Which Anime Have the Best Endings?

[KholdStare]

Meh, there has been too much negativity in this board as of late, so it's time to discuss new and happy things! Oh, and please use spoiler tags if you're revealing spoilers. When in doubt, use them anyways.

Spoiler for Kimi ga Nozomu Eien:

I really can't imagine another ending. If Haruka didn't become the deus ex machina, then things would've gotten very complicated. With this ending, both Haruka and Mitsuki are satisfied (who cares about Takayuki, right?) in their own ways. In short, it's the "happiest" ending this series could have achieved.

Spoiler for Bokurano:

Spoiler for Warning, heavy spoilers!:

I was so glad Kana didn't die. Even though I was enjoying the anime all the same, I really did not want Kana to die, and she didn't, so I thought that was a very "happy" ending. If the series followed, the manga, then Jun would pretty much still be hated at the very end of the show. I liked the ending most because it makes me like Jun and support him at the very end.

Spoiler for Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight!:

This is one of the most "complete" ending that I have ever seen. In short, it gives a very satisfying sense of a resolution, as well as doing a witty thing like explaining the reasoning behind the intro. For many series, I often feel uncomfortable at the ending because it was lacking or want more because the series was so good. For the particular series, it ended where I thought it was best to end it and delivered a very emotional scene.

Spoiler for Air:

Ah, Air, one of my favorite anime of all time. Of course this is a bit iffy since it depends entirely on your own interpretation of the series' ending, but based on my interpretation, it was perfect. It was confusing enough that you have to think about it for a while, but not overly confusing to the point where a second season is pointless in the eyes of the people with good comprehension skills.

Spoiler for 5 Centimeters per Second:

Like Air, it leaves just enough room for several theories (while not being way too vague like TokiKake's ending) and just enough hints to make solid conclusions. It's less confusing than Air's ending though, which I appreciated a lot.

List your happy memories here!

[Oppius]

Spoiler for Kannazuki no Miko:

While most people agree that Himeko should ends up with Souma, I love the "meet each other again" scene at the final seconds of the show.

[The Chaos]

Mine Would Be Nodame Cantabile....Marmalade Boy....Full Moon wo Sagashite ^^

[Ryougi Shiki]

Seto no Hayanome

[jedinat]

I'll second Full Moon wo Sagashite
Onegai Teacher
Kurau Phantom Memory had a good ending in that you're led to believe the ending is horrible, but then it turns out it isn't so horrible... ^^
I'll second Kannazuki no Miko since the ending somewhat redeems the show (only somewhat ^^)
I could list a lot, but it would mostly be me just listing good anime, since they do tend to leave you with a better feeling

[GreatTeacherKen]

I'll second both Manabi straight and Onegai teacher.

Some other endings I loved:

Cowboy bebop: Great conclusive ending that fits the way Spike's character has been set up and a strong resolution to the theme of running away from the past.

Grave of the Fireflies: Even though the film pretty much tells you what's going to happen at the beginning, I cried, that's all I really need to say.

Gunbuster: Tremendously satisfying ending.

Spoiler for episode 6:

I love how it makes you think it's going to be depressing with the whole Earth being pitch black. Then you see the Welcome Home sign. I wanted to get out of my chair and scream YES! when I saw it.

Gungrave: In a way somewhat unexpected, but considering how the show was about family and friendship I thought this ending was very fitting and powerful. Nicely wraps everything up.

Now and then, Here and there: A nice bittersweet ending, but nonetheless quite inspirational.

[Terrestrial Dream]

I third Kannazuki and second Gunbuster, especially Gunbuster that was incredible ending. I suppose Diebuster also

Spoiler for Diebuster:

well I suppose just watching ending of Gunbuster from different view was also great.

GaoGaiGar Final

Spoiler for GaoGaiGar Final:

It was so sad how all the GGG members and other were stranded in the different dimension and as they send Mamoru and Kaidou back to Earth, and followed by the ed song, that was the greatest ending ever! As the narrator said "We believe that the Braves will return one day, with the oath of courage...With the oath of courage!" One of the best line ever!

[Oxtail]

Manabi Straight has my all-time favorite anime ending.

Spoiler for Nodame Cantabile:

Nodame's ending worked well. It was a little cheap fitting a whole episode worth of material into the ending credits, but it kinda worked, I guess.

Spoiler for Ouran High School Host Club:

Best anime-original ending from an adapted ongoing manga, imo. It felt satisfying, but was still ambiguous enough to not completely end the story. Trouble is, I don't see how they're ever going to be able to make a second season with the changes they made to the story.

[mystic210]

I loved the ending for Cowboy bebop I just don't think it could've ended any other way

[siber222000]

i liked gundam seed destiny ending even though whole series were... failure lol. onegai teacher wasn't bad either, and my fav fav fav have to be.. AZUMANGA DAIOH! best ending imo, didn't leave any openings and it was funny through entire series

[War_Lord]

I enjoyed Simoun's ending, although it made me feel kinda empty a couple hours after watching it. The neutral endings always seem to get to me the most. Evangelion made me feel the same way.

[Rayneing]

Uh, RahXephon, Serial Experiments: Lain, and especially Higurashi Kai. I guess those would all be my favourite endings. Usually, endings leave me feeling a little unsatisfied, but those ones really didn't. I think a lot of people would disagree with me on RahXephon and Lain, though.

[qtipbrit]

Originally Posted by Rayneing

Uh, RahXephon, Serial Experiments: Lain, and especially Higurashi Kai. I guess those would all be my favourite endings. Usually, endings leave me feeling a little unsatisfied, but those ones really didn't. I think a lot of people would disagree with me on RahXephon and Lain, though.

