Top Ten Most Memorable Anime Moments July 11, 2006
Posted by Lupus in Anime, Features.trackback
WARNING: This article contains foul language. If you’re under 12 and/or a sissy, parental guidance is adviced.
Every once in a while, when watching a TV show, a little something shows up, and that little something leaves you breathless. It might be a moment of great revelation; it could just be someone kicking ass and taking names; or it could just as easily be something you’ve expected all along, but when it finally happens it still leaves you gasping for air. It could make you laugh until it hurts, it could make you cheer out so loud that your neighbour starts complaining, or it could leave you in tears. Just as it could be something that changes the entire anime, it could just as easily be something that is utterly inconsequential. Whatever it might be, whatever your response, such a moment of greatness leaves a footprint in your mind, and it makes you wonder how stale life would be without them.
There are many such moments in anime: when Kazuya dies in Mai-HiME, when Kenshin finds Kaoru’s corpse, when Kyon finally bones Itsuki… actually I’m still waiting for that to happen, but I know it will be one of the greatest moment in anime history when it does.
If you’re reading this blog, chances are you love anime. And if you love anime, chances are you’ve encountered moments like these. Maybe your moments are different from mine, but you know they will stay with you for the rest of your life, just as these will stay with me until the day I die.
I bring to you: The Top Ten Most Memorable Moments in My Anime History.
*Note: Most of these are relatively recent because I only started watching fan-subs when I entered uni 3 years ago, and I haven’t gotten around to watching the ‘classics’ yet.
10. When a giant ugly-ass thing was destroyed – Noein, Episode 1
The opening sequence to Noein was just damn cool. Extremely well animated, it showed off a lot of cool effects and has some really nifty direction. It was especially memorable because it tricked me into thinking that I’ll be watching an awesome series, but Noein was just disappointing. DAMN YOU NOEIN FOR TRICKING ME INTO DOWNLOADING 20 EPISODES OF YOUR CRAP.
9. When Bancho ‘Gate Bosses’ – Gatekeepers, Episode 24
I was so surprised when this happened, yet so totally overwhelmed by its awesomeness. I always thought Bancho was utterly useless and only acted as (bad) comic relief, and I found him a little annoying at times. Still I couldn’t help cheering when he pummelled that giant one-eyed dog. It’s one of those surprisingly sweet moments of triumph when the underdog finally gets to show off.
8. When Fulle dies protecting Pacifica – Scrapped Princess, Episode 18
One of the more poignant moments of Scrapped Princess, the Fulle arc ended with his death and Pacifica’s escape. Fulle’s transformation from someone who has given up on the world, to being willing to sacrifice his life to protect Pacifica, really touched me. This kind of things happens a lot in anime, but I think Scrapped Princess handled it particularly well.
7. When Chiyo-chan dressed up as a penguin – Azumanga Daioh, Episode 16
Contending with Becky as the cutest eleven year old ever, Chiyo-chan in this costume leaves Becky in the dust. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Alpha and Omega, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Starcraft of CUTE. I’ve watched this episode no less than 20 times, and every time I go “Awww she’s so cute ^_^” without fail. Suck on that, all loli-shota characters, suck on it and cry.
6. When little girls shake their waists to help furry monsters grow their giant trees – My Neighbour Totoro
I thought only one Miyazaki film should make it into the list, so I debated a long time between this scene, every second scene from Grave of the Firefly, and the climax from Princess Mononoke. In the end I picked Totoro because it is one of the few moments that stands out without ass kicking or appealing to our negative emotions, not because this scene allowed me to make obscure sexual references to taint Miyazaki’s great film.
5. When Gohan and dead Goku double-teamed Cell – Dragonball Z, one of too many episodes
This is easily one of the most classic scenes in what a lot of people insists on calling “Modern Japanese Visual Culture”. Seeing Cell finally get his due was and continues to be immensely satisfying.
