Number Ten
Number Nine
Remember way back in my very first post when I mentioned that Planet With had the potential to be truly great? Guess what? It was great. And this ending theme is a perfect distillation of all the thematic depth that went into elevating a simple and silly mecha show into a meditation on human nature and the nature of justice, war, hate, and violence itself. The show shows Soya reflecting on the different people he meets along the course of his journey. Their exterior personalities are shown to the world while their true inner selves are seen only in the reflection of Soya's visor, as they will be drawn out through his interactions with them over the course of the show. Only three characters aren't shown in this reflection: Takashi (because spoilers), Nozomi (because she is the only genuine person in the entire cast), and Soya himself (because introspection is difficult for even the most empathetic people in the world). And, like every other song on this list, the song is great fun to listen to as well.
Number Eight
Lupin III is typically a fun and goofy series that only occasionally goes into serious territory. And while that is mostly true for this year's part 5 as well, the ending theme decides to be a little more serious. Miyuki Sawashiro, who is also the voice behind Fujiko Mine herself, gives a beautifully melancholic performance as Fujiko remembers her relationship with Lupin. It's a relationship full of love from both parties, but one that will never last because of how they long for adventure and fun. Even as they enjoy each other's company with their friends, she cannot help but stare at him and wonder at what might have been. These memories also hint at what had happened between Lupin and Fujiko to drive them apart in between Part 4 and Part 5, and the implications are sad, to say the least. And while it might not be relevant to the themes of the video, Fujiko was one of my first anime crushes and I love seeing her in all these different outfits. And seeing Lupin and Zenigata put aside their differences and share a drink like old friends is something truly special for a longtime fan such as myself.
Number Seven
Golden Kamuy's first ending song isn't particularly special. It's fun to listen to, the singer is talented, and the song sticks in your head for a while, but it isn't nearly as great as either of the opening themes. But the visuals that accompany the song are so good that it elevates the entire sequence to make it to this spot. The video slowly pans up a mural that shows all of our characters caught up in a web of deceit and betrayal, all being connected by Nopperabo's treachery and the gold he left behind. The way the waterfall comes out from underneath a pile of gold suggests that the hunt for the gold is the only thing keeping these characters alive, and for some of them, that probably isn't too far off from the truth.
Number Six
Here's something you might not know about me: I really like Cardcaptor Sakura. It was never my favorite show, but it was something I knew I could always revisit and enjoy just as much as I did the first time watching it properly (terrible English dub notwithstanding). So when the sequel series Clear Card came out, I was, naturally, very excited to watch it. And I was pleased, for the most part, that the quality of writing hadn't gone down a bit in the 20 years since the original anime first aired. And the first ending theme, Jewelry, is just plain delightful. Using a coloring book art style, Jewelry tells a simple story about Sakura, Tomoyo, and Kero staying up all night at a slumber party, waiting for Sakura's birthday. Once midnight hits, Syaoran even sends Sakura a happy birthday message like the good boyfriend he is. There isn't a lot going into this one, especially with the ending choosing to ignore the serious plot about Sakura's magic going out of control and manifesting in strange new cards, but it's just so good at putting a smile on my face that I couldn't put it any lower on the list.
Number Five
Unfortunately, I couldn't get the video link I wanted to properly embed itself into the blog post. Instead, we have this recording of the extended version of the ending song to Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens up here, and I put a link to the actual YouTube video where you can watch the visuals to go along with it. Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens is a bit like Double Decker from this season's weekly roundup: a simplistic show about crime that makes up for its lack of substance with excessive style. The only difference is that I think Hakata did it a lot better. The jazz infused style, along with the multiple characters whose paths intersect, really do effectively call back to classic shows like Cowboy Bebop and Durarara. And while you can't see it in the video I linked to, as it's just an ad for the song itself, quotes from the next episode are sprinkled in while you watch Banba and Ling running, making for a unique and effective preview for next week while you're enjoying the bass line. Plus, I'm a sucker for good jazz, so of course Hakata made the list.
Number Four
You remember last week when I said that Kokkoku's opening did more with the concept of a world where time is stopped than the show ever did? The same is true for its excellent ending theme. Instead of using a high energy song to create contrast, the song is eerily calm and serene, usually creating a jarring effect after the high stakes cat and mouse game that had been progressing during the episode itself. You'll see what you think are still images of the characters, only for the characters to move themselves while the background stays stationary, truly driving the point home that time has stopped and our heroes are alone and defenseless. You get the impression that even when the bad guys are defeated, they don't really know what they're going to do next and that they're just wandering aimlessly in search of that answer. And well, I'm not exactly going to complain when I see Juri and Shoko in different states of undress. In general, I'm typically okay with fanservice when the characters are adults, and these are two adults that are very nice to look at.
Number Three
This was the most frustrating ending to try to find a video for. Even when I found this one, which is pretty close to the actual ending sequence, several pictures in the slideshow are skipped over. Which is frustrating since the pictures work together to tell a beautiful story. Longtime readers will know that I'm a sucker for Major 2nd and its themes of passing the torch and trying to live up to the legacy of previous generations. But while the show is mostly exploring these themes from Daigo's perspective, the first ending theme, Pride, looks at it from his father Goro's perspective. The entire story is told from a series of photos of Goro's proudest moments. It starts with his success as a professional baseball player, but eventually the photos change to him spending time with his children, especially Daigo. And it ties beautifully into the lyrics, which are all from Goro's perspective, as he tells Daigo to forget about what everyone else expects and to just do what he can do, and that that is enough. It's sappy and cheesy and I love every second of it.
Number Two
Grand Blue is a silly college comedy that focuses on the themes of friendship and camaraderie, even if it's sometimes hard to find in the middle of the drunken antics and characters screwing each other over. What better way to celebrate that camaraderie, then, than to have our main characters drunkenly sing in-universe anime karaoke while their friends cheer them on? There isn't any thematic depth to this ending song (or the next one, for that matter), but it's just so much fun and really ties into what the show is about that I can't not love it.
Before I get to the number one ending theme of the year, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Hinomaru Sumo
- My Hero Academia Season 3 Ending 1
- Food Wars! The Third Plate: Tootsuki Train Arc
- Megalo Box
- Zombie Land Saga
- SSSS.Gridman
Number One
Much like Grand Blue, Asobi Asobase is a dumb comedy about terrible people finding friendship with each other. And the ending theme celebrates this with a metal anthem about the girls rejecting the "normies" and being themselves, completely oblivious to the fact that their true selves are insane, scheming, and toxic. It's a weird idea for a weird show, but it works when you consider the fact that the girls probably wrote this song themselves. And the bright, shifting colors and unique line work really sell the idea of nonconformity along with the song, making the song even more effective. And besides, isn't it just amazing to see anime schoolgirls sing death metal?
Just like with my favorite openings of the year, my favorite ending theme this year didn't have a lot of thematic depth or truly significant visuals, even though that's typically what I look for in a good anime opening or ending. But I have to be honest when making these lists, and these were the two songs that brought me the most joy this year. It would be wrong to put them anywhere but number one.
I think I'm in love with #1
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