(CR) 91 Days

[xeviouses]

Ah, I wanted a clear-cut ending. Ambiguity just makes things confusing and a subject for debate.

Thoughts on the finale, I think Nero really did kill him and the other driver was there to confirm the kill either Avilio or Nero. The pineapple was a last gift Avilio left for Nero.

Theme seems to be all for nothing, Avilio got what he wanted, complete revenge against the Vanetti's but in the end he really has nothing left with his last lifeline being killed with his own hands.

Their road trip to the ocean is similar to death row inmate's last meal, the execution is gonna go through might as well make 'em one last time.

Steak is a standard meal before execution and was featured three times in the episode. First at hotel and two times during the road trip.

Great show. 8/10

[Master_Yoma]

A nice ending one last road trip good thing they went to the beach

6/10 would of been better if it was longer

[Dengar]

The thing about an open ending is you're not supposed to debate it. An open ending is w/e you want it to be.

I did like the show though. In the end, they stopped being enemies. Just two guys who lost everything.

[BPD Renegade]

Originally, I wasn't sure what to make of the ending, but the more I think about it, the more I believe that both Angelo and Nero died. This is mainly due to the Strega subplot which would be left hanging otherwise.

In ep 12, Strega seems pleased with Avilio's lack of ambition now that his goals have ended, and he's likely interested in having Avilio be something like the Del Toro to Strega's Vincent. That speculation aside, what we do know is that Strega makes Avilio an offer in exchange for killing someone -- it's probably safe to assume that this someone is Nero. A travel guide was conveniently placed on the table for Avilio, and also convenient for Nero, Strega had the entire hotel cleared out for the Vanetti hunt with the exception of a pathetically inadequate guard on Avilio. Then, somehow, Nero finds out where Avilio is being kept.

It looks like the entire situation was setup by Strega, and Angelo was given the choice to make of it what he willed, granted he remain alive after Nero got to him. Further evidence is that throughout the episode, it seems like the pair are being followed and spied upon, something we see Nero note in the diner and when he drives away from the ocean. There was an off feeling throughout the road trip, and in retrospect, I feel like it was because Nero knew that neither of them were going to make it out, and that these were their last days. His only goal then was to understand Angelo's motivations.

Meanwhile, the reason the Galassias did not involve themselves, other than to monitor the situation in the periphery, was Strega's deal with Avilio. Then there were only two possible outcomes:
1. Angelo kills Nero, and as per Strega's deal, he's free. Except Angelo is an empty shell with no desire to live -- he's figuratively dead already.
2. He doesn't kill Nero. In which case the Galassias who have been following them will do the job, and Angelo is either killed or taken back to Strega.

Now for the final scenes.

Nero knew he was a dead man. With this last "road trip," he also realized that his failure to kill Angelo seven years ago wasn't an act of mercy but a cause of suffering. At first, I took Nero's words to Angelo about not needing a reason to live at face value -- Nero was trying to convince him to keep living -- but taking these other factors into account, now it seems more of a statement to Angelo about Nero himself. With these words, Nero is differentiating himself from Angelo. Nero doesn't need a reason to live. He just lives for the sake of it. So when he shoots Angelo, it's not not an act of vengeance or an attempt to find meaning in his life like it was for Angelo during his quest for revenge. Rather, it's a mercy killing. Nero knows that he's going to be a dead man, he knows Angelo's not going to be the one to do it, and so rather than leaving Angelo to the mercy of the Galassias, he's making up for what he couldn't do seven years ago, and he's putting Angelo out of his misery. We can see this determination in the contrast between the shooting scenes from seven years ago and the present. In the past, Nero shut his eyes before shooting. In the present, he opens them and shoots.

Afterwards, Nero leaves the canned pineapples as a memento of Avilio. He wouldn't need one if he had the knowledge that Angelo is out there somewhere living. I have to admit that the type of smile does throw my argument off a bit, but I think it can be a sign of Nero's release from the cycle of revenge, which is also denoted by presence of the pineapples. He didn't kill his enemy, he set his friend free. Because of this, he can smile like that.

