Feelings over the end of an series.

[AdventSleeper]

Bleh i know what you feel like, i get horribly sad after a good anime ends...especially when the main char usually has some speech at the end (like when the main describes how this person changed their life, and how they are happy with everyone now ) this is me after a good series
why i get sad is because i know that i will never see those characters again in this series I get a feeling like... im just empty and just so unsatisfied and wanna let it go on forever. But if it goes on forever its true that the anime would not be so good anymore
Maybe i would like it to keep going though, i probably wont get sad about it and just forget about the anime soon and move on to another.. and another... until.........[WHO KNOWS?!]

[HeartNana]

Ok, so im gonna go on a small rant here regarding endings of series (Spoilers for some anime like Futakoi, Canvas 2, Memories off 2nd, ONE, Ai Yori Aoshi, Ichigo 100%, Fruits Basket, Sister Princess, Fate/Stay Night, Karin, Inukami)

Spoiler:

So i just watched 13 episodes of Futakoi. Premise is easy: Harem/School life/romance anime. Kid moves back to town he lived in as a kid. Every girl he meets is a twin, pretty much (tho its not ONLY twins that live in the town, just the ones he happens to know and meet). And yeah, fun ensues harem style, but with 2 girls instead of 1.
Anyways, as far as Harem anime's go, it was enjoyable. But one thing i really really really need is a good ending. After watching it, there was no closure whatsoever. It ends with the same 2 sets of twins after him. Essentially, all that happened in the series was:
a) He meets twins, and re-unites with the one set of twins he knew from when he was a kid
b) The kid-friend twins and the "new" twins confess. There's a few other sets of twins that play minor roles, but its mainly these two sets of twins competing for this one average kid's affection.
Thats it. A bit of drama and emo, but at the end, all that happens is that the kid is still liked by the two sets of twins and theyre still gonna go after him.

The reason that annoys me is because all i'm looking for is closure. Granted, i had one of the girls that i hoped he would go out with, but instead im left with "well i still dont know and you never will either because it wasn't written"

Granted, it's still hard for writers to write a good ending that won't piss off a lot of people, but all i want is closure saying what happens. The big issue of the last 2 episodes (of a 13 ep series, mind you) was whether the "new" set of twins was gonna transfer back to their old school, and 2 eps is spent on the drama of that, and essentially, thats it.

So it was overall a really enjoyable series to watch for me, but i wanted a set ending of him actually ending up with a girl, and NOT another "i dont know my own feelings" or "i dont know who i want to be with" or "we'll all continue the same exact type of dilly-dally thats been going on most of the series".

Sadly, when an ending like that DOES happen, such as series Canvas 2, they botch it up by not having him go out with the person that the entire series kinda led you to believe, and in the last minute of the series end up with him in Paris making whoopie with his SISTER. Nice, REALLLL nice. I did get a good laugh from that, but it wasnt really what i was shooting for when i originally started to watch it. Or in Memories off 2nd, where the series is just kind of dull, and for being only 3 episodes, you can't do much. Or even worse, the series ONE which is honestly the most boring series i've ever seen. Nothing even happened, so when it ended i was like "who cares?" The main girl did get with the guy, but there was really no logic or reason behind it. Nothing (literally, nothing) happened for 4 episodes and then suddenly dude and girl are making out at the last few seconds. Closure, yes, but the issue wasnt very strong, and not enough for me to like any of the characters or want to take sides or anything. I think i fell asleep during it a few times cause it was that boring. The same flashback 20 million times, but whatever, im rambling.

And there's so many good series that have the manga finished, but the anime finished way before, so we never get a true ending, we get, essentially, an episode saying "And then things continue like they've been continuing for the series you've been watching, nothing changes, and if it does, you'll never know." Examples of this include Ai Yori Aoshi, Ichigo 100% and Fruits Basket
In all of these, the anime finished before the manga did. So there's no ending of Aoi marrying Kaoru in AYA, no ending of Tsukasa marrying Manaka in Ichigo 100%, no ending of whatever happens in Fruits Basket. The anime ends with "And the story continues..."

Granted, i'm supposed to have an imagination, but this happens far too often, where im left not knowing how a series ends. I didn't feel fulfilled after watching Futakoi and having it end on a continuation note. I wanted to see more. I wanted to know what is gonna happen AFTER that, and how the issue of him and not one, but TWO sets of twins falling in love with him is gonna be resolved. Because it wasn't.

There are a few series that i feel were complete though. Fate/Stay Night is one. It ended with Saber getting peaced out. Not a "happy" ending, but a fitting one that comes to a close. Another one is my personal favorite, Sister Princess. This ends with the main character staying on the island and continuing to live with his sisters. How is that closure? Well, the issue isn't whether he was in love with any of his sisters or anything, it was more an issue of whether he was gonna go back to his old life when he had the option to after transferring to, what's essentially a new life with his 12 sisters, or whether he was gonna stay with them. I know that sentence sounded confusing, but the issue was whether he was gonna stay or go. That issue was answered.

