Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. Remember last week how I said I was a fan of opening songs? Well, I’m also a fan of ending songs as well. Unlike opening songs, ending songs make you feel a sense of sadness that the episode has ended saying that they wish they could have shown you more the anime that day. Endings also serve the purpose of summing up the feelings of what you just saw. That’s why this week I’m counting down the top 11 best anime endings. Why top 11? Because just like someone else on this site I too like to go one step beyond. Get ready for an encore of music, this, is the top 11 best anime endings.
#11: Waltz from Honey and Clover
Now I’ve never watch Honey and Clover but listening to this song makes me wanna check it out. The song is actually quite beautiful and sentimental. The singer is singing about the person he loves, how their love is like a waltz and how he wants to dance forever with that person (yeah I know it sounds corny but it’s true in a sense). It’s also a very uplifting song; if you ever feel down or just broke up with someone you really liked/loved just listen to this song it’ll make you feel better and that’s what the ending to an anime should do. Another thing I liked about this song is that at the end of each episode they would lead into the song.
#10: Sayonara bye bye from Yu Yu Hakusho
Yu Yu Hakusho had 5 great ending themes but the best by far was the second ending. Everything about this song is just wonderful. The vocalist, the instruments, the tempo, and that awesome bass guitar, just adds a feeling of nostalgia whenever you hear it. Whenever I hear this song, memories of watching Toonami and this show begin to spring in my head and I can’t help but smile and be happy that I grew up in the 90’s, the golden years of children’s television and anime. Unlike the other endings there was a sense of calmness and peace in this one that the others didn’t. It made you feel that no matter what goes wrong everything will work out in the end.
#9: Uso FMA: Brotherhood
Like I said before, have SID do your opening or ending theme and it’ll be epic and Uso is no exception. This song just gets stuck in your head the minute you hear it and won’t leave. The chorus is catchy, the lyrics are beautiful and inspiring, and I like the drawn animation that goes along with the song in the anime. Nothing really much to say about this one except to check it out and you’ll see why I like it so much.
#8: Heart of the Sword from Rurouni Kenshin
When I was a kid watching Rurouni Kenshin on Toonami this was the ending they always played and I always looked forward to it. The presence of this brings out so many emotions and imagery. I feel as if I’m a badass swordsman fighting though legions of thugs trying to kill me and when the song ends and all my enemies are laid to waste I put away my sword away and continue on my journey. Above that, the singer T.M Revolution has a lot of energy and emotion in this song, the drums are awesome, and the piano accompaniment really stand out in this song that you’ll get addicted to it right away. I also feel that this ending does a good job summing up Kenshin’s character as a person trying to live in times of peace protecting the people he cares about but his past just keeps coming back to haunt him and he’s force to pick up his sword again because it’s a part of him an embodiment of his heart and will to live on peacefully and without harming others again.
#7: Piece of Treasure from Arcana Famiglia
Have you ever heard an ending for the first time and you just instantly fell in love with it the minute you heard it? Well, that’s this ending. This anime isn’t even a year old yet and I think it has one of the best endings of all time. The voice actors of Nova and Liberta who are the singers work in perfect unison with each other. If I had to name my favorite part of the song I would have to say the beginning when nobody is singing and all you hear is a piano and violin that set the mood for the song and then from there just takes off and hooks you.
#6: Tsuioku Merry-Go-Round from Fairy Tail
Fairy Tail has had a lot of endings during its anime run but in my opinion the best ending by far was the 2nd ending. Unlike the other endings that feel the viewer with hope, this ending is really sad and heartfelt especially once you read the lyrics of the song. The song is sung by the band onelifecrew who were new on the scene when this song debuted, they said in an interview that they base their songs off of real life events that happened in their lives so when you hear this song and read the lyrics you can’t help but feel sad and understand the emotions of the singer that you might cry once you listen to it. I feel that this ending matches the series of Fairy Tail perfectly, a group of people who all have a sad past but are trying to press on and live life with the help of their friends.
