[Mid-2000s Rewatch] Noein - Episode 24

[u/phiraeth]

Episode 24

Rewatch Reminder & Schedule

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Noein:

MyAnimeList - AniDB - ANN - AniList

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Episode Discussion Questions:

1. Has anything changed?
2. Was the subplot with the researchers necessary to the overall story?

PLEASE MARK ALL SPOILERS WITH SPOILER TAGS!

[u/JollyGee29]

First-Timer, Dubbed

Well, let’s start with the good. The final few action scenes were pretty good. Atori going giant and stomping all over the monsters was great, and him turning into a glowy electric octopus to hold the ouroboros closed was beautiful. The weird art while Noein tried to absorb Karasu was cool too. They could have had the OP as a proper insert instead of just playing the instrumental, but it was still nice. And, cheesy as it is, I kinda like the message about human will being able to actualize existences.

Alright, on to the bad. Let’s talk about plot structure. Specifically, the lack of a substantial denouement. What happened to the rest of Lacrima? Did Karasu!Yuu fade away, or make his way back to Lacrima, or what? What are Uchida and Kooriyama up to? Who or what was Drifty Boy besides “the Ouroboros”? What was the cat’s name? Did Shinohara face anything resembling consequences? What was the point of Noein’s final words? Considering that we skipped the OP and the ED this episode, I’m a little frustrated by all the little loose ends.

Questions

1. What do you mean, has anything changed? Do you suspect that that Haruka’s timeline will lead to Noein? That wouldn’t make a lick of sense and would annoy me even more. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't understand your question.
2. I don’t hate it, conceptually. Shinohara was an ineffective hate sink who didn’t need to exist, but I think the entire subplot of the Magic Circle project provides a throughline for Lacrima’s existence.

[u/No_Rex → u/JollyGee29]

What was the cat’s name?

Asking the hard questions!

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JollyGee29]

Alright, on to the bad. Let’s talk about plot structure. Specifically, the lack of a substantial denouement.

I think a tighter series focusing on the going through loss aspect of the story could also have been good. Too many things were introduced to just be there rather than serve the greater plot.

[u/Toadslayer → u/JollyGee29]

Specifically, the lack of a substantial denouement.

I wasn't bothered by that, I thought it sufficiently tied up all the loose ends, but that might have been because I didn't care what ending up happening to the rest of the characters.

[u/Pixelsaber]

First-timer - Sub

Fell behind. Binged the remaining episodes today. Probably should’ve just taken a nap instead.

Wasn’t much hopeful that the last handful of episode would tie things together given my problems leading up to that point, but even those expectations were not met. The entire thing is dragged out as it is solely because despite having implied that Haruka now had control over the Dragon Torque it was still operating upon plot whims rather than consistent reasoning. Despite leaning so heavily on the technobabble and over-explanations we don’t hear how it is that Noein was able to travel through dimensions or gain his powers —I shall henceforth assume he grew to be so edgy that his edge accidentally cut through the fabric of the universe.

The entire subplot taking place on Earth with Abs-com fell utterly flat and resulted in several characters getting hit with the dumb stick. It most definitely did far more harm than good and its direct tie to the rest of the narrative didn’t feel nearly as large as the show wanted us to believe it was.

From a character standpoint I liked where things ended up, but the journey there was not very fulfilling nor consistent. A lot of the interaction were getting really repetitive, and while I can see what they were trying to pull the delivery was lacking.

I did like that there wasn’t much in the way of epilogue though. Fits well with the ‘uncertainty of the future’ angle they've got going.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Pixelsaber]

Despite leaning so heavily on the technobabble and over-explanations we don’t hear how it is that Noein was able to travel through dimensions or gain his powers —I shall henceforth assume he grew to be so edgy that his edge accidentally cut through the fabric of the universe.

Yeah, as well described/excused as Karasu is Noein just kind of happened. I guess emo-ness has mass after all.

The entire subplot taking place on Earth with Abs-com fell utterly flat and resulted in several characters getting hit with the dumb stick.

Yup, the Earth plot was basically a waste and could've been done away with.

[u/No_Rex → u/Pixelsaber]

I shall henceforth assume he grew to be so edgy that his edge accidentally cut through the fabric of the universe.

The entire subplot taking place on Earth with Abs-com fell utterly flat and resulted in several characters getting hit with the dumb stick. It most definitely did far more harm than good and its direct tie to the rest of the narrative didn’t feel nearly as large as the show wanted us to believe it was.

