Top 13 Anime Endings

Hello again. Earlier this month, I did a piece on the top 13 anime openings of mine. Now, I'm going to do one on my top 13 anime endings. Since I'm low on hard drive space, there will be no pictures this time. Here we go!

13. Trust Me (Durarara ending 1)

Durarara has been one of my favorite anime of recent years, and this ending theme exemplifies that. With a catchy rap tune and obligatory gratuitous English, this song is perfect to kick off the list.

12. Raspberry Heaven (Azumanga Daioh Ending)

I've talked about Azumanga Daioh a lot in some of my other blog entries, but it bears mentioning again for its ending. The show as a whole is a relaxing slice of life piece with some surreal elements, and the ending works in that way as well. I didn't really start listening to it until the second half of the series, and I was glad I did.

11. Dragon Ball Z Ending from Saiyaman Saga Onward

This was one of the first anime endings I listened to. Much like the opening to Trigun, it's essentially one continuous guitar riff, perfect for headbanging to.

10. Hamtaro Ending

This one is a bit more obscure. Even though Hamtaro was reasonably popular when it first came out, it has since proven increasingly hard to find (part of the reason I have not yet done a recap of it). Out of the 296 episodes, only 104 got dubbed in English, and only 9 got released on VHS and DVD. Still, the ending is light and bubbly, perfect to kick off the top 10.

9. Nichijou Ending 1

I like Nichijou very much. It is among my favorite slice of life series, and it produced some very catchy songs. This first ending theme is another soothing piece, played in different tempos and musical styles each time it appears. While the second ending is good to, the first ending will remain a favorite of mine for some time.

8. I Love You, I Love You Baby (Binbogami Ga! Ending)

The ending to Binbogami Ga! is another piece full of gratuitous English and a key piece of bubbly J-pop. I have talked about the series before in some of my other posts, so this ending is in my head consistently.

7. Soul Eater Ending 1

I've been really into Soul Eater since 2011, and this first ending theme proves to be a great measure of alternative rock. With a mild hook and transition into quiet-loud-quiet-loud rocking; it is a nice ending for the first quarter of the show.


6. Pokérap (Pokémon)

This was the very first anime ending I ever saw, and it remains in my head to this day. I can often sing it a cappella, and I'm not afraid of the looks I get when I sing it on the bus on my iPod (I've built up an image of being weird, and I seek to maintain it). It captures the absolute joy that is Pokémon to me.

5. Party Party, Join Us Join Us (Shin Chan)

Rounding out the top 5, the reason why I chose this ending is because it has not only a catchy tune, but imagery to make it look like a more innocent show than it really is (save for a shot of Shin's rear). I haven't seen the Japanese version, but Funimation's gag dub has effectively turned it into a Japanese version of South Park; with its cutesy art style being offset by a stream of vulgarities and cynical social commentary and pop culture references.

4. Mystic Eyes (The Vision of Escaflowne)

I have a grand appreciation for Escaflowne, which is why I included the ending theme. It is a great example of 1996-era J-pop, and a massive earworm at that. The way the singer sings and the gratuitous English of the theme song really packs a punch; and another part of the broad appeal Escaflowne has.

3. Underground (Gurren Lagann Ending 1)

I have talked about Gurren Lagann so much, so I'm going to keep my thoughts on the first ending brief. High Voltage crafted a rockin' theme song for the first part of the series that is yet another ear worm for me. While the second ending, "Minna No Peace" is all right, the first ending will be better this way for me.

2. Fly Me To The Moon (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

This is one of the few theme songs that existed before the anime it was used in came out. Each time it's used in Evangelion, it's done in a different musical style and by a different singer. I have to admire that, and it's one of the great touches in one of Gainax's finest works.

1. Run, Run, Run! (One Piece Ending 2)

This is my favorite anime ending. There have been 9 endings so far at the point I've reached in One Piece (I've just started the Skypiea arc); and this is one that I feel captures the optimism and wonder of the series best. On top of that, every time I listen to it, every time it's in my head, it cheers me up no matter how bad I feel.

So that's the top 13 anime endings. I am watching the Daicon openings, so after that, I'm going to start work on the next recap. Of what it will be on, let's just say that it's the land of the rising sun's take on a real American hero. See you space cowboy.