Warning: SPOILERS for Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again episode #11

Crunchyroll’s series Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again is not the typical laid-back slice-of-life anime. The anime shows the everyday lives of the elderly couple, Shouzou and Ine Saitou, and how they manage their new, unexpected youthfulness after eating a magical golden apple. However, the anime discloses soon that the couple has only changed physically, and their time is still shortened since their hourglasses keep running out of sand, which gives away some tear-jerking moments.

Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again is a relaxing Iyashikei anime that, unfortunately, has flown under the radar of many viewers. While it is a cozy, wholesome series with an overall simple premise, its message is much deeper than that; it’s a story that celebrates life.

Episode #11 of the series revealed the fate of Shouzou and Ine in an emotional, heartbreaking finale that delivered one of the most bittersweet final scenes in anime, ending Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again in the best possible way.

Shouzo and Ine Died the Way They Wanted

The Saitou Couple Lived a Fulfilling Life Together.

Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again’s episode #9 revealed that Ine only had 7 days left to live. Shouzo then, thanks to the intervention of the goddess of the shrine, wishes to sacrifice half of his lifespan to share it with Ine and declares that they will die together that way, so neither of them will have to face the sadness of watching the other pass away. Shouzo’s wish is fulfilled in the final episode of the series, because rather than give them some kind of miracle to extend their lifetimes, the anime ends with a poignant scene of the couple peacefully dying together as they fall asleep, remembering their loved ones, and sitting under the tree that they planted together when they got married.

The ending, although anticipated, still leaves a sense of melancholy; however, Shouzo and Ine died without regrets and showcased the true definition of love, not only “till death do us part,” but also how is maintained through the years. It’s a perfect ending for a story whose main message is the passage of time and how it affects everybody, not only old people, showing how things change with the years: businesses close, people move to the big cities, and some jobs become insignificant. Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again‘s ending teaches that there’s nothing that can be done to stop time, so people should seize the day and cherish the moments they spend with their loved ones.

Grandpa And Grandma Turn Young Again Is A Real Lesson In Life.

Shouzou And Ine’s Story Gives Viewers an Uplifting Perspective on Life.

Is there anything you’d want to do if you were young again?

The anime starts with a question that may strike a chord in some people, especially those who feel unfulfilled with their lives. However, when Shouzou and Ine actually face this situation themselves, their lives don’t change much. They keep living as they have for the last sixty years, except that they can do things with a little more ease with younger bodies. The reason for this is explained by the quote that Ine said to Mino in episode #10.

You should do everything you want to do now, while you still can. As long as you have courage and determination, you can do anything.

Shouzo and Ine lived how they wanted, and they had no regrets or other wishes in their lives. This inspired Mino and Shouta, who continued to take care of their grandparents’ orchard as a couple, loving each other just like them with an unbreakable relationship and inexhaustible love, as proved by that golden apple that also appeared to them. This teaches that people, whether young or old, like Shouzou and Ine, should strive to make the most of the time they have.

The anime celebrates the happiness of being alive, the beauty of marriage, the wisdom of the elderly, and the importance of cherishing family and enjoying the present, which gives a great lesson in life: people should do everything they love, be with the people they love, and say the words they want to say. All of this confirms that Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again got the perfect ending to Shouzou and Ine’s story, which could easily become the best finale out of all Crunchyroll’s Spring 2024 animes.