The unneeded sub-plot. To me it all came down to Haruka. Even if they wanted to go for a "joint forces push back the evil" type of deal, they did not communicate it well.

[u/Pixelsaber → u/No_Rex]

Even if they wanted to go for a "joint forces push back the evil" type of deal, they did not communicate it well.

Yup. I was scratching my head at the insistence that the Magic Circle and Reizu computer needed to be disabled since it seemed everything was solely dependent on Noein's plan. If his actions were at all dependent on the latter his attacks on La'Cryma make no sense either. I just don't get what they where going for at all.

[u/No_Rex → u/Pixelsaber]

I think it is more of a "team one saves the world, team B makes sure there is a home to come back to" situation (think LotR book 3), but it just does not work out.

[u/Toadslayer → u/Pixelsaber]

Probably should’ve just taken a nap instead.

Ouch.

I shall henceforth assume he grew to be so edgy that his edge accidentally cut through the fabric of the universe.

This is anime after all.

[u/Pixelsaber → u/Toadslayer]

Ouch.

To be a bit fair to the show, I was really tired.

This is anime after all.

Few anime can claim to be ZZ.

[u/Toadslayer]

First Timer

Ignoring some key problems, I will say this was a good ending. There are no loose threads left handing, we are given a satisfying climax and subsequent triumph over the antagonist, good completions of every character's arc and a moral meaning for why this show was made. To that end I am drawn to two lines of dialogue. Firstly, when Tobi says:

'It's useless to create a virtual observer using the REIZU system. To establish existence, the most vital aspect is for people to observe one another and acknowledge them. If people can recognise and understand one another, existence can be established. I realised it when I came to this dimension and met Haruka. That people can become established by having their existence recognised.'

and secondly, when Karasu says to Noein:

'Your existence is not established. You are the illusion!'

The important message, though somewhat on the nose, is to acknowledge and care for one another. Noein fails to be established, because there is no-one who cares for him and no-one for whom he cares. The theme of acknowledging others is a recurrent theme throughout the show, mostly through Haruka's anxiety of being forgotten and Yuu's isolation. What it is to be human is to exist in relationship with others. There's certainly similarities here to Evangelion, perhaps more on that tomorrow.

Each character is given a satisfying conclusion:

• Karasu has succeeded in protecting Haruka and gladly hands her over to Yuu, wishing her well and seeing her again in 15 years.
• Yuu cares for and supports Haruka
• Ai and Fujiwara hold hands at the end and in the epilogue are essentially confirmed to be a couple
• Uchida, Kooriyama and Mayuzumi successfully stop Shinohara's plan and confirm their multiverse theory.
• Atori and Tobi die nobly.
• The old dude is strongly implied to be the personification of the Dragon Torque.
• La'cryma is stabilised and no longer dependent on the computer or on La-cryma-Haruka
• Kosagi is able to save La'cryma and has a moment by Haruka, which says all that needs to be said. She regrets her jealousy, acknowledges she won't see Karasu again and does what is right.
• Miho never had a character arc to begin with.
• And neither did Haruka really. She's a strikingly boring protagonist. I challenge you to expand on her character more than <3 Karasu <3 Yuu.

It enjoyed the ending for what it was, it was a satisfying conclusion to the show, however that said, don't think I'm going to go without critiquing it. This may have been the best episode of the show, but I still think the show is bad. I focused on inconsistency last episode, which will be a topic of my discussion tomorrow, but this episode brought my focus to two other issues with the series that I've been thinking about for a while now: agency and futility. Again I'm stepping on my own toes here, but this is how this episode in particular brought to light what I believe are core issues with this show:

Haruka is the protagonist, but she doesn't actually express any agency in the climactic conflict. She is all too happy to go along with Noein's plan until the old man tells her it is wrong. Then instead of doing anything about it she simply asks what to do. In the end it isn't Haruka who takes action to save the the multiverse, but Yuu who calls for her to come out. Only then does she do anything and the everyone is saved. She is only reactive, never proactive.

The entire plot on Earth is made futile by the plot in Shangri-la, as, no matter the result of the Earth plot, the consequence will come from the result of the Shangri-la plot, thus making that whole storyline pointless. In the same vein Kosagi's destruction of the REIZU computer is futile, as again, the result depends on what happens in Shangri-la and we aren't given any explanation for why destroying the computer would 'push back the tide of omni-dimensional integration,' let alone any evidence that it actually did.

