All of Chainsaw Man’s End-Credits, Ranked
This might’ve been the most controversial anime of the season, but one thing is undeniable: Chainsaw Man’s soundtrack banged.
I knew there was a good chance I was going to end up writing this. When it was announced that each of this show’s 12 episodes were going to have their own unique ending credits, it further piqued my interest in what was already my most anticipated show of the year. It’s unsurprising that studio MAPPA went as all out as they did for something they didn’t have to, but regardless, a series where each episode gets its own unique ED is something I wish more shows did. I know it would add more work to what are usually pretty tight production schedules, but here we saw the key benefits of what doing so entails: you don’t just have another reason to keep watching past the last scene, and nor are you stuck with an ED that could prove annoying after the umpteenth watch, but a bespoke ED can help enhance the emotions that a viewer comes out of an episode with.
Every now and then there are shows that shoot themselves in the foot by having episodes end on a certain mood that clashes so hard with their predetermined ED, that the tonal whiplash makes you feel like you need a neck-brace afterwards (looking at you, Fruits Basket season 3). For Chainsaw Man, a different ED for each episode not only makes it stand out more from its contemporaries, it strengthens an already impressive production by helping each episode stick their respective landings. The OP stays the same, but that’s there to help an audience get into the right kind of mood going in; a good ED should not only end the episode on a figurative (and sometimes literal) high note, it should also serve as a reminder for why you should want to come back for the next episode. And honestly, I can think of few better ways to do that than to for a series to effectively have a music video attached to the end of each of its episodes.
So, how will I be ranking these? Obviously, the individual qualities of animation and music are the main factors, but those will prove to be tricky given how there are a few episodes that don’t even have “normal” EDs (we’ll get to those). I also don’t want to compound this list too much with “how well do the lyrics of the songs match up with the material we’re looking at?”, and I only want to briefly touch on how various EDs are attached to the specific ending scenes of various episodes. I’m trying to keep this from being too much of a deep dive, and more as a simple ranking of how much I just liked certain songs attached to what are effectively some really cool AMVs (and if you want a deeper dive into some of these, here’s a Polygon article that does a pretty good job of that). Also, I want to make it clear, these are my own personal opinions, and I want to take absolutely nothing away from the dozens of talented people, on both the animation and musical side of all of these, who put so much work into making this show as good as it is.
And to start things off, the one bit of housekeeping (and note that all of the videos here are courtesy of MAPPA’s youtube channel):
Honorable Mention: “Kick Back” by Kenshi Yonezu
This is unfortunately “disqualified” due to being an OP that doesn’t change from episode to episode, but I still want to give it a shout-out due to how dang near perfect it is. It never would have occurred to me to use an OP to showcase not just the source material, but to also make it abundantly clear that it knows the reputation of the author of said source material. Seeing so many references to the medium of film that Fujimoto is a self-proclaimed fan of, glimpses of his other works like Goodbye Eri, and of course subtle nods here and there that hint at upcoming themes and subplots that well-versed fans are already familiar with. And of course, “Kick Back” is a more than fitting track to set the buck-wild imagery with. As introductions go, this adaptation could’ve hardly done better.
12. “Rendezvous” by Kanaria
I’ll be fully honest, the twelfth and eleventh spots are almost tied with each other for how they are (technically speaking) the weakest of the bunch here. Although this could change depending on what mood I’m in, the deciding factor was how this song… just doesn’t really make me feel that much. Sure, the imagery fits with the preceding scene where Denji tosses himself down in order to do battle with the Eternity Devil, but for a pivotal moment in the story, it really deserves something more. A good idea, just in need of better execution.
11. “Dogland” by People 1
I honestly feel a little bad putting this one this far down, because I can easily see it being so much better than it currently is. The song starts out fine with this nice low beat, the “dogs” panting in the background is a pretty good reference to the series’ relationship to the animal as well, and the look of the ED with a filter over real-life footage works too. I also like the idea of a Denji sketch running through a real-life world… but the change-up to a happier tone, which although a good idea as it could fit CSM’s own goals of personal happiness in the face of a world that often wants to snuff it out, just doesn’t jive well. Another concept that while good on paper, leaves a bit to be desired.
10. “Zanki” by ZUTOMAYO
As both an anime series and a manga, CSM take some time to “get into”, and I feel that sentiment can be felt in this ED. If this had been in a later episode where Denji and we the audience had gotten more time to know the supporting cast better, this might rank higher, but as is, this is the one time when the ED doesn’t quite mesh with the episode’s intent. That said, this is still a pretty nice ED, with a song that starts out comfy but builds right into something more energetic (without feeling too abrupt or exhausting), and the imagery of Denji going from sleeping on trash to having people who’re depending on him fits with where the story is going. A bit misplaced, but more than earns its spot in the top ten.
9. “Violence” by QUEEN BEE
I’ve got this weird gut feeling that this might’ve been MAPPA’s original idea for an ED that’d be shared for every episode. I can’t prove it, I’m almost certainly wrong, but it has this “vibe” as something that could’ve been slotted into the end for any of CSM’s twelve episodes. I don’t mean this as much of a knock against it, it just has the feel of something that, while distinctive on its own (and definitely when put up next to EDs from other shows), in this pantheon it’s just… “okay.” The 3D setting and effects all go well together with the 2D cast of characters, the black and white city that’s still literally dazzling is a really cool visual, and the song itself is a fine enough bop. But that’s my main issue: everything here is alright, there’s nothing bad, but none of it quite “pops” like it should. A good enough ED to have on in the background, but not something I’d find myself going back to.
