Saishu heiki konojo, or Saikano (its nickname) or She, the ultimate weapon its official english translation though if you really wish to translate it correctly, it should be My Girlfriend the ultimate weapon. When I was young, I once saw this Chinese cartoon which really was The Little Mermaid with a few twists and turns to the plot (eg, the mermaid and the guy were actually kids, and the mermaid belonged to a race where their legs turn to fins and their hair turns blue the moment they are underwater). K whatever. The point was the show was really really sad in a certain type of way. Not the typical sad shows where the lovers are seperated or something. I remember that the girl sort of had an illness and had only a certain time left to live. And at the same time, she really liked this guy who felt the same way towards her. And on top of it, she sacrificed herself at the end of the movie to save her people. I have been looking around hoping to find another show just like it. A show which touches you with grief, anguish, sadness and empathy all at once. I know that its kind of difficult to udnerstand why I would be looking for sad shows but really, all I wanted was one really good one. A show that I can remember for a very very long time. A show that touches me very deeply. And I found it!! Though I am feeling really sad right now, I can't stop thinking about the show.

Anyways, here is the synopsis of the show She, the ultimate weapon as you are probably wondering what the hell I am talking about. IF and only if you actually managed to read this far. Our main female character Chise (pronounced chi sei) is really in love with our main male character Shuji (pronounced Shuuuu Ji). And then, just when they officially decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend, Chise was turned by the military into an ultimate weapon. Why her, why only one weapon and how they did it is not explained AT ALL. But we do know that Chise was now a weapon as well as a human (and Shuji was the only civilian who knows it). The thing was she was losing her human form in the development of the weapon she was becoming. Chise would be used by the military to wipe out the enemies by obliterating entire cities like Tokyo, Osaka..etc. After each mission, we'll see Chise kneeling down at the rubble that was once a city crying for the people that she killed (basically anyone within the blast radius. The japanese troops retreat when she arrives). Due to her work, she bears some serious emotional scars and contemplated killing herself several times. But she never did it because of the one person in the world who sees her as a person rather than as a weapon, Shuji. The really sad part was that she had to neglect her duties in order to spend time with him resulting in massive losses for the Japanese army. It was also kind of annoying to see her breaking a promise to meet Shuji because of a mission and gain when Shuji missed an appointment with her because he was "comforting" his first crush. After that incident when he didn't turn up for a meeeting, she decided to turn their relationship back to just "being classmates" as I believe she didn't want to be hurt him further. Somehow, it seems that the earth is in turmoil and besides the on-going war, natural disasters are also occuring everywhere. Shuji is also losing his classmates to air raids on Sapporo (the city they are in), earthquakes and the war. Its really really depressing to see him go to school and seeing a half empty classroom w/o his usual buddies. As the war moved southward towards Sapporo, Chise came back to Shiju and they moved to another town that was still untouched by the war. And here, they spent 2 weeks together. It was a really really touching part because she was rapidly losing her humanity. The pills that she must take to maintain her human form is in limited supply. And so the 2 weeks which they spent together was really a very touching moment in the show where they treasured the company of each other for every second of their lives. When the last of the pills was consumed, she was taken back by the military. Shiju on the otherhand, went back to Sapporo and back to the place where they had their first kiss. There he bagan reading all her diaries which began after their relationship started. And all the while, she was sitting up there looking at him and crying. This Chise was a different Chise. She was now a weapon even though she retained her human form and she didn't even know Shuji's name. However, the funny thing is Chise's body responded naturally to Shuji much to the amusement and bewilderment of the weapon. And yeap, somehow the old Chise came back and made love to Shuji. :) And shortly after, Sapporo (apparently the last city remaining) began to get attacked. But this time, Chise went off to fight to protect Shuji. And the really sad ending was when a Tsunami arrived and wiped out everything in the city, she used the last of her powers to protect him. And he, was the last one surviving on earth.

And the reason why my synopsis is more like an essay than a synopsis is because I couldn't find any websites out there which really gave a proper synopsis for this show. And because this show is still fresh in my mind. And because I am moved by this show. And in truth, I am actually kind of thankful to have watched it even though its a really sad show. And lastly, I'm sure I'll remember this show as one of the very few shows that really made me feel very strongly for the characters. Some of the other shows being "Love Hina, Ah! My Goddess, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Onegai Teacher"