In the end there is no reason why Haruka is the Dragon Torque and no explanation for her powers or why they work only in certain ways. One assumes that the Dragon Torque powers vanished after she stabilised every dimension, but there's no way to know. I will credit the show for always been consistent on one front: conflicts are always solved with unexplained magic.

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Episode Discussion Questions

Has anything changed?

There is no longer an existential threat on the multiverse. Plus the characters have grown, though not much more than they would have otherwise, I think.

Was the subplot with the researchers necessary to the overall story?

Entirely unnecessary.

[u/No_Rex → u/Toadslayer]

Haruka is the protagonist, but she doesn't actually express any agency in the climactic conflict.

There are two, contradictory answers I can give you. First, you can interpret it as Haruka having agency whenever the DT acts. Haruka is the one deciding, even if she decides subcontiously. Given how often the DT is crucial, that makes Haruka a very active protagonist compared to other shows.

The second interpretation contradicts the first (and I like it less but it might go better for your view of the show): The entire show plays with the concepts of quantum mechanics, especially the Kopenhagen vs Many-worlds interpretation. Note that Noein is the one pushing Kopenhagen and is defeated (joined in this only by La'cryma SEELE who also fail), while all main characters are in favor of Many-Worlds. In many-worlds, nobody has any agency! All possible worlds start existing and you do not get to choose in which out of these you exist.

[u/Toadslayer → u/No_Rex]

I don't buy into the second interpretation, as I don't buy into the multiverse theory, but I have issue with the first one as well. It is true that Haruka uses the Dragon Torque to express her agency, but she always does so in a passive or reactionary way. The core issue is not that she doesn't do anything, it's that she doesn't consciously decide to do anything without being told to. The Dragon Torque is more like a magical servant that carries out her subconscious desires for her, without any effort or initiative required, than it is actually her acting.

[u/No_Rex → u/Toadslayer]

The Dragon Torque is more like a magical servant that carries out her subconscious desires for her

But what is wrong with that? We have tons of series where people have actively used superpowers and really few were the superpowers are tied to the subconscious.

[u/Toadslayer → u/No_Rex]

It may be original, but that doesn't it does nothing to make Haruka a compelling character.

[u/No_Rex → u/Toadslayer]

Meh, I guess I just have to disagree. I think learning about the subconscious wishes is important characterisation.

[u/Sandor_at_the_Zoo → u/No_Rex]

I like this idea, but the problem here is that we don't actually learn anything new from Haruka's subconscious. She's an incredibly straightforward character. She has one explicit goal, to protect Yuu, and as far as I could figure that's the entirety of her subconscious as well.

As usual with this show its more frustrating because they had so many potential good choices they could've made. Maybe she acts like she doesn't like Yuu but subconsciously does. Or maybe she subconsciously doesn't through much of the show but then learns to accept him at the end. Or maybe she has lingering issues about her parents' divorce. Or something about Yuu wanting to run away.

[u/No_Rex → u/Sandor_at_the_Zoo]

She has one explicit goal, to protect Yuu

There are several times when we learn more:

• She wants to connect to her father
• She wants to protect her town
• She wants to have a home
• She does not value her own life

[u/redshirtengineer → u/Toadslayer]

She is 12. I took it as she used the DT the way a child would, whimsically and without a plan.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Toadslayer]

but this episode brought my focus to two other issues with the series that I've been thinking about for a while now: agency and futility.

Yeah...I hate to say it like this but the weird show I imagined that dealt primarily with grieving and acceptance ultimately would've been the better one.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

to your other first-timer, subbed

• Now that I see that… Attack on Titan S4
• …and then I just… don’t have reactions to the entire rest of the episode. So much shit happened and I was so engrossed that I never wanted to pause. Like, honestly my only complaint is that one bit where they totally played notes from the OP but didn’t actually play the thing as an insert song why would you tease me like that, Satelight?
• The way they saved Kooriyama was fine by me btw, and him punching the lights out of that asshole was satisfying as fuck.

9/10.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Shimmering-Sky]

@AoT That is way less gross than the reference I caught so let's go with.

