The Greatest Anime Episode Ever Tournament

[gunswordfist]

Good.

[Avaitor]

Same as Lum.

The AnJ episode is a triumph, and a worthy end to an incredible series, but the LOTGH episode is about as good, and deserves its own recognition. And I really liked the beginning of MHA! I'll have to catch-up with the show after I'm done with Digimon Adventure!

[gunswordfist]

Definitely passing

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Glad you like the AnJ finale and MHA, Avaitor. MHA in particular only gets better as the series progresses.

Hey, CX, I know that it's late in the game, but since it hasn't come up yet can I replace one of my previous choices?

If it's OK, I would like to replace One Piece #474 with Dragon Ball Super #57, which basically fulfills the same purpose but just a bit better, IMO. Neither are going to make it past this round, anyways, but that's my personal highlight of a well-directed and animated episode of television, and I have a lot of personal love for episodes with that amount if effort put into them.

That's only if you're fine with the replacement, though.

[gunswordfist]

Episode 2 is my favorite with the first Exam episode being my 2nd favorite.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Like I said before, I'm gonna have to pass.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Hey, CX, I know that it's late in the game, but since it hasn't come up yet can I replace one of my previous choices?

If it's OK, I would like to replace One Piece #474 with Dragon Ball Super #57, which basically fulfills the same purpose but just a bit better, IMO. Neither are going to make it past this round, anyways, but that's my personal highlight of a well-directed and animated episode of television, and I have a lot of personal love for episodes with that amount if effort put into them.

That's only if you're fine with the replacement, though.

That's a-okay with me! I'll make the switch.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Results:

Legend of the Galactic Heroes #108: "Brunhild Wants Blood" - 10
My Hero Academia #2: "What it Takes to Be A Hero" - 10
Ashita no Joe 2 #47: "His Youth...Now Turned to Ash" - 14
Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu #7: "The War Cry of Excessiveness" - 6

There's a tie between "Bruhild Wants Blood" and "What it Takes to Be A Hero." Someone will need to break it for us to move on.

[gunswordfist]

What it takes to be a Hero.

[LumRanmaYasha]

"What it Takes to Be A Hero" and "His Youth...Now Turned to Ash" move on to round 2! The next match will be up shortly.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Round 1: Match 18


Mr. Osomatsu #4: "Let's Become Independent"/"This Is Totoko"

VS.


Maison Ikkoku #92: "Wedding Bells for Kozue! Is Godai's Love Eternal?!"

VS.


Yu Yu Hakusho #84: "Kurama's Anger, Gourmet's Guest"

VS.


Trigun #3: "Peace Maker"

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Thanks for the switch, CX!

I need to watch the MI episode, so I'll come back with my rankings sometime before Wednesday.

[Avaitor]

I think that I'm going to go with the same order as listed.

I was actually going to sit this match out, since I'm aiming to finish Digimon Adventure before the first Tri movie's screening this Thursday (11 eps left to go! I can do this!), but I've seen all of these before. And as excellent as the others are, that Osomatsu episode kept me rolling from start to finish.

[LumRanmaYasha]

"Wedding Bells for Kozue! Is Godai's Love Eternal?!" -

Spoiler

Kyoko, still having trust issues and being insecure about loving someone again, let's herself get worked up over Godai supposedly having a tryst with Akemi even though deep down she knows that would never happen. This episode really sees her struggling with her feelings and inability to trust Godai since she doesn't really know what to think of him or what he thinks of her. Though Akemi fuels the fire, she's only teasing and rightfully points out that Kyoko should have more trust in Godai and her friends and has a lot of growing up to do, and similarly, pushes Godai to confront Kyoko directly and finally make things clear between them. After 90+ episodes, it's so satisfying that Godai makes his feeling perfectly clear to Kyoko. It's such a great scene that feels so cathartic after the tumultuous last couple of episodes. Moreover, the wrap-up between Godai and Kozue is very sweet, as he finally breaks things off with her and they are both able to go their separate ways being friends. And of course, the last lines of the episode with Godai reflecting on what kind of person Kyoko is and what she means to him are iconic. There are a lot of great moments in this episode, and it moves me emotionally no matter how many times I've watched it.

[close]

"Kurama's Anger, Gourmet's Guest" -

Spoiler

Yusuke says at one point during this episode: Note to self - Don't fuck with Kurama. Well, not in those exact words, but still, this is one of Kurama's most cold-blooded and badass moments in the entire show. Reeling over murdering Game Master last episode, Kurama is looking to vent his anger, and the irredeemable Elder Toguro fits the bill nicely. Since Toguro doesn't die easy, he subjects him to a fate worse than death, showing off both his cruel streak while also delivering a satisfying fate to the Toguro that the sadist well deserved.

[close]

"Peace Maker" -

Spoiler

This is one of Trigun's most simple but endearing episodes. You feel for Frank as a man who tried to do good but was ultimately betrayed by the people he had tried to help and the very weapons that he gave them themselves, and that's made him disavow guns as nothing but tools to kill and drown his sorrows alone with booze. Vash's fearless heroism even without a pistol and the town inspired by his example and coming to his aid with the guns he's made makes him realize that his weapons can help and there are good people in the world who will use the guns he makes for the right reasons and to do the right things. I really love all the subtle moments where Vash, though apparently drunk, is actually scoping out Frank and trying to understand his situation. And of course, the scene where Frank and Vash hold up their fingers after the robbers have left saying "it wasn't even loaded' is just a great moment too. One of the best of Trigun's early episodic installments.

[close]

"Let's Become Independent/This is Totoko" -

Spoiler

"Let's Become Independent" is great satire of the growing dependency problem of young adults mooching off their parents, highlighted by the Matsu's own despicable and twisted logic as to why they should stay dependent on their parents' money and not get jobs. Making the whole ordeal into a job interview where Mrs. Matsu is interviewing each Matsu to see which one seems like the best bet or the most endearing is a brilliant and hilarious set-up, as are the unpredictable reasons for Mrs. Matsu accepting and rejecting the brothers and their pathetic attempts to curry her favor or bribe her into accepting them. "This is Totoko" sets up a great running story with Totoko through the show with her trying to become an idol, which makes good use of her manipulative and narcissistic personality the show cranks up to eleven, while also having a great lark at the brothers' expense, being so blinded by hormones that they buy into her ridiculous charade. It's a all-around hilarious episode.

[close]

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

"Kurama's Anger, Gourmet's Guest" - I've already talked about this episode at length before, but it's such a delightfully dark episode showing us why Kurama is not to be trifled with.

"Wedding Bells for Kozue! Is Godai's Love Eternal?!" - This is some really beautiful stuff here. I do have to get into Takahashi's earlier works at some point in time. I really would like to see something like this in context where it would have much more meaning for me.

"Let's Become Independent/This is Totoko" - The first half is my favorite with the brothers all trying their damndest to freeloader off their mother. The second half is really good build-up to a hilarious punchline.

"Peacemaker" - A really fun little stand-alone episode, with a certain charm to it that the early episodes of Trigun had before Vash's pastro was revealed.