And lastly, the footprints. The footprints are being washed away starting from the end of the tracks to the beginning, so it could be that there is a corpse, but it's off-screen. That aside, I personally feel that the scene is less about whether or not Nero killed Angelo and more symbolic of Angelo and Nero's journey. Here, at the end, their tracks and their lives are being swept away by the tides until not a trace remains. In the end, was there really any meaning to any of it?


Anyway, this was probably my favorite show this season. Granted, I didn't watch very many series, and what I did watch were mostly C-range. I wasn't sure what to make of the ending at first, but after sitting on what happened, I'm now thoroughly satisfied.

[Kismet-chan]

I'm kind of disappointed in the ending, honestly. This wasn't a story that needed an open-ended finale. Well... I say "open-ended", but I personally took the last few scenes to be a painting of the fact that Nero didn't kill Angelo. His smile at the pineapple can was way too fond. This, and I think the creators were obviously trying to bring the series' events full circle -- with the sequence of them traveling together one final time mirroring earlier episodes, and the scene of Nero aiming the gun at Angelo being composed almost exactly like the flashbacks. (Though, this begs the question of why they split ways... Especially after the chat about life and not needing a reason for it. Their chances of survival would be much, much higher if they stayed together.)

I totally would've been satisfied if they had just decided to put all the shit they went through behind themselves and go on a never-ending road trip. But instead, we got this wishy-washy conclusion that played out like some limp poetic waxing... I'm not really feelin' it.

That aside, I'd give the series as a whole an 8/10. If they had more episodes to flesh out more of the characters properly and it didn't have that lame ending, this easily would've been at least a solid 9.

[Maxulous]

In the end, was there really any meaning to any of it?

That bothers me more than any ambiguity.

I still think the show was held back by a rigid faithfulness to archetype and genre. Some stronger world building (and direction) would have helped too. The best I can say is that it was tastefully done.

[grecefar]

I think that if there was no more footprints in the beach is because angelo's body when to the ocean/ It was a good ending, either angelo is death or not I personally liked it.

[LG-MAX 2.o]

Finished the episodes now, amazing anime about the mafia, has everything an incredible drama needs, and there was an incredible characterization on the subject and the character, there is not much else to say, 91 days and Mob are easily the best of the season animes and are the kind of series that rekindle the desire to continue watching anime.

9.0 / 10.0

It would have been better if it were two films instead.

ps: I liked the end, raises discussions, and well, end like this are not uncommon.

[GDiddy]

Amazing series overall and definitely one of the best this year.

I didn't mind the openend though...I was surprised it happened, but somehow it fit.

[Mad Pierrot]

The true ending

[Sides]

I like the series. From beginning to the end it kind of reminds me of old mafia movies. I don't think the ending was surprising and was nicely done. Sometimes you don't need show everything and leave it up to the viewer to deceide how they want to have things pan out.

[Dengar]

I really liked that whole "Then you should have killed me!" realization. When you go out to kill a whole family, leaving one alive is no act of kindness. I mean of course they shouldn't have killed the family to begin with, but that's a different matter entirely.

[Applehell]

I thought it was pretty fitting end to series which was ultimately a revenge story about a man who nothing in life to live for. Even when Angelo achieved his goal nothing really changed and he ironically lost more than he gained by going through with it. I feel that even if Nero hadn't anything he would eventually waste away on his own due Angelo closing off any potenial future once Corteo died. Very much a Greek tragedy. Well assuming Angelo is dead anyway.

Very good series even if was kind of stardard for it's genre. It may not have done anything new, but shows like this are rare in anime especially as well done as this overall so gets a pass. 9/10

[crafty_bernardo]

The ending felt as if it was something of a Beat Kitano motif?.

[serac]

The ending seemed a bit rushed compare to everything that has happened until now. But I can understand that Avilio has lived just to seek his revenge and now he has done it, he has no reason to live; however I was a bit disappointed that it ended so soon. And that is also the reason why he didn't kill Nero because if he did, then he would have to keep on living. Overall, it was a good series for me, it was definitely something new. Hope it was a bit longer though. 8.5/10

[Dengar]

I thought the reason he didn't kill Nero is because there was no point anymore. He destroyed the Vanettis and took everything from Nero and he felt empty inside. Killing Nero on top of that wouldn't help.