Episodes that Never get Old to You

Do you have any episodes of an anime that you just can’t help but go back to and re-watch, no matter how many times you have seen it? For any number of reasons, these episodes are special to you. Be it because they allow you to relive the nostalgia of when you first watched the show, the episode always has you on the edge of your seat (even when you know the conclusion), or even if it just always manages to send you to your “happy place,” these episodes are important to you. For me in particular, I use these episodes to allow me to escape reality, if just for a short time, and collect my thoughts. Particularly when I am having a bad day.

Today was one of those bad days, and it felt like I couldn’t catch a break. I had originally planned to do a Nagisa Oshima film review today, but Hulu had other plans. The “Criterion Collection” of Hulu migrated to a different website only four days ago, right under my nose (though I suppose that isn’t hard because I have a Squidward Tentacles/Pinocchio-esque nose). However, all hope was not initially lost, since I was able to start a free trial on said new website. Unbeknownst to me, though, they had for some reason decided to add all of the other Nagisa Oshima films over to this new site, EXCEPT the one I planned on reviewing. Thus causing immense frustration. So I will probably have to put those film reviews on hold until I return to the U.S. in December. To add to that, I spent too much money on chocolate today (which wouldn’t be a problem if I didn’t eat it all in one sitting) and now I think I am starting to get sick.

But! I was able to salvage this day still, by watching one of my favorite “never gets old” episodes. And that episode is “A Day in the Life of the Fujioka Family” from Ouran High School Host Club. If you have seen the show, it is the episode where the members of the host club plan a surprise visit to Haruhi at her home and meet her cross-dressing father. This episode isn’t all that special, aside from the fact that it is really funny. However it always seems to set me in a good mood, no matter how many times I have seen it. The jokes don’t get stale even if I know exactly when they are happening, and it is just an all around enjoyable experience.

Though that isn’t my only favorite episode to go back to. Some of my others are the final episode of The Devil is a Part-Timer called “The Devil and the Hero Do Some Honest Hard Work.” This episode is a pretty lackluster final episode, as the climax and what can be considered the conclusion actually come the episode before this. However the episode just has a certain charm that I find myself unable to resist.

Other shows that I have these favorites in vary from Nisekoi, Toradora!, Naruto, Yamada’s First Time, Sword Art Online, Servant x Service, Deadman Wonderland, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun, and even my childhood favorite  Zatch Bell. Each of these shows are among my favorites, and even if I don’t re-watch the entire show, I will always find myself going back to at least one or two episodes from each.

I would also like to know if any of you have any specific favorite episodes you love to re-watch. How many times do you think you have seen those episodes? Also, do you have an episode that never fails to cheer you up when you are feeling down? Did I steal any of your favorites? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading!