The Greatest Anime Episode Ever Tournament

[Avaitor]

Is anyone else voting? I just played catch-up, myself.

"War in the Pocket"
"The Longest Day in Space"
"Osomatsu-san, Such as It Is"
"Case of the Missing Takoyaki"

I'm really enjoying Captain Tylor, and the Ranma episode was fun, as the show generally is.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

"War in the Pocket"
"Osomatsu-san, Such As It Was"
"The Longest Day in Space"
"Case of the Missing Takoyaki"

I really do need to get around to watching Tylor and Ranma. Great stuff all around again.

[Spark Of Spirit]

"The Longest Day in Space"
"War in the Pocket"
"Case of the Missing Takoyaki"
"Osomatsu-san, Such As It Was"

Great choices.

[VLordGTZ]

"War in the Pocket"
"The Longest Day in Space"
"Osomatsu-san, Such As It Was"
"Case of the Missing Takoyaki"

[LumRanmaYasha]

"War in the Pocket" -

Spoiler

Has there ever been a more powerfully told anti-war message in anime? I personally haven't seen any other one make the case as strongly and well-written as WitP, and this episode is the tragic capper to the never ending tragedy of lessons never learned. Bernie risks his life, believing he's doing the right thing and for the sake of his pride, only to die pointlessly and futilely at the hands of the woman he loved and who loved him, neither ever realizing it. Al can only be a bystander as he watches a battle without purpose, bloodshed without reason, losing his best friend and nearly losing another in the aftermath (though considering Chris is transfered because of her injuries, he does kinda end up losing her too). When I first watched that final scene, where the kids attempt to console Al by promising that there will be another war soon and it'll be totes rad, I burst out loud laughing. It's tragic comedy at it's finest. Those kids know nothing about the human cost of war. It doesn't register in their minds that people die and lives are changed irrevocably because of it. They think it's a game. They haven't felt it. Living in their sheltered bubble, the true meaning of loss and losing a loved one is an alien concept to them. But Al has seen the consequences of war first-hand, and hearing the Principal's banal and insincere platitudes, he can't help but bawl, knowing the truth behind the Principal's words and the indifference of the crowd hearing them. And because those kids have such a misguided, warped vision of war, mankind's mistakes are doomed to repeat itself. In a way, WitP is kind of the anti-Gundam in it's message. For one thing, the so-called protagonists of the story fight with Zakus, and the Gundam is used by the so-called enemy. From this perspective, we see that Gundams and mobile suits aren't the awesome robot toys as marketed to children, but for what they really are: weapons of mass destruction. War machines designed to fight and kill, posing a dangerous threat to peace and civilians in a populated environment. The Gundams and mobile suits aren't any different than nuclear weapons or any other WoMD, and so long as mankind keeps using them, wars will keep escalating in intensity and cost, and true peace drifts further beyond reach. Anyway, the point is that this episode packages strong anti-war themes with a compelling human story with sympathetic, tragic characters, and it's bold criticism of it's own franchise may very well make it the best installment of said franchise, with this episode being it's zenith.

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"The Longest Day in Space" -

Spoiler

The entire series ups to this point has been asking this question: Has Justy Ueki Tylor won his battles because he's an idiot savant, or is he just an idiot? Thrust into leading the most critical campaign of the war, the true nature of Tylor's character is finally tested and revealed, as he ingeniously manages to find a way to both not fight his enemy and win at the same time. No one else would have the nerves and trust in his opponent to fly his fleet right past his enemy without firing a single shot, giving only a single salute or respect to the opposing commander. It's both intense and hilarious at the same time, and just like Tylor, I kind of have to breathe a heavy sigh of relief when it's all over and done with. Without a doubt my favorite episode of the show and one of the most brilliantly written episodes of anime ever made. 

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"Case of the Missing Takoyaki" -

Spoiler

It was hard deciding which Ranma episode to nominate, but in the end I had to go with the one I rewatch the most, and is without a doubt my most favorite. What I love about this episode is how it starts off as a mundane situation but escalates into utter insanity by the episodes end just playing off of the idiosyncrasies and relationships between the characters. I absolutely love that they all go so out of the way to shift blame to someone else and jump on the bandwagon when a new prime suspect is being accused, and that when it's revealed they're all at fault, they suddenly lose interest and go off on their merry ways as if nothing ever happened, to the bafflement of poor Sasuke. It's a really character-driven episode with a lot of great interactions, running gags, and quotable lines, and it still makes me bust a gut every time I watch it.

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"Osomatsu-san, Such As It Was" -

Spoiler

Mr. Osomatsu ends in a suitably over-the-top and ridiculous episode that references and makes use of every character and running gag introduced throughout the shows run, with a great anti-climax that suits these lovable losers so well. The references to various baseball and sports anime tickle me pink too. Man, do I hope they make another season.

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[LumRanmaYasha]

Results:

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket #6: "War in the Pocket" - 19
Mr. Osomatsu #25: "Osomatsu-san, Such As It Was" - 9
The Irresponsible Captain Tylor #23: "The Longest Day in Space" - 15
Ranma 1/2 #111: "Case of the Missing Takoyaki" - 7

"War in the Pocket" and "The Longest Day in Space" move on to round 2! The next match will be posted shortly.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Round 1: Match 6


Blood Blockade Battlefront #12: "Hello, world!"

VS.


Kimagure Orange Road #43: "Heartbroken Hikaru! Follow Her to the Winter Beach"

VS.


Cowboy Bebop #18: "Speak Like a Child"

VS.


Digimon Adventure #21: "Koromon's Great Battle in Tokyo! (Home Away from Home)"

[Spark Of Spirit]

This is a brutal round.

[gunswordfist]

This is a brutal round.

I know, right?!

..pass

[Avaitor]

The Bebop episode is familiar to me, but I gotta check the other eps out first.

[Avaitor]

"Koromon's Great Battle in Tokyo!"
"Speak Like a Child"
"Hello, world"
"Heartbroken Hikaru!"

Wow, Digimon is still fantastic, and BBB is crazy awesome! I'm definitely bumping these shows up higher on my to-watch list.

I had to skip the KOR since I couldn't find a good link to watch it (if I can avoid kissanime, then I will). I'll try to get to the series at some point, though.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Yes, Digimon is still excellent (at least Adventure and Tamers are) and I really hope that people can overlook that it's a kids franchise show and give an episode like this credit for being brilliantly written and directed.

What I find to be so great about this episode is in just how unspectacular it is. What I mean is that while everything before this episode was full of color, action, and adventure, here we get to see the calm beauty and value of the peaceful and mundane. Tai realizes just how much he has been missing his home and family, but Kari's awareness of Digimon still ties him back to that world and he realizes that he and Koromon have to go back for the sake of everyone else that they've left behind. It manages to advance the plot by adding in a new mystery, yet also works as an excellent stand-alone episode, and the ever present theme and values of home and family make it very evident that a young Mamoru Hosoda's influence is all over this.

Also:

Same as Avaitor, but I really do need to get around to watching KOR in full, myself.

[VLordGTZ]

"Hello World!"
"Speak Like a Child"
"Heartbroken Hikaru! Follow Her to the Winter Beach"
"Koromon's Great Battle in Tokyo! (Home Away from Home)"

[Spark Of Spirit]

Hello World!
Heartbroken Hikaru! Follow Her to the Winter Beach
Koromon's Great Battle in Tokyo! (Home Away from Home)
Speak Like a Child

Really tough choices.

[LumRanmaYasha]

"Heartbroken Hikaru! Follow Her to the Winter Beach" -

Spoiler

This episode stands above the rest in the series in terms of it's visual style, cinematic feel, and thematic maturity. It's a carefully crafted story, with every element delivered with subtle precision but unforgettable imagery. It's an episode perhaps best enjoyed in contrast with those that came before, as with a knowledge of the characters, the small changes in their behaviors and interactions in moments throughout the episode take on deeper meaning. Yet, even as a standalone, it's a fantastic self-contained story of regret, betrayal, and reconciliation. Did Kasuga sleep with Yukari? It's never made clear, I personally doubt it, but what's more important is that Kyosuke feels like he's betrayed Hikaru's trust and by lying to her Hikaru in turn can't trust him, driving the two apart and threatening the friendship between them and Madoka as well. Through a brilliant abstract sequence, Kyosuke stops drowning out his guilt and runs after Hikaru to face it head-on, and Hikaru has a surreal moment of retrospection where she thinks about everything in perspective and decides that she'll trust and forgive Kyosuke. In the end, they have each other, they trust each other, and are happiest being with each other, and Kyosuke leading Madoka by the hand to join them also reflects how important and essential she is to both of their lives as well; she's the glue that keeps their friendship together. It's a great commentary on the relationship between the three as well as a novel dramatic take on the classic romantic comedy misunderstanding scenario, and there's just so much to unpack and analyze visually and thematically that it's really rewarding to rewatch. There are great episodes of a show, and then there are transcendent episodes, and I would put this firmly in the latter category.

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"Hello, World!" -

Spoiler

An explosive cap to a insanely manic show, packing a lot of awesomely animated action and cathartic dramatic payoff into it's runtime in equal spades. Every character gets a moment to shine and a part to play, while the heart of the episode, the emotional turmoil and crises of identity faced by Black and the King of Despair, White's guilt and inability to move on, and Leo's courage to find a way to save everyone, culminating in a satisfying, if not bittersweet payoff. If I have one nitpick, the exultation of Leo's character by the other characters always felt a little heavy-handed, but he's coming of age and becoming a hero in spite of himself is still compelling and he ends the season a much more sure of himself and his path going forward than he was at the beginning.

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"Koromon's Great Battle in Tokyo!" -

Spoiler

A brilliantly directed episode courtesy of a young Mamoru Hosoda. His tonal and stylistic shorthands are evident in every frame, and gives the episode a more mature, cinematic air than what you'd have come to expect from the show. The muted, drab colors of the real world contrast with the vibrant spread of the digital world, making the real world feel cold and unsettling, reflecting Taichi's inner conflict. He should feel at ease in his own home, happy to return, and for a moment he is, but as time goes on he finds himself insecure and uncomfortable, and starts thinking about the digital world and his friends, and while he tries to deny and refuse it, he knows that he has to leave everything behind again and return. The Kari's monologue performance also adds to that unsettling, seductive vibe, as while she acknowledges the existence of the digital world, she also keeps telling Taichi and Koromon to stay with her, and pulls Taichi's sleeve before he's about to go in an effort to stay with her at the end of the episode. The themes of belonging and home are characteristic of Hosoda, and they're applied to Taichi's inner conflict with wanting to stay with his family and return to his friends astutely.

[close]

"Speak Like a Child" -

Spoiler

A fun mystery-adventure that turns into a powerful reflection and commentary on Faye's melancholy loneliness and her struggle to find happiness while dealing with her financial burdens and lacking a place where she feels like she truly belongs. The Bebop and her crew are the closest things to a home and family she has left, and though she tries to find happiness in gambling and money, it's always a momentary and hollow pleasure, and the longer she spends away from them the more she finds herself wanting to return. She's become dependent on the Bebop and her so-called friends more than she's realized. That video of her younger self cheering her future self on at the end is one of the biggest emotional gut-punches in the series.

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