Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction (ONA) Episode 17 Discussion

@yhagni wait, so they did rush the ending but not that much really?? This ending felt like they skipped whole ass volumes worth of content... Damn, it feels very lacluster for what I was considering to be a true masterpiece. I have nothing against the ending, it just feels too cheap to resolve it all this quickly with a single time travel.

Oh well, still an awesome series, I just feel very underwhelmed by this ending.

No way...I was hoping for a different, maybe better ending from the manga. Instead what we got was confirmation (sort of) that Kadode and Ontan died in timeline 2 but it seems that maybe not and they now have a UFO, capable of crossing space-time boundaries into timeline 3... (edit: now that I think about it, they could also be from other possible timelines that we simply do not know of, though I like to think that they faked their deaths and got the UFO to travel space-time in the future of timeline 2, being the gamers they are)

The adaptation was more or less 1-for-1 except for the 2 foreign dudes which got left out in this final episode and the scenario of Kadode's father meeting Makoto in episode 0 was a little different but otherwise not much had changed significantly.

I guess timeline 2, which we spent most of the season watching (outside of the 2 or 3 episodes dedicated to timeline 1), is literally screwed and no longer have any hope of redemption. Oh, they didn't adapt the USA side of the ending, so I guess the anime had an even more rushed ending...

Honestly a little disappointed with this ending...

NOTE: You MUST watch episode 0 before watching this one.

Ah, so we finally pick up from where we started back in episode 0 with Nobuo and Makoto. So yeah, was pretty much confirmed that at the very least, the GOAT himself Ooba risked his life til the very end to save the planet. And the mechas have pretty much all but taken over the world, it seems. Sick ass mecha fights btw, might I add.

But yeah, this post "destruction" of earth is worse than I thought. I had completely forgotten how bad it was in episode 0, but seeing it here now... yikes. And AHHH MY GOAT OOBA LIVED!!! HELL YEAH. That reunion with him and Makoto was so sweet. But nothing was more sweeter than seeing Kadode again... and with his pops again. W dad for giving Kadode the push to become friend with Ontan quicker.

Which all in the end led to the girl herself KADODE MAKING HER MANGA... is what I'd like to say, but she got rejected hella quick lol. Worst part of this future though is that Kadode sadly got together with Naoki... sigh. But yeah, the future is nice and all, with the world actually, you know, existing lol, but the best part about it, HIROSHI IS SKINNY NOW!!! HELL YEAH! Nice to see that Ontan hasn't changed much now as well lol. "Just flash your boobs" - Future Ontan.

And in the end, they finally ended up remaining by their sides... <3

I'm 100% certain that this is the final episode, and if it was, what a fucking ride this has been. Did feel a bit underwhelming and rushed, but nothing TOO shit to ruin the entire series. These past seventeen weeks of straight PEAK cinema will be something I'll remember and cherish for a while.

One big thank you to the team behind this, and one big ol' FUCK YOU to Crunchyroll for fucking up the release of this and killing almost all the hype.

The Kami Isobeyan/10

this is like having a teen drama series mixed with a political drama...and then dropping the political drama in the last ~2 episodes. which is weird since the political drama was the only part of the story with stakes. like...why didn't anyone use the time machine during that time skip? The father shouldn't have mattered at all yet his arrival caused the plot to move? I guess I learned that if my friends will die then I should betray all of humanity...having a time machine helps

It took a me a while to gather my thoughts about the ending. Would something simpler have been better? Maybe, but after thinking about it I hard disagree with those who think that the ending turned the whole thing from good to trash.

The ending can be boiled down to: the two main characters (almost certainly) died an unceremonious death some time after 8/32, but we'll also show you how thing would have turned out if the alien invasion never happened. They're normal people in a world in ruins, a death so unremarkable that it wasn't even worth showing makes sense; main characters usually have plot armor but that wasn't the case here. Moreover, main characters having anticlimatic deaths is something already done by some of the most highly acclaimed live action series of all time (you'll know what I'm talking about if you've watched them).

The most important things about the final timeline shift, the reasons why it doesn't ruin anything, are:
- the item that makes you change timelines wasn't pulled out of the ass, but something already established before. It is the kind of thing that opens a can of worms, but those who were ok with it before shouldn't have a problem with it now.
- nothing was undone! What happened in the main timeline wasn't deleted or anything. Unlike in the ending of one of the highest rated romance anime of all time which I hate with passion.
- someone might argue that even if technically nothing was undone, what matters is that from the POV of the shifter everything was indeed undone. That's right, but the saving grace here is that the shifter is not one of the main characters so in the end it doesn't matter. Nothing changed for the characters we followed through the whole story.

My final verdict is: 10/10, anime of the decade, favorite sci-fi anime ever alongside Dennou Coil. Dennou Coil has a better plot, but I like DeDeDeDe's characters more so I'm inclined to put it slightly ahead.

Yup this is anime of the year it's very complex but...I will say Kaode shouldn't with the teacher. She is legit hiding her feelings but it's still a really good ending.