It's almost like the other series are not resolving the issue, but instead giving you resolution for something that never was an issue in the first place. That's like asking "Do you like cheese?" And answering with "I really like steak". It would be a good answer if the question was "Do you like steak," but in fact, the question was not about that, so getting an answer like that doesn't leave you satisfied. I know its not a great analogy, but im hoping other people get the idea. I just wanted to vent about how it feels like there's very few series that i truly feel satisfied with after watching the whole series. 12 episodes through futakoi, i was really really ready for that last one and looking forward to how it was gonna resolve, and when it never did, i lost a lot of hype for that series.

And there are series that kind of imply it, but its not completely direct, and depending on the series as a whole depends on whether its tolerable. Karin was one, it implies that she's going out with the guy at the end. Never said it, but its pretty implied. Series was really cute, and i liked it, and because of the way both characters act toward each other, you can take the implication as a direct closure that they're indeed gonna go out. Another one is Inukami, this one is a little different, in the case that you imply that the two main characters are gonna stay together, and theyre acting like lovers and the main guy confessed and all, but theyre still acting like they are at the beginning of the series. Borderline "you-can't-really-tell-the-true-ending" but the other issue of what happened to Kaoru (it ends with all the girls going "Lets all find him!!" instead of them actually finding him) means that it could still go on, but theyre choosing to end it. It was a fit ending because otherwise it would have been too long, but not really a closing ending, but i'll let it pass.

So all i want is a cute (but not stupid, tho its really hard to avoid that) romance, maybe harem if its not dumb, maybe school life etc anime that has some CLOSURE as to what happens and actually ends with the characters ending up as it should. I know its corny and people go "i saw that coming a mile away", but at the same time, nobody does anime's like that anymore, they get as close as they can with characters confessing and doing "this and that" all the time, but rarely does anything progress further than halfway through the series. And if its a harem anime, a decision is rarely made, and i dont feel like its unjust of me to just want to see my cutesy lovey-dovey moment like its meant to be. Its not like i want senseless action, i could watch porn for sex without a story, but i just want things to go the way they should happen as if this scenario existed in real life. I know its not realistic cause anime isnt meant to be realistic, especially romance harem series, but i'd still like some semblance of a sensical ending that matches with how the series progressed, and i just honestly don't find that much anymore.

I just wanted to let out steam. This is why i sometimes read short manga series instead of watching anime. They tend to finish it up in those series and have it end like it should, cause the last episode of an anime is RARELY an "ending" to me, as far as i see it. Thanks to all who put up with my rambling.

[whitewater_81]

after watching Air and Kanon you'll be drenched in tears!

[HeartNana]

Seen both. Didnt cry. I'll admit Kanon was good, but i wasn't too fond of Air. I was too confused and bored from the middle part.

[aolas]

i dont like if my fav anime end, especially if the ending not clear

[Spectacular_Insanity]

Endings that made me sad/melancholy:

Elfenlied
Mahoro

Ending that gave me warm fuzzies:

Maburaho
Ai Yori Aoshi
Any that I haven't mentioned

Ambivalent feelings/wanted more:

Full Metal Alchemist (w/ a little bit of melancholy........ okay a LOT, but I wanted more, too)
*Banner of the Stars (this tops my list)

Meh:

Tenjho Tenge
Ikki Tousen
^I thought the endings for both of these were rushed and forced.

[Reno]

Well for me.... I don't really care if it raps it up nicely. Like I said, most of the time when watching Anime I really just wanna see how it ends. Of course, I do still enjoy it while I watch it...

[Spectacular_Insanity]

Originally Posted by Reno

Well for me.... I don't really care if it raps it up nicely. Like I said, most of the time when watching Anime I really just wanna see how it ends. Of course, I do still enjoy it while I watch it...

In my opinion, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey.

[Reno]

Hehe wow well said. But, I dunno, I just can't help it. Heh.

[DragoonKain3]

After growing up on 'almost forever' running western shows (take any teenage drama, like I dunno, Dawson's creek) and 'god knows when it will end' shounen anime (DBZ anyone?), I'm actually quite relieved when an anime show ends. Sure there are times when I'm sad over an ending, but I'm never sad about a show ending. Even if the ending is open ended, it still gives a sense of closure and completion for me.

Of course there's some shows that I'm still seeing despite it running for a long time already (namely Major, Hayate, Kenichi, Kekkaishi, and the upcoming 2nd season of Code Geass), but those are far and few in between. And at least with those shows the filler to substance material ratio is better than most shounen shows (glares at Naruto), and so it seems that the show is actually getting somewhere rather than potentially dragging it on for a long time.

So all in all, I want my series that I watch to end, period.

[Spectacular_Insanity]

Originally Posted by Reno

Hehe wow well said. But, I dunno, I just can't help it. Heh.

Meh. I'm kinda philosophical that way.

