Inuyashiki Last Hero Episode 11 (Final) Review: People of Earth

In case you didn’t know, Inuyashiki’s eleventh episode is actually its last one. I am not impressed.

Japanese Original Episode Title: 地球の人たち

Plot

Ichiro returns home to his family after an exciting night of saving the numerous people of Tokyo who were injured due to Hiro’s decision to go on a killing spree, yay. Ichiro’s family has already seen his face on TV and is aware of the fact that he is no longer who they thought him to be, and question him about it as soon as he enters the room. Ichiro reveals his mechanical body to them and apologizes for hiding it for so long, admitting that he may not be who he thinks he is anymore. His wife questions him about their honeymoon, and after an emotional flashback, she accepts him as her true husband and the family comes together after a long time.

Meanwhile, Hiro, who lacks two arms as well as the back of his head (I don’t recall this detail being illustrated in this episode) pays a visit to Andou, claiming he just wanted to hang out with him and read manga together, like they always used to. Andou, however, rushes to call Ichiro over, and after telling Hiro, he once more escapes. Ando, in order to justify betraying his friend, is convincing himself that this is no longer Hiro, but a killing machine.

Briefly after things have finally calmed down, and Ichiro is finally mentally reunited with his family, there is news of a massive asteroid about to hit the earth and bring the end of human civilization as we know it. Ichiro decides to leave his family and fly to the asteroid to try and stop it, but his power is not enough. Hiro shows up and informs him that after running some simulations, he discovered that by self-detonating, he can properly destroy the asteroid. Turns out he’s wrong, and despite having sacrificed himself, Ichiro also has to blow up his own ass to save humanity.

The end.

Episode Highlights

The feels: I started crying no more than thirty seconds into the episode. For some reason, hearing the story of Ichiro’s honeymoon was just too emotional for me. Then I cried when Hiro was reading manga with Andou. And when Hanako was barking at Ichiro leaving. And when Hiro decided to sacrifice himself. But I didn’t cry when Ichiro died, somehow. It was okay. Weird.

Hiro being a child: I think that one of the most intense moments of the episode was when Andou saw Hiro in his room and offered him Shonen Jump to read. The way Hiro’s face was lit up and excited at the idea of reading comic books deeply moved me because it just completely distorted his evil maniac persona. Poor thing. He even used his feet to read.

Eerie family happiness: Whether it’s a shonen anime, a Bollywood movie, or the latest Hollywood blockbuster, moments of completion and happiness always give me that same eerie feeling that shit will soon be hitting the fan. In this case, seeing Ichiro finally achieving what he desired the most, which is recognition, attention, and love from his family, I just knew that all this failing was just a matter of time.

Pay attention in school: Why did Hiro’s self-detonation fail since the simulation showed that he could have destroyed the asteroid? Well, MAYBE, instead of freaking chilling on the meteor’s surface watching the earth as he was exploding, he should have positioned himself somewhere near the asteroid’s CORE. YOU IDIOTS. Do you even science?

Themes & Trivia

DONALD TRUMP WAS ON TV: His illustration, as well as his little monologue, literally made me lose it. How genius was that? I wish this show would go on for longer.

Hello asteroid: There are a lot (and I mean A LOT) of movies where asteroids are about to hit the earth. I guess it’s some sort of intuitive fear we are born with since the time we were dinosaurs. Armageddon, Deep Impact, Meteor, and a hell lot more can be added to that list, but I guess my personal favorite was Lars von Trier’s Melancholia. It was the least crappy of them.

Ugh.

I loved Inuyashiki. It was –by far– the best anime of this season and overall a great show to watch. But this ending was a bit weak, and it happened way too fast, based on a strange deus-ex-machina logic. Why the fuck didn’t they bring some water with them or something? Why were there only eleven episodes? Why do I cry myself to sleep at night? I guess the answer to all these questions is the same. We’ll never know.

How did you find Inuyashiki’s last episode? Let us know in the comment section below! And don’t forget to check out our checklist for all the Winter 2018 anime here on MANGA.TOKYO!