If Anime is the main course then the opening theme is the starter and the ending theme is the dessert. Sounds funny?
Just like how your fancy dinner seems incomplete without a starter and dessert, the animation feels incomplete without opening and ending themes.
Anime is all about brilliant animation, sound effects, storyline, and characters. But what makes it more memorable are the theme songs. Especially the ending theme.
An ending piece is the best way to wrap up an episode.
Here are the top 10 Anime ending themes that fit the series perfectly!
#10 The Real Folk Blues — Cowboy Bebop
In so many Anime shows, music is important, but Cowboy Bebop depends on it. The Real Folk Blues, the closing theme, serves as the perfect wind-down song.
The harsh pictures of Spike and Julia are accompanied by a melancholy ballad that foreshadows the difficult path ahead of them. When this music starts playing at the height of the final episode, it’s pure bliss.
As the crew of the Bebop hops around space, Yoko Kanno’s growing usage of jazz and other musical genres corresponds to the sci-fi series’ frantic impulses.
#9 Blue Velvet — Dragon Ball GT
The fanbase of the Dragon Ball franchise continues to mock the sequel series Dragon Ball GT, yet one aspect of the Anime that is difficult to dislike is its soundtrack.
The third and final song in Dragon Ball GT is titled “Blue Velvet,” and it is far better than it should be. “Blue Velvet” surpasses the previous Dragon Ball ending songs, such as “Romantic Ageru Yo” and “We Were Angels,” by sounding like a track from Cowboy Bebop.
Some of the greatest music in the franchise can be heard in Dragon Ball GT, which balances the tones of the first Dragon Ball with its action-packed sequel.
#8 Monster Without A Name — PsychoPass
The very last song of Psycho-Pass: The Movie is Namae no Nai Kaibutsu (“Monster Without a Name”). It was written by Supercell’s Ryo and performed by EGOIST.
The song starts with hushed vocals that are slowly accompanied by a furious yet quiet pace before transitioning into an energetic cybernetic melody of multiple guitars and soaring strings.
Then it changes once again, becoming something that sounds like electronic dance music and makes me want to tap my foot. This AMV’s finale is wild and furious, and it proudly carries the cyberpunk vibe to it.
#7 Fly Me To The Moon — Neon Genesis Evangelion
Although “Fly Me to the Moon” is a wonderful American song, it says much more when seen from the perspective of the Japanese language. This is the basic concept of the Neon Genesis Evangelion.
In Evangelion, every character has lost something, is looking for something, doesn’t know what love is, can’t express it, or doesn’t comprehend it. This lack of feeling is portrayed in the song.
The original version was Sung by Claire & Bart Howard in 1954. One of the most recognizable songs of all time is “Fly Me To The Moon.” Although Frank Sinatra’s rendition of the song is perhaps the most well-known, several other musicians have performed it over the course of many years.
However, Neon Genesis Evangelion’s rendition of this song in the closing credits is also quite good. The artist’s voice, which has a melancholy quality, lends weight to the conclusion and gives a hint as to how thought-provoking Neon Genesis Evangelion may be.
#6 Dare ka, Umi wo — Terror In Resonance
Anyone who has the pleasure of watching Terror In Resonance will find it to be unforgettable due to its distinctive aesthetic and music.
It makes an impression through the characters, visual, aural, and ambient aspects. Aimer’s “Dare ka, Umi wo” is a mournful ending theme that significantly intensifies the somber mood of this series.
It expresses a subtle notion that dying is not terrifying in and of itself, but that being forgotten after some time, as if you had never lived, is far more terrifying.
When you initially hear this song, you don’t understand that it’s transitioning from something that sounds nearly hopeful to something terrible until it’s already over.
#5 Toki Tsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku — Steins; Gate
Anime was able to concisely and clearly describe the multiverse theory and the effects of time travel. This theme starts playing right after you’ve been exposed to some bizarre butterfly effect twist, and you can’t wait to play the next episode and find out what happens next.
It’s touching, upsetting, magical, mysterious, and heartwarming all at the same time.
The song is fantastic overall, but what really moves me is Yui Sakakibara’s vocal delivery, particularly in the chorus when she softens the word “Tenchi wo,” giving the phrase a wistful depth.
#4 Radiohead’s Paranoid Android — Ergo Proxy
This music is incredibly smooth and laid-back. It has an odd logic to it. What better way to end a show on artificial sentience than with a song about progress in technology?
British progressive music band Radiohead’s masterwork explores our anxieties about technology becoming sentient, of allowing it to control our lives, and of the cognitive divide that may happen if we were thrown into a society like Ergo Proxy’s.
I gave this finale considerably more thought as the music played. It may seem strange at first, but after seeing Ergo Proxy, it’s a lovely way to recall the melancholy of the series and its deeply reflective dismal, and dark environment.
#3 Death Note — Alumina
Most people recall the Death Note openings as some of the loudest and most overt Anime openings they’ve ever seen. Both are noteworthy in their own particular ways, but that shouldn’t detract from the caliber of the closing tracks.
Alumina, the first closing tune, is outstanding in this sense. Death Note’s eerie images are given fresh life by the soundtrack, which gives the final scene its own unique vitality.
#2 Uso – Full Metal Alchemist
There were two excellent stand-alone adaptations of Fullmetal Alchemist. The majority of fans, however, consider brotherhood to be this series’ finest adaptation since it stays true to the book.
The series not only has superior animation and graphics but also better music than anything else out there.
Its closing track is very moving and allows fans a moment to collect their thoughts after seeing every episode.
It’s lovely, and the animation looks like chalk drawings by Ed and Al! It’s charming and has a childlike warmth. (Winry bopping Den’s nose is adorable).
#1 I want you — Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure
Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure follows its own set of rules, and the series stands out in a variety of ways.
Music is a big source of inspiration for Araki, and it has infiltrated JoJo’s in the shape of several characters and Stands named after musical groups and songs.
Furthermore, rather than unique Japanese compositions, each of JoJo’s closing songs uses existing music with English lyrics.
Tracks like “Roundabout” and “Walk Like An Egyptian” are catchy, but they can’t match the use of “I Want You” by Savage Garden during Diamond is Unbreakable.
Here are some other recommendations for all the iconic ending songs of all time:
| Song name | Anime |
| Shiki no Uta | Samurai Champloo |
| Wareta Ringo | From the New World |
| Dango Daikazoku | Clannad |
| The Last Flower | The Flowers of Evil |
| Reason | Hunter x Hunter |
Final Verdict
- Although some Anime shows neglect the importance of a good ending theme song, many Anime do a great job with it.
- It’s very uncommon for an Anime’s ending theme to be slower or more melancholy than the explosive music that opens each episode.
- Most Anime’s closing animation and songs are supposed to be tranquil and restful in their own distinctive manner, a wind-down after the thrill like Dare na Umi wo from terror in resonance.
- My favorite on the list is Radiohead’s Paranoid Android and Fly Me To The Moon.
Other Articles
- What Does Cosplaying As Someone Mean?
- Does Manga Count As Comic?
- What Is Cosplay: Exploring Japan’s Subculture
Click here to view the visual Story version of this article.