The Greatest Anime Episode Ever Tournament

[LumRanmaYasha]

Results:

Digimon Adventure #21: "Koromon's Great Battle in Tokyo!" - 12
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders: #15: "Justice Part 2" - 6
Neon Genesis Evangelion #16: "Splitting of the Breast" - 12
Ouran High School Host Club #13: "Haruhi in Wonderland!" - 10

"Koromon's Great Battle in Tokyo!" and "Splitting of the Breast" move on to round 3! The next match will be up shortly.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Round 2: Match 11


Urusei Yatsura #107: "Parallel Worlds! Where's Darling?!"

VS.


Urusei Yatsura OVA #12 - "The Obstacle Course Swim Meet"

VS.


Ushio & Tora #19: "The Demon That Turns Back Time"

VS.


Shirobako #19: "Did You Catch Any?"

[LumRanmaYasha]

"The Obstacle Course Swim Meet!"
"Parallel World! Where's Darling?!"
"Did You Catch Any?"
"The Demon That Turns Back Time"

Spoiler

UY OVA #12 is my favorite episode of UY. I think it best encapsulates the manic energy of the series and its characters, and I love the updated character designs and animation. I really wish a reboot of the show was produced with this aesthetic and production quality.

UY #107 is a stunning debut for director Kazuo Yamazaki full of great in-jokes about the series and the staff changing starting with this episode, with a fun Lum-centric episode with interesting what-if scenarios, reaching an emotionally tear-jerking climax before ending on a wonderfully heartwarming note.

Shirobako #19 is a nostalgia blast to how anime production was produced in the "good old days," demonstrating the challenges they faced back then are still the ones faced by the industry now, but that creatively-driven people with a genuine passion for making great art and entertainment will always push through the challenging times to make good anime. I love how learning about the production history of Andes Chuchy reinvigorates Aoi, helping her realize that all the blood, sweat, and tears they're putting into their work can pay off and leave an impact in the minds of viewers, as Andes Chucky did in her childhood. Very emotional and inspiring episode about creative people making sacrifices for the love of their art.

U&T #19 provides fascinating background history on Hakumen no Mono and the origins of the Beast Spear, and is the first time we get to see Hakumen in action. And it's utterly horrifying.

[close]

[Avaitor]

"The Demon That Turns Back Time"
"The Obstacle Course Swim Meet!"
"Parallel World! Where's Darling?!"
"Did You Catch Any?"

[VLordGTZ]

"The Obstacle Course Swim Meet!"
"The Demon That Turns Back Time"
"Parallel World! Where's Darling?!"
"Did You Catch Any?"

[LumRanmaYasha]

Results:

Ushio & Tora #19: "The Demon That Turns Back Time" - 8
Urusei Yatsura #107: "Parallel Worlds! Where's Darling?!" - 7
Urusei Yatsura OVA #12: "The Obstacle Course Swim Meet" - 11
Shirobako #19: "Did You Catch Any?" - 4

"The Obstacle Course Swim Meet" and "The Demon That Turns Back Time" move on to round 3! The next match will be up shortly.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Round 2: Match 12


Ashita no Joe 2 #47: "His Youth...Now Turned to Ash"

VS.


Yu Yu Hakusho #52: "The Death of Genkai"

VS.


Ushio & Tora #20: "The Demon Returns"

VS.


The Slayers #10: "JACKPOT! The Great Life or Death Gamble!"

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Oh....shit....

[LumRanmaYasha]

"His Youth...Now Turned to Ash"
"JACKPOT! The Great Life or Death Gamble!"
"The Death of Genkai"
"The Demon Returns"

Spoiler

ANJ2 #47 is one of the most iconic anime endings of all time. The emotional crux of the episode falls on Joe simply persevering through his fight with Mendoza in spite the pain, and while he ultimately loses on technicalities, he spiritually he came out as the winner of the fight, his willpower having crushed Mendoza's own and leaving him a withered, lifeless shell of the man he was. It's a simultaneously happy and tragic ending. Happy because Joe gave his all until he was "nothing but white ash," passing away with a smile. Tragic because, well, poor Yoko. To lose the man she loved again, especially after coming around to support Joe in his final fight and everything? Then again, the ending is supposed to be ambiguous. Whether he actually died or not, the point is Joe gave it his all and left no regrets behind, with is why he's smiling in that final, iconic shot.

The Slayers #10 was the first episode of Slayers I ever watched and holds a deep place in my heart and nostalgia as a result. But it's also just a great climax to the Rezo arc, with Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis locked in a desperate fight with Shabranigdo, and Lina using the Giga Slave for the first time while Rezo makes amends for his evils but helping restrain Shabranigdo so Lina can finish him off. The first arc of Slayers is perhaps my favorite part of the show, at least it's the part I've watched the most, and this climax is a huge reason why.

YYH #52 is a gut-wrenching episode, where Genkai futily tries to fight Toguro and bring him back to his sense one final time, knowing full well it would result in her death. Her death is brutal and intense, as is Yusuke lashing out at Toguro afterwards only to be blown back without effort That image of him looking so distraught and defeated against the tree afterwards always gets to me.

U&T #20 shows the tragic origins of the Beast Spear while giving Ushio a more personal connection with the spears' creators and an even greater vendetta for defeating Hakumen no Mono. Very satisfying and emotionally charged origin story for the Spear and demonstration of the evils Hakumen begets in men.

[close]

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I'll go with the same order as Lum, except with Slayers moved to the bottom if only because I have yet to watch the episode in its proper context.

[Avaitor]

Same as EK.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Spark? VLord? You guys gonna vote on this match?

[VLordGTZ]

"His Youth...Now Turned to Ash"
"The Death of Genkai"
"JACKPOT! The Great Life or Death Gamble!"
"The Demon Returns"

[Spark Of Spirit]

Naw, no real point.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Results:

Ashita no Joe 2 #47: "His Youth...Now Turned to Ash" - 16
Yu Yu Hakusho #52: "The Death of Genkai" - 11
Ushio & Tora #20: "The Demon Returns" - 6
The Slayers #10: "JACKPOT! The Great Life or Death Gamble!" - 7

"His Youth...Now Turned to Ash" and "The Death of Genkai" move on to round 3! The next match will be up shortly.