Endings are funny beasts - I feel like I often don't have particularly strong feelings towards them. It's part of why I was somewhat amused at the ending of Danganronpa V3 apparently retrospectively ruining the game for some people because for me endings have never been Danganronpa's forte; none of them are particularly good, and the fun is in the journey. But we all experience media differently, don't we?
I'm trying to think about what media has had endings I actually like - maybe FF8 and FF9? They both end on some beautiful, poignant sequences and they always make me smile.
Kill the protagonist endings - depends how and why it's done. Death Note, for example, felt like it was always going to end that way - Ryuk is very clear about it from the beginning, and within only an episode it's clear there's no other way that Light is going to stop. I know some people feel it went on too long and to a degree that's probably right, but it was never going to end on a victory for Light.
I was cross with that style ending in the Damnatio Memoriae books (which are pretty damn obscure but I quite liked, with some reservations) because it felt needless and like it meant the growth of the character felt pointless in a bad way, because of the way it ended.
The Bunker Diary on the other hand (that book I mentioned to you that got reviews complaining it was depressingly grim), it kind of works in that book? People have been kidnapped for no reason and seem to be the playthings of a very bored individual. Then they break the rules and that individual abandons them and things quickly spiral out of control through desperation and ultimately, they all die abandoned. It's never clear who kidnapped them or why. It's never clear why they were left there to die; was the kidnapper angry at their rulebreaking? Did something happen to them? I put "pointless in a bad way" earlier, because this feels pointless in a different way - I don't mean it as any form of insult.
I still haven't started season 5 of Person of Interest, but I knew who died before going into it - I looked it up in relation to your post thinking it did not sound like my thing and obviously I would not be watching it. Alas... So can't really get spoiled. (Actually, the first thing I took in when trying to look it up and get a sense of it was seeing ice-9 mentioning and then being unable to think of anything but Zero Escape!)
I noticed you posted on the Zodiac Trial thread! I'm glad you seem to be enjoying it; I thought you would. I would be happy to hear your thoughts on the game, characters (plus ranking), what's going on etc. (Starved of anywhere to talk about this game? Me? Surely not.)
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I'm trying to think about what media has had endings I actually like - maybe FF8 and FF9? They both end on some beautiful, poignant sequences and they always make me smile.
Kill the protagonist endings - depends how and why it's done. Death Note, for example, felt like it was always going to end that way - Ryuk is very clear about it from the beginning, and within only an episode it's clear there's no other way that Light is going to stop. I know some people feel it went on too long and to a degree that's probably right, but it was never going to end on a victory for Light.
I was cross with that style ending in the Damnatio Memoriae books (which are pretty damn obscure but I quite liked, with some reservations) because it felt needless and like it meant the growth of the character felt pointless in a bad way, because of the way it ended.
The Bunker Diary on the other hand (that book I mentioned to you that got reviews complaining it was depressingly grim), it kind of works in that book? People have been kidnapped for no reason and seem to be the playthings of a very bored individual. Then they break the rules and that individual abandons them and things quickly spiral out of control through desperation and ultimately, they all die abandoned. It's never clear who kidnapped them or why. It's never clear why they were left there to die; was the kidnapper angry at their rulebreaking? Did something happen to them? I put "pointless in a bad way" earlier, because this feels pointless in a different way - I don't mean it as any form of insult.
I still haven't started season 5 of Person of Interest, but I knew who died before going into it - I looked it up in relation to your post thinking it did not sound like my thing and obviously I would not be watching it. Alas... So can't really get spoiled. (Actually, the first thing I took in when trying to look it up and get a sense of it was seeing ice-9 mentioning and then being unable to think of anything but Zero Escape!)
I noticed you posted on the Zodiac Trial thread! I'm glad you seem to be enjoying it; I thought you would. I would be happy to hear your thoughts on the game, characters (plus ranking), what's going on etc. (Starved of anywhere to talk about this game? Me? Surely not.)
-timydamonkey