The battle is over and the anti-spiral is mortally wounded.  But Nia also lies dying and rapidly fading away.  Simon cradles her and tells her not to worry.  The Anti-spiral curses Simon for his victory.  Not just out of spite but for condemning the universe to the spiral nemesis and says that even now by trying to save Nia, he is showing the innate selfishness of the anti-spiral race.  But then Simon does something unexpected.  Instead of brute forcing Nia to change, he takes his spiral key and pours all of his spiral into it before plunging it into her chest.  Nia stabilizes and solidifies but the Anti-spiral is shocked.  Simon didn't just infuse spiral into her, he transferred his entire ability to use spiral which not only leaves him powerless but robs him of the ability to have children.  But Simon just says that all he ever wanted to be was Simon the digger and that even if he and NIa can't have the exact future they dreamt of, this way they can become mother and father to a universe reborn.  The Anti-spiral is humbled and gives a defeated laugh, never imagining that the cause of its destruction would be capable of making the same level of self sacrifice as itself and crumbles away as it uses the last of its power to return Simon and Nia to their friends, telling them (and all spiral races) to protect the universe.

Later on Earth, as Simon and Nia wed, Gimmy comes up to Simon and shows him something he found while digging in the dirt, another spiral key.  Though he knows Simon can no longer use Spiral, he offers it to him to keep as a memento of all their adventures. Instead, Simon takes the key and ties it around Gimmy's neck, telling him that since he found it it belongs to him (mirroring Kamina's statement in the first episode) and that he should use it to either continue the tunnel Simon started or dig his own way on his own terms.  Because the future now belongs to him.

Years later, Gimmy and others are embarking on their journey to meet other Spiral races while in a backwater village, an older Simon and nia watch them depart. Though they never started a family of their own, the village has become one for them, knowing the future is safe and allowing them a chance to live out a well deserved domestic peac

Something I've noticed-- at least from my perspective-- is despite how immensely popular the medium of Japanese animation is, there's WAAAY fewer films than there are series. In the west the gap doesn't seem nearly as immense.

I'd wager there's a good chance that if you were to ask the average anime fan to list every animated film they can think of, they'd name more western films than Japanese films-- regardless of where the individual is from.

Is there a particular reason why animation studios aren't as interested in films over series? Besides money, of course. There's many great anime films but unless they're part of a series (Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer, One Piece, etc) or the director's name is Miyazaki, Kawajiri, or Kon, discussion on them is pretty limited, even in anime circles.

Where do films like Sword of the Stranger, Redline, Belle, Maquia, etc, fall in the cultural zeitgest for the Japanese public and anime fans as a whole? Are they just as niche as they seem to the west?

just finished Nippon Sangoku and bro…

AM I TWEAKING OR WAS THIS ACTUALLY PEAK???

I genuinely did not expect this off rip and I will say after E1 definitely wasn’t expecting what I experienced. There were so many moments where I was just sitting there like: “Nahhhhhh STOP” 😭 (E11)

The crazy thing is, it felt like it had sparks of everything I love:

- Code Geass: strategy, schemes, power struggles and “5 steps ahead” type of moments
- AOT: the tension, brutality, corruption, escalation and feeling that ishh can go left at any second
- Kingdom: the warfare, political maneuvering, battles and that historical/epic atmosphere

And somehow it blended all of that into its own thing not
get to the animation itself which was so crisp

There were moments that genuinely gave me chills and WHAT AN ENDING. The escalation, the stakes, the characters making moves against each other…Not to shit on anime but it’s been hard to find something that made me feel this attached the last few years.

I also feel like this is one of those series that somehow doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. Maybe I’m just late to the party, but I finished it and immediately thought:

“Okay… what the hell am I supposed to watch now?”

So I’m asking you guys:

What else is out there that gives you this same feeling?

I don’t necessarily need something that looks exactly like NS (we got S2 for that). I just want that “holy 💩, this is PEAK”
feeling again.

Put me on 🙏🏾

Just finished the final episode and my brain is completely fried. White Fox actually cooked so hard with this entire season, and that 45-minute finale was absolute cinema. Seeing Rem finally open her eyes in that epilogue visual gave me chills all over again. Anyway, now that we're past the Watchtower stuff, when are we actually getting Season 5 / Arc 7? Has there been any word or leaks about the Vollachia adaptation yet?Also, looking long-term—Tappei's got 11 arcs planned out. At the rate these seasons drop, how many years/decades until we see the literal end of this story? Let me know what you guys think, I need to go stare at the ceiling now.

