It’s beautiful episodes like this one that totally restore my faith in anime. What a wonderful example of how to write a touching story without the biggest budget, epic backstory or over the top plot twists. The character-development in this episode was all worth the wait and the first half, and a heart-warming prelude to that finale. I laugh at articles like this one (well, the ‘anime sucks’-section anyway), which paint a completely biased and one-sided picture of the current state of anime.
I love it when a series changes my perception of things, and for me, Kobato restored my faith in these simple series that might not amount to much at first. Despite its mediocre start, I’m emotionally connecting to this series, more than just about every other series this season. This is really what a drama should be.
I also think that this is one of the few good uses of the “crash before the ending”-trope. Just like with White Album’s second season, Fujimoto’s crash was nothing serious, and instead more meant as a wake-up call, rather than creating some cheap drama by placing someone in the hospital. On top of that, it was also well built up: in his state of mind, it’s not surprising that Fujimoto wouldn’t pay attention to the road.
To be honest, out of all the series that are about to end in the upcoming weeks, Kobato’s is the one that I’m looking forward to the most. It’s really been building up to that final episode through its entire airtime, and out of all the endings, it’s this one that I feel has the most chance of actually turning out great. It’s the kind of ending where the creators have to really screw up big time to ruin it. Especially considering how the creators wrecked the kindergarten in this episode, it shows that they’re not going to force down a happy ending if it doesn’t make sense within the story.
Rating: *** (Awesome)
Yay for Domoto! Even just short screen time for him. Honestly I didn’t think I’d see him again until final episode.
I did expected that hydraulic excavator arm to stop millisecond before destroying nursery but it didn’t. If it did….I’d thinking how it is awful cliché. I really like how they building up tension at that moment.
I also looking forward for ending. I have no idea how creators will end it.
omg..why the hell did they start making good episodes when the anime is nearing its end!… 1 things 4 sure, this anime betrayed almost everyones expectations (its clamp!, what do u expect?) -_-…if only they made Good episodes from the start, this anime would become nodoubt one of the best this season…
-separate matter-
also when d F*** is GONZO going to shine again???…-_-..seems like they’ve lost their glory. i hope for them to make a comback, coz alot of their work in the previous years where no doubt one of the best
Wow.. How long that I can emotional. Can understand and concern all of the thing that characters do. This anime prove the way to make you “into” While you watch anime. and how to make good drama.
Sometime I think Anime nowadays missing something. I can’t say they can’t make scene or drama for cried. But sometimes I don’t know why I cried.It’s look like the thing that happened and pass by the time.
But Kobato feel differernt.I don’t know want to say.OK I didn’t cried for this series as much as I do in Clannad after story.But why..I sad from my inner heart when I see the kindergarden was destroyed.
Many people from many sites complain why they didn’t make the good ep like this from the beginning to make it at the top of season. And they say something like the first half(ep1-12) is the filler and the thing that waste of time too.
But I think in different way. If it didn’t do something like that. I probably didn’t concern with it as much as I do now. And didn’t love “Kobato” as much as I love at today.
When I see her met many typed of people and growing more and more by that. I very happy.(But I want to confess that in the first half I interested because some of little fantasy theme too. if it didn’t have that. It can boring at sometimes.)
Ok looking forward to final eps that will be on air in one hour special.YES!! The movie feeling for epic ending. I glad that they do this because..for me sometimes with limit times. Movie lacks character development. but This is different case. It’s full of that thing! Wow !!
While there still exists good anime, that’s not pervert pandering as that article says… when you go to the larger anime stores in Japan, the moe series are so heavily advertised, it looks like everything is moe to the non-anime fan.
inkka: yeah, I really doubt that it would have been as simple as ‘write good stuff from the start’. I believe that the reason Kobato is as awesome as it is right now is because the first half really took its time to flesh out the characters and make us get to know them. That would likely have been lost if a plot had appeared too early.