YuruYuri S2 episode 11 was the most emotionally powerful episode of 2012.

The club discovers a time machine in the closet.

And Akari is accidentally sent back in time. The machine breaks, and she’s trapped.

She doesn’t know what to do or who to turn to. Fortunately, her sister discovers her and immediately believes her story.

“So what will you do next?” is the question.

Akari decides that she will correct her past mistakes. She has fortuitously returned to the first day of school, where her problems with a lack of presence began.

So she tries. She tries to wake up early to prevent herself from wearing her middle school uniform. She fails. She writes a note to herself on her desk, with a note not to screw up her introduction. Sakurako erases it as a mean prank. She tries to pass herself a note. It gets swallowed by Chinatsu’s hair.

She tries time and time again to change her past, but nothing she does can change it.

Later that night, she goes to sleep with her sister. Her sister asks if Akari is sure she wants to change her memories.

In an emotional climax, Akari decides that she will keep and accept her past exactly as it is.

Instead, she will win back her presence in the future!

The next day at school, the time machine is fixed (it was out of batteries).

Akari says her goodbyes, and leaves.

They will meet again, in the future.

As she travels back, Akari wonders what scene she will be greeted with on her return. She guesses that no one will even notice she was gone since she has no presence.

Instead, she is surprised to discover that not only has she been missed, but all her friends are making wanted posters and crying together. It is a tearful and joyous reunion.

Then Kyouko’s clip show ends.

She is a master storyteller. I’ll admit it, I was pretty close to crying.