REVIEW: ‘To Your Eternity,’ Episode 20 – “Echoes”

To Your Eternity is a shonen fantasy anime produced by Brian’s Base. Having finally left Janada behind, Fushi travels searching for Pioran, the only friend he has left. But once he finds her, can he bring himself to endanger what time she has left in To Your Eternity Episode 20.

The inaugural season of To Your Eternity was a varied journey of heartache, triumph, and simple joys. Fushi’s growth into a fully formed individual took both the character and viewers on a truly unique experience. And while this variety of emotional experience has been the show’s strongest feature as a whole, it poses an interesting conundrum when approaching its season finale. After all, the finale typically highlights what a show does best. When a show’s strength is so varied, how does a single episode encapsulate this strength properly? Not easily, that’s for sure. However, To Your Eternity Episode 20 manages to achieve this goal nonetheless, as it serves as a fitting endpoint for the first leg of Fushi’s journey.

As the episode opens, we see Fushi discover the whereabouts of Pioran. She is having a meager meal in a restaurant as she patiently waits for Fushi. While Fushi is clearly happy to see his old friend, he is hesitant about approaching her. Fushi feels like all he has done is leave a trail of bodies in his wake. March, Gugu, Panora, and the children of Janada all weigh heavily on Fushi’s conscience. But, like the humans Fushi has come to resemble, he desires companionship. His struggle with what to do where his old friend is concerned is both touching and beautiful.

As someone who has often viewed themselves as a burden for others more than a help, Fushi’s internal struggle in To Your Eternity Episode 20 hits incredibly close to home. The desire to reach out but the fear that doing so will only end badly is a concept many of us can relate to. Even if our fears aren’t born from literal monsters, which dog our every step, but it is this juxtaposition of the fantastical situation of Fushi with the down-to-earth human experience that has made the show’s highs and lows so powerful. Despite Fushi’s alien nature and amazing powers, To Your Eternity has managed to keep his story in a space that makes it feel grounded and relatable. This episode does a beautiful job of bringing these elements together to give the viewer a fulfilling endpoint for the season. It has moments of pain, struggle, joy, sadness, and ultimately hope.

The animation in To Your Eternity Episode 20 delivers the episode’s emotional moments beautifully. Fushi’s struggle, pain, and hope are captured with all the power fans of the series would expect.

To take it all in, To Your Eternity Episode 20 manages to deliver a wonderful capstone to its story. With the final screen letting viewers know the second season is currently slated for fall 2022, viewers can look forward to the continuation of Fushi’s growth as a person. After where this episode leaves the story, I look forward to seeing what is to come next.

To Your Eternity Episode 20 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.