The Masterful Open Ending of 91 Days: A Video Essay 

Criminally underrated and under recognized anime. Wonder video essay by the way!

Just finished this show about 20 mins ago and was thinking about it. Another thing I thought about was Nero’s dad saying it was “all for nothing” or something close to that to Nero before he died which I feel like could mean he didn’t kill him in the end. And even within the discontent they had for one another they became “best friends” for lack of better words due to being within the only ones who can truly comprehend one another’s subsequent pain they’ve experienced when it comes to absolute loss and even having to take the life of a brother Angelos being corteo who considered each other brothers. But honestly love the open ending concept because it makes you think back into other nuances of the show to mentally try to put stuff together.

My personal interpretation was that he missed the shot, and left knowing they were being tailed. He made the man tailing them think Nero shot Angelo, and then leaves knowing he'll continue to be hunted, but Angelo will be disappear just like before

This is how I see the ending: Nero, remembered the time he 1st pointed the gun at the back of Angelo, 7 years ago. And, he did the same thing, he pulls the trigger without hitting Angelo, and lets him live.

if you go to the wiki fandom for the show, they say Angelo is dead, which imho is bull. I know Nero wanted to so badly kill Angelo but he wouldn't smile upon the pineapple and leave him with those words if he killed him. the greatest punishment for Angelo is to be left alive as he doesn't know what to do with his life, so Nero granted him that.

you don't need a reason to live. you just live ~nero vanetti

I just wanted to see cool gun fights not be depressed

There is also an OVA take place some time around ep 4 which shows when they were on the run, nero got sick and ate all the pineapple angelo had bought. Angelo took care of him, then toward the end of the OVA, nero bought angelo another pineapple can as his thank. So, the can at the end of ep 12 is not the one angelo bought, but a gift from nero for him.

Love this video so much!! So well described!! I also thought that if Nero did indeed shoot and kill Angelo, it was for Angelo's sake, not his own. Angelo wants to die, feels empty, and Nero finally does what he should have years ago and kills Angelo so that Angelo doesn't have to deal with the terrible burden he's been carrying of his family's murder. Angelo is basically a ghost the entire series, should have died with his family and had peace years ago, but instead is cursed to haunt his family's murderers because Nero hesitated. At the end, Nero's shot would be what finally lets Angelo's soul leave. This interpretation would mean Nero isn't perpetuating the cycle of violence; instead, part of his arc is realizing you can kill for mercy, which I would assume is a more unheard of concept in the mafia world. The "You don't need a reason to live. You just live" also could be for Nero himself. Angelo was dead the moment his family died. Nero now has to force himself to keep going to not follow in Angelo's shoes of empty ghostly revenge.

I had no clue this anime wasn’t mainstream. I just finished it and it’s pretty great. The opera house massacre of the Vanettis and Angelo almost killing Nero’s dad was the most intense bit.

This was brilliantly explained! I loved this! 👏🏾

one of the best revenge animes i have seen

Just binged watched the show today and my, oh my, what a show it was. Heard the OP one time my brother was playing it and I was enthralled by how well TK did the OP. Now I've watched it and I'm just dumbstruck. It was too good. I checked on Wikipedia and it seemed as though the ending was not shown in order which further adds to the open ending of the series. The part where Angelo woke up in bandages and was talked to by Strega could be said to be after Nero had shot him (if you recall, when he woke up, you could hear the ocean waves). The last episode was not necessarily ordered chronologically which even makes the ending more uncertain. But yep, the show definitely tugged my heartstring

Thank you, I gotta say watching the first bit of your video made me want to rewatch the entire series again after 5 years and I was pleasantly surprised by it and after rewatching the whole series, it gave me more context in finishing your video. I was also surprised to know there was another episode after the 12th one, the 13th one gave it a more positive ending to the whole series in general. But thank you again for the insight of the open ending. I feel like this series was quite a sleeper hit, and I hope a lot more can watch it and find your video

This anime really gave me a better perspective. It was amazing, and this video was awesome!

This is such a great video. The explanation is brilliant.

Thank you for this. Loved this show.

The ending was sad but hey at least angelo and nero made their amends

Just got done watching the show, and I had to looks up the meaning for the pineapple can. Great video btw.

forgot to watch this with my YAPpuccino. thanks for covering it up.

At first, I didn't even realize this show had an open ending. I just thought Nero had killed Avilio sort of as an act of mercy mixed with his own entitlement to avenge the clan. I didn't think much of the mafia guy in the other car as Nero drove by either. Your arguments for the possible multiple endings were very good and made me feel more satisfaction with this anime's conclusion. I usually hate open endings but I totally agree with you that, for this story, such an ending works and it played out very well.

Gun is aimed high, pretty sure he missed on purpose.

I just finished the anime and and quite happy to have found this video.

I translated the anime back when it came out into my language (from english). After all these years, it is still one of the best anime shows I've watched.

9:10 is so important and a good interpretation and analysis

nero and angelo are like that dudes on code geass thats why i like it. that friendship even you hate each others but still you both cant tell theyre clean because they already shed blood on their hands

Just watched it yesterday I binged it loved it

I always come back to what Michael Franzese said about mob movies, "At the end, everyone goes down"

wowwww i love this analysis!

