Episode director/storyboards by
Yamauchi Shigeyasu, director of
Casshern Sins and
Yumekui Merry. Animation direction by
Hayama Junichi, who has been an animator since 1984, when he was 19, and has been involved in shows like
Transformers, Fist of the North Star, Casshern Sins, Toriko, and
Penguin Drum. And it shows. Lots of praise for those two on 2channel. They also did ep5 (capture of Saki and Satoru).
As for the episode as a whole, a comment on 2channel said: "I unconsciously ended up weeping." To quote the episode: "I've always loved you." I thought so. Emotional devastation.