Now these really are the episodes that show why this series rocks. There’s just so much going on, it’s mostly building up, and yet it’s still intriguing and compelling, it cleverly uses things from past episodes, while also progressing forward with its plot. My biggest fear was for Kuniko to go emo, but even taking that into account I have faith that she’s strong enough to pull herself past this and grow even more.

I love how at first, the tunnel Takehito and the other members of the Metal-age was used as a cute gimmick in order to keep them busy, and yet in this episode it actually became relevant to the plot again when Kuniko wanted to rescue the rest of the inmates. While it may have been a bit extreme to kill all of them off like that, it definitely made impact: with it, the creators really show that they’re not going to pull any punches and that Kuniko has been majorly underestimating her opponents.

The fight at the beginning of this episode also rocked, especially Momoko vs. Sayoko: two sadist who take on each other. It was overall a very well coordinated fight: it showed a lot of things at the same time while never staying too long at one point. If the creators can keep this up we’re in for a very good second half. I’m also interested to find out what in the next episode, Momoko’s impact on Atlas will be, including the revelation who she actually was for Mikuni.

And there was so much more going on in this episode. The revelation of what exactly Hiruko is also was awesome: it’s basically a possessed schoolgirl in Atlas. Karin also has major troubles with her own Medusa, who seems to have taken a random nap, only to awaken again in this episode, but much more aware of his surroundings, it seems.

The one issue for this series is of course going to be whether or not the series can come together in the end, but that’s of course the thing with any series with a huge setting like this one. I’ve seen quite a few people label it already with a “Gonzo Ending”, but really, are Gonzo’s endings really that notorious? I can actually recall quite a few endings from Gonzo-series that were really, really good. Of course they’ve had their shares of disappointing endings, but that’s the case with any studio. I’m actually much more wary about Bones’ Endings (rushed ones) or Sunrise ones (overly epic ones).

And on a final note: I’m liking the soundtrack of this series more and more. After Phantom, it’s definitely my favourite soundtrack of this season, and you can hear that a lot of effort went into producing it. It’s really varied and every piece seems to be different and complements the series perfectly.

Rating: **
Really well told episode: there’s always something going on but nothing dragged or rushed.

What an awesome, awesome series. This episode yet again convinces me that this show indeed is my favourite show this season, even taking epics as Phantom and Cross Game into account. This series did EXACTLY what I hoped it to do. The original series was an absolute masterpiece in terms of characterization, but it lacked one thing: conflict. It would really have been able blow its audience away if it was a bit more dramatic and bitter-sweet. And even though that lack of conflict was also part of the original series’ charm, Konnichiwa Anne is currently showing how incredible it could have been if that extra bit of drama was included. While it’s of course not as solidly produced as the original series, the creators managed to really capture what makes a Lucy Maud Montgomery-adaptation so incredibly charming.

We start the episode when Bert’s asleep after wrecking half the house, and Anne is hiding scared in her bed from what he did to Katie Morris. When Johanna wakes up and sees the mess he created, she breaks down and asks him why he started drinking again. Anne meanwhile fins out that Katie Morris didn’t die, and Bert wakes up to tell Johanna that he got fired, and walks to his shed again leaving Johanna crying.

Johanna tries to distract herself by cleaning up the glass for the next morning, to prevent Horace and Edward from walking on it, and is surprised that the two of them slept through everything. The next morning, the two of them find out that Bert has been fired, and get happy thinking that they can spend a lot of time with their dad, but Johanna quickly yells at them that this also means that they’re not going to be able to afford food and oil for light.

Johanna then says to Anne that she should prepare to leave as well, just in case things become too hard for Johanna to even sustain her own family. Meanwhile at the station Mrs. Minton yells angrily at Bert’s former boss who fired him, and she’s very angry that they didn’t just dupe Bert, but also put his wife and children in a very bad situation. The then blackmails the station owner into giving Bert a new job (she once gave him money in order to reach his position).

Minton then arrives at Johanna’s house and asks to talk with Bert. She immediately notices the stench of alcohol, and it turns out that he’s been drinking despite their huge money problems. She tells him that he isn’t going to be able to find any work anymore in his town. When Bert laughs it off, she tells him that he shouldn’t take this so lightly and that it was his own fault that that happened. She then comes with the good news: in Marysville she managed to find a job for him. Bert looks down a bit in his surprise. Minton however does make him swear to not touch alcohol again. Bert really doesn’t know what to say to thank her, and Minton says that he should be thanking Anne: she is the reason why Minton bothered to find this job for him in the first place.

