Goodbye

Man, this episode is just phenomenal. All the emotions stacked in this episodes gave us the answer on who, why, and how the story will progress. Every just made sense, the role reversal, the changes, their decisions, the twist, Lena's courage, Shin's realization and emotions, his comrade's support and understanding, their parting. Every doesn't even feel rushed, for me it's perfect. The symbolisms at the end is just so metaphorical. The whole episode never stops to give goosebumps. Amazing.

This is one of those rare perfect episodes of Anime - scratch that, of television period. The build up to this moment was so perfectly executed that it allowed the viewer to relish in all the emotional turmoil and catharsis felt by our protagonists. Pain, desperation, sorrow... all giving way to relief and release.

This episode cemented this show as one of my favorites of the last few years and perhaps one of my favorite Anime of all time. Absolutely cannot wait for more.

The ninth episode of 86 delivers the big finale that had been announced by the previous episode, and what a finale it is! 'Goodbye' pretty much does everything right, hitting all the emotional points and providing closure to one of the protagonists' stories. There're twists and turns I didn't see coming, with pieces from previous episodes assembling into a bigger picture. The epilogue at the end was a lovely touch, especially with the symbolism of the final scene.

I'm quite surprised that there are still two episodes in this season, and then a second season to come. There is, of course, a lot still untold; all the grave issues remain. Yet I would've expected the series to end here. I'm looking forward to discovering what comes next!