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5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right)

5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right)

The ending of Attack on Titan is so polarizing it’s not even on the list.

Spoilers for everything!

Sometimes, most of the fun we have with the anime is during its run. For many series, however, the finale is what matters the most, and not all anime have their proper endings.

Here are some examples of how some anime ruined their finales — and how other series made them great!

The anime-original ending of Soul Eater made many fans unhappy

 - image 1

Soul Eater is fondly remembered as one of the funniest anime of the 2000s. Despite that, a lot of viewers seemed to have a problem with how it ended, which is understandable since the ending was completely different from the manga.

Anime-original arcs are usually received poorly by the fans. An anime-original ending is usually synonymous with disaster, especially for the source readers.

Code Geass has one of the most iconic finales in all of anime

 - image 2

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch) is a wild ride. Emphasizing its themes of self-sacrifice and ambition, it had one of the most spectacular final episodes ever made by the end of R2.


The movie remakes rewrite the ending so the sequels could be made. Naturally, that didn’t stand well with many fans — though others were just happy to see the cast again (including Lelouch himself).

Wonder Egg Priority’s ending was a total mess

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Wonder Egg Priority was ambitious, that’s for sure. Its ambition came to shoot it in the foot near the end: not only did it not resolve many of its plotlines in the last episode of the anime, but it also got a sequel special some months later — which didn’t help.

Half of the special was a recap, and the other half still didn’t give the viewers the much needed answers. Talk about disappointment.

Kaguya-sama movie is the best possible finale for the series

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Of course, everyone knew that Kaguya and Shirogane would become a couple by the end. It always happens in anime like that. That doesn’t mean fans weren’t excited for the moment.

The movie, immediately following the kiss at the end of Season 3, is the perfect conclusion to everything the series stood for.

What exactly went wrong with the second season of The Promised Neverland?

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The answer is everything. Everything did. Apparently, the studio initially had only 2 cours to work with, and while the first season is a great adaptation, the second is denounced by most fans.

The Promised Neverland (Yakusoku no Neverland) Season 2 skips many manga arcs and generally makes no sense, even if you have read the source material. Apparently, the changes were approved by the mangaka, which makes it even more puzzling.

Steins;Gate’s ending puts everything together

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There’s something about time travel series that makes them so appealing. Some fans argue that it’s the catharsis of seeing all pieces of the puzzle fall together. If that’s the case, Steins;Gate is the best example of that.

The original series manages to reach the best possible ending — the goal of the protagonist in the first place — and answer all the questions the viewers had. It truly ties together all the plot threads, and perhaps that’s why the anime is considered one of the best ones of all time.

Deadman Wonderland ending makes no sense

 - image 7

Well, that’s not even correct. Deadman Wonderland has no ending at all. It’s a classic “go read the manga” situation, and with the anime giving the viewer many questions about what actually happened in the show, it’s understandable why many didn’t like it.

By now, the chance of it getting a sequel is, sadly, almost zero.

Cowboy Bebop’s ending is amazing because of how sad it is

 - image 8

Cowboy Bebop’s ending is tragic — but that’s what makes it so memorable. The anime wouldn’t be so fondly remembered if not for the protagonist, Spike Spiegel. His death at the end of the anime might seem shocking at first, but it’s actually a perfect end for his character.

Cowboy Bebop’s serious moments made it a real classic — even if half of the anime is just episodic and fun adventures.

Last episode of Charlotte felt like an entire cour of anime squished into one episode

 - image 9

This is a common criticism of the series. With Charlotte being an anime made by Jun Maeda (known for Angel Beats! and Clannad), fans had many expectations. The anime was going steadily before rushing the entire finale in just one episode.

It was theorized that it was originally planned for two cours, but when the production team was given one, they just heavily condensed the endings. Whether that’s true or not, we probably won’t ever know.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ends exactly how a battle shounen shounen end

 - image 10

FMA:B often tops the charts of anime rankings on different websites. There are many reasons why that happens — it’s consistently great, if not perfect, throughout the entire run — but its finale definitely helps it as well.

Every character’s storyline is finished, and everything is in its rightful place. The last episode’s name, “Journey's End”, is incredibly symbolic here.

The ending of Attack on Titan is so polarizing it’s not even on the list.

Spoilers for everything!