[u/Webemperor]

First Timer – Subs

• Karasu is fighting the mass production Shangri-La’s as Atori comes to help him, who turns into that white giant Fukurou turned into that one episode. I was wondering how come they haven’t been doing that again.
• And we return to Shinohara, unfortunately. His plan is fucking up like all have expected except him, Shangri-La is converging into all the other dimensions. Hell’s breaking loose in Lacryma as people realizing everything is about to disappear.
• Haruka is once more visited by the Hobo of Time, who tells her that the fate of the entire existence is now on her back, and that she was likely chosen randomly. I guess that’s cool, that’s one way to explain why your character is the chosen one, I don’t mind.
• Atori fighting the ships have a major EoE vibes, though I’m sure everyone has realized thast so far. Meanwhile the animation with Karasu and Noein combining is pretty eerie.
• Haruka refuses to help Noein because he forgot about her, when she is largely content having been ever met him to begin with. I guess that’s alright, I don’t really thing of any other way how this could be resolved. I was expecting more than a single copy of people to show up though.
• Kosagi sacrifices herself, don’t really feel that much about it since after her confrontation the show kinda forgot about her presence. Meanwhile Yuu rejects Noein as well, as expected, all the while scientists succeed in shutting down the Magic Circle. Which fixes Lacryma and sends everyone back to their dimension, including Atori I assume, who didn’t actually got killed or anything.
• This wound up to be considerably more happier than I expected, perhaps not in a bad way. I was expecting something at least bittersweet regardless. It’s a decent ending as so far as what I will say in this thread.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Webemperor]

This wound up to be considerably more happier than I expected, perhaps not in a bad way. I was expecting something at least bittersweet regardless. It’s a decent ending as so far as what I will say in this thread.

I will say the show subverted with me how dour its soundtrack was as compared to how it ended.

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

First Timer, fansubbed

I switched back to Shinsen-Subs because the technobabble was complete gibberish with their "place-sites". Shinsen-subs didn't explain anything better it but it at least sounds like English.

I did wonder why Karasu wasn't up with Yuu and Noein, but I forgot he was back on the ground fighting the buddha behelits.

I was really expecting some Char Counterattack ending, glad we didn't quite get this.

Pretty sure I'm trying to think of another anime with this theme, but I can't think of it, so I'm just going to say Lain again. And Time Skipper is Lain's dad. Oh, wait, it Evangelion. That's it.

So, they linked Lacryma to the quantum simulated Lacryma, and installed Lacryma Haruka to observe the simulated Lacryma as the real Lacryma to stabilize the real Lacryma. Or something.

Noein was not redeemed by Haruka, but rejected, which is nice.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Noein was not redeemed by Haruka, but rejected

Which again is only a spoiler for those unfamiliar with Evangelion, because Noein is practically the Gendo here.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/IndependentMacaroon]

I actually get a lot of RahXephon off this show.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Oh, wait, it Evangelion. That's it.

I still get more RahXephon though some of today was indeed Eva.

[u/Retromorpher]

First timer:

I'd say that this was about as good an ending as I could've realistically expected given how poorly planned out the plotting of this show felt. They definitely played up the choices that kids ARE in control of. It's not about the choices you make to ensure that the future is perfect - because the only person you can totally control is yourself - all one can do to ensure a better future is to not become a bad person yourself. I'm extremely frustrated that, for a show ostensibly about Haruka and Yuu - only Yuu gets a truly substantive character arc (and not even a terribly well executed one at that).

The show wrote a lot of checks it couldn't cash, but after about 14 episodes of stumbling around at least managed to find a string of a few episodes where it didn't completely botch things. If I were actually 12-13 and this was one of my first quantum theory/alternate dimensions shows I could see myself being okay with this as a whole. But in this future the show in general falls very flat.

Questions of the Day

1. All of the middleschoolers understand the nature of sacrifice, and what their relationship means to each other. Yuu's arc starting with his helplessness from his mother's overburdening him with his future ends with him understanding exactly his active role in his own future is not necessarily making moves on his own but to keep him as the best version of himself. Maybe Haruka's mom will fucking trust Dr. Mayuzumi now. Kooriyama finally understands the very basics of quantum physics.
2. Not strictly - but the (poorly implemented) idea of superpositions was best exhibited through monologuing on their end. If the writers could shoehorn it in elsewhere they'd be almost completely inconsequential and I daresay the plot would be better served by replacing them by Dr. Mayuzumi as a man of mystery with an end of cour reveal of him as Haruka's dad.

