What did you think of this episode?
5Loved it!
68.9%
604
4Liked it!
18.8%
165
3It was OK
7.1%
62
2Disliked it
3.3%
29
1Hated it
1.8%
16
Average 4.5
876 votes
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| It was a good episode. At the end I did realize they were all dead, but I too did not understand the Happy Family Planning thing. Ghosts were chasing Shounen Bat. Hah. |
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Navaroas said: I too did not understand the Happy Family Planning thing. yeah, same... D: |
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| I wish I understood the ending, but sadly I really didn't.... A somewhat disturbing episode in a sense. |
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| I must say, I'd like to know how this fits into other aspects of the series...perhaps simply showing that the three were indeed not emotionally cornered? Weird turn of events at the end at the end...strange episode. I kept on thinking about Welcome to the NHK and the offline meeting arc. |
| at first i thought this episode kinda ruined the awesome mood set at the end of the last one, but at the end of the episode it was still kind of a WTF mood. i guess they were already all dead after all. |
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| By far, this was my favorite episode. Black comedy at it's finest! I laughed many times and really loved the characters even though we only knew them for a short while. My guess at the "Happy Family Planning" thing is that it was trying to make an ironic point. If you're planning on having a family, you wouldn't be concerned about condoms, unless you really want complete control over when you'll have a family, which is a bit odd in and of itself. Essentially, I think the point was that you can't really plan out a "true happy family," it just happens. It's like the three ghosts became a family at the end without even meaning to or fully realizing that it was happening. As for how the episode fits in with the rest of it, I think it was just reemphasizing that life and your situation in life is all a matter of perception. The three ghost were trying so hard to become what they thought of as "liberated" that they didn't realize that they were. Their relationships and pursuit of death already made them happy. It's sort of a "Millenium Actress" type message: the whole "the chase is what makes me happy" deal. As the show is all about subjective reality and how perception affects happiness, I think this episode was just a fun way of toying with the flip side of finding life in death rather than finding life after death. |
TsumayoujiJul 4, 2009 11:51 PM
olmecalmighty said: I must say, I'd like to know how this fits into other aspects of the series...perhaps simply showing that the three were indeed not emotionally cornered? Weird turn of events at the end at the end...strange episode. I kept on thinking about Welcome to the NHK and the offline meeting arc. It also made me think of that. EDIT: Moron said: I guess all of us suspect/realise they're dead by the end of the episode...but how? Cos there wasn't shadows where they stand? I can't remember and didn't really understand why Fuyubachi was staring at the little girl's legs. Then he touched Zebra's hands and said they were warm. Hmm..? I realized they were dead when the girls getting their picture taken freaked out. |
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| I watched this a few times to figure out when they actually died or if they had been dead from the beginning. I lost track of their shadows once the crane knocked the building down. So I think that's when they died together :x Correct me if I'm wrong though or your ideas ^^; |
Strategy said: Sharp :) That would explain why Zebra could see the man who jumped in front of the train as wellI watched this a few times to figure out when they actually died or if they had been dead from the beginning. I lost track of their shadows once the crane knocked the building down. So I think that's when they died together :x Correct me if I'm wrong though or your ideas ^^; |
| this was a good episode. Didn't even notice the shadow part, and I was thinking WTF when the guy climbed out from under the train.. guess it all made sense haha. |
| I liked the episode but i dont really get what was up with those people, there was no shadow, the pill came back after he took it, i think they were supposed to be ghosts, cuz the photographer didnt seen them till after she took the picture and then they were all "wtf whos that?!" cuz they showed up in the picture but they couldnt see them so i think there ghosts. Not what was up with the condoms at the end tho. I was gonna say this is the most random anime ive ever seen then i remembered ive seen FLCL lol. |
| I can connect all the dots only after reading here. Thanks, guys! |
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| It's obvious that they were dead already, but what I can't understand is when they died. My best guess is they died in that building when it was taken down. That was the last time they had shadows. In the next scene on the street where the bicycle went by, they didn't have shadows and at the train station, you can clearly see they have no shadow. /Reminded me of the NHK offline meeting arc as well. |
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| one more thing I'd like to point out. the two males of the group took a gratuitous amount of pills while they were in the condemned building. It would make sense that the effects weren't visible afterwards because they were all ghost after that point (or maybe the pills just made them trip out the whole time, after all the guy does say "delusions" at the end when he's in the parking lot) |
