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Just a simple question, which one do you like? Sad? Completely happy? Or a happy ending that also shed tears? (ex: the MC gets together with the pairing, but the MC's close friend dies or they manage to save the world from evil but a team member died?) Or maybe the bittersweet one? (the pairing die smiling in order to save everyone)
Explain too, please.

It depends on the rest of the story, I like bittersweet/tearjerker endings, like someone dies but the MC carries on (like the tomoyo after manga.) I can deal with a happy ending so long as it isn't "and they lived happily ever after.

I can also enjoy a really good downer ending too, but I prefer bittersweet. If you make it really bitter i'd probably enjoy it, such as all the Charcters die saving the world but they're remember for thousands of years.

But what I really like is stuff that makes you cry, like bonding with a cute girl and then having someone break the cutie. And when she's broken they push her more and she completely snaps.

I'm just rambling now, so to sum it up, tearjerkers for me, happy or otherwise, and bittersweet endings.

So long as they fit the story.

All I can say is I dislike the cliche. If it's generic, then it's just plain boring and shows a lack of creativity.
I do very much enjoy tear-jerkers. They really get my emotions going, and I feel more attatched to the story.

I *love* bittersweet.
I love when characters die in the end (early CLAMP reader here x'D ), or when they save the world but their beloved one dies, or one of the main characters sacrifices him/herself to save the rest and things like that. Also feels good when a tormented character dies in the end with a smile, knowing he/she saved the day and finally got to rest (or could go to see their beloved ones that died before them).

I also like endings where you get rendered speechless due sudden ending after everything went to hell xD You end up being like "wtf....O_O.... but b-but....!!!......", but not in a bad way, lol.

I also like happy endings when they make me go "awww", smile widely and maybe even shed a tear. Like happy reunions where everybody get to share together, speak their hearts out and let everything go after tons of troubles! C:

While I like open endings, I don't like when important questions that have been around for the whole length of the story are never answered D:

I wanna make one where the good guys don't win, I seen too many of those, and sometimes they aren't even realistic >.<

It all depends on what the story is like.
Let's say it plays during the war. Then I'd expect some death's and then hope for a bittersweet ending.
If it's a simple, basic school story, then someone suddenly dropping dead would make me go "O.o Was that really necessary?" and I'd just assume everyone 'lived happily ever after'.

Personally, I don't like sad endings >.< It's because I don't like reading about someone for a whole story only to have them die. THE END.
If it's a bittersweet one or one that makes you shed a tear, like the examples you mentioned, then those are great
Just make sure that if you're going to include a death, it's not just for the sake of having someone die >.>

But, for me, the best endings are still the happy ones
I'm just a silly, romantic girl who likes reading 'and they spend the rest of their lives loving each other.' (alright, that may be a bit too much, but you get my point)

Xx

I agree with Chansel, it depends on the context of the story. I mean, there are tons of ways to darken a school story setting, but in most cases they wouldn't have "heroic death" kind of endings. And it's not like all school-age kids find themselves in life-threatening situations, even then.

But in truth, while I love something that can make me cry my eyes out, it has to have some kind of redeeming value at the end if it's a "good" ending. Sure, a bad end can be dismal AND well-written too, it doesn't have to be a "you picked the wrong option, you die."... but a good end should have... well, something good about it. Especially in games with romance, because playing the game you'd put all that work into completing the story and getting to know that character and playing match-maker... if the game just shuts the players down completely at the end, chances are they will not want to replay the game unless there's some way to fix that.

Speaking of "fixing" things, I think that's part of the reason why I loved Haruka 3 so much. The first half of the game is played through normally, until everything starts going wrong beyond your control and you get a bad ending where everyone dies. The last half of the game is going back/skipping around in time and changing your actions, knowing what went wrong, to save your loved ones. I liked doing that; it deviated from the typical linear formula. Even then Atsumori's path is my favorite, but definitely the most bittersweet because there's only so much you can do to save the poor guy

I think the most important things about an ending are:

• It logically follows from the work. No Gainax ending.
• It doesn't break the premise of the work. For example, if one character has an incurable disease, then curing that disease is not a valid ending.
• It resolves an important conflict that has been in the story from the beginning (or near the beginning). Too many anime series introduce and resolve a new conflict for the ending, or don't resolve anything.
• If the player's choices influence the ending, then there should be some sense of victory in the good ending. Bittersweet is OK, total defeat is not.