[HeartNana]

DragoonKain - Thats how i feel. I get bored after watching more than 26 eps of an anime in general. If its REALLY good, i can watch a 26 ep series and then maybe some OAV's, or a small 13 episode series addition if i REALLY like it.

But in general, long anime series don't keep me excited and wanting to watch more and more. I know a series is good if i:
A) Aren't looking to see how much of an episode is left
B) Don't want to skip through to see how it ends

If i do either of these, then im somewhat tired of the series, or i'm just bored. My favorite series just had me watching without even looking at or thinking about time. I just wanted to see everything. Other series that are decent with grabbing me in, but keep on dragging make me want to skip through just to see what happens without really watching.

And "good endings" mean different things to different people (since some people like certain endings, others don't). Tho i do agree i'd rather see a series end poorly than to see it drag on. In the end, if im left happy with what i saw as opposed to going "That's it?" or "finally, its over", then the anime was worth it to me. There's ones i want to see more of, but that's different from the "That's it?" perspective. Like Ichigo Mashimaro, after it was over, i was like "Wow, that was really good" and of course i wanted to see more, but i looked back and enjoyed it. With Futakoi, i was like "That's it? No joke, no more episodes? Are you kidding?" So while i enjoyed the series, the ending overall didn't make me too pleased. It wasn't terrible either, it just wasn't anywhere near what i would have been happy to see.

[Mystic_Blue_Roses]

I feel the same. It's sad when an anime ends and i was just getting into it.

[yezhanquan]

I'll find out if the anime has any manga adaptations (or that the manga spawned the anime in the first place), and go on from there.

Also, drama CDs may be useful if you're in love with the cast.

[KitsuneNineTails]

It's hard to get to the end of a good series, especially one that ends on a melancholy or wistful sort of note, where it kinda leaves you sadly contemplating what's going to happen to your favorite now that the adventure is over (*coughEscaflownecough*). I guess the idea is to let the viewer imagine their own future. Some will imagine a sad, lonely future for their favorite characters, some will go out of their way to concoct a happy one.

Anime where the ending is clear (at least the END is clear even if the loose ends don't all wrap up) are a little more tolerable, although if it's a REAL good series, then it just leaves me wanting to watch it all over again starting the next night (RahXephon and MaiHime do that for me).

Ciao!

[Kyuuketsuki42221]

those darn anime producers, i don't care what they say, 13 episodes are too short to be a full season. end of discussion. :P

[Shimizu]

For me, every show's ending gives me a different emotion. I've never seen 2 animes that gave me the same feeling. The worst ending for me was Inuyasha, because I watched it for those over-100 episodes, and it just ended. Grrrr. After the first 50, i noticed a pattern, and started waiting for the end. I figured it would be okay if I finally saw the bad guys defeated. But no. It just ended. (I hope thats not a spoiler!!) that really ruined how I thought about that anime. Full Metal Alchemist made me the most emotional. I actually cried for three hours straight, then woke up continually that night because I was so upset. (unfortunately, im a VERY emotional person.) I was watching it, anticipating the glorious moment when the brothers would be back together at last. But no again!! instead, they are stupid seperated, in completely different DIMENSIONS, probably never to see each other again!! OMG! i heard there was a movie that covered it, but when u cry for three hours over the end of a show, ur brain cant really stand a different ending. at least mine couldnt. so i didnt bother with that. (the 50 eps didnt feel that long because the only other animes i had ever seen were all over 100 episodes, and some still continuing) Now that ive seen shorter anime, I kind of like the usual 26 episode thing. It's just enough to develop a series well, and give it a satisfying ending. Longer drags on until its boring, and shorter feels like "what? But I just started watching it..."

also, usually for me, the more satisfying an ending is, the less impact the ending has on me. Endings that just cut off or dont make any sense worry me, and that makes me think about it more until I find a new anime. Death Note was the one ending ever where I was 100% satisfied, and couldnt worry about it no matter how hard I tried. Even though i absolutely adored the series, it was really interesting to me. (Only topped by Chobits!!)

i could keep writing forever unfortunately... like i said, very emotional about endings!! hope there werent spoilers in there!!

[gold_orb]

personaly i feel both thrilled and saddened.

to see the big end of any anime gives me a gratifiying feeling as well as a sad feeling for the fact that i have seen everything about the characters.

[Tiran86]

Nope, I actually love it when a series comes to a satisfying conclusion. The ending is often my favorite part of an anime, and I always look forward to seeing how it ends.

[Amray]

I did feel a little bit sad after I finished watching "Azumaga Daioh". It was so happy and really good, then when it finished I never expected the ending to be so upsetting. Then I remembered that I could watch it whenever I wanted as I have the boxset.

I also felt upset when I finished Fullmetal Alchemist. I was watching it over two months and had gotten really attached to it.

The Chrno Crusade ending just didn't leave my mind for ages, as it was so depressing. I plan to watch that series again soon though as I adored it.