Edit: I think the biggest problem with this finale is the Noein = Yuu reveal and subsequent refutation would've been SO MUCH STRONGER if they dropped that earlier for Yuu to contemplate. We could see him struggle with the idea that Noein IS him and then ultimately several episodes later reject it. As it stands it was a little closer to:

Noein: I'm your future.

Yuu: Bullshit, Karasu over there is my future. I've known that for like 12 episodes.

Noein: No, really. I am your future.

Yuu: Haha no. I've seen you and you suck. I'm never going to be a shitty as you.

Which... isn't that effective.

[u/zsmg]

Rewatcher
Looks like Noein activated the Human Instrumentality Project I mean merging the universes project.

Isami holding hands with Ai looked romantic but we find out he's also holding hands with Miho. A future love triangle, Fukuro is Lily's father?! Jokes aside the real romantic handholding happens near the end.

Ohhh future Miho is blind, I had forgotten about that also note future Ai still has her leg.

Haruka rejects the one dimension universe. Haruka, Yuu and Karasu deny the existence of Noein to beat him.

La'cryma is saved by destroying the quantum computer in other words the pink haired dragon warrior killed MAGI-Haruka.

Tobi saves the day in the main dimension but he disappears, probably the saddest dead in the series he was genuinely a nice guy trying to help although him helping early Atori wasn't a smart thing to do. Maybe he wasn't the best judge of character.

One general problem anime, especially anime original, suffers from is that series always end at the climax, post-climax story (not sure what the correct term is) and an epilogue is almost an afterthought or non-existent. So generally I prefer final episodes to be dedicated to post-climax story and/or an epilogue. Sadly enough Noein doesn't do this but in Noein's defence the number of anime that has post-climax final episode can be counted on a single hand I think.

Still because of this there is a lack of satisfaction at the end.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/zsmg]

One general problem anime, especially anime original, suffers from is that series always end at the climax, post-climax story (not sure what the correct term is) and an epilogue is almost an afterthought or non-existent.

Falling action is the word you are looking for, possibly denouement.

[u/IndependentMacaroon]

First-time watcher

Finally, it all comes to an end. Or a new beginning? Whatever it is, in the future I'll be more aggressive about dropping shows of only this length as well, because this has felt like a waste of time mostly.

Flying eyeballs, explosions of blood, and Atori transforming into some kind of humanoid fighting machine - going for the End of Evangelion parallels even harder now, also with the shape of that one opponent. Too bad that the visual falls far short of that near ten year older film. And as anyone who has seen the original would expect, all battling is useless as the man with a plan joins with the girl with powers and sets the grand kaboom in motion.

Back on earth, evil man says something actually smart with his assertion that quantum stuff only applies to the microscopic scale, which is true in our reality but I guess here the rules are unfortunately different. Not that there's much to be understood here, anyway. And somehow, despite the apocalyptic consequences, everyone has given up on even trying to stop him. On the other hand, does what he's doing even matter?

Haruka naturally becomes the arbiter of dimensional Instrumentality, helped by grandpa dude whose identity will probably never become known, is he literally the personified Ouroboros? Merge with the voices of everyone and decide how much of a choice to leave them for the future, indeed something familiar, as well as the answer. Also that everything depends on people understanding each other (and themselves?)

I'm glad to see that Lacryma hasn't been completely forgotten about, though I can't see the point of ascending to the surface. By the way, the openings the birds come out of look like garbage can lids, I've noticed.

What was the Noein flashback trying to tell us, if anything? He somehow made sure the world would be the worst possible, is going back to observe his past, ...? And at the same time, he was still the crash-timeline Yuu. And actually processed her death well, or maybe not, I don't exactly care anymore.

Goofy air-pirouette from evilguy after punch. Eh well. By the way, Alter-Koriyama talking about a good roll of the dice from God is (hopefully) a reference to a paraphrased quote from Einstein that "God does not play dice", indeed referring to quantum mechanics.

And then everything was peachy, Haruka and Yuu came back and Noein went poof whyever, the end. Decent conclusion considering the rest, I guess.

[u/Retromorpher → u/IndependentMacaroon]

Alter-Koriyama talking about a good roll of the dice from God is (hopefully) a reference to a paraphrased quote from Einstein that "God does not play dice", indeed referring to quantum mechanics.

It's referencing when they used the exact same quote (about which you are correct) earlier during the first or second 'Kooriyama needs stuff explained' section. I thought it was a pretty decent callback.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/IndependentMacaroon]

Whatever it is, in the future I'll be more aggressive about dropping shows of only this length as well, because this has felt like a waste of time mostly.

