any person’s enjoyment of freedom of expression. She shows the emblem of the Library Corps on her badge and pledges to never accept defeat.

Iku continues to be hounded by the media as she returns to the office. Everyone congratulates her on her statement to the media.

Iku and Shibasaki help the commander pack up his office. Iku gives him a pot of chamomile flowers. Iku wheels him outside where the Library Corps members stand in formation. Protesters yell beyond the gates of the compound. Everyone salutes the commander as he leaves.

Iku freaks out over a mountain of letters. Genda says that he brought them to the office. Iku says he shouldn’t be straining himself. All the letters are fan notes from people who saw Iku’s speech on TV. Genda says that not only are there boxes of letters, there is something else. The contents of a box glow so much you can’t see what is inside. Iku asks if she can take them with her. She goes to visit Dojo in the hospital, carrying the box. It is full of chamomile flowers.

Shibasaki, Komaki, and Tezuka come with Iku carrying more boxes of flowers. Tezuka asks if there’s anything else he can do for Iku and Shibasaki drags him off by the ear so Iku can be alone with the still comatose Dojo. Iku tells Dojo that she was shocked when she found out that he was her Prince Charming, and we see a flashback of Dojo from her past, protecting her in the bookstore.

She says that he’s always been her Prince Charming, and remembers the times he helped her out after she joined the Library Corps. She doesn’t like the person who protected her in high school, she likes the person in front of her right now.

She cries and Dojo reaches out and pats her on the head and asks why she’s crying. She says that she’s not crying for any reason at all, because her most precious thing has returned to her.

The series wraps up with Iku writing a letter home to her parents. The criticism of the Library Corps has died down, because Tezuka’s formerly evil brother is working against biased media coverage. Shibasaki is keeping tabs on the situation. Tezuka seems to be fighting his fear of heights. Iku is training hard due to all the support she’s receiving from the public. Dojo still yells at her on the training field. Iku accidentally trips and falls into his arms. Awwwwwww.

While I was originally attracted to this series because I liked the idea of watching anime librarians run around with machine guns, it ended up being a very cute sentimental romance interspersed with plenty of anti-censorship sloganeering. While I can’t say that the plot of all the episodes was absorbing, the relationships between the characters really made Library War well worth watching.