The BEST episodes directed by Kou Matsuo
#1 - A Thorny Road
Yozakura Quartet - Season 1 - Episode 10
The Senior Council reveals that if the Seven Pillars are cut down, the city members will have to flee, but a portal that connects the human world to the yōkai world will not be created. When the townspeople question the decision, Hime is unable to calm them. On her regular rounds throughout the city, she learns that Akina has sent out recommendations to the townspeople to hide in safe locations, and she accuses him of lacking the resolve to defeat Enjin. A pair of giant yōkai attack, and Hime attempts to defeat one of them by herself, but is defeated. Akina, Kyōsuke, and Kotoha defeat both of them, and Hime is hospitalized. Meanwhile, the Seven Pillars start to grow, and Kyōsuke orders that the townspeople abandon the area. In the hospital, Hime tearfully confides to Akina that she is too weak to save the town by herself, and Ao tells her to allow her friends to help her.
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#2 - Dogwood
Yozakura Quartet - Season 1 - Episode 7
The townspeople of Sakurashin begin to prepare for the yearly festival honoring the Seven Pillars, and Akina and Hime, as the representatives of the Hiizumi and Yarizakura families respectively, are the key participants. In the ceremony, Hime carries the Dragon Spear into a shrine around one of the Seven Pillars and prays for the continued safety of the town. Following the ceremony, Akina and Hime join the party at Akina's office, where all the participants become inebriated on the alcoholic yōkai water. That morning, Enjin informs them that he has kidnapped Ao, and Akina, Hime, Kotoha, and Kyōsuke go to the shrine to meet him.
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#3 - Spinning Song
Yozakura Quartet - Season 1 - Episode 6
Enjin disappears and Ao relates the incident to Akina, who asks him to keep it a secret. Enjin begins to experience pain as Gin's body is resisting him, and he leaves Shinozuka to do what he pleases. Kotoha is planning a trip to Germany and a karaoke party with her friends, and Hime asks her to be her training partner. During the training, Hime pierces Kotoha's airplane ticket to Germany with her spear. Furious, Kotoha conjures a 88 mm gun. Kyōsuke blocks the shot, and Kotoha apologizes to Hime. That evening, Shinozuka kidnaps Kotoha's friends, and lures her to the river. Although Kotoha attempts to fight him, he dodges all of her attacks, and attempts to convince her to join him due to the abuse she received from humans in the past for being a hanyō. Hime arrives, reminding Kotoha that she is a human to the core, and Shinozuka retreats.
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#4 - It's Time
Yozakura Quartet - Season 1 - Episode 8
Enjin demands that Akina open the entrance to the shrine, and Hime attacks him. Kotoha and Ao begin to fight Shinozuka, who manages to dodge all of Kotoha's attacks. Using the telepathic abilities of Gin's body, Enjin realizes that Hime is unwilling to seriously fight him because he is inhabiting Gin's body and overpowers her. Realizing that Hime cannot defeat Enjin, Yae decides to join the fight, but Mariabelle, Yūhi's assistant, reveals that Yūhi has forbidden her from interfering. Enjin forces Akina to open the entrance to the shrine by holding Hime hostage, and Akina does so. Yae throws one of her swords into Enjin's back, but allows him to enter the shrine, where he starts to force the tree to bloom. To stop the process, Hime uses the Dragon Spear to remove part of the tree.
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#5 - Towards the Goal
Yozakura Quartet - Season 1 - Episode 9
Hime meets with the Senior Council, and discovers that one of its members is severely injured, as all of the members of the Senior Council are linked to the Seven Pillars. Meanwhile, several yōkai begin to lose control of their powers. Tōka accidentally uses her oni powers to break a car, and is hospitalized. Kyōsuke confronts Akina, accusing him of lacking the resolve to remedy the situation by using tuning on Enjin. Ao attempts to visit Hime, but finds her furiously training. Enjin recalls the time a member of the Hiizumi clan used tuning on him after he claimed Sakurashin should be a city only for yōkai. Ao confronts Akina and tells Akina that he should use tuning on Enjin regardless of the danger to Gin's soul. The following day, Akina and Hime meet with the Senior Council members, who order them to cut down the Seven Pillars.
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#6 - Doll Maker - Puppenmacher
Rozen Maiden - Season 2 - Episode 8
After having seen an apparition of Rozen, the creator of the dolls of the Rozen Maiden, Souseiseki soon sees the deep meaning behind the Alice Game. After having seen Enju and his feelings about dolls, Jun starts to wonder more about Rozen and his love for his dolls. Souseiseki resolves to fight her sisters, take their Rosa Mysticae, and become Alice.
