These anime might not always be great, but their endings make everything else worth it. Like how a bad finish can retroactively diminish an otherwise stellar show, a great conclusion can elevate a story from mediocrity.
Be it satisfaction, anger, or confusion, the emotion evoked by an anime’s ending sticks in viewers’ memory, often overwriting any other reactions produced by the show.
Dozens of anime are produced every season, and most of them exist within the middle ground between awfulness and awesomeness. They are neither bad nor good, and due to the sheer quantity of shows out there, it can be challenging to justify sticking by a series that is not leaving much of an impression. However, sometimes an uneven or underwhelming anime produces a memorable ending that makes sitting through the whole thing.
As these are recommendations, spoilers will be kept to a minimum. However, it is impossible to avoid them entirely.
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6. Baki Hanma
Japanese Title: Hanma Baki: Son of Ogre
Studio: TMS Entertainment
Where to Stream: Netflix
Son of Ogre is the weakest season of Netflix’s Baki continuation, which has primarily delivered on its promise of over-the-top action. However, the 2021 cour starts on the wrong foot with an ultimately pointless fight between Baki and an imaginary Praying Mantis. The middle portion of the season also revolves around a minor character who, while likable, accomplishes very little besides reinforcing that Biscuit Oliva is indeed quite strong.
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While most of Son of Ogre drags, the final fight between Baki and Oliva is fantastic, ranking up there with just about any other battle the anime has produced so far. It is ridiculous, impactful, and features Biscuit turning into a ball; what’s not to love?
5. Chrono Crusade
Japanese Title: Chrno Crusade
Studio: Gonzo
Where to Stream: Funimation
OK, describing Chrono Crusade as mediocre is a bit harsh; for the most part, Gonzo’s anime is reasonably entertaining. The action is well-animated, the characters are charming, and the story moves along steadily. It is an excellent mid-2000s anime that does not do too much to stand out from the crowd.
Then, the final episode happens, and it is safe to say that Gonzo pulled no punches. This is one of those rare shows that goes out of its way to show the consequences of the characters’ actions and journeys. Nearly nobody receives a traditional happy ending, resulting in a surprisingly poignant final few minutes that might inspire some viewers to shed a couple of tears.
4. Angel Beats!
Japanese Title: Angel Beats!
Studio: P.A. Works
Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix, VRV
While not that mediocre of a show, Angel Beats! Rushes through the second half of its course so much that it loses momentum. Just as the show seemed to threaten to become a precursor to Charlotte, Angel Beats! knocks its last episode right out of the park.
Unlike the more action-heavy arc that precedes it, the anime’s finale slows things down considerably, allowing the characters to breathe and say their farewells to each other and the audience. The epilogue acts as the icing on the cake, turning a sad ending into a bittersweet one.
3. Dragon Ball G.T.
Japanese Title: Dragon Ball G.T.
Studio: Toei Animation
Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hoopla, Hulu
Dragon Ball G.T. deserves every ounce of criticism flung its way. The sequel to DBZ sidelines many fan-favorite characters opens with one of the most boring sagas in the franchise’s history and only features a handful of decent fights. DBGT is the epitome of a mediocre anime.
That said, Dragon Ball G.T.’s last few minutes are perfect and far superior to DBZ’s conclusion. The show ends with an emotional tribute to Goku’s story, highlighting many iconic moments that defined the shonen franchise over the last decade. When Dragon Ball finally decides to end things for good, the creators should turn to DBGT’s finale for inspiration.
Toei Animation could’ve stopped there. But they didn’t. Dragon Ball G.T. is the often maligned sequel to Dragon Ball Z. It lasted for 64 episodes, ending due to dwindling viewership and negative fan response.
Although, Is Baby Vegeta evil?
Irony. Baby Vegeta, as a Golden Great Ape Baby, became the very thing he hated and thus destroyed the Tuffle race’s good name. … It should also be noted that Baby is one of the only villains in the series that Goku actively goes out of his way to kill, something he didn’t even do with Frieza.
