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[Emperor_Uriel]

Mostly positive on the ending. I loved the twist of Ashi harnessing Aku's powers to return Jack to the past.

My only issue was that I felt Aku's death wasn't dramatic enough. It would've been much better to see future Aku and his world disappearing, with Jack's surviving friends in that timeline blissfully fading away.

 

[ActiveRush]

Can someone explain why Jack smiles when the ladybug lands on his finger?

 

[VariantX]

Can someone explain why Jack smiles when the ladybug lands on his finger?

Its a callback to when Ashi has her "awakening" from all her brainwashing from that cult she was born into.

 

[Doctor Decimate]

It's just a fuck you to everyone involved, and that is why people aren't happy about it.

Haha wow I've got issues with this episode but forum hyperbole isn't gonna help your or anyone else's case, especially when it's based on time travel nitpicks.

 

[Skikkiks]

Can someone explain why Jack smiles when the ladybug lands on his finger?

Reminds him of Ashi, who was a child of nature, and/or reminds him of the world he fought for and the world he saved.

 

[BrutishMrFish]

I'd have been fine with Ashi's death if she disappeared right after Jack killed Aku. Having her last long enough to die right before the wedding felt so arbitrary and manipulative. The way Jack's home was completely back to normal even though Aku had destroyed a ton of it by that point in time felt like the show was trying as hard as possible to make everything seem perfect just for that bittersweet ending.

As a whole the season was pretty good, though, which is more than I can say of most shows that continue after so many years.

 

[Funyarinpa]

Can someone explain why Jack smiles when the ladybug lands on his finger?

I think that in that moment, Jack finds his purpose in life again and remembers why he sacrificed so much to go back to the past and defeat Aku. It's the moment he comes to terms with Ashi's death and the moment he realizes that he has fulfilled his mission as a Samurai.

 

[Sub_Level]

Whether Ashi disappeared upon Aku's death or at the wedding, the end result is the same bittersweet ending. I liked the somber yet hopeful tone.

 

[RockmanBN]

This entire season was so rushed. The first there episodes were so high qualit and then it dropped off from there including the adult rating. Pacing was everywhere when things like Jacks relationship with Asbo needed to be expanded instead of being rushed in the last minute.

Even shows like Regular Show, Edd, Ed'n Eddie, etc had better finalies with more time than a regular episode to give it a pepper send off. I really wanted to like this but there was so many inconsistencies in this season like Jacks parents being the age they were when Jack was a child, one moment Ashi was embarrassed of being nude and later showing she had no feeling of that when in nude in front of Jack, and then that shitty time paradox days or weeks after Ali's death. I may of not liked their relationship because of the terrible pacing, but that temporal death was a kick in the balls to those who wanted the happy relationship.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

I liked the ending and while they could have handled the time travel aspect better, it was still done pretty well.

I'm glad we got a final season for some closure and while I liked the ending we got, I would have liked to see the entire season in the same mood/theme as the opening as the opening three episodes. I felt they moved on from that too quickly...

 

[ActiveRush]

Its a callback to when Ashi has her "awakening" from all her brainwashing from that cult she was born into.

Reminds him of Ashi, who was a child of nature, and/or reminds him of the world he fought for and the world he saved.

I think that in that moment, Jack finds his purpose in life again and remembers why he sacrificed so much to go back to the past and defeat Aku. It's the moment he comes to terms with Ashi's death and the moment he realizes that he has fulfilled his mission as a Samurai.

I like all of these different interpretations. Thanks for the responses!

 

[DongBeetle]

Yeah. They fucked up our once in a lifetime Samurai Jack finale. EXTREMELY dissatisfied not with the ending but with almost the entire season as a whole. Never was I more excited for a show than when episodes 1, 2 and 3 were airing and you can definitely tell why the first trailer for the season only had clips from those episodes. My chance for closure on the ending of my favorite show is ruined by the fact that they didn't order ten more fucking episodes.

My personal ratings:
9/10
10/10
10/10
7/10
5/10
6/10
4/10
5/10
7/10
3/10

 

[Doctor Decimate]

Never was I more excited for a show than when episodes 1, 2 and 3 were airing and you can definitely tell why the first trailer for the season only had clips from those episodes.

So do you like honestly believe that's the only reason a highly anticipated show would only use clips from the first few episodes in a trailer, that they secretly knew it was bad all along? Even though they used a bunch of clips from other episodes in that wrap-up video after the fact? Like, honestly?