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| Splendid episode, with a really different atmosphere than the previous one. This is really nice to move from a tense episode to a light, heart-warming yet black humour based episode. The irony behind it, is that they were having a good time together while trying to commit suicid. I really laughed when the guy jumped on the train before their eyes, that was so absurd. Also if they are ghosts that means this series is also supernatural which there's probably a supernatural explanation behind the shonen bat. |
| Well.. id was really confusing and i first didn't get a thing even though i thought this episode was amazing ! i thought i over and i guess that they could already have died in the beginning; when the house was being' knocked down .. but they didn't notice because they were ghosts .. ? maybe or something like that idk xD" .. just a little thought though. but i was really amazing. loved it. |
| ohhh mannnn... i had no clue what was going on while i was watching this.. |
| What great episode I laughed so much The first scene where they met each other after planning it on an internet forum and the reaction as they realized that the female member was a little girl I was a bit shocked about myself for lauging about the scene where the guy jumped on the rails.  Another great scene was as shounen bat was pursued from the trio All in one that was a lovely side(?)story it was really nice to watch theses guys Strategy said: I watched this a few times to figure out when they actually died or if they had been dead from the beginning. I lost track of their shadows once the crane knocked the building down. So I think that's when they died together :x Correct me if I'm wrong though or your ideas ^^; Oh they were dead at that point, I didnt' realized that till now  Thanks for posting now that makes a lot of sense. |
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| Don't know why I thought the guy jumping in front of the train was hilarious. |
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| Really enjoyable episode. Since I love this kind of insanity, the black humor was amazingly funny. I don't know who comes up with this stuff, but they are brilliant. I wasn't even suspecting that twist in the plot, but I should've realized after the train suicide incident. Navaroas said: Ghosts were chasing Shounen Bat. Hah. Actually, I'm pretty sure that they were chasing Fox, their friend from the internet and the copycat. They just thought it was Shonen Bat because they didn't yet know they were dead and could see other ghosts. |
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| Yes, they're already dead. Fuyubachi and Zebra died in the building from the pills while Komome's death is uncertain (probably from the coal). They're dead b/c Fuyubachi realizes that they don't have shadows at the end. That's why they can't kill themselves and why they could see the train jumper after he jumped. No one else noticed the train jumper after the jump except the three. Also, that could be a reason why Lil' Slugger's scared of them: they're dead. And as a final note, the "Happy Family Planning" condoms shown at the end represents the three: You can't build a family if you use condoms just like how you can't kill yourself if you're already dead. |
| That girl was really annoying. I didn't understand the happy family planning thing at the end though. |
| Happy Family Planning CONDOMS. You see, you can't expect a family if you keep wearing condoms...just like you can't expect to kill yourself if you're already dead. |
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| It's absolutely hilarious that I didn't catch on that they were dead until the photo was taken. I recognized all of the inconsistencies but I never made the connections. 1. The fact that anyone could survive after swallowing that many pills. It made NO SENSE, and I was so confused at the time (did they swallow placebos or something?) 2. How the guy who jumped in front of the train walked away afterwards and no one reacted to it. 3. Their lack of shadows (which I didn't notice while watching... on my rewatch I noticed that after the first attempt they weren't there anymore). 4. The "last pill" showing up again. I wonder as to the reasons why they wanted to commit suicide. I'm guessing Zebra wanted to because he was gay (else I don't know why they'd show that photo with him and another guy). And I'm guessing for Fuyubachi it has something to do with "Sayo" that he murmured while he slept - and what was that thing he was carrying around? Zebra takes notice of it on the train and looks sad afterwards? Did Fuyubachi lose someone close to him? I guess so since he referred to the person (which sounds like a girl's name) by their first name with no honorifics. But what about Kamome? It almost sounds like she had no family to speak of. Maybe she was an orphan and was looking for people to connect with? I should note that the Shounen Bat that the three encounter in the episode does have a shadow underneath him. So, unless if it's another imposter, SB isn't dead. Maybe he's like a shinigami? Huh. Also, the crows seem to recognize their presence. I feel like rewatching the earlier episodes to see if the crows show up at any point. |
| Haha,I kinda liked this episode :) It was weird and disturbing but nice.It was so clear that they are already death. The scene when the guy jumped in front of the train and came back.The girl had no shadow.The last pill of the old man :) and more things....everything makes perfect sence.You just have to look better and you find it. |
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| That was pure black humour, but, lol, really unique episode, haven't seen anything like this before. Disturbing yet amusing :D |
