NO.6 – 11 (END)

「伝えてくれ、ありのままを」 (Tsutaete kuru, Ari no Mama wo)
“Tell Me the Truth”

Like it’s NoitaminA stablemate Usagi Drop, No. 6 ends on an understated, restrained and reflective note – a quiet and dignified final episode that reflected the nature of the series as a whole.

Oh, wait – no, it didn’t do that at all. It was a gigantic FUBAR.

NO.6 – 10

「奈落にあるもの」 (Naraku ni Aru Mono)
“What Lies in the Abyss”

For such an earnest and seemingly old-fashioned anime as this often seems to be, No. 6 has quite the talent for slapping the audience in the face occasionally. Seeing a baby being nursed by a dog is certainly a first for me, anime or otherwise – and that’s just for starters.

NO.6 – 09

「災厄の舞台」 (Saiyaku no Butai)
“Stage of Disaster”

Even though it isn’t always working for me, in a way I really admire NO.6 to sticking to its guns. Nine episodes in and it’s still preposterously theatrical, comically sincere and terribly muddled. But at least it doesn’t sell itself out and try to be something it’s not.

NO.6 – 07

「真実の嘘・虚構の真実」 (Shinjitsu no Uso Kyokō no Shinjitsu)
“True Lies, False Truths”

I’m pretty sure that never in this history of anime – and maybe any other medium – has one boy kissed another full on the lips, then said “I better go to bed. I have to get up early to shave the dogs.” And that exchange tells you pretty much all you need to know about No. 6.