Which episodes of anime series do you find most memorable? Which stay with you long after you put the DVDs back in their cases? Please mention them in the comments. If there are enough nominated, they will the subject of the next poll.
Some possibilities: the first episodes of Haibane Renmei and Mushishi; the last episodes of Serial Experiments Lain and Divergence Eve: Misaki Chronicles; the tenth episode of Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica; the third episode of Kamichu; the eighth episode of Paranoia Agent.
You can nominate more than one episode from a particular series. The second, third and final installments of Kino’s Journey each pack quite a punch, and are all worth mentioning.
Feel free to explain in general terms why a particular episode sticks in your mind, but beware of spoilers. For instance, I could note that “Happy Family Planning” in Paranoia Agent is a perfect fusion of slapstick and horror, but I would not mention anything about the characters or what they do.
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If you haven’t yet voted in the current poll, please do so. I’m going to let it run a little longer and see how long the leading couples remain tied.
ARIA The Origination, ep09. My favorite episode of any show ever… it’s the only time I have ever actually cheered during an anime. If I ever have a particularly bad day at the Duck U Bookstore, I come home and pop in that episode… and suddenly the day isn’t quite as bad anymore.
It’s just that good.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni #4. Didn’t expect that to happen that early.
Sugar, a Little Snow Fairy #24. They were not manly tears.
Mushi-shi, #5, 15, 16, 17, and 22 (The Traveling Swamp, Pretense of Spring, Sunrise Serpent, Pickers of Empty Cocoons, Shrine in the Sea). I know these aren’t the only “love stories” in Mushi-shi (and few are about romantic love; this is “ai” and not “koi”), but they’re all excellent. (Can you tell this is my go-to show for “I need a hit of anime, but I don’t have time for story arcs.”? If this does become a poll and you don’t want a whole laundry list of Mushi-shi episodes, I think 5 > 16 > 17 > 22 > 15.)
Katanagatari #4. This is impossible to talk about without a spoiler, so mumble mumble versus the yadda yadda was entirely not what I was expecting.
Angel Beats #1, for humor in the face of death(?). “Barnacle battlefront.” Whack!
Dennou Coil #16. I know the whole show was a slow buildup (delta the recap episode and the beard episode), but this one had the scene that made me say “ok, stuff just got real.”
I could come up with something from Gunslinger Girl, Haibane, Hell Girl, Kiddy Grade, and maybe a few others as well, but I watched them too long ago to recall which episodes the scenes happened in (so maybe they fail the test just because of that… but that means everyone’s answers will be skewed towards the last few shows they’ve seen, or the ones they rewatch the most, or the ones with mnemonic episode titles.)
I watched Mushishi 01 and finale of Lain, and I cannot remember what they were about. Just blank. Kamichu 03 is hopefuly the one before aliens, because I didn’t like that one, but on the other thing aliens were memorable, for the low point of the series. I liked 05 and 12 in particular, and I know someone else who was into 08 (Yamato).
Similarly AB 01 did not do it for me, and I prefer to remember 05 (mabu tofu).
Haibane 01 was memorable for me for the right reasons, I’m going to vote for that one.
For nominations:
– Naruto 22 is single most memorable for me from the untold number of others (it’s the Lee’s “kiai ni-hyaku pasento!”), although 80 was decent too (the funeral).
– Finale of Gurren-Lagann was tremendous and very memorable, Hulu lists it as #27 (I thought it was 26, but perhaps not).
– Banner of the Stars 01
– Azumanga 10 (new school year), for Kaorin’s star moment and Kagura. That show was full of memorable episodes, like 18 (Yomi missing on the Magical Land), etc.
Episode 18 of SDF Macross/Robotech.
Episode 18 of RahXephon. Ayato takes things seriously, tries to do everything right, and it all goes to hell. Very well done episode, and of course very emotional.
I was going to nominate the Aria episode, but of course Wonderduck beat me to it.