Besides the fact that Kaede should have totally went "nice boat" on Asa (only semi-joking :P ); Shuffle! is all kinds of win. It puts new life into a genre that everyone likes to bash... don't be a hater.
Great review. I agree with all of your points Chris. I watched the conclusion a few days ago, and came away very satisfied with Shuffle. It was a surprisingly solid conclusion, especially given that this genre tends to leave things unresolved a lot at the end most series. I can't recommend Shuffle enough. :D