Finally, I had wanted to contribute to this thread just as a favour to Kholdsecks, but really couldn't think of anything to post, so I'll just use Higurashi!
In my opinion, both seasons ended very well, though the first had explained a little less than nothing about its plot, the way it ended was nice. Kai's ending was great, though, as it had thoroughly explained almost everything that was questioned by the viewer in the first series (I still have no idea why Mion doesn't carry a real gun as opposed to a bb, or how and why Shion has a bloody taser on her at all times. But I guess they covered everything people actually care about, so it was fine.), and the way it concluded everything was nice (though a bit too nice.)

Actually, I just remembered Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora, even though I'm quite sure we already went over how it was a good ending but not a good ending, and just to reiterate in case you forgot: a good ending would be 5 Centimeters, while a good ending would be Ef's.

Spoiler for HanTsuki:

But yes, it was a pretty good ending, though open, it showed that the two could be together at least for a certain time, without invoking the power of Deus ex Machina or creating an overly perfect ending as in

Spoiler for Higurashi:

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai's ending, though she deserves it, seeing as she's probably tried it hundreds or thousands of times.

And it stayed true to the "Half-Moon" shining in the sky, light covering the world, qtipsex, etc.

Oh, and the ending of Code Geass was great. Definately t3h best part of the entire series.
And Bleach's ending.

EDIT: Oh, and I guess I have to rewatch Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight, since it's apparently a lot better than I thought, and I can't recall the ending at all.
And when I say "not at all", I mean "not at all".
As in my closest guess would be that Yui Horie did something, then Mika, as I believe she was named, did something else, and Aya Hirano tried to be tsundere. Yui Horie probably sang a song, too.
Something along those lines.

[Phantasmagoria]

Nice thread here, KholdStare.

Pretty much all the anime listed in my profile are up for the best endings

I will slowly fill this post up one at a time, but first and foremost, I would like to mention "Kannazuki no Miko".

[patnam]

ef - a tale of memories's ending:
everyone is together and live happyly ever after.......

[Oxtail]

Originally Posted by qtipbrit92

EDIT: Oh, and I guess I have to rewatch Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight, since it's apparently a lot better than I thought, and I can't recall the ending at all.
And when I say "not at all", I mean "not at all".
As in my closest guess would be that Yui Horie did something, then Mika, as I believe she was named, did something else, and Aya Hirano tried to be tsundere. Yui Horie probably sang a song, too.
Something along those lines.

Spoiler for Manabi Straight:

What I love about Manabi Straight's ending isn't that something spectacular happened, but it just felt very very complete. It not only wrapped up the plot(school festival), it went on to show you what happens after the story. The girls graduating, the new student council who are being passed the baton, where the girls go post-graduation, and even Mika on her first return from her studies in America, etc. It's the sort of closure I wish a lot of other animes could do.

And I quite liked Aya Hirano's tsundere character. I saw it as a low, smoldering tsundere as opposed to Rie Kugimiya's high-pitched explosive tsunderes. I'd love to see Aya Hirano play a similar character in a story that had a romantic element to it.

[FLCL]

kanon's ending was really good

sseconded on air

i thought tengen toppa gurren laganns ending was one of hte few that gainax didnt mess up

[KholdStare]

Originally Posted by qtipbrit92

EDIT: Oh, and I guess I have to rewatch Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight, since it's apparently a lot better than I thought, and I can't recall the ending at all.
And when I say "not at all", I mean "not at all".
As in my closest guess would be that Yui Horie did something, then Mika, as I believe she was named, did something else, and Aya Hirano tried to be tsundere. Yui Horie probably sang a song, too.
Something along those lines.

What the hell is wrong with you? This is one of the rare anime I ever rate a 9/10! I was very teary at the end, okay? It's a very good ending, but really just a decent ending, but better than a bad ending.

[skyablaze]

I second Azumanga Daioh and the movie Grave of the Fireflies
but I thought Ergo Proxy and Samurai X both had awesome ending's as well.

[DragoonKain3]

Too much anime to remember lol. I'll just go for the licensed stuff, since that narrows the field a bit and I can just easily scan my collection that way.

So in that regard, by far and away the best ending I have seen is AIR. Only once one has fully understood the story can one understand the scope and magnitude on what the ending is trying to say. I admit I didn't get it the first time around, but I was just like O_O when everything clicked in. From sorrow to joy, from tears to laughter, and most importantly, from sorrow to hope, this ending made me FEEL what really is meant to be human. Hands down, the best written and best acted ending I have seen then or since.


Honourable mentions...
Zegapain - with such a simple ending, one can deduce a lot of the answers to the loose ends left by the show. Now that's a sign of great writing.

Noein - The revelation is as shocking as it is logical. And that's all I'm gonna say.

Boys Be - 'Tadaima.' 'Okaeri.' Sometimes, less is definitely more.

Elfen Lied - Action-packed, moving, and in the end, thought-provoking. The perfect example of an ending that's very well done even when the manga was still ongoing at that time; shows likat that are very few and far in between.

Kanon 2002 - not really licensed, but the 2006 version is. IMO the ending is the only thing the old version has over KyoAni's version, as I feel Toei's ending has much more emotional impact than the entire 2006 version combined.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann - it's because of the final arc that made this show great for me, and one of the reasons for that is the great ending. Just too bad I feel that half of the show was wasted.

End of Evangelion - ONE MORE FINAL: I need you. Aptly named, terrific execution. The scene that inspired some of the greatest fanfics written of all time. 'Nuff said.