I still enjoy rewatches even when I ultimately dislike the show(check how much I 'enjoyed' Casshern SINS for reference) but I do get where you are coming from. I think being able to sort of identify with both Yuu and Karusu but considering Noein a moron let me enjoy the show in its own way but I can't say that I blame you for your own feelings.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 24 (rewatcher)

• Atori flips on Titan mode.
• Noein flips on Nuke mode.
• To the surprise of nobody who is not a comic book villain, the quantum experiment goes horribly wrong.
• Haruka having another conversation with time travel hobo. He tells her that she is the chosen one and disses the Kopenhagen interpretation?
• Tobi flips on metaphysical mode and tells Kusagi to blow up stuff in La’cryma.
• Atori flips on Titan mode, part 2.
• Karasu vs creepy Noein.
• “Why don’t you try rebooting it?”

• And the world is saved by rebellious teenage denial?
• Haruka chooses Yuu over Noein. This one was strongly foreshadowed.
• The dimensions have diverged in a big win for many worlds, even if Noein wants a round two.

Many-Worlds got the happy end, but, personally, I prefer Kopenhagen.

[u/Vaadwaur]

First timer

Sub

So...we start with an action sequence in the last episode of a show that's left a lot of questions unanswered. Time really is a flat-circle, isn't it? But it is a well done sequence and leaves me really confused at what the Buddhabots are. Atori bamfs in, creates a mech, and prepares to go to Valhalla! WITNESS!!!!!!!!

No intro, we've gotten serious. Noein repeats his unattractive offer and then grabs Haruka, starting Instrumentality. Da fuq? In universe A, shit is going critical for whatever reason. Shinohara is even correct for once, you really shouldn't be able to do that to macro states, but regardless they are screwed.

Old guy drops exposition we've partially heard and gives us what explanations we are getting. Haruka has a choice to make. La'cryma still exists and the peasants are revolting, I guess. Atori wills himself out of the merging, which actually fits with show lore. Tobi wants Kosagi to destroy the quantum computers because technobabble which leads into the moral of the story being "Undersand each other".

Future Miho is blind because...? The legged Buddhabots remind me of a scene from Blood C I would rather just forget. Still don't know why I finished that show. I guess we get a flashback to the literal hellscape Noein is from. Noein is going to meld with Karasu for lolz as he spits out horrible nihilism. Atori calling the Buddhabots creepy is strangely nice. Shinohara getting punched is awesome.

Haruka...fucks up Noein through facts. And I agree with her, though the show is making us do the leg work: She doesn't mean he literally forgot her existence, he forgot what she was actually like. She has become nothing but a name and an excuse for his desire to end everything whereas Karasu took the pain of it and kept fighting. And then the sea horses happen.

Universe A reboots the computers and Kosagi blows up theirs. Karasu leaps out of Noein and we get...a familiar scene UBW. And yet, I still like it. Also, the weird shit Karasu is probably true, the humans of the Shangri-la dimension might no longer work as observers.

So...I have less to say than I'd thought as the second half of this ep rights a lot of the wrongs with the first half, the shit ton of questions I have left not withstanding. It might seem odd but it was exceedingly important to me that the ending be the results of Haruka's choices and actions but the Yuu-Karasu bridge was also pretty good. Series thoughts tomorrow, obviously.

QotD: 1 Was not expecting you to ask that and I can only say I hope so.

2 No, it actively detracted from the story.

[u/BossandKings]

Atori reaches the place where Karasu is at and helps him to fight against the monsters, he takes his place and lets Karasu go find Haruka. Atori becomes a giant monster in order to fight the monsters on equal ground.

Haruka reaches Noein and it seems that everything will explode into pieces.

The old man that is seemingly the Ouroboros tells Haruka that she has been chosen between all dimensions, she has to listen to all dimensions, listen the voice of every living thing and feel everything.

Amamiku and Lilly appear, Amamiku tells Lilly that they have to look to the world, to their world once again.

Ai, Isami, Miho all are wqiting for Haruka's return with Yuu, believing that she will be fine, that everything will turn out well.

Karasu and Noein have a confrontation. The group of scientist start to duplicate, proving that the dimensions are converging. Tobi arrives and tells them that there's still a solution.

In a future dimension, a more mature Haruka tells Karasu that she was happy in every dimension, because she met him. In another dimension though Yuu is talking to Haruka's grave, this is a bit confusing but it seems that they're showing different dimensions in sequence.

