Soul Eater: Part 4 Right now

The end has finally come -- DMWA has launched an all-out war on its witch/kishin enemies, to stop the madness that is overwhelming the world.

"Soul Eater Part Four" may be a few episodes shorter than the last three box sets, but the ending of this deliciously Halloweeny series makes up for it by being crammed with plot. There's dark plot twists, rebellion, insanity and slashing magical action -- and the big downside is that it ends without promise of any continuation.

As Arachne's madness-enhancers rev up, Medusa offers Lord Death a simple deal: vital information about the Kishin in exchange for her safety. After she leaves, the increasingly crazed Stein wanders out after her.

And soon everyone is preparing for their own missions: Black Star, Tsubaki, Soul Eater and Maka are going to join Death's armies, and attack Arachne and the Kishin; Death the Kid heads for a devastated city to retrieve the last magical item; and Crona and Marie set out to rescue Stein from Medusa. Both Kid and Maka are having doubts about whether they're doing the right thing, especially since Maka is worried about what will happen when Crona encounters his evil mother.

So while the DMWA's forces clash with Arachne's armies, Maka and Soul break away and attack Medusa -- but with an insane Stein on her side, they may not be able to win. And even if they do win, will the three teams' combined strength be enough to defeat the deadly Kishin? And what lengths will Death go to in his battle against Arachne and Asura -- and will he be able to succeed at last?

The manga is still going strong, but "Soul Eater Part 4" is definitely the end of the anime series. All the major plot threads are woven together in a dense, strong rope without a shred of filler of fluff, important questions are answered (who is Eibon? What does the Brew do?), and there's one brilliant magical fight after another. The only major problem is that it's the end.

The writers spend the first few episodes setting up the various battles that the characters are about to embark on, as well as adding a little humor amidst all the grimness (Death and Death Scythe mocking Medusa's underwear). But after that it's one dark, bloody battle after another, Stein's growing insanity (completely with bloody moons and creepy little kids), and some truly brilliant twists (the use of the Brew is absolutely AWESOME). The one flat part: the final attack on Asura is... cheezy.

It's also zero hour for the main characters, all of whom have to grow up in their own ways. Maka and Death the Kid begin to doubt everything they've ever been taught, including their trust in Lord Death. Soul has to deal with his inner imp once and for all, and Crona desperately tries to atone for his sins against his friends. Even Black Star is confronted by a rather sinister anecdote about his late father (who had a very similar personality), but refuses to give up.

The grand finale of "Soul Eater" is indeed grand -- action-packed, plot-heavy, and a satisfying finale for a great anime series. The only downside is that it's OVER.Get more detail about Soul Eater: Part 4.