Great Video ( I Love This Anime ). Its so Deep and Dark. The Ending is Masterpiece. ( I Watched it 1 year ago and i still sometimes just watch the last episode and just randomly type 91 Days on youtube lol look what i found ).....Still depressed from the ending.

just finished rewatch this masterpiece for 99th times

Wonderful Video Essay! The open ending is masterful and really makes this a timeless anime. Whether Angelo lives or dies we may never know, but the ending I like to imagine is this: Nero and Angelo both know they are being tailed but while Angelo sees death as the only escape, Nero refuses to let this happen. To let the cycle continue. So while on the road Nero makes his own plans in secret… and once everything is in place he heads towards the final destination: the beach… And once there, he has his gun, the kid and all the time in the world… Angelo starts walking… Walking and waiting for what he believes will be his death… an end to it all at last… but yet again the sound of the gun blasts and yet again it fails to find him… BUT… This is where Nero’s plan jumps into action, for the gun shot was not intended to kill but was a single fire to call a boat waiting off shore… the boat belongs to a friend of a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy kind of job… and he pays the man to take Angelo away while he goes to take care of the men chasing them. Nero either kills them or convinces them he’s killed Angelo. Tail taken care of Nero then drives to a meeting point at a port village further down the coast where he meets up with Angelo. Together they set sail to begin anew in a town far far away… Perhaps in one of those towns on the posters we see in the show… or even better, a town ripe with pineapples… 🍍 🌊 ☀️

I still remember the whole anime even though I haven't watched it since it came out, I remember listening to the opening on my way to highschool because for some reason I felt connected to it. This anime felt how I felt at the time, hurt, empty and without purpose

I believe Angelo is dead. Nero was mistaken to let him live and suffer 7 years ago, this time he ended his misery as an act of mercy.

Why I feel like this anime won’t end like that.. I notice I lotta 7s in it 1: Angelo returned to Lawless after 7 years. 2: Word (Lawless) is 7 letters. 3: word (Vanetti) is 7 letters. 4: there Vanetti clan has 7 main member (Don Vanetti, Nero, Frate, Ganzo Alary, Del toro, Vanno, Barbero). 5: there is 7 Dons in the episode (Don Moreno, Don Vanetti, Don Nero, Don Orco, Don Fango, Don Galassia, Don Strega) 6: the Vanetti Opera playhouse finished at the end of June and opened in July which is the 7th month of year. And some other 7s.. the way I think of this anime.. its wasteful to call it an anime it should be a novel masterpiece.

First of all, great video. How the hell do you only have 787 subs??? (788 now though lol) Secondly, I always thought that in the end, the can means that Nero ended up killing Angelo. I just thought it was a good way to wrap up this revenge plot anime. I really appreciate you breaking down the other possible endings.

Just finished this anime. Can’t explain how amazing it is. I’m in the honey moon phase rn but this literally might be my favorite anime of all time. And one of the best mob “films” of all time. Wow, just wow.

Great video !!!!

Someone has actually seen this shwo….AND THEY ANALYZED IT😩

I'm a little torn, on one hand I feel like they loved each other too much to kill one and other by the end. On the other, I feel like Nero frankly suffered more than Angelo did and wouldn't easily let Angelo go despite his love for him. I also believe that regardless of what went down between Angelo and Nero, Nero will die at the hands of the Chicago mob. Ugh this show is so fucking good lol

You gained a sub!

After doing some research and watching your essay, i have conclude that this series is masterpiece and the ending is super open.. Madam i have to thank you for making such wonderful essay, without you i will left utterly confused and in denied. But after watching your essay I think I made my choice, and my choice is to let the ending be open forever.. if someone ask me if Angelo still alive?? I will answer i don't know.. what happened to them?? I don't know.. let the ending be open...

Does nobody remember the first time the went out together and Angelo got him the caned pineapples I think that he look at it and thought of Angelo

Just finished this great series. It's a great anime It's way too much underrated And the animation is not bad either And music is good as well

After years of watching the animation, After watching your video I think I know what happened at the end! How come I never thought of it 😱 there was a hint! The sea and the missing footsteps 👣 😢 he drowned thats why the footsteps stopped. Did he drown himself or did the other guy did it? Still its an open ending 🤔

the thing that stuck to my head is that angelo could simply run or kill nero he had a lot of chance's and a lot of time to think but he simply decided that he will just die

you guys got to understand how beautiful the ending is, and the parallels within it. From a blind eye you can think Angelo is dead the end that’s the story, but in reality Nero didn’t kill him. They’re both even and both are suffering their fates instead of death. Nero is regretting his choices and watching his mafia fall while Angelo realize it was all for nothing and he has now lost the purpose for life anymore. Death doesn’t suit either of them it will just end their suffering which is a favor. The parallel with the ending and the beginning scene is that Nero missed his shot while Angelo back was turned getting away just like he did 7 years ago. I haven’t seen a very beautiful ending like this in awhile.

A summary would've been nice.

just finished watching w anime found on a website talking about it

But Angelo never actually killed corteo ?

Unpopular opinion 91 days > deathnote

Sad

Exactly!

The ending isn't actually the ending, chronologically it's before Angelo woke up in the bed

Essay is good but too many loftly quotes used

I truly believe that Nero kills Angelo, but less for revenging and more for releasing him from his torment. As for what Nero said just before that, is that he gave Angelo just a life leason, but also to the viewer. Even though he was telling him to just live imo it did not contradicted the decision of killing Angelo.

All i came for to see if he died(cz im in luv with dis show)

Nice video but this could have been just 7 or 10 minutes

In my opinion the true villain in the history is Angelo himself, even nero was a good person compared to angelo