Since there is no time to lose, Bert walks into the house with the message that they’re going to leave the house and move to Marysville because he managed to find a new job there and wants to start as soon as possible. Johanna is overwhelmed, to say the least, and worries how she’s going to move three small children in such a short time, but at the same time she’s very glad that there’s some sort of solution. When Johanna’s away, the boys start joking again at how Anne is going to be left behind, taking Johanna’s words of that day before a bit too literally, although these words hurt Anne a lot.

That afternoon, Anne is still wondering whether she’s going to say goodbye to Katie. Then, an interesting guest arrives: Bertha’s former friend: Jessie. It’s been six years since the two of them saw each other for the last time. She mentions how Bertha was such a nice person, just as Walter. She then notices Katie Morris, and as it turns out it turns out to be a bookcase precious to Bertha. They used it often to read books in front of Anne, and it was often used. Unfortunately, Bert sold all of the books for money when they died and he took it over. Jessie then comes with the real reason she dropped by: she’s willing to adopt Anne and give her a proper home and education. Her own daughter had just died when Bertha passed away, so she didn’t have the courage to take over Anne, but now she’s different and has the confidence to raise her. Johanna however, declines. She’s been raising Anne for the past six years now, and they’ve grown dependant on each other. he’s not going to hand Anne over that easily.

While Bert is breaking up stuff in order to make it fit on the carriage more easily, Anne asks him (nearly in tears) whether she’s going to stay behind as well. Bert gets a bit shocked by that, but then reassures Anne that she’s going along with them. Johanna meanwhile sends Jessie away without letting her see Anne. Thanks to a foreshadowing narrator, we now know that this is something that she never managed to forgive herself.

The next day, the move happens. On the way, they tun into Minton and she says a few words to Anne before they go away, and the two of them say goodbye for now. The road to Marysville is a snowy one, but Anne while sad on one side for having to say goodbye to the place where she grew up, but on the other side she’s happy that she wasn’t cast aside and looks forward to her new home.

Well, there you have the irony: just think how differently Anne would have grown up if she was taken care by Jessie: she would have had a loving family and she’d never have met the Cuthberts at all. Both this series and the original Akage no Anne had these moments in which a character was forced to make a choice that would have a major impact on how they would lead the rest of their lives: Matilda when she decided to adopt Anne, Anne when she had to go to college, Elisa when she was asked to go to London and now again, with Johanna who had to choose whether or not to give Anne a better future.

And it really was one heck of a selfish decision: simply because she needed Anne’s help she denied Anne a chance for a better future and good education. But the sad thing is that we know that eventually, she’s going to be forced to really let go of Anne. Right now, Bert is saved, but the problems have nowhere near ended at this point. If Bert makes another miss, he’ll really be screwed.

Rating: *** (Awesome)
Bittersweet aftermath of the previous episode. There were so many pure emotions in just 20 minutes.

I must say that my big fear for this series would be its conclusion. This show has already proven that it’s good, but even good shows have a hard time with their conclusions (take Kurenai for example). This is a series about the past, and how it can influence the present, but that black-haired woman was really being set up as your stereotypical evil villain. This episode only fueled my suspicions when they portrayed her even more like some overused bad guy who was planning to kidnap Arashi and use her powers in order to help a loved one of her. Yawn. Been there, done that, and it completely doesn’t fit in with the rest of the themes.

Or so I thought…

The end of this episode really pleasantly surprised me.I never imagined that that woman would actually be a grown up version of Arashi! Now this really puts things into a different perspective that’s totally in line with what the rest of the series has built up for. Especially this episode spent a lot of time talking about time paradoxes, which is exactly what happened at the end of this episode. It was some clever foreshadowing that at the same time you really recognize unless you’ve seen the rest of the episode. Especially since they used a rotten fish as example.

So yeah, this episode rocked. There was a lot of talking in it, but it did exactly what it was supposed to: delve into the details of time travelling. This really allows the series to go in-depth into its setting, rather than compared to series with relatively little dialogue. This is also why I’m such a big fan of series with lots and lots of dialogue. On top of that, we also got some very nice development between Arashi and Hajime, which is always welcome. That hug/kiss scene worked really well.

I’m also intrigued by that scar on the bar table. It just keeps returning over and over, and there’s always someone who’s trying to clean it. The obvious meaning is symbolism: no matter how hard you try, that past ain’t gonna erase itself. And yet I have a feeling that there’s more to it. I have no bloody idea how the creators are going to do it, but something is telling me that the origin of that scar is going to be central to the plot.

Rating: ** (Excellent)
Great HajimexArashi chemistry, nice surprises, the beginning of the end that is promising to be very exciting.