One of the most disappointing experiences for any anime fan is an anticlimactic ending after investing so much time in a story. These endings typically lack the spectacle of the rest of the show or fail to bring characters together who were destined for each other. In either case, anticlimactic endings do a disservice to the fans.
Unfortunately, some of the best stories are given anticlimactic endings. Whether the creators were hoping to create more content later, or whether they wanted to take the shows in different directions, these anime endings failed to give audiences the satisfaction of great stories with satisfying endings.
Updated on February 25th, 2023 by Louis Kemner: Every story, anime or otherwise, is expected to have a conclusive and satisfying ending that wraps up loose ends, concludes the protagonist's personal arc, and leaves a strong, lasting impression. Some anime series do just that, but too many others either have a weak ending or don't have a proper ending at all. These anime don't have real conclusions - they merely stop, and that may be terribly frustrating for devoted fans. Now, let's review some more anime series that absolutely didn't end with a bang.
15 Erased
Erased is a murder-mystery anime about a time-traveling man who is inadvertently sent back to his fifth-grade self. While there, Satoru Fujinuma realizes that he has a second chance to save his friends from being murdered, and does everything in his power (as an eleven-year-old) to prevent the crimes.
Satoru is thankfully successful in saving his friends and bringing the murderer to justice, but he loses out on years of his life in the process. After a near-death experience on his second try at elementary school, Satoru falls into a coma for the better part of a decade. Although it is implied that Satoru finds love again at the very end, fans were disappointed to learn that the hero lost out on so much.
14 Beastars
Legoshi spends most of his time on Beastars attempting to find his friend Tem's killer to bring them to justice. He trains relentlessly to be able to fight someone with enhanced strength from eating meat. He even goes as far as eating bugs – just to gain more of an edge.
However, none of it proves to be enough, leading Legoshi to sacrifice his morals to gain the strength he needs to succeed. Although Louis offers his leg freely, Legoshi is still charged with the crime of devouring and is kicked out of school. Ending Legoshi's time at Cherryton was an anticlimactic ending for someone who worked so hard to bring a killer to justice.
13 The Legend Of Korra
The Legend of Korra is widely praised for its depiction of trauma and the futility of war. It is also one of the first animated shows to feature a same-sex couple. However, most of these story beats did not have the chance to come to satisfying resolutions.
After defeating Kuvira and attending Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding, Asami and Korra talk about how burnt out they are, and how they should go away together. The final scene sees Korra and Asami holding hands as they walk into the Spirit World portal. This ending is a stark departure from many anime, where the hero celebrates their victory with their friends. Unfortunately, The Legend of Korra failed audiences by showing a broken Korra retreat with her loved one.
12 Toradora!
Throughout Toradora! fans are treated to Taiga Aisaka and Ryuuji Takasu's burgeoning romance – culminating in the two running away together. However, they are eventually caught, and Taiga is transferred to another school by her mother.
Although Ryuuji and Taiga are reunited in an end-credits scene, there is not as much emotional pay-off as in earlier parts of the show. Ryuuji tells Taiga he loves her, and Taiga gets upset that he said it first. Then the show ends. Fans were left wanting more, especially after seeing Taiga and Ryuuji's first kiss earlier in the series.
11 Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun follows Chiyo Sakura in her quest to confess her feelings to her crush, Umetaro Nozaki. However, when she tries to tell him how she feels, he mistakes her for a fan and offers for her to become his assistant instead. Shocked that Nozaki is a famous mangaka, Sakura absentmindedly agrees. Hijinks ensue as she tries to work up the courage to tell him her feelings once again.
The show ends with Sakura and Nozaki watching the fireworks at a festival together. Sakura leans in and tells Nozaki her feelings once more, but the noise of the fireworks prevents him from hearing her correctly. The series ends with their shared confusion and Sakura still failing in her goal. As there has yet to be another season of this hilarious show, fans were left with an anticlimactic ending where absolutely nothing changed in their relationship since the beginning.
10 Ouran High School Host Club
Ouran High School Host Club centers around Haruhi Fujioka's time with the titular club, as she works to pay off a debt she incurred from breaking a vase. Although she is supposed to be charming the girls that visit the club, Haruhi inadvertently woos the club's president, Tamaki Suoh.
Tamaki and Haruhi have numerous romantic moments throughout the series, which seem to build a foundation for a love confession. While Haruhi does confess her feelings to Tamaki at the end of the show, the pair share nothing more than a hug before the credits roll. Many fans who were hoping for a kiss were left severely wanting after such a lackluster end.
9 Kiss Him, Not Me
Kiss Him, Not Me is a zany reverse-harem anime about a girl named Kae Serinuma who suddenly discovers four boys' (and one girl's) affections for her. The entire show is centered on the romantic rivals trying to prove to Serinuma that they are the match for her. She even agrees to go on individual dates with them, so she can make a definitive decision.