4. When blue-cat-robot-from-the-future-bullet saved planet Earth – Doraemon: The Cloud Kingdom
I cried when I first read it in the manga, and I cried again when I watched it on TV. Give me a break, I was but a wee little lad. Okay, I still get teary when I re-read/watch it, but Doraemon DIES! HE DIES! *breaks down into tears*
The reason why Maes Hughes’ death ranked higher is because Doraemon gets resurrected, and there was no little girl crying at his funeral.
3. When Maes Hughes died – Full Metal Alchemist, Episode 25
Hughes’s death was shocking, and then Elysia’s response to his death during the funeral made it all the more heart-breaking. Her innocent inquiry as to why Hughes was being buried brought forth such pity and sorrow that it is hard not to feel the characters’ pain. Few deaths in anime history made the same emotional impact.
2. When Sousuke single-handedly took out 5 Venoms – Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid, Episode 13
Never had my mouth hung open for so long. The whole battle sequence was damn cool, and who doesn’t like a good old fashioned can of ass-whooping? Unbelievable? Do we really give a shit? This is a giant mecha-anime after all. One of the most satisfying beat down ever.
1. When emo boy was sitting there doing the only thing he knows how to do while Asuka gets ripped apart by mass-produced Evas – Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
No, no screenshot. I’m not watching through that again just to screencap it.
Never before, and never again, had an anime character elicited such strong emotions from me. I was literally swearing, out loud, at Shinji, calling him all sorts of profane names. I was so angry with that shit licker I swore if I ever meet him in real life, I would strangle him with my own hands. This isn’t a positive moment, but I know I would remember it for the rest of my life. I just hope that final Asuka/Rei/Misato thing that he’s left with grows a penis and makes Shinji its bitch, maybe throwing in a Cleveland Steamer or two. I think that would be the most satisfying end to the series.
It was really hard picking out only 10, since there were so many great moments. It was also hard to rank them, since a lot of them connected with me differently, and it’s hard to compare the different impacts. But in the end, these are my picks, balanced between ass-kicking, sadness and just pure, distilled awesome.
Anyway, what are your most memorable anime moments?
P.S. I wrote this almost two months ago, when Suzumiya was still airing. Well, no Itsuki boning, but we got close a few times.
Everything and Nothing 
Hmm I see my favourite Gatekeepers made the list. Good Job!
There are really too many great scenes to make an accurate list. We’ll always be affected by what we’re currently into, or have fuzzied our memories and embellishing the old classics.
Sadly or not, manga has more compelling memorable scenes I think.
I can’t believe you forgot the moment where Spike died. That ‘bang!’ still resonates in my head a whole lot. That’s among the most memorable anime moments ever for me. I was swearing WTF NO NONONONONONONONONONONONONO Faye’s waiting don’t die you motherfucker … yep.
I was literally screaming NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU when the inevitable happened in the FMA manga. Maes was too cool to die. Too fucking cool. Hiromu Arakawa had better explain herself as to why she offed Maes.
Shinji did grow some big balls in the SRW series. He slapped Kira “OMG IMMA GIRL” Yamato and called him a wuss. But then again, SRW is AU, so…
TJ: Indeed Gatekeepers is great.
I did think about the issue of how current shows would affect the list. I’ll probably forget about the Neoin one in a few years, but some of the others really are special to me. I should probably start doing a “greatest moment in anime this season” instead, or a “best scenes of the month”.
animeotaku: um… although I did like Cowboy Bebop, and did think it was very good, it didn’t leave that much of an impact on me. I think the episodic nature didn’t help, neither did the fact that I watched it when I was still in high school. But that shouldn’t be an excuse, since I put Doraemon and DBZ in the list. Guess Spike just didn’t do it for me.
Drm: Yeah Maes was and is still my favourite FMA character. He’s back in the latest arc, albeit as part of someone’s recollection. Seeing him again makes me said though. I think it’s for emotional impact, and maybe to demonstrate that anyone can die in the FMA universe. We might even see Roy or Armstrong die.
EMO SHINJI FOR THE WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN. YES, BATSHIT INSANE ASUKA OWNED…. then got owned. but who cares.