An overly happy ending is bad because it trivializes the conflict that came before the ending. An overly unhappy ending is bad because it renders the characters' effort to avoid such an ending meaningless. Anything between those two extremes is OK with me.

Happy ending, but realistic. By realistic I mean don't expect a love triangle to end without:
a) one person's heart being broken OR
b) all three people feeling awkward (aka the semi-happy ending)

Now if we're talking about a game with multiple endings, I like a game where there are clear 'good', 'bad', and 'cop-out' endings. The good ending would be happy, the bad ending sad, and the cop-out endings leave things unresolved. Bizarre and joke endings are OK too.

I like happy endings because I don't usually play things in order to be upset.

Wintermoon wrote:No Gainax ending.

What is that?

I kinda like Gainax endings xD;;

Basically it's a term for endings that just seem to end in a total mindscrew; maybe they're relevant to the story or characters, or they can be cool in a really trippy way, but it doesn't actually solve any problems or come to any conclusion. It just leaves you scratching your head or going "woahhhh... wait.. HEY, that's it? What just happened?" I know the Evangelion TV show had the quintessential "Gainax Ending" (I loved the last episode though, even if it wasn't the "true ending" it was neat!).

The final episode of eva is the trope namer, being done by Gainax.

Luckily FLCL tuned it down and Gurren Lagann didn't really have one at all.

This is just my personal taste. I like happy ending, the one that's bright cheerful, everyone is happy. Though this type is very bad if you placed them on wrong series. For example, a series where almost everyone is dying, and the end just magically revive them for the sake of happy ending.

Moreso than happy ending, I like complete ending, where what happened to the characters after the story are explained or at least hinted. So I very much like epilogue and hope every series I read/watch/play have a somekind of epilogue. It gives a nice closure. It's ok to leave a bit of loose end if there is a planned sequel, but I like the feeling of shiny finishing. So long as the ending is complete, I can accept any kind of end even if it's a sad one.

Last but not least, I like ending that make sense within the context of the story. I dislike ending that come absolutely out of nowhere without much explanation. It is worst if the ending changed the entire story/genre. If there is genre shift within the story, it has to be done subtly and progressively in order to convince me that this is what the author wanted, not something he/she pulled out of thin air. (Yes, I am talking about Evangelion, though I give him credit for creating one of the most controversial ending ever.)

Happy Ending. Period.

In real life, all people couldn't get a happy ending, so since it's just a fictional story, I prefer a happy one.

Happy ending doesn't have to mean "everybody is happy and they are live happily ever after". As long as things goes around like the protagonist intend/want, or things are the best for everyone... but still not bittersweet (the protagonist died protecting the heroine). I guess Butterfly Effects ending (not the DC one) is the farthest I could take as a happy ending.

I mostly prefer two kinds of endings - bittersweet ones and those with a certain twist. Also, as LVUER said, I'm mostly rooting for somekind of a happy finish, although when the story touches my heart it's sometimes better to have an utterly sad ending, although I can take them only when the story is covincing or there is a proper expalantion for that sadness.

I don't mind endings, where we don't understand or know anything at all. If it's done well, it's ok to have them, especially if there is some kind of a twist or mindscrew (though, not that kind from evangelion; it has to be more specific). Complete endings are good, but to be honest - almost every anime and manga leaves it's readers/watchers with some unfinished/unexplained things, but if it is that kind of ending like the one in Clannad, I won't ask for more It's glad to know characters you liked are doing well and (somehow) manage with their lifes.

Mirage wrote:It is worst if the ending changed the entire story/genre

If it was done well and has a deeper explanation, it might be a preety good one There's nothing wrong in story taking unexpected turns, I'd rather go for it than a straight-forward happy ending, or no ending at all (as I call it; it's quite popular nowadays when everything just "ends" and we don't have even a lightest idea of what will happen next and why does it end like this). To be honest, thats what turns on readers/watchers the most.