History GainaxEnding / AnimeAndManga

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' may as well be among the most famous examples of this in the show's run:

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''.

* Gainax truly managed to outdo themselves with ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'', and that's saying something. In more or less chronological order: Panty spends an undefined amount of time as a farm girl (the setting of which is otherwise staged), Panty and Brief finally do it, Panty lets Brief accidentally unlock the gate of a ''[[GagPenis giant penis ghost]]'', Corset turns Scanty and Kneesocks into weapons and kills Garterbelt before fusing with said giant penis ghost, Chuck and Fastener turn into awesome monster things, Panty and Stocking use Garterbelt's credit card to buy enough weapons to attempt to deliver an [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill awesome finishing blow.]] They miss and hit Heaven, which summons a pair of [[MediumBlending lifelike legs]] to close the gate (which may or may not be Panty and Stocking's mom, if their question has any meaning to it). And Garterbelt dies again, [[DeathIsCheap only to come back to life.]] Among all this, the heavens are actually [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann pierced]] with a [[ThisIsADrill drill.]] BigBad dies, but then isn't dead, ''Stocking is actually a demon WHO KILLS PANTY'', and now Brief must retrieve Panty's 666 pieces and bring her back to life. It's still not even clear if all this is actually the ending, or even canon. In fact, it's so big of a Gainax Ending that the in-universe characters - heroic and antagonist alike - who didn't see it coming react to this in much the same way the viewers do. It would take until ''2021'' for a follow-up to be announced (hopefully to explain ''what in God's holy name actually happened'').

* ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' has an AmbiguousEnding that's surreal, but then again, so is the rest of the show. Then the ''movie'' showed up, which is somewhat of a symbolic true ending to the show despite taking place in an AlternateContinuity. The entire thing could be considered a Gainax Ending to the show, what with the environment itself moving around at random, but then the climax to the movie involves the protagonist turning into a car, who her girlfriend proceeds to drive under a castle on wheels and into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The symbolism is still consistent, yes, but it ''really'' goes off the rails regardless.

* ''WebAnimation/InfernoCop'' outright mocks its Gainax roots by suddenly shifting the plot to a CosmicHorrorStory of sorts by paying homage to the Third Impact, [[spoiler:resetting the universe, making everyone Inferno Cop, revealing that the pregnant woman from the first episode is actually a ComicBook/ScarletWitch {{Expy}} with power beyond the gods, giving Inferno Cop the ability to overpower her, making Inferno Cop do a HeroicSacrifice]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking letting the credits drag on for eight minutes]]. However, it's ultimately subverted, considering that [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs the rest of the series is just as insane]].

* ''Anime/MagicalWarfare'' had a mostly incomprehensible KudzuPlot to start with, with several plot twists and revelations being introduced only to never get mentioned again. But then the final episode takes it all up to eleven. The Ghost Trailers attack Subaru Magic Academy and a major battle ensues, during which Takeshi [[SayMyName shouts his evil brother Gekkou's name]] more times than one cares to count. Then there's suddenly a massive explosion, and Takeshi wakes up at Subaru... in ''1998'', surrounded by teenage versions of various adult characters. The show then abruptly ends without any explanation of... well, anything at all.

* ''LightNovel/MagicalWarfare'' had a mostly incomprehensible KudzuPlot to start with, with several plot twists and revelations being introduced only to never get mentioned again. But then the final episode takes it all up to eleven. The Ghost Trailers attack Subaru Magic Academy and a major battle ensues, during which Takeshi [[SayMyName shouts his evil brother Gekkou's name]] more times than one cares to count. Then there's suddenly a massive explosion, and Takeshi wakes up at Subaru... in ''1998'', surrounded by teenage versions of various adult characters. The show then abruptly ends without any explanation of... well, anything at all.

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion''. The Puella Magi foiled Kyubey's plan, everything's fine, and Homura can finally see Madoka again. All good, right? Wait, did Homura just ''hijack Madoka's god powers?'' Viewers can find clues that this would happen, but probably not until they [[RewatchBonus watch it for the second time]]. The least subtle of those is the scene with Homura and Madoka in the field, which serves to set up the ending. Even so, this only allows you to guess Homura will attempt some sort of ResetButton -- something she's done many times through TimeTravel -- and doesn't explain exactly what happened in the ending (she apparently absorbs the entire universe into something even weirder than a witch labyrinth using ThePowerOfLove and becomes a self-proclaimed demon; none of this easily fits into the world's established rules), or how it was possible.

* Gainax truly managed to outdo themselves with ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'', and that's saying something. In more or less chronological order: Panty spends an undefined amount of time as a farm girl (the setting of which is otherwise staged), Panty and Brief finally do it, Panty [[MoralEventHorizon lets]] Brief accidentally unlock the gate of a ''[[GagPenis giant penis ghost]]'', Corset turns Scanty and Kneesocks into weapons and kills Garterbelt before fusing with said giant penis ghost, Chuck and Fastener turn into awesome monster things, Panty and Stocking use Garterbelt's credit card to buy enough weapons to attempt to deliver an [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill awesome finishing blow.]] They miss and hit Heaven, which summons a pair of [[MediumBlending lifelike legs]] to close the gate (which may or may not be Panty and Stocking's mom, if their question has any meaning to it). And Garterbelt dies again, [[DeathIsCheap only to come back to life.]] Among all this, the heavens are actually [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann pierced]] with a [[ThisIsADrill drill.]] BigBad dies, but then isn't dead, ''Stocking is actually a demon WHO KILLS PANTY'', and now Brief must retrieve Panty's 666 pieces and bring her back to life. It's still not even clear if all this is actually the ending, or even canon. In fact, it's so big of a Gainax Ending that the characters who didn't see it coming react to it in much the same way the viewers do. It would take until ''2021'' for a follow-up to be announced (hopefully to explain ''what in God's holy name actually happened'').

