Anime endings depress me. But it’s different for each one, and it matters a great deal whether the series is short or long.
The ending of BSSM, besides being a truly awesome ending, was so terribly depressing to me just in its endingness that I cried for hours and my face got all red and blotchy. And I don’t mean from the final showdown between Usagi and Galaxia, I’m talking about the actual ending — Usagi and Mamo-chan kissing in front of the moon and the credits rolling with Moonlight Densetsu. I cried just because it was the end.
The ending of RK depressed me severely because it was so fucking lame. However, the first time I read the manga, I cried for hours at the end because it was over, and because the Kenshingumi split up. Very depressing.
The ending of CB was obviously going to be depressing. But more than just the deaths (which, although they were sad, I didn’t mind at all), the breaking up of the Bebop crew was the worst for me. I can’t listen to Call Me, Call Me without bawling my eyes out. (Well, I can’t listen to See You Space Cowboy or Blue or even No Reply without crying…… CB music is the most depressing music in the world. I still love it, though.)
The ending of Trigun was depressing in a good way. It’s the death that makes it depressing at all, since in all other respects I consider it a happy ending. I can’t give any justification for my acceptance of that death, but I do accept it and move on.
The ending of TNE is depressing in a frustrating, boy-you-guys-screwed-this-series-up sort of way. I despise the ending, which was why the movie was such a relief. This isn’t to say that I don’t love the series… but I do hate the end.
The ending of Nazca is one of those awesome, perfect, tragic endings where I lose my eyeballs somewhere in the flood of tears but come out smiling. Like Othello. Awesome show.
And then there was Fushigi Yuugi (the series, not the OAVs), which broke all the rules. Despite the fact that it was a long show with a couple of totally unecessary deaths that I really couldn’t accept, the ending was so completely satisfying and happy, I was just blown away by it. Veeeeerrrrry nice.
Um, that’s all.
Eehhh.
Don’t finish Orphen then. *Coughs*
*winces* Uh-oh……. Warning duly noted, but I’m afraid I have to at some point………..
It fits under the lame ending category. Bah. want to pull out a bazooka and kill them all for being cheesy.
I have to agree with you that this is one of your best stories, but I’m afraid my reasons for thinking so differ almost entirely from yours.
It IS cute. Or, rather, it has many funny, charming parts. As a newcomer to the story, however, without any knowledge of Authorial Intent!, I find that the charm and airiness of the plot and the dialogue heightens the tone of seriousness in Katsu’s internal narrative, making the story as a whole serve as a gorgeous, poignant character sketch of Katsu rather than anything else.
And just as you’ve achieved a delicate balance between the laciness of the wit and the leadenness of Katsu’s personality, you’ve achieved likeability and incredible complexity in a character that should, by all rights, be really annoying. Katsu is mopey, judgemental, negative, depressed, self-critical, a little arrogant, and poorly socialized, and yet I ultimately find myself liking him quite a bit (and not just because I am like him): he’s also truthful, observant, intelligent, careful, polite, and possessed of a sort of melancholy fancifulness and a *genuine* love and respect for Kamatari, which latter quality (genuine love and respect in general, I mean, not for Kamatari in particular) is difficult to find anywhere, let alone in reclusive, cynical nerdboys who have never been in a relationship. I think my favorite part about him is that, through his narration, I’m left with a full character sketch of Kamatari, as well, which shows him as a round, dynamic character that Katsu appreciates rather than a mere object of desire.
That’s a lot to fit in to a story that’s only a few pages long. Nicely done.
The charm and airiness of the plot and the dialogue HEIGHTEN the tone of seriousness. Sorry.
You know, I’d never really noticed before that this Katsu should be an unlikeable character, but now that you’ve pointed it out it’s obvious XD I guess his wonderful snarkiness (and probably the fact that I wrote him) has always left me too biased in his favor in the past.
I’m very glad that you like my Kamatari… he doesn’t get huge amounts of characterization in canon, so writing him (especially in an AU) is practically tantamount to writing an original character.
As always, thank you a million for your nice comments ^__^