Spring 2015 – Week 13 Anime Review

Last week: the vivid and dazzling display of emotions of Kumiko in Hibike Euphonium!, Fate/stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works demonstrating the necessity of an epilogue for an anime, questions regarding the Nagato of the Disappearance arc in Nagato Yuki-chan no Shoushitsu, and the best possible ending for Plastic Memories.

Spring 2014 – Week 12 Anime Review

During the twelfth week of the season: my reflections on why Ping Pong the Animation had an excellent ending and why Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin had an appropriate ending but one that left me unsatisfied, an analysis on the finale of Akuma no Riddle with a focus on Tokaku’s and Haru’s relationship (*Spoilers*), and thoughts on the utilization of the setting and the background art in Mushishi Zoku Shou.

Sakamichi no Apollon – 12 (Finale)

In an era where ambiguous and open-ended finales are the norm, an unspoken prayer for the chance of a fiscally-successful sequel in the unforeseen future, an anime receiving proper and satisfying closure has become an rare indulgence.  Conclusions such as these leave the audience with a sense of gratification and completeness, as we like to believe we just watched the tale of a beautiful story rather than 12 half-hour segments of some manga/light novel advertisement that cuts off at whatever rushed or broken point seemed to be the best in the pre-planning stages.  No, what Sakamichi no Apollon was able to do with its story, its characters, and its themes is truly refreshing and rewarding.  It’s a shame not every anime can end the way Apollon did.

Steins;Gate – 25 (OVA)

When Steins;Gate ended back in September, I did not want anymore.  The roller-coaster adventure that ventured not only through time itself but every human emotion ended in one of the most perfect ways possible.  Its finale was remarkable and one of the most memorable and favorable I have ever seen from an anime.  Anymore and it would’ve been a drop-off of what Steins;Gate 24 was for me.

But that was then, and this is now.  In the short weeks following the finale to Steins;Gate, I realized I wanted to see an epilogue in the current timeline of what Okabe, Kurisu, and everyone else was up to.  What were their lives like now, I’d wonder.  Well, fortunately my wishes were responded to and this OVA, the 25^th episode of Steins;Gate, satisfied my craving for seeing what happens after the conclusion of episode 24.