#5: Thank You from Bleach
Like I said before I’m not a big fan of Bleach but by God did they have great openings and endings and this ending song was my favorite. I know a lot of people like the 7th ending which I like as well but this ending was one I never got tired of listening to. The whole song is just felt with heart and gratitude. Anytime you hear this song you just feel great and want to just go out and share this joy with everyone. If there was ever a song of nostalgia that hit a chord with Bleach fans I think this song is it.
#4: Love Squall from Lupin the Third
The best anime opening of all time has one of the best endings of all time. Love Squall is such a phenomenal song, it almost sounds like a lullaby that you sing to a child to make them go to sleep. A peaceful and sweet lullaby with a jazz feel to it that makes you feel warm and safe. Whenever, I hear this song all I imagine is Fujiko up on a stage in a night club singing this song while Lupin and the gang are in the audience listening to her. I know that the Love Theme was also used as an ending in some seasons of Lupin which was okay but Love Squall left more of an impact on you that when you heard it you just couldn’t get enough of it and it was the one song you would always remember after watching Lupin. My only complaint is that song isn’t long enough.
#3: Fly me to the Moon from Evangelion
https://youtu.be/8S4ShyzNeWs (Rei version)
https://youtu.be/R2cxVBGoRMo (Asuka version)
https://youtu.be/xL1Gaha7C18 (Misato version)
https://youtu.be/A4OL4s3TWj4 (Rei, Asuka, and Misato version)
It’s ironic, out of everything in this anime the one thing that caught my attention the most and kept me coming back was this ending theme. Claire has such a beautiful voice, that I can’t help but find this better than Frank Sinatra’s version and I love that guy so this is a testament to how good Claire is. Sinatra’s was cool but Claire’s version seemed to fit the overall theme of the song more. Her version just sounds much more romantic, classy, and jazzy then Sinatra’s and more beautiful that the only word to describe it is stunning. This ending also took a big risk by having it be entirely sung in English something that animes never really did at that time and I’m pretty sure confused the Japanese audience to an extent but for the American audience we got a huge treat every time we watched Evangelion. There are also other versions of this sung by the voice actors of Rei and Asuka as well that is well worth listening to. Whether you liked Evangelion or hated it no one can deny that this song was stunning and beautiful.
#2: Mystic Eyes from Escaflowne
Oh hell yeah one of the few mecha animes out that I will admit is great. This song is full of 90s nostalgia and the song is just so great to listen to. The singer in this is amazing to listen to. He just instantly sucks you in with his voice and the instrumental is out of this world. Just the anime captured its viewers, the ending made sure to keep a firm grip on them and give them something to come back to.
Now I know what you’re thinking, what ending could possibly top Mystic Eyes possibly the greatest anime ending theme of all time? Well, believe it or not I feel that there is one other song out there that is better than Mystic Eyes and that song is . . .
#1: Alumina from Death Note
https://youtu.be/-CMtH8qLBa8
This ending is just perfect. It is the one song that sums up the show in a nutshell. If you haven’t look up the English lyrics of this song, look them up and you’ll see why this song matches up so well with Light’s character of a man who wanted to do good but became corrupted by the power of the Death Note so well that he became what he was fighting against. I get goosebumps whenever I listen to song and crack an evil smile as I hear it. You may think I’m crazy for putting this ahead of Mystic Eyes and maybe I am but this song just leaves the biggest impact on me then all the other ending songs on the list, sums up the anime’s main protagonist, and the music is just perfect. It’s dark, deep, true, thought provoking and doesn’t try to make you feel sad or invoke any emotions in you, it just sums up perfectly what Light wanted to do and how at the end he became what he wanted to destroy and that’s a powerful song to write about.
So that’s my list, I hope you enjoy, and for those of you thinking I’m running out of ideas because I did two top 11 list back to back just know this; I haven’t run out of ideas at all, in fact, I have a review planned and ready to write for each week for the remaining year with 3 three other projects I plan on introducing in the months to come and plenty of room for request in case you guys would like to send me some so look forward to them (oh yeah, I’m like Batman, I’ve already thought ahead and everything). Also, the reason why I did two top 11 lists that focus on music is because next month, music is going to playing a very important role in my reviews. Till next time, I’ll see you on Project Nitsuj.
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Thanks for reading, as always feel free to leave a comment, feedback, or request in the comment section below or send them to iamprojectnitsuj@gmail.com