©Ino Asano/Shogakukan/DeDeDeDeDe Committee
Judging by the running time, you'd think this was an Oba episode. After all, he's right there in the thick of it all. There's his fight with Kenichi, his attempt to stop the Mothership reactor meltdown, and the subsequent destruction of Tokyo. And while it's far from what anyone would call a complete success—especially since we see half the supporting cast vaporized in a massive alien explosion—his efforts aren't in vain. He's out to save the woman he loves—and he does that if nothing else.
However, as exciting and action-packed as his adventures are, the setting of the episode is. This series is not and has never been about aliens and the apocalypse. Rather, this anime is about the relationship between two girls and the ordinary lives they lead during extraordinary times. This episode is the culmination of their relationship—where everything between them is laid bare.
As revelation after revelation has piled up on us throughout this series, one question remains: How much does Ouran remember about her past life? Does she remember everything, or is she simply driven by some unconscious desire in her ethereal subconscious to keep Kadode safe and happy? However, through this episode, it is clear that Ouran knows what is coming. With the Mothership and Oba’s strange movements putting her in danger, it is clear that the apocalypse she was told about in the original timeline is coming to pass.
In this second life, Ouran devoted herself to Kadode. She ignored the world around her and never shared her knowledge. Only Kadode mattered—nothing else. But eventually, she forced herself to face the thought that had haunted her entire life. She was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of humans and aliens—and that number was about to skyrocket into the millions, if not billions.
In an objective sense, Ouran is the villain of this story. She puts the life of a girl on the line for not only her friends and family, but all of humanity. The result is a crime so great, who can judge her? She has long steeled herself for what is to come—and even feels relieved when it does—but in the end, there is one person’s opinion that matters more than her own. And so, just minutes before the world ends, Ouran asks Kadode the only question that matters: “What would you do if the world ended and it was my fault?”
Kadode's reply said it all. “I guess it's fine. Even if everyone in the world becomes your enemy, I'll still stand by your side. Because, Ontan, you're absolute.”
Unlike in the original timeline, this Kadode has no delusions of grandeur. She doesn't fall into the trap of having a strict ideal of justice—an ideal that only she can see and carry out. She doesn't rage against the world and its injustice—not that it becomes the core of who she is. Instead, the center of her world is Ouran—and though her life is completely ordinary, she is genuinely happy.
For Ouran, Kadode's response was not forgiveness, but pure, nonjudgmental acceptance. It might as well have been a confession—a love that transcended anything romantic. And in the face of something so pure and unconditional, Ouran felt compelled to respond—to express her love for Kadode in an unmistakable way: with a kiss. And moments later, as the world they knew ended, the two girls held hands, certain that they could go on living as long as they were together.
Rating:
Random thoughts:
Now I will sing the song of doom!
*** The death of Ouran's brother caused a great shock.
I think Ouran is faking his need to pee—making up an excuse to keep them from going to Tokyo and dying.
Except for a brief epilogue, we're now caught up with the theatrical films.
Dead Dead Demon's Destruction is now streaming on Crunchyroll.