Didn’t intend for this to be a two parter. Heck I did the first set of episodes a while
back…18 features ago lol. But I realize
when making a list of your favorite Anime episodes, doing 5 is just fine. But it wasn’t until well after that I thought
to myself, there are a ton more individual episodes I adore among the plethora
of Anime I have seen. Actually, there is
an episode on this list that is a brand new edition that “inception-ed” it’s
the idea of doing a follow up Top 5 for this topic. So without further ado, here are 5 more
individual Anime episodes I would add to a playlist to show anyone who’s
looking to get into the realm of Anime.
These are the single episodes I can plug in and get just as much out of
as I would enjoying an entire 13-51 episode series…well 5 more of them anyway.
And for the previous list of entries, take a look here:
#5-Anew Returns
(Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 20)
It surprises me when a show that does so little with a
certain character can send them off in a way that makes you feel all sorts of
unexpected feels. I never cared for Anew
Returner. Even if it wasn’t my third or
fourth time going through Gundam 00, everytime she pops up, you know she’s just
there to be the Trojan Horse that tries to kill Celestial Being. But strangely enough, I actually cared about
her and Lock On’s relationship, more so cause Lock On figured out Anew was an
Innovate and didn’t care. Which makes
this episode all the more heartbreaking.
Anew does die but man…Lock On’s grief is real. This episode gets a spot most certainly for
the post credits scene where Setsuna let’s Lock On beat him up while the others
deal with the grief and let Lock On get his anger out. Anew may not have been the best
character. But the relationship she had
with Lock On was real. And you felt that
more in 30 good minutes than most of the series. The power of amazing writing.
#4-Tempestuous
Temperaments (Samurai Champloo Episode 1)
As the spiritual successor to Cowboy Bebop, and the fact
that both shared the same director, Shinichiro Watanabe, Samurai Champloo had A
LOT to live up to. While the rest of the
series is hit and miss (I might consider reviewing it next year actually), the
introductory episode is about as perfect a pilot as you can get (maybe second
to another entry on this list but we’ll get there). In all honesty, if Champloo only had to be
one mini feature, this would be the only episode I think you’d need to
see. The animation style is incredible,
the action is superb, Mugen is a freaking bad ass (particularly in English
voiced by Steve “Spike MOTHERF*****G Speigel” Blum) and it just flows so
freaking well. It sets everything up for
other episodes to follow…and maybe that’s why this show sometimes falters for
me. But like I said, I might get to
that.
#3-New World
(Death Note Episode 37)-SERIES FINALE SPOILERS!!!
This was the moment we had all been waiting for. For 36 episodes, we’d watch Light lie, cheat
and kill his way to becoming the “God of the New World”. But then came Episode 37…and it all came
crashing down in a wondrous 30min spectacle.
As much as I don’t like Near and wish L had been the one to bring Light
to justice, Light’s epic breakdown is one for the ages. For an episode that is heavy on dialogue,
exposition and explanation, there is never a dull moment. The jig is up and it’s all a matter of what
Light is going to do with his last few moments.
There’s screaming, gun shots, lots of gushing blood and Ryuk being chill
as his would be bff loses the game he’d controlled for so long. As far as endings go, Death Note still has
one of the best. Even if you’ve heard
how it ends, witnessing it with your own eyes is an experience all of it’s own.
#2-A Swim-Off in a
Foreign Land (Free: Eternal Summer Episode 12)
Yeah, yeah, sue me.
When Haru is at the lowest point in his life and unsure of his future,
what happens? Rin drags his ass to Australia. I feel like everyone’s been in this position
in their life. The future is upon us and
we have no idea how what we want to do or how to get there. Some of us are afraid of change or are
unwilling to contemplate it. Haru is the
viewer and I felt every big of emotion going through his mind. But more than that, we get to see Rin’s full
of feels story about his time in a new land and how he ended up in a bad state
when we first see him in Season One.
Throw in some fun at the expense of Haru and Rin’s girly sounding names
and an uplifting finale and you see why I rate this show so high. Also, I haven’t seen this episode in English
but I think it’s best watched in Japanese if only to hear Rin communicate as
best he can with his Home Stay Parents and playing Haru’s translator (im
curious how they pull off this off in the English Dub). Plus it’s always fun to see Japan bring in
outside voice actors for English speaking roles, makes it all the more special
to me. This is a really great episode
that will make anyone feel hopeful about looking towards their own futures.
#1-Asteroid Blues
(Cowboy Bebop Episode 1)
Yet another Bebop takes a top spot. Cowboy Bebop is
considered by many to be one the most perfect Anime in existence. It’s hard to argue that, especially when a
series so great starts with so perfect a pilot episode. Right out of the gate, the music, the
atmosphere, the fun, the darkness, the kickassery of Spike, there isn’t a
single thing about Asteroid Blues that doesn’t get your attention. And just when you think that Asimov, hopped
up on a super drug, has the drop on Spike, cue the drums that kick off Yoko
Kanno’s brilliant “Rush” track and Spike proves he was faking all along and
could take Asimov with his eyes shut practically. This isn’t the most lighthearted episode
either. Asimov is a dark character and
the episode is intensely violent. Later
episodes would lighten the mood but the darkness was never a problem here. In fact, im sure I said this about Ballad of
Fallen Angels, but I say it with most certainty here: if you don’t like
Asteroid Blues, you will not like the rest of Cowboy Bebop. Come for the cool, stay for the Bell Peppers
and Beef. See you Space Cowboy.
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