Top Ten Favorite Anime Endings

Anime endings gives the production team creative freedom to do whatever they want that may not fit in the show. They can use different animation styles, put them in alternative universes, have friends and foes mingle together like it's no big deal, make references to other works, summarize the plot of the arc, foreshadow what will happen in the future or even give in to fan service, all to whatever Japanese song or artist that's hot at that time. I liked a lot more songs than I thought I would but this isn't Top Ten Songs I Like, this is Top Ten Favorite Anime Endings.

10. Bleach Ending 23 "Stay Beautiful by DIGGY-MO'

I like the Dreamgirls inspired direction of this ending theme. All the heroes and villains set in 60's, 70's, 90's New York (or Metropolis) having a good time around town shooting pool, running gangs, etc as Yoruichi, Rangiku and Orihime perform as NOT The Supremes.

9. Naruto Shippuden Ending 4 "Mezamero! Yasei" by MATCHY with QUESTION?

I liked the song but what put it on this list was the fan art. I don't know if fans of the show, friends and family of the production team or other artists made these artworks but it was a nice change of pace from the typical anime endings. My favorite was Kurenai with Asuma.

8. Bleach Ending 15 Orange by Lil'B

There's nothing really special about this Orihime featured ending, I just like the song. Also, the song's name is "Orange" which is her hair color as well as Ichigo's. It's no wonder they finally got together in the future and had a orange haired kid of their own. And let me point out that it's weird as hell to see anime characters blink since they rarely do it. Also also, Fuck Kevin Durant.

7. Bleach Ending 17 "Hitohira no Hanabira" by Stereopony

Another simple ending with a good song and even better visuals. A leaf flies by the Bleach cast as they are in various dynamic, everyday or funny poses. Notable moments include Ikkaku's pink heart shirt, Tōshirō posing like a Yu-Gi-Oh! character and Ichigo's Adam Sandler face.

6. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Ending 4 "Endless Dream" by Hiroshi Kitadani

GX Season 4: The Forbidden Season. The season Jaden is too much of an edgelord for 4Kids to handle so they didn't bother to dub it. I liked this ending of Jaden laying on a grassy hill dreaming of him and Chazz dueling in chibi form until Alexis and Blair made a surprise tag in Chazzy's corner after Hassleberry and Syrus lent J their support. Duel ends, Jaden wakes up with his friends standing over him and they look off in the distance as the song ends.

5. Naruto Shippuden Ending 25 "I Can Hear" by DISH//

First off, I had to make sure I got this dance rock band's name right. It's dish in all caps with two slashes next to it. I'm guessing it's so people won't confuse it with dishes but according to Wikipedia, "The name of the fan is slasher (// er)". Take that as you will. Getting back to the ending, it starts off "normal" enough with young Naruto coming up to a fork in the road. He doesn't know where to go so Guy shows up and point in one direction but Naruto runs the opposite way. Then things break down 20 seconds into the theme as all sorts of weird shit happens like Shikamaru and Chōji grinding their faces into each other, Shino running up and down a hill, Kiba dropping a statue on his foot and the cast singing and screaming along with the song. They really blew through their budget to fully animate their mouths instead of using mouth flapping. That dedication to having these characters speaking English puts this in my top 5.

4. Naruto Shippuden Ending 15 "U Can Do It" by DOMINO

Tenten gets more screen time in these endings than in the show. Like damn, if you're not able to Spirit Bomb ninjas than you're considered useless in this show even though a weapons expert should be helpful on the battlefield. Anyway, it's nice to see them actually using martial arts instead of superpowers here. Outside of Rock Lee and Guy, no one else really does hand to hand combat. But when you can shoot fire, summon giant beasts, raise the dead, bury foes with sand, ensnare with trees, control minds, who really needs to know the basics to fighting? 

3. Naruto Shippuden Ending 28 "Niji" by Shinku Horou

A villain centered ending theme? That's different. I think I only watched one episode from this Kakashi backstory arc. Whatever I missed was summarized here in about 90 seconds. Obito was your typical ninja kid fighting alongside his teammates. Then he gets crushed by a boulder, Rin dies and he turns evil leading the Akatsuki to wreck shit in the village. He morns her death as his former teammates abandoned him and he summons a big ass monster. That's some quality storytelling here that I love out of these anime endings (and openings).

2. Naruto Shippuden Ending 18 "Yokubou o Sakebe!!!" by OKAMOTO'S

Yeah! A energetic song for Naruto and Sasuke fighting for the umpteenth time. I got nothing else to add to this other than I like the song and the visuals. I didn't even mind Sakura in the shot! 

Bonus: Yu-Gi-Oh! Ending 4 "These Overflowing Feelings Don't Stop" by Yuichi Ikusawa

Despite the choices I made on this list, I liked more of the Bleach endings than the Naruto, Shippuden and Boruto ones. With that out of the way, I chose none of those as my bonus entry. This song isn't much to write home about in my opinion. My main focus is on Yugi, Joey, Téa and Tristian going around town posing trying to act like badasses. Like seriously, look at these dorks posing by a tagged wall in a alleyway and posing at the docks with dynamic wind blowing through their hair and clothes. They apparently overslept from posing all night so they missed the bus to school the next morning. I see why Kaiba insults them so much.

And since I have nowhere else to put this, here's Sonic doing Yu-Gi-Oh season 4 opening.

 

1. Bleach Ending 16 "Gallop" by Pe'zmoku

How can such a simple Rukia starred ending be so awesome, it's my favorite anime ending? Give it a snazzy jazzy track with dynamic camera angles and panning shots that shows movement, that's how! I bet this gave the Ichigo x Rukia shippers hope that it became cannon. Of course, that didn't happen but at least they have this theme in their hearts.