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#7 - Alice - Alice
Rozen Maiden - Season 2 - Episode 12
The conflicts are solved, the battles are ended. Jun learns the shocking truth about Barasuishou, Enju, and Rozen. Enju was the maker of Barasuishou, not Rozen, therefore, Barasuishou perishes, while the other dolls of the Rozen Maiden will soon be revived.
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#8 - Determination
Yozakura Quartet - Season 1 - Episode 3
Hime trains in her dojo with Kyōsuke, and recalls when her grandmother, the previous mayor of the city, died and left the title of mayor to Hime. At Akina's office, Hime starts to raise a dog named Silver, and determined to raise it well, feeds it ramen. After hearing a citizen comment on Hime's focus on raising Silver over her mayoral duties, Akina relates this to Hime, who claims that she can do both without complications. That evening, Silver goes into Akina's office and bites him. Furious, Hime hits Silver and he walks away dejectedly despite Ao's pleas. Enjin encounters Silver after attacking one of the Seven Pillars, and implants a yōkai into him, forcing Hime to fight him. After the yōkai gains control over Silver's body, Akina is forced to use tuning, which releases both Silver's and the yōkai's souls.
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#9 - Rose Crystal - Rozenkristall
Rozen Maiden - Season 2 - Episode 1
Jun has overcome his past and must now make up all his schoolwork before he can actually go back. Suiseiseki and Souseiseki barge into the Sakurada residence as usual, the dolls play with each other, and everything is back to normal. However, Shinku starts to face deep nightmares about Suigintou. Barasuishou, the fraud of the seventh doll of the Rozen Maiden, is introduced.
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#10 - Waiting Under
Yozakura Quartet - Season 1 - Episode 5
Hime returns from her business trip, and begins to broadcast a song of her own making throughout the city. Meanwhile, Akina meets with the Senior Council, which tells him to disregard that Enjin is in Gin's body. Afterwards, Akina meets with Yae, and tells her to keep his encounter with Enjin a secret. Hime, Ao, Kotoha, Kyōsuke, and Tōka agree to supervise a daycare center, but are unable to control the children until Ao uses her telepathic abilities to play with the children. When Ao reads the mind of Junta, a reclusive child, she accidentally reveals a promise he made with his missing father, and Junta runs away. Distressed, Ao refuses to use her telepathic abilities. Akina and Hime manage to find the boy's father, and Ao apologizes to Junta. As Ao relaxes on one of the Seven Pillars, she sees Enjin hovering in the sky.
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#11 - What Is Your Name?
Yozakura Quartet - Season 1 - Episode 2
Hime meets with Yūhi Shinatsuhiko, a tochigami, to discuss Rin's status in the city, and they decide to have her attend school and work in the city. Hime assigns Akina to be Rin's caretaker, but she quickly leaves. When she encounters Hime, she asks why Akina is allowed in the city, and Hime claims that Akina's tuning ability is necessary for the city's peace; however, Rin considers tuning murder. Elsewhere, Enjin Hiizumi, a wolf yōkai, attacks one of the Seven Pillars, the spiritual sakura trees that protect the city. Throughout the city, yōkai begin to lose control of their powers, and Hime confronts Akina, who is upset about Rin's belief that tuning is murder. Near Akina's office, Rin begins to lose control of her powers, and Akina uses tuning to expel the yōkai that was possessing her. The following day, a grateful Rin arrives at Akina's office to sell food.
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#12 - Looking Back
Yozakura Quartet - Season 1 - Episode 4
Akina and Hime discuss Enjin's possession of Gin Nanami, Ao's brother, with Yūhi, who claims that Gin's soul is likely destroyed. Elsewhere, Enjin realizes that he cannot use his full power because Gin's soul is still present in his body. Ao and Tōka Kishi, Kyōsuke's sister, prepare food for Hime on her business trip. When Akina searches for headphones for Hime, he finds a monkey statue that he won in a yakisoba-eating contest with Gin and Hime. That evening, Enjin attacks the barrier created by the Seven Pillars and passes through it. His associate, Eiji Shinozuka, is confronted by Kotoha, Ao, and Yūhi, who realizes that Shinozuka is a hanyō like Kotoha. Akina confronts Enjin, but is unwilling to use tuning on him after Enjin reveals that Gin's soul is still present in his body. Akina is saved by Yae Shinatsuhiko, Yūhi's sister, and Enjin retreats.