 

[DongBeetle]

So do you like honestly believe that's the only reason a highly anticipated show would only use clips from the first few episodes in a trailer, that they secretly knew it was bad all along? Even though they used a bunch of clips from other episodes in that wrap-up video after the fact? Like, honestly?

Haha maybe that doesn't make sense. I'm just extremely upset is all.

 

[Morlas]

well i gotta say i'm actually satisfied with how that concluded, jack got back to the past, he loved he lost he made some great friends and now he's got a whole new journey to go through. i'd say that was my favorite season of any cartoon ever.

 

[Funyarinpa]

Overall, I was crying throughout the whole episode. Objectively, it was rushed and Ashi's death is paradoxical, but I loved the bittersweet tone, and the art style (alongside animation) was absolutely, utterly fucking fantastic.

I feel that this season could've been 10/10 material had it been given 15 episodes at least, but even as it is I feel that I'm overall glad that we got closure. The season didn't do its 11-year legacy justice, but it did justice considering that it was a single 10-season episode

 

[DongBeetle]

This may sound dumb but had the first three episodes been just decent, I would be way less angry lol.

 

[Wanderer5]

I am glad that this show finally got an actual conclusion, and I mostly like the way they ended it with Jack going back to the past and Ashi dying, but man, bit annoyed that the second half of this season continue to feel rushed. Still dat last scene, so wonderful to end the series on.

Overall through, this season started out really strong, but disappointingly fizzled out a little later on.

 

[allenpergallon]

Kinda surprised by the "first 3 episodes" comments, mainly because the fourth episode was no slouch either. Really spectacular art, traditional Samurai Jack pacing, and a nicely done cooldown from the intensity of the first 3 episodes.

In terms of pacing, episodes 1-4 and 8-9 felt pretty spot on, regardless of how you feel about the subject matter.

But the episode limit was indeed this season's bane. I was hoping they'd pull a fast one with an hour long finale, but for what they had it turned out okay. It's just a shame that the most important story beats (Jack's anger, Jack getting his sword back, Jack defeating Aku) were given little breathing room when it came to their moments of resolution.

 

[Psychological Intellect]

What a season. Thoroughly satisfied. Excellent television. This is up there with the best seasons in TV history.

 

[Bulbasaur]

It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Such a bittersweet end.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Such a bittersweet end.

Jack made it clear in the previous episode that he disagreed. He was more willing to give up everything including the entire world than to lose Ashi.

 

[Schucky Ducky]

I hope we get a nice boxset for the whole series. It would also be really cool if they included​ an epilogue that showed how the distant future changed as a result of Aku being killed, kind of like we got with the Lost final season DVD.

 

[Zubz]

So even after 50 years & 5 seasons, Jack

Spoiler

still never gets laid

.

 

[Sponge]

I'm super conflicted with the finale and it's probably gonna have to sit with me for a while before I can put my feelings into words. Overall, I'm thankful we got an ending and while it was rushed, I still liked the ending.

 

[Yazuka]

Even if I liked it and was expecting this outcome, it felt way to rushed.
It should at least have been a 40minute episode.
I would have vastly preferred if Ashi could have survived somehow, maybe a gift from the gods since she helped defeat Aku.
Jack really deserved to be happy after all the stuff he has been through.

 

[Renpatsu]

Although the final episode is no slouch when it comes to action spectacle and callbacks to previous seasons very little time is allotted to focus on the long standing conflict between Jack and Aku; instead the episode's emotional apex comes with Jack expressing his feelings for Ashi to break her out of Aku's control and subsequently their bittersweet wedding following Aku's defeat. So I think that ultimately how you respond to the ending is probably directly related to how well you think they handled the relationship between Jack and Ashi in the first place.

 

[Aki-at]

Very disappointed in that, felt way too rushed and not satisfying at all. What a shame considering it started off as so strongly bad fades by the end. In Ashi's case literally!

Also time travel has no consistent rule in this universe. Does this mean everyone in the future is also wiped? Did Jack "kill" more people than Aku? Is it an alternate timeline/reality there? WHAT! (Not entirely seriously but I chalk this as another very fluid law of time travel)

 

[Unbounded]

The trick with time travel is that unless they went with the whole "different universes" thing, there was no way it would've made sense.

Also I love how the conversation with Jack and Ashi is basically:

Jack: "You have Aku's powers!"

Ashi: "Oh yeah, I do!"