| Wow.. this episode was incredible, probably one of my favorite anime episodes of all time. Loved every second of it. Looks like they died around 5:21, when say "I just can't shake of the feeling that we were cruel to her" since the shadows disappeared after that. Also, this kinda explains the last episode too. They didn't see the "real" shonen bat skating away, but the ghost of him after he comitted suicide. But does that mean the detectives are dead too, since they could see him? My brain hurt. |
RawrsmusJun 9, 2011 4:43 AM
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| Back reading in this thread made me figure out this episode. Thanks alot guys <3 I only noticed them dead when couple of girls took a picture and had a surprisingly shock after their photo was taken. |
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| GAHHHHH I feel like an idiot. Didn't even notice that they'd died until I came here because I didn't understand the episode. Of course I saw the inconsistencies - the dead guy walking away from the train, the final pill coming back, etc... but I never noticed that they didn't have shadows. I need to be paying more attention. :( But after reading all this and finally understanding, I'm curious about the real Shounen Bat - is he a ghost, a delusion, a real person, or all three? |
| Happy Family Planning is the title of the episode. They show us the condom box because that's where it's written. Just like with the tsunami alert (Fear of a direct hit), manga bilboard (A man's path), & etc. |
| *chuckles* |
 Steam: Zeemanhuismerk |
| Oh god. my mouth was open in shock this entire episode. D: but i did laugh when they were all chasing Little Slugger and he was trying to get away from them. :-D |
karekare said: Some people say that their shadows disappear after the crane scene, but actually that is not true. For the first 5 minutes of the episode, it is as if they deliberately make the characters always stay in shadows (see 1:30, 1:38, 2:40, and the chase scene that follows). It is very well possible that they have been dead all along, and the sleeping pills & gas were also futile attempts... Good point. In the scene when Zebra and Fujubashi are running through the room they have no shadows. Also, Fujubashis last pill wouldn't just magically reappear. He saw it at the end again because he never swallowed it, because he was, duh, dead. But why is the shadow behind Zebra moving as he is moving his arm and taking the pills? What bothers me is that "Shonen Bat" has a shadow, but can see the trio. I though it makes sense since he died in the last episode, but he looks pretty alive to me. And one of the service-woman-ladies doesn't look down the stairs while the boy passes her, but after Zebra storms down. Maybe she's dead too, how else would they get a room? |
karekare said: Some people say that their shadows disappear after the crane scene, but actually that is not true. For the first 5 minutes of the episode, it is as if they deliberately make the characters always stay in shadows (see 1:30, 1:38, 2:40, and the chase scene that follows). It is very well possible that they have been dead all along, and the sleeping pills & gas were also futile attempts... This is actually incorrect. It shows Zebra and Fuyubachi with shadows as they are running away from Kamome. So they obviously died sometime between then and after the building getting demolished. |
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| I was adding up bits and bobs, but other peoples comments have really made it clear so thankyou guys/gals for your input! this episode was probably favourite, and was hilarious at times, the best part for me was where they were hanging themselve's and he was choking and said 'hurry up with the signal' xD that part made me laugh so hard! aha. but then the ending brought it back to serious wtf tone! really intresting series indeed! |
| Haha so those guys were already dead. |
| HEY! |
| Kind of a nice break from the normal intensity, though it was really reaching a peak there... Still, darkly humorous and cute. At the beginning of the episode I felt like it was going to be a total waste, kind of like a filler with almost no point to it, but it was quite interesting and gave more info about Kozuka (sp? impostor Shonen Bat) as well as the idea of how real death is and how alive characters really are when it comes to this show. First off, interesting to find out that the impostor Shonen Bat who'd just killed himself in the last episode (or did _he_? >x]) had long been planning to commit suicide with that group. He uh, had a lot of advice for our ghost trio on how to do it. o__o;; Still want to know what exactly was his deal... Undiagnosed mental disorder? Very extreme obsession with video games? Eh whatever. Also, I didn't realize they were ghosts until the very end, when the girls were taking their picture. The photographer would have obviously noticed them standing there, but none of them did until the pic developed. That was a sad realization. But, then again, that's what they wanted, and they did seem happy at the end. As for when they died, I have no clue, people here have said from the demolition of that building, and that seems pretty plausible... After all, from there on out they start doing pretty crazy sh*t that you'd think would get them noticed. Not to mention I can't think they'd want to spend a lot of money traveling by train for no particular reason if they wanted to die. *shrug* Ah, as for Zebra seeing the ghost of the jumper, I didn't put two and two together but I just assumed for whatever reason that he could see ghosts. I mean he was pretty freaked out, so maybe he just didn't realize he was dead yet? When did they realize it themselves? Because it seems like they kept trying even though they already _were_ dead. Ah, enjoyable nonetheless. A good, stumping little episode. |
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