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#13 - Shinku - Reiner Rubin
Rozen Maiden - Season 1 - Episode 12
Jun carries Shinku off while the rest of the dolls fight Suigintou. Shinku breaks down upon the loss of her arm. She feels that she has become defective in the face of the dolls' constant strive for perfection and is no longer worthy to become Alice. It's Jun's turn to talk some sense into Shinku and he pledges to protect her. The dolls are beaten to a pulp and Suigintou moves to attack Jun using his fears. When Jun sees Shinku's broken limb, he refuses to lose to his fears and invokes the power to dispel Suigintou's attack. Shinku's arm reattaches itself and she faces off with Suigintou in a last conclusive battle. Suigintou is defeated and it's revealed that she's an unfinished/defective product but managed to get this far without a medium just by her determination and love for 'father' alone. She's powered by her desire to gain acceptance and wants to prove to everyone that she's a complete doll. Nori stops Suiseseki and Souseseki from trimming around Jun's tree, saying that Jun nee
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#14 - It's the Irresponsible One Who's Scary When Pissed
Gintama - Season 4 - Episode 29
Tsukuyo falls into the hands of Jiraia, her former master, and is held captive. Meanwhile Gintoki manages to survive the attack thanks to Zenzo, and he learns about Jiraia’s past. During the Amanto attack twenty years ago, Jiraia is said to have killed his own people within the Oniwabanshu, all for the sake of his devotion to the previous shogun. In the end Jiraia himself was the one to be terminated, but he managed to escape. Now his devotion is directed toward his own creation, Tsukuyo. Jiraia’s motive is to eliminate the bond that she has come to rely upon. And he intends to achieve that goal by setting fire to Yoshiwara and burning down everything!
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#15 - Rose Maiden - Fräulein Rose
Rozen Maiden - Season 1 - Episode 1
The series starts off with a lovely tea party with a little girl and her father at the center of attention. When one of her dolls moves on a moonlit night, the little girl enclosed it in the suitcase. Fast forward to Japan in recent times. Sakurada Nori, a clumsy but kind-hearted girl, is rushing home to make meals for her brother, Jun. He has been avoiding attending school and is a virtual recluse because of his complex. Jun is hooked on mail-order goods (usually some strange occult stuff)and then using the return rule at the last moment. Soon after Jun-kun choose the 'wind it' option on a mail order form, he trips over a suitcase in his room. He open it up to discover an exquisite doll and winds it up. He is aghast when the doll comes to life and gives him a slap for touching her without permission. She then inform him that she is the fifth doll of the Rozen Maidens, named Shinku. When black feathers drifted into the room, it marks the arrival of a clown doll who wants to kill Jun. T
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#16 - Duty
Gungrave - Season 1 - Episode 21
Word of Bunji's attempt on Brandon's "life" makes it all the way to Bear Walken, who wonders what exactly it is Brandon really wants. Also, Bunji has gone missing. Lee is growing ever-frustrated with the lack of progress in finding Brandon, and with Bob's death so to went most of the information Bob had on the goings-on of the area. Meanwhile, T and Brandon smuggle themselves and Mika into Billion. T departs for some unknown errand(s) leaving Brandon and Mika with Rich(who is now blind) and Gary, who reveal to Brandon and Mika that BD was murdered(Brandon being "dead" and Mika in isolation were unaware of this). T meets with a mysterious man in an alleyway, this man gives T all of the documents pertaining to OrgMen, Superiors, and their weaknesses. They are soon attacked by Millennion agents and the man dies defending T as he escapes. Brandon heads out for Millennion HQ, leaving Mika in Rich and Gary's care, and the scene cuts to Bunji getting drunk and thrown out of a bar. Upon arriving near Millennion, he is immediately attacked by OrgMen. When Lee hears of this, he realizes there must be more accomplices that T, so Lee goes out to find them. When Mika wakens, she intends to go out and help Brandon, however Rich consoles her with the story of why BD created the Syndicate. Upon finishing the tale, Lee slices a hole in the wall and gloats that the car Brandon drove was registered to Gary. Lee kills Gary and Rich with the blades infused through his body with Superior, he then kidnaps Mika. T finds Brandon only to learn that Mika has been captured and that Gary and Rich are dead. The episode closes with Bunji asking Ragnarok to make him a Superior.
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#17 - Are There Still People Who Go to the Ocean and Yell Out "Bakayaro"? / When a Person Is Trapped, Their Inner Door Opens
Gintama - Season 4 - Episode 24
The Odd Jobs Trio are wrapping up a case and waiting for the elevator inside a skyscraper at night. The client is the president of a huge corporation, and the gang receives a handsome reward. It’s their first huge cash haul in a while, so Gintoki and the gang decide to celebrate by having yakiniku (barbeque). As they excitedly discuss which place they should go to, the elevator arrives. But just when they get on, trouble occurs.