JackxAshi: "Later! Zoink!"

 

[dmshaposv]

Despite the pacing being a little rushed, that ending was perfectly in line with the tone of the series and Season 5 as a whole.

It was bittersweet and I'm glad it ended with a nice complete story arc.

 

[Opto]

Would have appreciated one last line from Aku, but I'll take it.

Disappointed by it being pretty much the ending of Gurren Lagann

But this season gave some of the best action episodes of any television so overall it was a worthwhile endeavor

 

[Permanently A]

Real ironic that the last line of the show is "Without Aku... I would have never existed."

 

[HStallion]

I think its all a trick by Aku and Jack is living in some fake dream world while Aku continues being Aku.

 

[Kaswa101]

Great finale imo. A bit rushed and I don't like how they handled Ashi's final moments, but it was a solid season. Loved all the callbacks. "No. Jump good." 😃

That final shot was gorgeous too, and Aku was an entertaining villain right up until the end. Gonna miss the guy lol. Kinda interesting how Aku got the "last laugh" with Ashi's non-existence too. He couldn't let Jack be happy. 😢

 

[Gorillaz]

I kind of wish we would have gotten a graveyard or birth of evil type of actual fight with aku to end it. I wouldn't have minded the friends coming in to save him but I think one last big fight where you see aku shapeshift would have really done it.

Rushed but overall it's good to have finally seen an ending to this after all these years. I liked the last shot and the slow melody of the theme playing out.

 

[Reptars Revenge]

I think its all a trick by Aku and Jack is living in some fake dream world while Aku continues being Aku.

Lol that's as bad as crazy theorys where the main character dies and the rest never really happened

 

[HStallion]

Lol that's as bad as crazy theorys where the main character dies and the rest never really happened

Its all a dream by young Jack and none of it ever happened and Aku is just a folk tale used by his father to scare him but gave him nightmares in the process.

 

[dankir]

Fitting end to the series. Goodbye Samurai Jack

 

[Sianos]

I think expanding the scene where Aku showers Jack's friends in Aku Fragments as opposed to just relying on implication would have helped the pacing of the ending quite a bit. Seeing the rag-tag army decimated would have set up better that going back to the past was the only option. It would also better underscore that Aku would have been victorious if not for tormenting Jack through Ashi - show that Aku was still on the verge of absolute victory in the future even though Jack has the sword back... until Ashi breaks the spell and teleports her and Jack both back to the past. I think that aspect of the ending works with the sharp pacing, but if the rest of the episode around it was paced slower the juxtaposition would make that moment even more poignant.

The bittersweet ending was expected, but that too would have been more effective if it was a bit more drawn out. I agree that an hour long special would have greatly improved the ending's presentation.

Still, this show has been quite the ride!

 

[hughesta]

I think the ending could have been fixed if you have Ashi disappear in the time portal on the way back. Jack has to deal with grief while fighting Aku, and it'd be a longer and more intense scene because you could cut the wedding stuff.

That's how I would have done it, at least.

 

[Geist-]

So sad to see the show go. I agree with some of the criticisms, but mainly it just felt like the season should have been twice as long.

That last shot was beautiful regardless.

 

[FrigidEh]

Not a fan of Ashi disappearing while walking down the aisle but I'll let it slide because of the beautiful last frame.

 

[Bregor]

I liked it very much.

Any else suspect that the reason part of the season feels rushed is because originally they expected to have more time, and realized later that they would have to cut down on the number of episodes?

 

[gatti-man]

This final season needed minimum 5-10 more episodes. What we got was better than nothing but it felt really rushed especially the finale.

 

[Imperial Bishop]

Did anyone get a bingo?

 

[Dominican Power]

Wish we had more episodes.

 

[Sibersk Esto]

Did anyone get a bingo?

The far left column could actually count if you include the old intro getting played, and the power of love instead of friendship.

 

[B-Dubs]

Did anyone get a bingo?

Pretty sure you got a bingo right across the middle. He got back to the past, had an epilogue, Aku died, and he was shirtless.

 

[HStallion]

So now we hope Adult Swim commissions a third season of the Big O to finally answer all our questions and give it a nice clear and concise ending.

Spoiler

lol that would happen

 

[B-Dubs]

So now we hope Adult Swim commissions a third season of the Big O to finally answer all our questions and give it a nice clear and concise ending.

Spoiler

lol that would happen

I still wouldn't say no to more Big O. Make it happen DeMarco!