Edit: Big thank you to the manga readers filling in the gaps. So this ending is an a anime original ending that is a what if when what we saw in episode 0 is the true reality. I like that it gives you different realities it's a big balance act. I'm happy it turned out well.

@MasterHavik say this is the manga ending, it's just that crunchyroll said there will be an anime original ending and ep16 was quite different from the manga

And yes Kadode needs to get away from that teacher

Man I didn’t expect to come into this and it be the final episode 😭 nah I refuse to believe that’s the end of the story.

3 months of build up to the nuke, it hits then we just get one post apocalyptic episode? I know it was a bleak world but I wanted to see what was going on in the world a little longer. Little more of Kenichi’s plans, whatever Ontan and Kadode were doing(looks like time travelling). I guess the focus was more on the journey rather than the destination, but I found myself a little disappointed with this ending

I think we all knew things were going to be resolved via time travel, but I didn’t think it would be the very next episode. This is also where episode 0 should’ve aired, between episode 16 and 17 and it would’ve given the finale even more emotional impact instead of having it air 3 months early.. Nobuo seeing all of Kadode and Ontan memories was also wild. That must’ve been extremely overwhelming.

“If I get fat that’ll be the end of the world” lmaooo man let me find out the world went to shit because Hiroshi couldn’t put the twinkies down. 😂 it’s great seeing a world where everyone survives and grows up to lead a fulfilling life. Kiho being alive and happy really makes me feel good.

I guess Kadode and pedo sensei just destined to be whatever which is .. well whatever, I am digging Kadode’s hairstyle in the timeskip she’s so cute! Ontan making big moves in the tech industry and still staying the silly girl she’s always been.. kinda sad to think she doesn’t have oba in this reality, but as long as she’s got Kadode she’ll be fine. Speaking of which, guessing the Ontan voice we hear when the isobeyan manga shows up is the Kadode and Ontan from the last timeline? Starting to get more confusing than marvel lol.

Overall, loved the show one of the best sci fi stories in the medium. Incredible writing and drama and a nice friendship at the center of it. Really the only issue I had with it was the episode 0 placement and it ending too soon, but better to end a little soon than overstay your welcome I guess. I’ll miss this, and shoutout to Ano for an amazing job in her first role

So they never meet Makoto? That sucks.

@Guilmon1 Ah okay that is why some are saying that. Also Kadode is so in the closet it's so obvious at this point who she is really in love with but eh we got it confirmed in one timeline they're a ship so I'll count this.

There is not nearly the same amount of exposition for this latter-half of the series as there is in the manga. As frustrating as it is, considering this was released in Japan as a 2-part ONA I can understand the limitations.

Nonetheless I’m stunned at how well this show was adapted. I was afraid that any Inio Asano anime adaptation was bound to be doomed from the start because of his complex way of writing stories. Much like Urasawa, Asano-sensei demonstrates his writing capabilities through subtlety, which is seemingly impossible to translate into seinen anime adaptions given the historical track record of seinen anime, usually sorely lacking in that department. This show has changed my perspective on those possibilities. Might just be biased because of how much I adore this manga as well as Asano-sensei’s works, but either way this show is fantastic. I’m wholly satisfied by it, to say the least.

Just in case anyone is wondering, this whole concept of Nobuo now being the one to go back in time is a sort-of nod to shows and films with an concept of infinite and overlapping timelines. For my film-lovers, think Looper! For my animanga lovers, think Shinra from Fire Force! Essentially, with the shifter, our characters could theoretically jump to as many different timelines as needed in order to satisfy their personal desire for the world they want to live in.

IIRC, it’s very quietly implied (in the manga) that Oran and Kadode died following August 32nd in the main timeline we follow throughout the majority of the story. Just for anyone wondering, because it felt like the show more or less glossed over it.

Wow so much negativity, all based on misunderstanding the story IMO. First of all as someone above pointed out, this show is heavily inspired by Doraemon (if you couldn't tell from this show's manga Isobeyan, an obvious take on Doraemon even copying the art style), and so you have to know something about Doraemon to understand this show. <spoilers for Doraemon> Doraemon is a cat from the future who comes to the present and uses his futuristic gadgets to help the mc and his friends solve their problems. It ends with him returning to the future with the kids grown up and no longer needing his gadgets to help them. Of course in this show the invader scout is "Doraemon" as shown when they disguise him in the Isobeyan costume, unfortunately using his futuristic gadgets first leads to Kaede accidentally killing innocent people and then committing suicide over the guilt, and Ouran then causing the invasion and destruction of Earth by going back in time in the time machine (all Doraemon gadgets btw) to save Kaede, which eventually leads to the deaths of most of their family and friends and eventually them (or did it?) as the mecha pilots. (was I the only one who realized they were supposed to be the pilots, using the hand signals from earlier episodes?) Note everyone who uses the gadgets leads to a result they didn't want (after Kaede used it, the crazy kid using the cloak "this isn't the future I foresaw", and Oba trying to stop the ship's destruction instead causing it to explode).
Rewatching ep 0 really helped as it starts with the dad, who hates his job and can't even tell the young mangaka he is fired and on the cab ride home wishing for an easy out by thinking "maybe the world will end and I won't have to". Of course it's a "be careful what you wish for" moment as the world does end as this is the world after Oran goes back in time to save Kaede and causes the invasion. This starts the show's theme of easy outs from technology, etc. aren't what help us get through life but friends and family. Unlike the others when he goes back in time his solution is to just get Kaede to be friends with Oran sooner (and one would assume a better dad), which leads to the "happy" ending. No one is dead, yeah life is still mundane and sucks, Kaede still dates her teacher, but they are all still alive and able to endure it because of their friends.
Also everyone complaining these aren't "our" Oran and Kaede but we did get Kaede seeing the "UFO" and them hearing their own voices saying "Don't get too close Ontan you'll destroy space time" (or something like that), and the thing in the sky zipping away. Which I think was a little wink to the audience that "our" Ouran and Kaede are still around and watching things. Answering the question asked minutes earlier "What would you do if you could freely fly the skies?" They even leave a copy of the Isobeyan manga, which remember doesn't exist in this world.


