>>2808More like please read. After a long time of mulling over it and trying to get into a calm place, I was finally able to finish ShimiShim today, the whole of the final volume in one. It seems like while Shimeji didn't get the Bible, Majime certainly did.
*Spoiler Warning for the rest of this, if it wasn't already obvious*
If the rest of the story was setting up this event and giving some characterization to everyone, this volume was taking all of that setup and dialing everything to its extreme. With everyone's will meshed into chaos and those who do still exist living out the most extreme version of whatever desire they had, such as the cylindrical man and Sumida/Sensei. The two of them in an interestingly mutually beneficial relationship yet mostly a one-sided love from Sumida as she eternally paints Sensei. Sensei also being one of the first after having achieved her perfect donut topology realm to have decided that she's bored of reality in trying to hang herself from the center. Foreshadowing the conflict with this limitless realm to come later, and probably one of the greater themes of the entire arc and maybe the manga centered around purpose in life.
Then comes the Majime/Shimeji house life, and here is where I think we can find good insight into their relationship, but more importantly Shimeji's feelings. Everything is peaceful and they're happily living together a normal life. And then it goes on. And then it continues to go on, for years, without much development. Then one day Shimeji decides she wants to cheer up Majime, but is pulled into a more romantic moment by her. Something she may not regret too much, but she doesn't feel ready for in some way. I think this is probably because, as contrasted in the end, she's just giving her all to Majime in the process. Slowly allowing herself to become nothing and be subsumed into Majime. In realization of this, Shimeji finds that something in her rejects this passive acceptance of being absorbed.
I think the next arc serves as a good transition into the final arc where that rejection is brought up once more. Shimeji is thrust into chaos as she's lost Majime, lost everything, and the world around her seems to be crumbling apart. She stays solitary wandering about just aimlessley going place to place until finally stumbling upon Yomikawa who gives her the spiel of all the theories for the world and the infinite book knowledge she possesses as a meta being akin to Shimeji's sister and the Gardener. But what's important is that once she takes Shimeji into her novel realm, all physicality is erased. Leaving Shimeji in the most ideal form for reflection yet with nothing to drive her in any which direction. In the midst of all the thinking she's able to do, the realization of potentially losing Majime hits her like a truck as her outlook on the future causes
something to happen in the realm which washes over Yomikawa until she releases Shimeji to cry on the outside. What I believe is that it's one of the major turning points where Shimeji is able to finally let out all the emotions she's been bottling inside. Leading to when Shimeji reunites with her sister, despite the sacrifice that'd need to be made, deciding she wants Majime and a more stable reality to exist. Setting into motion the final arc, as the one condition to not allow the chaos to start up once more is her sister forcing everyone into solitude.
This solitude gives everyone in the story at least a millenia of reflection and self-thought after being reconstructed following the repair on reality. Majime's returned and unlike the rest of the characters is able to mostly construct a living and breathing world in her realm. A testament to her love of companionship and empathetic nature as for most of the others their times spent have resulted in mostly single-focused realms of which their passion manifested. Shimeji's as well is mostly a place of solitude and rest, having converted to a blob-like shape that can only dream and rest. All this showing just how boring and derived of purpose a life of solitude would be, even for the most power beings in existence that can will in whatever they desire, even Majime who retreats into her own solitary space awaiting Shimeji.
All this lasting until the galaxy express comes to pick her up to take her across those different worlds described prior. After a long journey finally ending up in Majime's world with somewhat frantic as Majime herself is nowhere to be found. Then going against her nature to be passive and stew over Majime's disappearance, she finally goes to search her out herself and they reunite in one of the most heartwarming scenes of the manga. Nearly merging into one the next panel as before from their mutual joy over the reunion, but this time the merge stopping on its own as they can 'feel' each other's outline. I believe this to be the result of Shimeji finally understanding more herself as a person and that want to
exist with Majime, not just for her. Having finally found the purpose in her once directionless life.
The manga leaves off after with the two of them donning their godly garments and deciding to not stop at the two of them, but to go and meet back up with everyone. Does their life as pseudo-gods continue into happiness as they strive for this grand reunion? Or is the attempt futile and will only lead to doom like Shimeji's sister said it'd be. All that's for certain is that the two are happily reunited and much better off for it than confined to the safety of solitude. I'd like to hope that their journey has a happy end.
Like every story that makes me consider life on a deeper level, this is certainly a masterpiece and I can't wait for what tkmiz does next.