Sometimes, most of the fun we have with the anime is during its run. For many series, however, the finale is what matters the most, and not all anime have their proper endings.

Here are some examples of how some anime ruined their finales — and how other series made them great!

The anime-original ending of Soul Eater made many fans unhappy

5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right) - image 1

Soul Eater is fondly remembered as one of the funniest anime of the 2000s. Despite that, a lot of viewers seemed to have a problem with how it ended, which is understandable since the ending was completely different from the manga.

Anime-original arcs are usually received poorly by the fans. An anime-original ending is usually synonymous with disaster, especially for the source readers.

Code Geass has one of the most iconic finales in all of anime

5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right) - image 2

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch) is a wild ride. Emphasizing its themes of self-sacrifice and ambition, it had one of the most spectacular final episodes ever made by the end of R2.


The movie remakes rewrite the ending so the sequels could be made. Naturally, that didn’t stand well with many fans — though others were just happy to see the cast again (including Lelouch himself).

Wonder Egg Priority’s ending was a total mess

5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right) - image 3

Wonder Egg Priority was ambitious, that’s for sure. Its ambition came to shoot it in the foot near the end: not only did it not resolve many of its plotlines in the last episode of the anime, but it also got a sequel special some months later — which didn’t help.

Half of the special was a recap, and the other half still didn’t give the viewers the much needed answers. Talk about disappointment.

Kaguya-sama movie is the best possible finale for the series

5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right) - image 4

Of course, everyone knew that Kaguya and Shirogane would become a couple by the end. It always happens in anime like that. That doesn’t mean fans weren’t excited for the moment.

The movie, immediately following the kiss at the end of Season 3, is the perfect conclusion to everything the series stood for.

What exactly went wrong with the second season of The Promised Neverland?

5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right) - image 5

The answer is everything. Everything did. Apparently, the studio initially had only 2 cours to work with, and while the first season is a great adaptation, the second is denounced by most fans.

The Promised Neverland (Yakusoku no Neverland) Season 2 skips many manga arcs and generally makes no sense, even if you have read the source material. Apparently, the changes were approved by the mangaka, which makes it even more puzzling.

Steins;Gate’s ending puts everything together

5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right) - image 6

There’s something about time travel series that makes them so appealing. Some fans argue that it’s the catharsis of seeing all pieces of the puzzle fall together. If that’s the case, Steins;Gate is the best example of that.

The original series manages to reach the best possible ending — the goal of the protagonist in the first place — and answer all the questions the viewers had. It truly ties together all the plot threads, and perhaps that’s why the anime is considered one of the best ones of all time.

Deadman Wonderland ending makes no sense

5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right) - image 7

Well, that’s not even correct. Deadman Wonderland has no ending at all. It’s a classic “go read the manga” situation, and with the anime giving the viewer many questions about what actually happened in the show, it’s understandable why many didn’t like it.

By now, the chance of it getting a sequel is, sadly, almost zero.

Cowboy Bebop’s ending is amazing because of how sad it is

5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right) - image 8

Cowboy Bebop’s ending is tragic — but that’s what makes it so memorable. The anime wouldn’t be so fondly remembered if not for the protagonist, Spike Spiegel. His death at the end of the anime might seem shocking at first, but it’s actually a perfect end for his character.

Cowboy Bebop’s serious moments made it a real classic — even if half of the anime is just episodic and fun adventures.

Last episode of Charlotte felt like an entire cour of anime squished into one episode

5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right) - image 9

This is a common criticism of the series. With Charlotte being an anime made by Jun Maeda (known for Angel Beats! and Clannad), fans had many expectations. The anime was going steadily before rushing the entire finale in just one episode.

It was theorized that it was originally planned for two cours, but when the production team was given one, they just heavily condensed the endings. Whether that’s true or not, we probably won’t ever know.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ends exactly how a battle shounen shounen end

5 Times an Anime Completely Fumbled Its Finale (and 5 Times the Ending Was Actually Done Right) - image 10

FMA:B often tops the charts of anime rankings on different websites. There are many reasons why that happens — it’s consistently great, if not perfect, throughout the entire run — but its finale definitely helps it as well.

Every character’s storyline is finished, and everything is in its rightful place. The last episode’s name, “Journey's End”, is incredibly symbolic here.