Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. Today we’re taking our final look at 2023 by naming the best endings from that year. If an opening is meant to get us hyped for the anime then the ending is meant to get us anticipating the next episode. I’m Nitsuj and these are the top 11 endings of 2023.
#11. Salt and Sugar from The Marginal Service
https://youtu.be/XQvEDivTC8w?si=b3dGWX8pdWdHMGmT (full music video)
Probably the only memorable thing I can remember from this anime. The song is catchy, upbeat, and makes you want to dance. While the song may feel a little out of place it’s greatly appreciated that the ending tries its hardest to convince you to come back and watch this anime. Spoilers, it failed, but still, a good song to start this list.
#10. Night Before The Destruction from Dekiru Neko wa kyou mo Yuuutsu
https://youtu.be/nxnFNuCF2o4?si=hJNerg0j8yyIfXn6 (full music video)
For all my cat lovers out there this ending is for you. The song has a soothing and peaceful air about it. Like you just came home from a long day and poured yourself a drink. As you finally sit down and relax who should come and sit by you but your cat or any pet in general to comfort you and give you company. That’s the kind of image and vibe this song gives me. Life can be tough at times but it’s always the simplest things that make it worth living and brings peace to you.
#9. Love Will Find A Way by Rokudou no onna-tachi
https://youtu.be/7qmMq4ImUcU?si=2cYMO0Auic_hG6Gf (full version)
One of the most underrated endings from 2023. Nothing against the anime, but I couldn’t get into it all that much. This ending however was a bop. It has that late 80s early 90s vibe of just making a song sound fun and enjoyable. I would always find myself just randomly coming back and listening to this song because I enjoyed it so much. Does anyone else wanna see this being played over the bully Maguire meme? It fits a little too well. From what I can tell a pretty funny anime with an awesome ending that deserves more recognition.
#8. Kiseki from Bungou Stray Dogs S5
https://youtu.be/bbpZmh6Ni_c?si=tO7xrk56uSUkkAOt (full version)
Even after all these years the endings of Bungou Stray Dogs are always a joy to listen to. Kiseki by far makes it feel like the series has come full circle. The characters that we met in the first season are all grown up now and are now entering adulthood. This whole ending feels like a farewell to our youth and a hello to adulthood. Luck Life’s songs always hit hard and this ending might just be my favorite from the series.
#7. Existence from Rurouni Kenshin (2023) Ed 2
https://youtu.be/WrXGHXh0XGU?si=cZK2mdDs8_tfkkNF (full music video)
I can’t believe this was a boy band song instead of just one person. The first ending was meh, but the second ending was great. It perfectly embodies Kenshin as well as the other characters. Facing their past and moving forward with their lives for the better. There’s this sense of heaviness in the song but at the same time hope that no matter what you’ve done in the past and what you’ll face in the future it’ll be alright and its proof of your existence to the world and to ourselves. We can’t erase the past and what we’ve done but we can keep moving forward and make the future better with the skills we have.
#6. Gospelion in a classic love from Magical Destroyers
https://youtu.be/xMA0SLlW3hk?si=5E2iSRUGij9XXd9O (full music video)
Well this is certainly one of the most bizarre endings I’ve ever seen. Along with one of the most bizarre animes as well. This song really does stick with you as you listen to that addicting beat and lyrics about love while all being sung in English. There’s this air of darkness and dread surrounding the song but at the same time there’s this sense of peace and hope that whatever is going on we’ll be able to get through it. A pretty good representation of the anime.
#5. Squad by High Card
https://youtu.be/g6PDzDZUywY?si=iUj1oQ-JjJn-GbLH (full version)
I’ve called this song a jam just like the opening and it’s still one of my favorites from 2023. It honestly just feels and sounds like one of those songs you and all your friends know by heart and just singing out loud enjoying the moment and having a good time. This is a song that encourages you to take risks, step outside of your comfort zone and just have a good time doing the things you normally wouldn’t do.
#4. Todome no Ichigeki from SpyxFamily S2
https://youtu.be/7xRWOylrLfI?si=Lf-0LkPMe17CBSpe (full music video)
It’s always rare when an ending is better than the opening, but this ending is really great. It’s chill but also very happy and upbeat. I love the flute at the beginning of the song and how song continues to give off positive vibes of love and wholesomeness. The whole song definitely sounds like an 80s city pop song which I’m fan of and would explain why I instantly liked this song when I first heard it. While I do like Comedy more this song is still great and was another great ending to the series.
#3. Mephisto from Oshi no Ko
https://youtu.be/Yo83M-KOc7k?si=W_9gwbFEIiRnQFDy (full music video)
Along with having a great opening, Oshi no Ko also had a great ending. While the opening was all about Aoi, the ending is all about Aqua and his mission to find his mom’s killer. He doesn’t care if he’s misunderstood by everyone around him as long as he can accomplish his goal and find the person who killed his idol and mom then he’ll be satisfied. This song reflects his mindset perfectly and the lyrics are masterful. If you’ve read manga then these lyrics hit deeper than for those who are just anime-only watchers. Season 2 is going to have a tough time topping this ending as well as the opening.
#2. Delicious Taste from Sweet Reincarnation
https://youtu.be/Uk2aOv4TMik?si=z8c4-CsAAxHLmPsl (full music video)
Any lo-fi lovers out there? This song is for you. I don’t know why but this song just relaxes me whenever I hear it. I don’t listen to a lot of lo-fi music but the ones I have listened to always find a way to make me relax and enjoy them. Not a whole lot to say about this one, it just puts me in a good mood whenever I listen to it and if I discovered it sooner I would have put it in the number 1 spot. Speaking of which-
And number one. . .
#1. My Plan from Buddy Daddies
https://youtu.be/w3e_klphCwQ?si=wdJBzA6oH5hFtjw4 (full music video)
From the moment I heard this ending I knew right away this was going to be on the top of list. When I make these list I always ask which songs stuck with me the most throughout the year and this was the one song that came to mind. Once again about the simplest things and people in our life are the most precious and give us the most joy. It perfectly matches up with the anime and captures the inner thoughts of our two main characters who get the unexpected dropped on their lap, put up with it, and discover that it was the best thing to ever happen to them. Life is full of surprises and the unexpected. Some time they’re a pain the ass to deal with but at other times they’re the greatest thing you could have hoped for.
And that’s my list. What was your favorite ending from 2023? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.