An anime series with a bad ending isn't all that rare. In fact, they're far more common than a series that brings itself to a satisfactory conclusion, and there are a variety of reasons for this phenomenon. Sometimes, the issue lies with the story itself, or an animation studio that might not have had the time or sufficient staff to properly see a series to its end. There are only a handful of massively popular anime series to have ended in such a way that made their viewers happy.

Sometimes, however, the public reception to an ending isn't quite so black and white. Several popular series have come along, garnered copious amounts of fanfare, and left their audiences entirely divided on their finales. A few have even been at the center of heated online discussion for decades. Whether it be tonal shifts that alienated fans of certain specific aspects of a series, writing choices that just could not neatly wrap up various plot threads, or major changes made to an anime's source material, certain endings created major rifts in their fanbases.

8 Wonder Egg Priority

Animated by CloverWorks (2021)

Wonder Egg Priority may be one of the greatest 'what ifs' in anime history. Premiering to near universal acclaim, the series was on track to become an instant classic, receiving praise from fans and critics alike for incorporating heavy themes and experimental visuals reminiscent of a series like Madoka Magica. The buzz around the series during its initial airing was too loud to ignore, and anime fans rushed in droves to watch Wonder Egg Priority as it aired each week. Then a notable change occurred in the show.

Wonder Egg Priority's first half remains in the public's good graces, but countless fans likely wish they could forget the second half entirely. In what is a bit of a tragic circumstance, the series was criminally understaffed, and by the time the anime was in full swing, many of the people working on the show burnt themselves out during the creation of the first few episodes. As a result, the series crawled its way to the finish line after greatly expanding its world, and fans were left with little resolution to the story's events.

Some have chosen to Wonder Egg Priority fondly for its exceptional first-half and unique concept, while others are only able to look back at a missed opportunity for a series which could have been an all-time great.

7 Charlotte

Animated by P.A. Works (2015)

Jun Maeda is a legend in the anime world, despite being most well known for his work outside the industry. As a co-founder of Key Studio, he contributed to both scenario writing and music for several visual novels which would later be adapted into anime series. His most popular works include Kanon, Air, Clannad, Little Busters!, and Angel Beats!. Given the massive popularity of nearly all prior works, fans were excited to sink their teeth in Charlotte, Maeda's second crack at writing an anime rather than a visual novel that would later be adapted into one.

Scheduled for 12 episodes, Charlotte covered all the bases of a typical Jun Maeda story, tugging at the heart strings while sending its characters on both a comedic and highly emotional, uniquely supernatural journey. However, by the time the series reaches its final episode, there is far too much story left to tell, leading to an incredibly fast-paced finale that left fans with a bit of whiplash. In the years since the series' 2015 release, fans have been divided into sections that either believe the ending to be satisfying, or feel it to be rushed.

Due to the mixed reception of Charlotte's final act, the series is not held in quite as high regard as Jun Maeda's other works.

6 Akame ga Kill!

Animated by White Fox & C-Station, (2014)

Akame ga Kill! is an anime adaptation of the manga of the same name, written by Takahiro and illustrated by Tetsuya Tashiro. The original manga series, which debuted in 2010, was met with excellent reception and continued serialization for another six years, ending in 2016. The fantasy action series received similar acclaim for its anime adaptation in 2014. However, as the show approached its conclusion, predictable red flags began to pop up.

Unfortunately, like many other popular anime series before it, Akame ga Kill! ran out of source material to adapt, forcing the studio behind the adaptation to create an original ending with little reference. Featuring a generous serving of death among the main cast, as well as events that diverge from the original manga's story, the anime's ending left its fanbase torn, with many believing that the final six or so episodes should be ignored, with viewers being better off experiencing the remaining story in manga format.

5 Elfen Lied

Animated by Arms and Studio Guts, (2004)

Elfen Lied as a whole is largely divisive within the anime community. A series which has been countless fans' first foray into more mature anime, Elfen Lied has gained a spotty reputation in the years since its initial release, and is more often than not discarded as an early 2000s overly-edgy series with cute girls. Nevertheless, the anime was incredibly popular in the West, though several fans often bicker about its ending more than two decades later.

