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Shonen anime have a bad habit of delivering underwhelming endings that ruin the entire story. These finales are not only fraught with narrative inconsistencies and unresolved plotlines, but they also betray the trust that viewers had placed in the anime. Even the most near-perfect shonen anime is not immune to a debilitating ending that ruins the reputation of the entire franchise.
Some of the most widely criticized anime endings, unfortunately, belong to some of the most well-received shonen anime. Viewers naturally feel cheated when their favorite series' grand buildup is followed by an unsuitable ending, with some of them dooming their anime to the dustbin of history.
The Promised Neverland’s Ending Laid Waste to Its Phenomenal Stakes
Season 2 of The Promised Neverland had already received plenty of backlash for rushing through important storylines and skipping entire arcs altogether, but the killing blow was actually its ending, which not only carried forward the manga’s flaws but also amplified them with original content. The anime completely skipped the part where Emma loses her most precious belonging: her memory of her friends.
The Promised Neverland’s anime arrived with a refreshing hook, set in a world where human orphans are mercilessly slaughtered to feed demons. For an anime that could portray gore so freely, its ending had a surprising lack of any sacrifice. The finale felt like it belonged to an average battle shonen, instead of a series that promised psychological horror.
Dr. Stone’s Finale Showed No Consequences for the Villain
Dr. Stone is one of those near-perfect shonen anime that will be remembered for the journey, not the destination. The overarching villain of the anime, Why-Man, had been a mysterious entity right from the start, yet the anime only reveals its true form in the second-to-last episode. The villain is revealed to be a swarm of extra-terrestrial creatures, and they are never held accountable for playing with the lives of an entire species.
In the ending of Dr. Stone, the antagonistic aliens suffer no consequences for their actions and simply move on to another planet to create similar terror. Even Senku’s will to create a time machine to prevent the petrification event entirely is filled with scientific and narrative plot holes. The time-machine plan is left as a cliffhanger, as the group returns to the Earth with zero closure given to most anything.
Food Wars Never Addressed Soma’s Actual Ambition
Food Wars began with Soma’s resolution to surpass his father, Joichiro, but even after five entire seasons, the anime concludes without any decisive victory for Soma against his father. And while the anime’s ending did show Nakiri Erina admitting that Soma’s food is delicious, their romance still falls flat.
Food Wars’ final arc was already pretty controversial because of the shift in tone, the introduction of "superpowers," and the worst antagonist in shonen history, Nakiri Asahi. The season's own story was never going to be resolved well, but the series not even bothering to resolve its main love story properly was just insulting.
Takopi’s Original Sin’s Last Plot Twist Remains Unconvincing
Takopi’s Original Sin is a masterpiece shonen anime that delivered a stunning story within 6 episodes, but ruined its progress with its ending. The last episode showed Marina and Shizuka reconciling with each other, but Marina’s sudden shift from a brutal bully is still jarring. Even if the two ended up talking and relating to each other about their abusive parents, it’s hard to forget that Marina was the reason for Shizuka’s death in Episode 1.
Takopi’s Original Sin has a realistic depiction of abuse and trauma, and how even if the former ends, the latter never does. Yet, the anime’s ending shows that the core characters are still suffering from parental abuse, and nothing has changed. The final resolution of altering Shizuka and Marina’s memories also feels like a last-minute attempt at triggering a friendship between them.
My Hero Academia’s Ending Raises Questions About the Anime’s Message
My Hero Academia is one of the best modern shonen anime classics, yet its ending divided fans. It feels too cruel to watch Deku being a teacher while the rest of his classmates become famous heroes. This can be justified by saying that being a hero does not require one to have superpowers, but the anime then took another turn as Deku was given a high-tech suit funded by his friends.
This last turn of events in My Hero Academia’s ending sends a mixed message. Many fans felt that it reduced the message of the anime because it once again proved that without proper powers or Quirks, Deku can’t be an active hero.
