Author Topic: What do you prefer (Read 3471 times)

Micharus · « **on:** January 24, 2010, 06:58:24 AM »

Unlike a lot of "once upon a time" stories, where they have "Happy" endings, where everyone is happy, except for the bad guys (and sometimes them as well), I keep seeing series with endings where the 'good guys' or main characters end up being "sort of happy".

As an example, the 'good guys' win, but not the way they wanted to win, so while it is a good ending, it's not a 'happy' ending.

I can understand why some series don't end with everyone happy, sometimes it just isn't going to work out that way no matter what.

I prefer endings where at least some of the characters are happy, endings where everyone loses, like in a certain series that I won't name here, are depressing.

What do you prefer?

dbml · « **Reply #1 on:** January 24, 2010, 07:09:49 AM »

I don't have an overall preference, just as long as it suits the series. Sad/dramatic series should have sad endings (or mostly sad at least), happy series should have happy endings. None of this... super depressing tale only to pull a happy ending out of its ass (Clannad!

).

But I'm voting for sad anyways.

kenshin-dono · « **Reply #2 on:** January 24, 2010, 07:13:40 AM »

^^^^
i agree with DBML. I dont neceserially prefer one or ther other but i hate when they force stuff that shouldn't happen.

i also REALLY hate when character deaths or sacrifices mean NOTHING because they either somehow are not dead/come back to life or get magically healed later. Shows like bleach or Naruto are horrible at this.

zat0x91 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 24, 2010, 07:17:41 AM »

It really depends on what kind of anime it is. If it was a horror anime I'd be all for a shitty / depressing ending like in Serial Experiments Lain or Boogiepop Phantom where people just end up going insane. If it was a romance, I'd like anywhere from happy to sad to a certain extent.

BLAST420 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 24, 2010, 07:20:43 AM »

I prefer sad endings, a good example is Texhnolyze.

Nikaido · « **Reply #5 on:** January 24, 2010, 07:45:08 AM »

I think that Cowboy Bebop had one of the best sad endings that suited the series very well.

Onoz · « **Reply #6 on:** January 24, 2010, 07:46:30 AM »

There is no option for devastating.

I reserve my vote./

I would be dead ashamed of myself if anyone saw me on the last episode of AIR

kardz · « **Reply #7 on:** January 24, 2010, 07:54:32 AM »

It doesn't really matter whether it's sad or happy as long as it's good.

By good I mean the ending fits the story or it's completely out of the blue WTF kind of ending but was well done to make it one of those "good" wtf twist moments that satisfies you. The second one is obviously harder to pull off but is always somewhat interesting.

kenshin-dono · « **Reply #8 on:** January 24, 2010, 07:56:33 AM »

Quote from: Nikaido on January 24, 2010, 07:45:08 AM

I think that Cowboy Bebop had one of the best sad endings that suited the series very well.

+1 it was such a great ending and very fitting. Spikes quote was great, i used to ahve that as my sig way back int he day
"I'm not going there to die. I'm going to find out if I'm really alive"

Goroshi-sama · « **Reply #9 on:** January 24, 2010, 08:15:30 AM »

Sad endings are always so sad! (Sherlock!)
and I like sometimes to shred some tears :I

SirSkyRider · « **Reply #10 on:** January 24, 2010, 12:02:08 PM »

An ending that fits. If the story is working towards a sad ending, I'll accept it. If the story is working towards a happy ending, I'll accept it. I also accept if the ending isn't entirely clear or can be interpreted in many ways (like NGE). What I detest is when the story is working towards a sad ending then in the last two episodes everything gets turned upside down and you get a happy ending.

erious · « **Reply #11 on:** January 24, 2010, 12:52:25 PM »

The older I get, the more I like happy endings, but really, anything that fits the series is good.
I definitely have one that I hate though: The supposedly happy ending where only main characters are happy. Happens all the time in harem series(but it's not limited to them), and pisses me off. Those are not intentionally bittersweet endings - they are supposed to be run of the mill happy endings, but they're only happy by conveniently ignoring the characters who are hurt in the chosen outcome. The endings that completely defeat the purpose or spirit of the series are pretty awful too - TTGL, Abenobashi Mahō Shōtengai, or Canaan come to mind.
Oh, now that I think about it, there's one kind of ending I like - where everything goes to hell, but the main characters are together, and there's a chance that they, in some twisted and broken manner, will achieve some form of happiness. Other then in the endings I dislike, this is done intentionally. NGE(End of Evangelion rather), SaiKano or Anne Freaks would be examples.

Quote from: Onoz on January 24, 2010, 07:46:30 AM

I would be dead ashamed of myself if anyone saw me on the last episode of AIR

AIR was an example of an ending that tried too hard to be really sad, but in the end just kind of come out pointless and failed to really affect me. I'm aware I'm alone in thinking this, though.

SirSkyRider · « **Reply #12 on:** January 24, 2010, 01:00:50 PM »

@erious: I personally liked the ending of Air better than the ending of Clannad, since it leaves a little room for speculation about what happened to the characters - or IF it really happened. With Clannad, KyoAni just pressed the reset button to make a happy end in the very last episode.

And if you dislike the endings of harem stories, I suggest you read (READ, NOT WATCH) Love Hina. In my humble opinion, the epilogue was a really good ending.

AceHigh · « **Reply #13 on:** January 24, 2010, 01:19:31 PM »

Unexpected ending is what I like, otherwise it's boring.

erious · « **Reply #14 on:** January 24, 2010, 01:26:04 PM »

Who do you think I am?

I read Love Hina long time ago(and yeah, anime is really sub par in comparison to the manga) It's not that bad, there are things I really love about it(Keitaro's character development for one) - but it still suffers from the same thing. It's lampshaded in the ending, and it's not that annoying, but still. Keitaro gets together with Naru, but the other girls still have feelings for him, and it's left unresolved whether they'd be able to move on. Yeah, I may be reading a bit too much into it, but that's how I felt. It didn't make me rage like, say, Ai Yori Aoshi, but it spoiled my enjoyment of the series a bit. If Mahou Sensei Negima would treat romance more seriously, it would have even more potential for a broken ending - luckily, it's almost a parody of the harem genre, and focuses on fighting instead.
One series that has a perfect ending, imho, is KareKano(speaking about manga again). Not a harem, but there are love triangles, and in the end it manages to have a truly happy ending(ok, that one pairing was a bit creepy, I'll admit) for pretty much everyone involved.

K7IA · « **Reply #15 on:** January 24, 2010, 01:37:51 PM »

Quote from: BLAST420 on January 24, 2010, 07:20:43 AM

I prefer sad endings, a good example is Texhnolyze.

Texhnolyze has a destructive ending. I can not say I prefer sad endings but Texhnolyze is an exception imo.

shabutie · « **Reply #16 on:** January 24, 2010, 01:46:48 PM »

Honestly, I don't know...

I'd say it more depends on how well the ending fits with the story is what drives me to liking an ending, despite it being happy or sad.

vuzedome · « **Reply #17 on:** January 24, 2010, 02:45:46 PM »

Everybody goes insane!!!

Cypher · « **Reply #18 on:** January 24, 2010, 03:35:31 PM »

If an ending fits the story, I don't mind the type.

(click to show/hide)

Other than that, I choose mostly happy.

Goroshi-sama · « **Reply #19 on:** January 24, 2010, 04:54:54 PM »

WHERE IS MAH HAREM ENDING!?!?!