In Lin Zhiyan's previous animation, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, the Main Character achieved enlightenment but refused to show a scene of her reincarnating and reuniting with the main cast.
The endings of his other animations were even more depressing.
There had never been a single one of Lin Zhiyan's animations with a happy ending. Therefore, when the final episode of as aired, no one believed there would be a scene of the male and female leads reincarnating and reuniting. At most, they thought the final episode would involve separation, be very sad, and make them cry, but perhaps not be too depressing.
Before the end credits rolled, everyone was thinking that the final ending was unexpectedly a bit cruel, just as expected from Old Thief Lin. But no one could have imagined there would be an extra scene of the male and female leads reincarnating and reuniting.
Let's put aside the new fans for now. For Lin Zhiyan's old fans, this extra scene was truly too surprising. The graduation ceremony earlier hadn't made them cry, nor had the final goodbye between the male and female leads. But when the extra scene appeared, it nearly made them shed tears of emotion.
It was too rare.
It was too unbelievable.
After the initial wave of emotion passed, every single one of these old fans wanted to rave about as:
"I can't believe it's actually a happy ending! I never would have imagined this. [ as ] is the best!"
"Actually, I feel like this [ as ] can't compare to Old Thief Lin's previous animations in every aspect. But since it ends on such a happy note, I'm willing to call it the greatest!"
"I'm crying. In terms of emotional impact, this [ as ] might not surpass Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, but now, its place in my heart is no less than that of Anohana."
"The most heartwarming animation. Even the line from [ AD ] Season 2, 'The only places I can cry are the bathroom and my father's arms,' didn't move me this much."
"As a long-time fan who's followed it since Death Note, this ending is completely unexpected. Whether it's emotionally impactful or not, in terms of surprise, this anime definitely ranks among the top."
"True. The final few episodes of this [ as ] felt a little rushed, with many details left unexplained. But after that Easter egg, everything else paled in comparison."
"New fans might not understand, but for old fans, the impact of that Easter egg is comparable to the Zero Requiem in Lelouch."
Nine years!
Nine whole years of being tormented by Lin Zhiyan's animations!
This feeling is something that newer fans simply can't understand.
In Jun Maeda's original works, while most were incredibly depressing in the middle, at least some had happy endings. Nothing like the utter darkness of Lin Zhiyan's works in this timeline.
For veteran fans, a rare happy ending holds a special significance. It's genuinely moving, and this sentiment is something new fans can't possibly grasp.
Anyone else who made nine years of depressing anime in a row would surely accumulate a massive number of haters, even if they also gained some die-hard fans. Their overall fan base would likely remain relatively small.
But Lin Zhiyan is different. Over these nine years, every single one of his animations has been insanely popular, starting as a hit and even reaching phenomenon or super-phenomenon status. The number of fans he's amassed is simply staggering.
Anime Blu-rays aren't cheap, so even Lin Zhiyan's fans who genuinely love his work might not buy every single disc.
But this time, as is Lin Zhiyan's first anime with a happy ending, and for veteran fans, its significance is immense.
The result? After the final episode of as aired, disc pre-orders skyrocketed.
While as couldn't surpass the popularity of Bakemonogatari from July, it still dominated the October anime season, leaving all other shows in the dust with a terrifying level of success comparable to a cultural phenomenon.
Beyond the long-time fans who had been following Lin Zhiyan's work for years, even the newer fans who had recently fallen into his "trap" were generally quite satisfied with as:
"It's both hilarious and heartwarming.
Especially the Male Lead's character development is outstanding. It's truly an exceptional anime."
"The funny moments are genuinely hilarious, but it's not just a pure comedy. The Male Lead's own story, along with the stories of each companion he meets, are deeply moving. Without a doubt, it's the best anime of October."
"The character development is solid, the music is fantastic, the animation is top-notch, and the ending is excellent. It was well worth the three months of following the series."
"There have been cheerful anime before, but most seem to miss the point. They think making the audience laugh is enough, that nothing else is needed. as is different. It brings joy while also evoking deep emotions. That, to me, is what a cheerful anime should be at its best."
"I don't know how to put it, but it's just... exceptionally excellent."
In truth, as wasn't as flawless as Lin Zhiyan's previous animations, especially when compared to Puella Magi Madoka Magica, which was perfect in every aspect. The gap was noticeable, but it didn't hinder the audience's affection for the series.
Moreover, since the official scriptwriter was listed as Takagi Makoto, not Lin Zhiyan, everyone instinctively blamed any imperfections on Takagi Makoto. No one suspected that the Supervising Director, Lin Zhiyan, had slipped in quality or made any mistakes.
Of course, while many viewers were eager to praise the animation to the skies, some did question the final resolution.
For example, there was this post online:
"The Easter egg at the end of as... Even though they look very similar, are they really the reincarnations of the Male Lead and the Main Character? Or is this just a forced happy ending? In the end, did the Male Lead truly leave the Afterlife World?"
I don't know if everyone remembers the story of the "Mastermind" from Episode 12. Takamatsu said that sometimes people who live for others, having lived a fulfilling life, can mistakenly enter the Afterlife World after losing their memories.
The Male Lead is undoubtedly one of those people, right?
Now, let's look at the ending of the "Mastermind" story. Takamatsu said he had been waiting all along for her—the one who understood love and left the Afterlife World alone. But because he waited for so long, he gradually lost his mind and developed a program to turn himself into an NPC.
What does this information mean? It means that people who enter the Afterlife World without any regrets likely have no way to leave. So the real ending is probably that the Male Lead is left alone in the Afterlife World.
Don't be deceived by the false ending created by Old Thief Lin. At the end of the day, this is still a depressing anime, just a bit more subtle.
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