Besides, How did Goku regrow his tail in G.T.?
Goku. … Lastly, Goku’s tail was permanently removed by Kami at the end of Dragon Ball. Still, it was regrown by Old Kai’s tail-pulling technique in Dragon Ball G.T. to increase his power and grant Goku access to the Golden Great Ape and Super Saiyan 4 transformations.
However, How did G.T. end? After 63 episodes of disappointment, Dragon Ball G.T. ends with « Goodbye Son Goku… Till The Day We Meet Again. » In this finale, Shenron decides that the Dragon Balls should no longer be used on Earth and announces his intention to leave for a faraway plane.
2. The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya (& The Disappearance Of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Japanese Title: Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (& Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu)
Studio: Kyoto Animation
Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, Funimation, VRV
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is one of the most significant slice of life anime of all time, and its first season is a solid watch. However, the show’s sequel series starts with the Endless Eight arc, perhaps the most polarizing storyline in anime history. This saga’s repetitive nature can prevent many people from completing the show, making the entire anime harder to recommend.
Thankfully, this season is followed up by The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, a climactic movie that more than justifies sitting through anything that comes before it. Ambitious and thought-provoking, this film emphasizes the best parts of Haruhi Suzumiya while eliminating most of the fat. The movie is so good that it is almost worth watching on its own; however, going down this route significantly lessens the story’s impact.
After Kyon has a mental struggle with himself, when he was about to shoot normal-Nagato with the device that android-Nagato gave to him, he suddenly got attacked by Asakura. She stabbed him twice, and when Asakura was about to kill him, unexpectedly Nagato (perhaps the android one?) saved him. And when he was about to lose consciousness, young and old Asahina came. And then someone (possibly future Kyon?) comes. After that, he loses consciousness.
Later, he woke up at the hospital with Koizumi. And when Kyon asked what happened, he said he fell down the stairs at school. But Kyon seems to know what happened before.
If I have to guess, this is what I think happened:
After Kyon recovers from his injury, he, Asahina, android-Nagato travel back to the past and save the past Kyon after he got stabbed. Nagato alters some memories about the incident, so Koizumi doesn’t know anything about it, and they travel back to the current time.
If that’s what happened, why didn’t he save himself before he got stabbed? What’s the point of giving an antidote for Nagato to Kyon? And why did Nagato give false memories about the incident to Koizumi? What exactly happened here?
1. School Days
Japanese Title: School Days
Studio: TNK
Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, VRV
A memorable ending is not the same as a good ending, and there is nothing good about School Days. The anime shows the dark side of love triangles, and all centered around a two-timing protagonist who is as charming as a wet sponge and nowhere near as applicable. School Days is an annoying SOAP with mediocre animation and infuriating characters for the vast majority of its run – an anime destined to be instantly forgotten.
(Un)Fortunately, the anime’s last 10 minutes are so awesomely bad that they have allowed School Days to exist in infamy ever since. The show goes in a direction that is so outlandish and violent that it is almost difficult to digest what is happening on screen.
High school student Makoto Itou first notices Kotonoha Katsura at the start of his second semester, first year. Immediately, he becomes entranced by her beauty, but his bashfulness doesn’t allow him to approach her, even though they ride the same train every day. Instead, he snaps a photo of her in secret and sets it as his cell phone’s wallpaper: a charm that, if kept under wraps, would supposedly help you realize your love. However, classmate Sekai Saionji spots the picture, but instead of ratting him out, she offers to help set him up with Kotonoha—going so far as befriending her just for him. Thus, the trio begins a rather impromptu friendship. School Days follows the lives of these three teenagers as they traverse the joys and hardships that come with being a high schooler. In a story alive and brimming with romance and melancholy, the tale of these three students will linger in the memory long after the momentous conclusion.