Unfortunately, this proclamation is too good to be true, as rather than choosing someone, Serinuma asserts her love for her anime crush and runs away. As there are no other seasons, fans were miffed that Serinuma did not choose anyone.
8 Snow White With The Red Hair
Snow White with the Red Hair is a surprisingly good romantic fantasy that loosely adapts the story of Snow White. A young herbalist named Shirayuki and a prince named Zen run into each other by accident, and begin a heartwarming, yet relatable romance. Zen and Shirayuki often discuss the future.
With so much talk about what would come next, fans were eager to see Zen and Shirayuki's love culminate in a wedding. Sadly, this was not to be. Zen instead reiterates his resolve to be the best prince and king he can be. While they do agree to get married, fans were left out of seeing the nuptials themselves.
7 School Rumble
School Rumble is an uproarious romantic comedy about Tenma Tsukamoto's many attempts to confess her love to Ooji Karasuma. However, another classmate, Kenji Harima, has harbored a secret crush on Tenma for years. The show displays their various attempts to confess their feelings while stumbling upon increasingly ridiculous obstacles.
When the show ends, it reveals that Karasuma was an alien all along, and he encourages Tenma and Harima to be together. While this is a touching scene, it turns out to be nothing more than a dream-like fake-out, as several more endings are also presented. While some fans appreciated the ambiguous finale, the majority were upset that such a perfect solution was not the definitive end.
6 Hyouka
Hyouka is a quiet mystery anime about a Literature Club that goes around solving local mysteries. Houtarou Oreki shines as the apathetic, but observant lead with the bubbly Eru Chitanda by his side. Together with their friends, Oreki and Chitanda, they solve many enigmas and begin to fall in love.
Oreki's indifferent demeanor prevents him from admitting his true feelings to Chitanda. However, at the very end of the series, the two are discussing their futures, and Oreki finally admits that he wants to stay by Chitanda's side. Yet, as the wind shifts, fans realize that Oreki imagined the entire confession.
5 Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie
Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is a pleasant but generic romantic comedy anime that's largely by the numbers from beginning to end. Like many rom-com titles, Shikimori tells an incomplete story, with much of the material being found only in the source manga.
The Shikimori anime tends to go in circles, since the characters experience very little growth and don't do much to evolve their relationships. It almost feels like a trial run for a longer, more substantial rom-com title, and the ending is really just a stopping point, not a true conclusion to anything in particular.
4 When Will Ayumu Make His Move?
The short rom-com anime When Will Ayumu Make His Move? plays like a very watered-down Kaguya-Sama, featuring two stubborn lovers who won't confess their love until they get things exactly their way. The whole affair is a simple battle of wits with shogi being the main focus.
Ayumu doesn't do much new in the rom-com field, and in the end, the kuudere boy Ayumu Tanaka didn't follow through with his promise to confess to his crush, Urushi Yaotome. It was a major letdown and a false promise, which no doubt put a bad taste in some viewers' mouths.
3 My Senpai Is Annoying
My Senpai is Annoying is one of many rom-com anime titles that only got partway through the source manga, so there was no room for the long-awaited love confession in the anime. Series like this can conclude a story arc in one season to provide a climactic ending, but My Senpai is Annoying didn't bother.
My Senpai is Annoying is a mediocre josei anime that features a tough, lovable tsundere office worker named Futaba Igarashi. She's on a quest to prove her worth as an employee and figure out her feelings for her hulking co-worker Harumi Takeda, but the anime's ending didn't give that premise a chance to pay off.
2 Senryu Girl
Senryu Girl is like a simpler version of Komi Can't Communicate. This very short rom-com anime only adapted a fraction of the 13-volume source manga, so fans looking for a cute high school romance with a whirlwind ending are in for a major letdown.
Senryu Girl is pleasant enough with its silent deredere protagonist Nanako and her ex-delinquent male friend Eiji, but the anime doesn't go anywhere with this setup. There isn't even any drama by rom-com standards to give these characters a problem to overcome together in the climax.
1 A Couple Of Cuckoos
Even with 24 episodes to its name, A Couple of Cuckoos didn't manage to impress anime fans with a shocking climax or a resolution to the messy love square the main characters found themselves in. The later episodes did deliver some plot twists, but it wasn't enough to make Cuckoos a must-watch anime.
Protagonist Nagi Umino is engaged to Erika Amanoe, he's more interested in his classmate Hiro Segawa, and his foster sister Sachi is interested in him. Any anime would need time to resolve that chaotic situation and build its way to a climax, but even so, Cuckoos spent too much time accomplishing too little by the end.