Emo Shinji for the lose. I hate his guts.
Darn, you forgot the fireworks of ep24 in H&C or ep6’s piggyback.
Even though there are many memorable moments from Honey & Clover, none of them really occured to me while I was writing this post. When I think of H&C I usually think of manga anyway, since I read that many, many times afterI finished the anime, so there wasn’t a great anime moment in there -_-
I think Takemoto chasing Morita to the airport is a better moment, I laughed so hard when Kaoru took out that receipt =D
>>Never before, and never again, had an anime character elicited such strong emotions from me.
Sounds like you’re the one being emo, Lupus.
Shinji’s emo is contagious.
This is an old post, but I’m still going to reply.
I’m surprised you didn’t put in Julia’s death from Cowboy Bebop. It was like the entire show was happy-go-lucky dark comedy up until the point when she dies, then you know that’s the end and it’s only a matter of time before Spike leaves as well.
Just the art involved, her falling as pigeons raise, and the fact the only sound effects you could hear was wings flapping. I wasn’t attached to the character, but I was attached to Spike’s feelings. My heart was in my throat the entire time.
I totally agree with you in the number 1 moment. I didn’t like Asuka until I watched 25′: Air, and my brother and I swore at Shinji when he didn’t go to help Asuka. The only thing I can add to it is that it was my number 1 moment in visual entertainment (that including movies, anime, tv series, etc), and i can watch it over and over again and it always has the same effect. Poor Asuka =(
I love hues and that would be my #1. I cry every time I watch that episode, and I’m not even a wuss!!! I was in shock when I saw he died. That was two years ago, and I’m still upset it happened. I loved that episode of Cowboy Bebop, by the way. It was an awesome fight, and I really hope Spike didn’t die. I did hear somewhere that there were nearly 300 eps. in the box set, so…
Another memorable moment in anime is Rock Lee vs. Gaara (eps. 48-50, I think) and the fight between Sasuke and Naruto,(eps. 129-135, may seem like a lot but definitely worth watching. The whole series is!!!) both from the series Naruto.
hola soy esteban su programa es el mejotr
frasa
fulle’s death was one of the saddest things i saw in anime series…it was so sudden…i was like screaming NOOOOOOOOOOO…He was way too nice to get himself killed…
You forgot the event that happened in the last two episodes of fruits basket!! you know, the part where kyo knew the reactions of tohru when she saw his true form…and the part where akito let go of tohru after she said/understood akito’s life situation….
Also, don’t forget the last scenes of Chrno crusade…That was when chrno and rosette died in each other’s arms….i really cried in that part…
in full metal panic, don’t forget the part where sousuke was ordered to withdraw his services to chidori…you know, when he was ordered to pack his bags and never make contact with chidori again! you could really tell that e was so mad. he punched his laptop. he drenched himself in the rain. he had the miserable face i seen.
well, i haven’t seen a lot of anime series yet. i just started like what, 3 months ago? Anyway, i have just realized that anime is not really for kids only. they contain lots of lessons that even an adult can learn from. plus, there are lots of cute guys in the series!! hehehe
Kudos on putting in Full Metal Panic! Few folks I know have even watched it :-) And the moment you put in was a great one. Though IMO, The Second Raid’s most memorable moment was when those Chinese girls started killing everything in the stadium in one of the early episodes. I hadn’t expected such sudden and uninhibited violence from even FMP at that point. I think that moment was when the series really sent home the message that they’re taking it to another level. But, really the show is full of great moments and it’s hard to pick just one.
hmmm, i like tater tots
wat about when naruto and sauke kissing the was fucking funny
lmfao lol xD
este cel mai tare sait din lume tinetio tot asa
Daca se poate sa bagati si mai multe imagini e cool
nici o data son goku nu va fi uitat
de cand a inceput desenul si pana sa terminat nu am pterdut nici un episod
este
tare
tot asa
When Asuka was ‘killed’ (It never shows her die) I was totally destroyed, I felt as if, someone who I knew had actually died. I couldn’t go to work for 2 days I was so depressed (don’t make fun of me).