Also I really liked the music in this, ano did a great job singing and doing Ouran's voice.

Wow so much negativity, all based on misunderstanding the story IMO. First of all as someone above pointed out, this show is heavily inspired by Doraemon (if you couldn't tell from this show's manga Isobeyan, an obvious take on Doraemon even copying the art style), and so you have to know something about Doraemon to understand this show. <spoilers for Doraemon> Doraemon is a cat from the future who comes to the present and uses his futuristic gadgets to help the mc and his friends solve their problems. It ends with him returning to the future with the kids grown up and no longer needing his gadgets to help them. Of course in this show the invader scout is "Doraemon" as shown when they disguise him in the Isobeyan costume, unfortunately using his futuristic gadgets first leads to Kaede accidentally killing innocent people and then committing suicide over the guilt, and Ouran then causing the invasion and destruction of Earth by going back in time in the time machine (all Doraemon gadgets btw) to save Kaede, which eventually leads to the deaths of most of their family and friends and eventually them (or did it?) as the mecha pilots. (was I the only one who realized they were supposed to be the pilots, using the hand signals from earlier episodes?) Note everyone who uses the gadgets leads to a result they didn't want (after Kaede used it, the crazy kid using the cloak "this isn't the future I foresaw", and Oba trying to stop the ship's destruction instead causing it to explode).
Rewatching ep 0 really helped as it starts with the dad, who hates his job and can't even tell the young mangaka he is fired and on the cab ride home wishing for an easy out by thinking "maybe the world will end and I won't have to". Of course it's a "be careful what you wish for" moment as the world does end as this is the world after Oran goes back in time to save Kaede and causes the invasion. This starts the show's theme of easy outs from technology, etc. aren't what help us get through life but friends and family. Unlike the others when he goes back in time his solution is to just get Kaede to be friends with Oran sooner (and one would assume a better dad), which leads to the "happy" ending. No one is dead, yeah life is still mundane and sucks, Kaede still dates her teacher, but they are all still alive and able to endure it because of their friends.
Also everyone complaining these aren't "our" Oran and Kaede but we did get Kaede seeing the "UFO" and them hearing their own voices saying "Don't get too close Ontan you'll destroy space time" (or something like that), and the thing in the sky zipping away. Which I think was a little wink to the audience that "our" Ouran and Kaede are still around and watching things. Answering the question asked minutes earlier "What would you do if you could freely fly the skies?" They even leave a copy of the Isobeyan manga, which remember doesn't exist in this world.


Also I really liked the music in this, ano did a great job singing and doing Ouran's voice.

Oh wow, that's much happier. Personally I didn't mind the darker ending (the whole show has this slow burn gloom heading towards disaster anyway), but knowing that they live on as sort of timeline guardians is much cooler. 😎

@yhagni the disappointment for me is also the fact it was said we'll have an anime original ending and the anime format already didn't fit the feeling the ending wanted

That little nod to Doraemon at the end was nice.
Just my two cents but could it be that the dad being there for his daughter and oran and kadode becoming good friends much earlier changed the way kadode handled the invader scout’s gadgets? I believe they still encountered the scout but later on got their memories erased. Of course the scout concluded that earth was okay and it didn’t get destroyed. That might be one theory. But it’s lacking since I don’t get why there is no Isobeyan in this timeline.

@MasterHavik I honestly feel like them being in a romantic relationship will be strange considering how important friendship is as a theme to the story but every good anime has some form of LGBTQ undertone so I won't be surprised (oh and in the new timeline it's absolutely canon they have a crush on each other in the anime version)

@dragynfaerie Dude omg I didn't even think of that. That really sucks :'(

@MasterHavik Kadode needs to get away from that teacher lol she's clearly not happy. Sucks that she ended up moving in with the teacher after her kiss with Oran last episode

Also I just realized, wtf happened with the US, or even the rest of the world? There was so much build up with the US being a threat and the whole world getting screwed by the fallout, and then we didn't even see any of it lol

In the final timeline (this episode), was there a specific reason the aliens didn't return to earth as they did in the previous timelines?