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#18 - Harry
Gungrave - Season 1 - Episode 15
Harry has set it up to appear as if Brandon was embezzling funds from Millennion, thus leading everyone to believe he is a traitor, some people are simply forcing themselves to believe it simply because it would make life easier. Big Daddy doesn't believe it, but Harry slowly became owner of 80% of Millennion, so BD can't do very much. BD confides in Bear and reveals that Maria is now pregnant with BD's child. There are a few people who may move against Harry, most prominently Bisco, but Harry finds out the secret location of Bisco's home, that not even BD knows the location of. This action intimidates Bisco, for he fears for the safety of his wife and daughter. Bunji, falling deeper into his anger and madness, slaughters a target and his family and renames the True Graves to the Kugashira-gumi. Gary, at Brandon's grave, accidentally let's slip that Brandon betrayed the Syndicate, while in Maria's presence. Harry, after quelling any real emotions for so long, sees a boy being thrown out of a restaurant he works at for breaking plates. Harry goes in and shoots the manager that threw him out and the boy cries in shock at seeing the man dead on the floor. Harry is confused at first, the he grows extremely angry declaring Brandon chose BD over him, and that that's why he shot him. Lee enters the room and declares that there has been an accident at the lab, it turns out the Necro-Rise prototypes have all awoken and gone wild. Dr. Tokioka, who has been keeping the body of Brandon Heat on hand for mysterious reasons, awakens Brandon and gives him prototype weaponry that tears through the prototypes.
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#19 - Beware of Foreshadows
Gintama - Season 4 - Episode 36
Okita is going through a selection of sweets at the cake shop. As Okita leaves the store, a girl suddenly comes up and stabs him!! Calling Okita her father’s killer, the girl’s action seems to be fueled by a past case called the “Rokkaku Incident.” What is the connection between this incident and Okita, as well as the girl’s father? And more importantly, what’s the fate of Okita who’s been stabbed right at the start of this episode?!
#20 - Whenever I Hear Leviathan, I Think of Sazae-san. Stupid Me!!
Gintama - Season 4 - Episode 44
The episode begins with a short sequence about Kamui transferring into Yato High School and is told from Abuto's point of view. While the Shinsengumi are out on a mission, Hijikata notices snot coming out of Kondo's nose so he wonders how he could tell him without the others noticing Kondos problem. In the end the snot even takes control over Kondo's body and it comes out that Kondo's true identity is being an Amanto in snot form. As Hijikata destroys it, he realizes it has been all a dream.
#21 - Blooming Cherry Blossom
Yozakura Quartet - Season 1 - Episode 1
Due to a recent spree of attacks by an escaped criminal, Hime Yarizakura begins to investigate the occurrences with her assistant, Kyōsuke Kishi. She enlists the help of Akina Hiizumi, Ao Nanami, and Kotoha Isone, who are preparing to welcome a new yōkai resident, Rin Azuma, a Jiang Shi, into Sakurashin. That evening, Hime confronts the criminal, Kosuke Yoshimura, who is holding Rin hostage, and Kosuke disappears when Hime attacks him. The following day, Kosuke holds V Juri F, a nurse, hostage, and demands that Hime comes to him. Hime does so and with Ao's, Kotoha's, and Kyōsuke's aid, they defeat Kosuke. Rin appears and holds Akina at gunpoint, revealing that Kosuke promised her revenge on the humans that abused her. Akina uses tuning to expel the yōkai from Kosuke's body, and when he offers to bring Rin to his office, she declines, claiming that she hates all humans.
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#22 - Rain
Gungrave - Season 1 - Episode 3
The remaining members of the gang go into hiding, and Harry is betrayed by Scott. Ladd enters a mysterious research facility and kills all the doctors with the exception of a young Dr. Tokioka, the men in black from earlier appear at the lab after the two have already left. We find out Jester is not really Maria's uncle, but an ex-Millennion hitman who killed her parents and, in grief, adopted Maria. Jester tells Brandon to leave town, saying that Brandon will only make Maria miserable. Deed appears with the gun his brother gave him, but Jester pulls his own gun and scares Deed off. Jester is shot from the shadows by Ladd. Harry, Nathan and Kenny appear, Nathan, upon seeing Ladd, wrestles Kenny's gun from his pocket, only to find the gun is fake. Ladd shoots Nathan and then Kenny. One of the men in black appears, and Ladd recognizes him as Millennion's #1 sweeper, Bear Walken. Bear and Ladd shoot it out with Bear the victor, who claims revenge in the name of Big Daddy's best friend Jester. Maria waits at home wondering where her Uncle has gone while Harry and Brandon pay a visit to Deed, who is executed, much to Brandon's shock, by Harry.
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