Gotta love Full Metal Panic, and even the comedy filler, My favorite scenes are when the female cop goes crazy and chases them in the cop car. (Fumafu)
i agree with animeotaku.how could you even think of making a list of the most memorable anime moments without including SPIKE’S horrendous death as one of them. :( and i was so hoping for a spike and feye relationship.)& your remark sounded to positive to me about the ending of Evangelion.that show sucked major ass unless you have a mental problem or are a genius(and i am neither of those two).such a good beginning,such a confusing ending with no followups and to think i was a religeous watcher.(the shame)
but neways my top three would have to be:when envy reveiled his true form and identity to ed as his brother,….when the main character in akira(tetsuo i think)guts fell out and he started halloucinating,and last but not least,………when the the main character in galaxy railways left to be a pilot after both his brother and father died serving.oh and also don’t hate me me if i cant remeber the characters names or if you would classify them as pilots and what not.
That’s a good list and I can’t say that any of those moments weren’t memorable, but my favorite moment was in BERSERK when Guts took on 100 men to save Casca, and when everyone found him he was severly injured and had fallen asleep with all of the bodies surrounding him.
And I can’t agree more about the neon genisis evangelion moment, at that point what happened there would make or break the series for me, and they way it turned out made me regret watching every single episode.
Believe it or not I’ve seen about half of thoes top ten moments. And I strongly have to agree that it was so aggrivating when shinji wouldn’t do a god damn thing, but man Auska is one tough SOB!! Anyways I have The End of Evangelion movie and the Conqueror of Shamballa(Fullmetal Alchemist) and both we phenominal. I’m working on getting the entire Fullmetal Alchemist series.
Another series I though was good that wasn’t on your list was Eureka Seven. Especially the Final Few episods.
Has no one ever seen Wolf’s Rain??? I can’t believe how overlooked that show is! In 26 episodes you grow to love the main characters and in the last couple episodes you watch everything taken away from them. It was THE most heartbreaking, tear-jerking show I have ever seen, and that includes FMA, Cowboy Bebop, Chrono Crusade, etc.
i cannot believe it!
one of the best was in Full Moon when Mereko turned into an angel and led Mitsuki to Takuto! it was Bombin’!
and that was the best last episode of anime i had EVER seen!
Perhaps Berserk should be in this list.
The whole story is so memorable, especially with the manga.
Ultimate loss, ultimate rage, ultimate sorrow, ultimate searching.
The whole story is the whole colour of the simplest feelings, very powerful.
Yeah, man…I mean, I was always wondering about Hughes, but hell, I never believed anyone…I mean, the person who shot him! What the heck kind of a way to go was that?! My exact thoughts were something along the lines of “WHAT?! NOW?! HUGHES?! He’s not dead. Wait, he IS???? ToT” That was so awful….
A few others for me are several scenes from the Pita-Ten manga, which isn’t anime, but I found it so touching.
And finally, I don’t remember exactly when, but sometime during Spirited Away, I suddenly realized: “This is it.” This first-time viewing is what I consider my entry into anime-culture. I’ll never forget how breathtaking that film was.
(Sorry for rambling) Oh, and Goku running around the world (heaven? the Earth? Pluto???) like, nine times while that black guy watched. And balancing on one finger. It was from Dragonball Z. I don’t remember what was going on, but those images have been stuck in my head for a decade, and I doubt they’ll ever leave.
Hmm, my number 1 would have to be that Tenchi & Ryoko moment in the 26th and final episode of Tenchi Universe.
Touching, happy, yet sad all att he same time.
I hear rummors that Itachi Uhiha was ordered to kill his clan. But when he can to sasuke, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. No older sibling could! (like me, im an older sister). The reason he did it was because the Uchiha was gonna take over the village!
the most memorable for me was in That 70’s Show, at the Hub, when Eric is studying with that slutty girl who makes a move on him, and then Kelso and Fez rush in expecting a fight between Donna and the slutty girl. Then Donna’s mom walks in and says that the panties in the Vista Cruiser were hers. Kelso and Fez’s reaction was indescribably amazing, I could not stop laughing.