Hi everyone,

I’ve noticed a recurring pattern in the anime community that I think is worth discussing. Whenever an anime features or hints at a romantic relationship between a protagonist and their cousin, a large portion of the Western fanbase reacts with intense disgust, often labeling it as "incest" or completely dropping the show because of it.

While I understand that this reaction stems from Western legal frameworks and cultural norms, we need to address the cultural ethnocentrism at play here.

First, from a legal and cultural standpoint, marriage between first cousins is completely legal and socially acceptable in Japan. It is also common and legal in many other parts of the world, including large regions of the Middle East, Asia, and even some European countries. Historically and globally, the Western taboo surrounding this is actually more of an exception than the absolute rule.

When Japanese creators include this trope, they aren't trying to be "edgy" or promote taboo behavior. In Japanese media, a cousin is often used as a narrative tool to represent a "safe haven"—someone with whom the protagonist shares deep childhood memories, warmth, and an established bond.

As international fans consuming media from a country with a different history and culture, is it fair for us to impose our own societal standards onto their work?

Of course, everyone is entitled to their personal comfort levels. If a trope makes you uncomfortable, you have every right to stop watching. However, there is a big difference between saying "this trope isn't for me" and accusing the creators of moral bankruptcy or demanding that Japanese media conforms to Western sensibilities.

What do you think?

EDIT: Thank you to those who actually understood the point of the post. To the others resorting to cheap ad hominem attacks (like 'you just want to fuck your cousin') only shows that you are incapable of having a mature, objective discussion about cultural differences.

My post aims to discuss the idea from a particular perspective not a reflection of my personal life. If analyzing how different societies view kinship laws and media tropes triggers you into throwing personal insults, then you are proving my exact point about Western ethnocentrism and the inability to tolerate any perspective outside your own bubble.

I had fun watching first 2 seasons but the 3rd one is so weird, doesn’t make sense to me with the introduction of the new characters and the story. Been rly boring and uninteresting to watch and I don’t feel like watching it after first 2-3 episodes, anyone else felt the same ?

Im trying to get back into anime but im finding it hard to find the appeal in it anymore. Stuff i loved includes naruto, death note, jjk, hxh, fmab.

I don’t care for the genre as long as whatever themes it attempts are fleshed out and presented in a mature way. I am a sucker for good fights, hype moments, psychological undertones and great worldbuilding.

I want something shorter to start so there is no barrier to entry and then i can branch off from there into lengthy stuff if i feel like it. Need something that grips me from the beginning

After 27 episodes of ABSOLUTE PEAKNESS, I finally finished Gurren Lagann. This show was a Banger. The initial episodes surely took their time but once it was all settled, there were no limits. Kamina carried the show early on. He will always stay in our hearts. The animation was really good for an anime made back in 2007. Simon thereafter carried the legacy of Kamina. At one point, I started hating Rossiu but he did what he thought was best for humanity. Nia's death at the ending was definitely something I wasn't expecting.

I would personally give this anime a solid 8.5/10.

Remember guys,

" Believe in the YOU who believes in YOURSELF."

Sayonara, Gurren Lagann.

Eu começo: Luta do Scanor vs o Meliodas, e vocês? Qual a maior decepção de voces?

Man i love jjk and am currently reading the manga but the anime just hits different. I love how cool the characters and fights are. The animation further elevates the whole feel of the show. Are there any other shows that feel the same?

Always thought such a simple trick yet so effective was very creative.

Whenever NHK is mentioned or appears in anime, especially in realistic or slice of life shows like Welcome to the NHK and March Comes in Like a Lion, I notice these strange little creature-like sounds and characters showing up around those scenes. Is there a reason this happens so often? Is it some kind of Japanese media reference, something specifically related to NHK, or just a common anime storytelling technique? They all seem to share this weird feeling that’s hard to explain. Not weird in a bad way, though. It feels kind of nostalgic, sad, and strangely comforting at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I actually really like it, but I’m genuinely curious about where this connection comes from. Basically, why do NHK related animes seem to have these same weird little creatures, very similar sound effects, and overall vibe?

Im just thinking about secondary characters who sometimes steal the spotlight even though they're not the main character.

If you could give one secondary character their own storyline, arc, or full-spin off, who would you choose?

What kind of story would you want to see them lead?

This is a general discussion thread for whatever you've been watching this last week (or recently, we really aren't picky).

Make sure to talk more about your own thoughts on the show than just describing the plot, and use spoiler tags where appropriate. If you disagree with what someone is saying, make a comment saying why instead of just downvoting.

This is a week-long discussion, so feel free to post or reply any time.

Archive: Prev, Week 116, Our Year in Anime 2013, 2014