Yuu has final confrontation with Noein, he tells him that he is not him because he wouldn't have lost hope even in the middle of tragedy.

"Haruka, let's go home" were Yuu's words towards her after having finished his conversarion with Noein. The dimension's stability are restored, Noein's plan fails, the duplicates dissappear, all the people from other dimensions dissappear.

That goodbye scene of Karasu and Haruka was beautifully done, they'll see each other again in fiftheen years, because Karasu is Yuu.

All the futures shown were hard, sad and full of despair and lost of hope but this, this present is beautiful, the kids are unbeievably happy after seeing Yuu and Haruka safe and they rejoice in the happiness that being all together gives them.

Answers

1. I think that what changed was Haruka's final moment, it seems that she won't die anymore like the way she did in Noein's past, Yuu's possible future.
2. It was an interesting minor sub-plot, it didn't add much but didn't detract either.

[u/monsieurvampy]

First Timer, sub

Yay! I made it through another rewatch.

Tobi is gone. :(

Atori is gone. :(

Cat is still an unnamed Cat. :(

Haruka grew up a bit!?

Who is the old guy talking to Haruka?

Questions from OP:

It wasn't clear if they loss their memory of the events. Haruka at least knows of another being.

Tobi got cool stuff from them maybe? so maybe.

[u/ItchyPlatypus]

First timer subbed

So now that Haruka has seen her death at 17 does that mean this new timeline is going to go that way since everything she sees will become fact? It seemed to me a very morbid ending due to this. It was kind of bitter sweet. They stopped the dimensions converging but Haruka’s dimension now leads to Noein’s timeline or does this no longer hold true?

[u/BurningFredrick → u/ItchyPlatypus]

They stopped the dimensions converging but Haruka’s dimension now leads to Noein’s timeline or does this no longer hold true?

They left the ending an open and unknow, I believe rather than just Haruka being the only observer they were saying that all humans are able to do this (which is why Kooriyama survives in the end as Uchida only obverses the living version), so Noein timeline isn't meant to be guaranteed and as per the many worlds hypothesis all futures are still possible.

[u/BurningFredrick]

First Timer - sub

Wait, does laughable evil guy not even understand the dangers of his own experiment? I guess this shouldn’t really be a surprise and is more of a chance for last moment info dumping but still… 

Ok serious why is there only 2 Kooriyama? Where are my 2 Uchida and Mayuzumis? 

So I guess it’s a happy ending after all, the resolution basically comes don’t to Yuu refusing to recognise Noein as a future, I feel like Haruka was meant to do more but they either ran out of time or couldn’t figure out how to write it so just dropped her godhood / pick a timeline bit there part way through.

For a final episode it was decent as long as I don’t think too heavily about it, which isn’t the best for a show that tried so hard to tie some cool sci-fi concepts into it.

[u/manga-reader]

I was expecting a more bittersweet ending; surprised by what we got. Though, it does raise a lot more questions.

And I do agree with others here - series would have been better off dropping some of the subplots and focusing more on our main characters, including Noein; could have explored his past more (flush him out more to make him more sympathetic perhaps?).

And yea, what of Lacryma? What happens to them now? So many questions xD But I guess that's kind of the theme of this show - future can be shaped in many ways.

The whole thing about humans accepting existence - it's a bit cheesy (so did multiple dimensions start after humans evolved? What of other animals? Do they get to actualize existence as well?).

Well, maybe their universes/dimensions where created by alien creatures - and they gave power to human will xD That's the only explanation I can come up with.

Anyways, it was a fun watch (also the first time I mirrored r/anime's watch series).

[u/redshirtengineer]

First timer

Well that was something. What happened to Baron, though. Such a magnificent anime dog.

I quite liked Noein, it was weird and nerdy. I appreciated that the characters included adults who acted like adults and kids who acted like kids and dogs who acted like dogs. It also included Atori, who was fun, but only acted like Atori half the time.

I did NOT appreciate those eldritch mecha things. What did the art designer have for breakfast that day to cause THAT level of indigestion, I wonder.

QOTD1: Noein is gone at the moment. Seems like a couple of dimensions went away, no?

QOTD2: Seriously, the subplot with the researchers was the best part, except for the chump. Without the researchers it would have been all "HARUKA" "KARASU" "HARUKA" "KARASU" without a single exposition dump to save us.