English Dub Review: Anne Shirley “I Don’t Know What Lies Around the Bend, but I’m Going to Believe That the Best Does”

Overview

After the reaper, whose name is Death, touches her life. Anne comes to the bend in the road…
Our Take

The episode marks a major turning point in Anne’s journey, along with those around her. After completing her studies, a now 16-year-old Anne returns home only to face a life-altering family loss that deeply reshapes her perspective on family and responsibility. The grief that follows is heavy and deeply personal, forcing Anne to confront the fragility and mortality of the world around her. For the first time, she experiences the pain of losing someone truly close, while also witnessing the growing vulnerability of those she holds dear…

Faced with unexpected hardships, Anne makes a major life decision that speaks volumes about her maturity and selflessness. Instead of pursuing a path laid out by her desired ambitions, she chooses to remain close to home, ensuring that someone important to her is not left behind. In a quiet twist of fate, this choice also brings healing to a long and begrudgingly-strained friendship, reminding us how sacrifice and empathy often go hand in hand…

Overall, this episode stands as a powerful emotional turning point, balancing quiet sorrow with the warmth of selfless growth. It doesn’t rely on dramatic twists, instead focusing on the quiet beauty of resilience, as characters navigate loss, shifting roles, and the bonds that keep everyone grounded. Sometimes in death, there are no proper goodbyes; all things in life have an unspecified time limit that never affixes to anyone’s schedule, and it’s uniquely unfair in a way that only life can be… With deeply human moments and subtle optimism, the episode marks the end of one chapter and the subtle beginning of another, gently reminding us that the path forward begins with quiet strength and newfound purpose.