Alright maybe its just me, but when i was a young kid watching DBZ and finally saw that moment when Goku went super sayjin for the first time, thats got to be close to the the top of my OMG! moments.
WTH THERE WASNT ANYTHING ABOUT DEATHNOTE OR NARUTO SHIPUDDEN THERE THE MOST MEMORABLE ANIME ULL EVER FIND INFACT THE RECENT EPISODE OF NARUTO WOULDA BEEN PERFECT OR WEN ZABBOZA DIES OR SASUKE JOINS THE AKATSUKI OR WEN U FIND OUT SASUKES BROTHER WAS A GOOD GUY OR WEN LIGHT DIES U NO NOTHING ABOUT ANIME!!!!!!!!!!!!
what about saya’s death in black cat i mean friggin creed
I will agree with most of these you listed, but I believe you are missing a few. I have seen my fair share of anime and i have two moments that blow all those that you listed out of the water. 1. When Vegeta sacrifices his life to blow up Majin Buu in Dragonball Z. 2. When Yuske unlocks his powers in the fight against Togoro in the Dark Tournament after watching the death of his bestfiend. These are the two most epic moments in anime. Once again this is my personal opinion. But i would like to hear your feedback on this. Thanks.
didn’t anyone remember when Goku first turned into a super Saiyen? it is probably my favourite moment from dragonball. A close second beeing, the end of GT.
i just saw sakrifice’s comment :P
“Never before, and never again, had an anime character elicited such strong emotions from me. I was literally swearing, out loud, at Shinji, calling him all sorts of profane names. I was so angry with that shit licker I swore if I ever meet him in real life, I would strangle him with my own hands. This isn’t a positive moment, but I know I would remember it for the rest of my life. I just hope that final Asuka/Rei/Misato thing that he’s left with grows a penis and makes Shinji its bitch, maybe throwing in a Cleveland Steamer or two.”
Usually the people who say this are the ones who wouldn’t do any better in real life.
Isn’t Shinji the reason why humanity will potentially come back into existence?
People seem to forget that part.
when naruto enters the fight with pain that is one of the best moment in anime i ever saw, and btw i really enjoyed Dragon Ball/Z series when i was a kid, many great moments like Goku (small goku, in dragon ball) saving thenshinhang (sorry for mispelling) from Piccolo Daimao and then beating the crap out of him (he even killed Piccolo, well Daimao created an egg and spitted it through its mouth in its last moment.. yeah …) and then comes the fight with Piccolo Jr. at Tenkaichi Budokai … and the fight with Nappa and Vegetta, alot of good moments and my favorite when Goku becomes SJ !! Yeah best moments of my life were when i was a kid :))) I had no freacking worries about school, exams, jobs, like i have now , shit , life gets complicated everyday… I wish you all only the best, peace and music from S-E Europe, Romania…
Strongest reactions eh? Well, the two most influental not listed here for me are:
1. Zero no Tsukaima 2nd season when Saito sacrifices himself for Louise. (I was in tears T.T)
2. School Days (manga)- I honestly NEVER saw that ending coming. I laughed hard at first at how blindsided I was, then proceeded to place it down and walk away. It was too intense for me.
Why Asuka??? D=> WHY????
Im surprised that goku going ssj for the first time wasnt on there
You do realise that Shinji couldn’t do shit even if he wanted to right? I’m usually the first person to make fun of him, but in this case his eva was covered with bakelite, so he couldn’t pilot it. And yes I know if he just asked his mommy and cried hard enough she would have moved sooner, but really how was he sussposed to know that? Even when he finally does get to pilot his eva Asuka’s already dead, so he couldn’t save her. The rest of the world on the other hand he could save.
Excellent issues altogether, you just won a brand new reader. What might you suggest about your post that you made a few days in the past? Any certain?