* Gainax truly managed to outdo themselves with ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'', and that's saying something. In more or less chronological order: Panty spends an undefined amount of time as a farm girl (the setting of which is otherwise staged), Panty and Brief finally do it, Panty [[MoralEventHorizon lets]] Brief accidentally unlock the gate of a ''[[GagPenis giant penis ghost]]'', Corset turns Scanty and Kneesocks into weapons and kills Garterbelt before fusing with said giant penis ghost, Chuck and Fastener turn into awesome monster things, Panty and Stocking use Garterbelt's credit card to buy enough weapons to attempt to deliver an [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill awesome finishing blow.]] They miss and hit Heaven, which summons a pair of [[MediumBlending lifelike legs]] to close the gate. This pair of legs turns out to be Panty and Stocking's mom. And Garterbelt dies again, [[DeathIsCheap only to come back to life.]] Among all this, the heavens are actually [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann pierced]] with a [[ThisIsADrill drill.]] BigBad dies, but then isn't dead, ''Stocking is actually a demon WHO KILLS PANTY'', and now Brief must retrieve Panty's 666 pieces and bring her back to life. It's still not even clear if all this is actually the ending, or even canon. In fact, it's so big of a Gainax Ending that the characters who didn't see it coming react to it in much the same way the viewers do. It would take until ''2021'' for a follow-up to be announced (hopefully to explain ''what in God's holy name actually happened'').

* The original ''Manga/ShamanKing'' qualifies. The heroes go to sleep the day before the final battle. After that, it cuts to a series of scenes with Manta and Anna, including a short dream. After that, the series ends. The final battle is neither shown nor spoken of. The ending is unknown. All we get is a "The End" author's note. Luckily, Shaman King Kanzen-Ban finally showed the ending, but that came out MUCH later.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'': After Nagisa, Ushio, and Tomoya [[KillEmAll all die of various tragic causes]], Tomoya's last wish to "save Ushio" somehow causes a time-reset to the day Nagisa died in childbirth. This time, she doesn't die, and they all live HappilyEverAfter. Understanding this apparent DeusExMachina requires a lot of analysis of the dialogue between Ushio and the Garbage Doll before the Illusionary World collapses; but that side-plot itself is never really explained. It's probably meant to emulate the true/good/best ending unlocked in a VisualNovel by achieving HundredPercentCompletion. The very last scene is the most inscrutable of all, and [[http://tsunderestorm.com/2009/03/clannad-after-story-17-22/ may imply]] that [[TheDogWasTheMastermind Fuko orchestrated everything]].

* ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' ends on a massive cliff-hanger where [[KillEmAll a massive amount of the cast die]], a plot choice brought on by Creator/YoshiyukiTomino’s [[CreatorBreakdown at the time depression]]. Kamille ends up with severe brain damage after Scirocco’s [[TakingYouWithMe dying attack]] mentally cripples him. Axis ends up basically winning the fight with the Titans nearly completely wiped out and the AEUG fleet heavily damaged, taking Emma and Captain Henken with it. The series ends with Fa taking the now child like Kamille back to the Argama in tears while the destroyed Hyaku-Shiki floats empty amongst the wreckage with its hatch wide open. End of series. Thankfully, these hanging threads would be resolved with the sequel series ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'', while Char’s fate finally saw closure in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack'', but it’s still never fully explained what Scirocco did to destroy Kamille’s mind and how Char survived being crushed to death by debris

* Gainax truly managed to outdo themselves with ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'', and that's saying something. In more or less chronological order: Panty spends an undefined amount of time as a farm girl (the setting of which is otherwise staged), Panty and Brief finally do it, Panty [[MoralEventHorizon lets]] Brief accidentally unlock the gate of a ''[[GagPenis giant penis ghost]]'', Corset turns Scanty and Kneesocks into weapons and kills Garterbelt before fusing with said giant penis ghost, Chuck and Fastener turn into awesome monster things, Panty and Stocking use Garterbelt's credit card to buy enough weapons to attempt to deliver an [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill awesome finishing blow.]] They miss and hit Heaven, which summons a pair of [[MediumBlending lifelike legs]] to close the gate. This pair of legs turns out to be Panty and Stocking's mom. And Garterbelt dies again, [[DeathIsCheap only to come back to life.]] Among all this, the heavens are actually [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann pierced]] with a [[ThisIsADrill drill.]] BigBad dies, but then isn't dead, ''Stocking is actually a demon WHO KILLS PANTY'', and now Brief must retrieve Panty's 666 pieces and bring her back to life. It's still not even clear if all this is actually the ending, or even canon. In fact, it's so big of a Gainax Ending that the characters who didn't see it coming react to it in much the same way the viewers do.

* ''LightNovel/MagicalWarfare'' had a mostly incomprehensible KudzuPlot to start with, with several plot twists and revelations being introduced only to never get mentioned again. But then the final episode takes it all UpToEleven. The Ghost Trailers attack Subaru Magic Academy and a major battle ensues, during which Takeshi [[SayMyName shouts his evil brother Gekkou's name]] more times than one cares to count. Then there's suddenly a massive explosion, and Takeshi wakes up at Subaru... in ''1998'', surrounded by teenage versions of various adult characters. The show then abruptly ends without any explanation of... well, anything at all.