Not only was Elfen Lied scheduled to end long before its source material was finished, but the production team behind it were given only 13 episodes to adapt the entire story. As a result, the anime and manga are dissimilar from each other in many ways, finale included. While the manga, which finally concluded two years after the anime finished airing, featured a highly psychological ending, the anime focused on the romance between its two leading characters. Fans are mostly in agreement that both endings work for the stories being told. However, very few can agree on which is best.

4 Death Note

Animated by Madhouse, (2006 - 2007)

Despite Death Note's wildly impressive, lasting popularity, remaining one of the more widely discussed anime series nearly 20 years following its premiere, its ending is a point of contention among fans. Unlike other popular anime adaptations that deviated from their source material's stories, Death Note had the luxury of a completed manga to base itself on. Still, the anime chose to alter certain events of the original ending, splitting its fan base into believing one to be superior to the other.

Though the overall story does not differ wildly in either version, the manga and anime give different final moments to Light in their conclusions. The tone of each death couldn't be more different, with one version choosing to showcase the character in a pathetic light, while the other is a bit more sympathetic to the problematic protagonist. Death Note's final act is already controversial enough across both the manga and anime versions of the story, and the major change in the latter's events created a lasting divide among anime fans.

3 Neon Genesis Evangelion

Animated by Gainax, (1995 - 1996)

No other ending in anime history has been discussed to the degree that Neon Genesis Evangelion's has. This is partially due to the fact that it has ended on three separate occasions, but the original TV anime ending is by far the most controversial. Though fans have seemingly come around somewhat to the series' finale in recent years, viewers spent the better part of two decades arguing over whether the ending was good, or even coherent for that matter.

Surprisingly, due to the reputation that Episodes #25 and #26 have in the west, Japanese audiences have always mostly regarded the series' ending as one of the best in anime history. Forfeiting any action between its iconic mechs, Evangelion's original TV finale instead chose to dive into the main cast's psyches, and explore the central philosopical themes of the show from the perspectives of its characters. Many fans have come to accept that this was always the anime's intended goal, though there was once a time that confused viewers wondered what happened to the robots.

2 Tokyo Ghoul

Animated by Pierrot, (2014 - 2015)

Tokyo Ghoul became an instant sensation while airing its first season in 2014, and is still rather popular today. The already acclaimed manga had given way to the year's hottest new anime, and it seemed Tokyo Ghoul would become the next great series to be forever recommended to newcomers of the art form. The next year, fans were confused as to what exactly happened to its second season. Unlike Death Note, which changed only a small portion of its source material's ending, Tokyo Ghoul veered away from the manga entirely, despite it being already finished.

What resulted was a second season that was entirely original to the anime, and fans were not happy about it. To this day, many are still desperately calling for the series to receive an amended adaptation in the style of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which corrected the series' anime original ending in an entirely new series years later. However, nearly a decade later, the likelihood of a remake seems doubtful. On the other hand, fans unfamiliar with the manga still praise the anime, creating quite a divide in the fanbase.

1 Erased

Animated by A-1 Pictures, (2016)

Erased is an anime series that still receives acclaim nearly 10 years after its conclusion, though recommendations from those online will typically include an asterisk regarding the show's ending. Packed with thrilling mysteries and emotional beats, the series was nearly perfect, until its final two episodes created one of the largest divides in a fanbase the anime community has ever experienced.

Despite reaching the same conclusion as its manga counterpart, many viewers believe the events of Erased's finale to be severely rushed, and there's a point to be made there. Incredibly important character development for many of the series' main cast was cut from the anime adaptation, and a large portion of the fanbase feels that the ending lacks emotional weight and coherence because of that. On the other side of the fanbase, and from a large majority of viewers considering the praise Erased continues to receive, some believe the ending to be perfect.

Anime has seen many endings send shock waves through fanbases and the overall community throughout the years. However, no conclusion is more divisive than Erased's. Remaining fairly popular despite the finale's mixed reception, it seems the long-running debate about its finale will only continue to wage on.