8. “Hawatari Nikou Centi” by Maximum the Hormone
Yeah, I can feel some hate for placing this one so far down. Personally, I’m chocking this one up to how this feels like two EDs mushed into one, both in visuals and music, which is weird considering that this is the full song. Thankfully, this stays in the top ten due to the blink-and-you’ll-miss-them visuals being as cool as they are, and how the song in this ED is (if I recall correctly) the only one of the twelve singles here that’s actually used in the main show, for a couple of fight scenes. I’m still not sure exactly what to “do” with this one, but that’s also part of its charm: this is the first ED on this list (not ED I watched in the series, I mean ED in this order… you know what I mean) that really leaves an impression on me. Honestly, it’d also probably work well enough as a promo video for the series itself; just like the main show, it’s bloody, it’s crude, and it bangs.
7. “Chu, Tayousei” by ano
This was a really tough one to place, cause I’m trying to not let my love of 90s OVAs have too much sway over me. Also, the song in this is… good, but not as great as stuff higher up on the list. This one is as high as it is thanks almost entirely to its visuals, which are fantastic. Highlighting all of CSM’s leading ladies, the ED going all in on the… “gag” gag (I know it’s disgusting, but I’m still laughing), and I can’t not give it credit for going so hard on its 90s aesthetic (which is especially fitting since CSM does take place in that decade), with the JRPG gaming screen and intentionally standard definition visuals. Have we finally gotten to the point at 90s nostalgia where more anime start to look like this?
6. “Chainsaw Blood” by Vaundy
Toughest one here by a mile in “where do I put this?”, cause technically the video linked above isn’t the actual end credits sequence for the first episode. The actual first end credits sequence is just the standard rolling text on a black background with “Chainsaw Blood” playing in the background; absolutely nothing special, and normally this would’ve wound up at the bottom of this list, if this song didn’t slap as hard as it does. And I will give MAPPA a tiny bit of credit for putting out this montage afterwards, since it does have some edits that just “work” (those quick shot of people’s shoes? I can’t explain why, but that’s just cool). Putting this here at the halfway point is the best way I can reconcile where to put one of the “abnormal” EDs I mentioned earlier; it’s almost entirely thanks to how good the song is, but I have no shame in admitting that I’m a mark for a really good single.
5. “Fight Song” by Eve
This was a hard one to place, cause again, it’s not a proper ED since it’s technically part of the ending of the show, instead of just end credits laid on top of unique animation like the rest of the entries here. But I feel justified enough by putting it at number five due to the visuals and tone giving Chainsaw Man’s first season the send-off it deserves, and it’s weirdly fitting that it’s by the musical group who scored the first OP for this show’s older brother, Jujutsu Kaisen. What’s not weird is the scene itself: our three leads having managed to survive another day in the office, and getting to enjoy a normal day off with a dinner to look forward to. As I said before, CSM’s subversive nature is in how its protagonist just wants a normal life, and here we’re seeing a season’s worth of work on his part achieving that goal, and painful as it was getting there. While not my favorite single by this band, it’s a dang near perfect fit for the scenery it’s attached to, and what elevates this to a number five finish.
4. “Deep Down” by Aimer
You know, I’m kind of surprised that there aren’t more manga adaptations that look like what we’ve got here. Sure, there’s no color, but… dang it, now I’m interested. Ben-Day dots would probably be a pain to work with, but when it’s this distinctive, I find myself wanting someone to at least try it before writing it off. Anyway, the ED: yup, this is bloody, this is haunting, and I adore it. Capping off CSM’s most painful episode is what feels like a “goodbye” to one of its first beloved characters, while at the same time balancing Makima’s own brutality that we get a front row seat to as well. If an earlier ED on this list could work as a promo video for the show, I’d use this as an advert for the comic, as this is as close as we will ever probably get to seeing Fujimoto’s art brought to life as faithfully as possible.
3. “Jozai” by TOOBOE
This is probably the most legitimately ear-wormy of the 13 songs here. It’s also the first ED that I watched that really gave me a boost of confidence that this adaptation knew what it wanted to do by having a bunch of different endings in the first place: sure, you can make them all sleek and cool, but there are going to be some episodes where you have to go for a different kind of crazy. And the best-worst girl putting on a ton of different outfits, doing what she wants as chaotically as possible, while the cast sings one note in the background? Yup, that’s fully up CSM’s alley. And the visuals are awesome here too, going for this crude aesthetic that just fits “Power’s day out” all the better. I’m honestly a little surprised that this wasn’t meme-d as heavily as it could’ve been, it’s so infectiously catchy.
2. “First Death” by TK
This would normally qualify for best ED of an entire anime season, and a definite ED of the year contender; here though, this just manages to get the silver medal. While this also has a bittersweet feeling to it as the following ED did, “Deep Down” feels genuinely heartbroken whereas this has a bit of rage along with its sadness. Rage that a core member of the group had to sacrifice herself, rage that she couldn’t have the life that she wanted, topped off by the unavoidable fact that it’s up to the rest of the cast to move on without her. The visuals are a tiny bit on the rough side, but when the song fucks as hard as it does here I can absolutely live with them.
… this is only second place, what the hell beat it?
1. “In The Back Room” by syudou
You know when you’re listening to a soundtrack, and you find the song that on the first listen you know is the best one? That’s this ED. You could easily make a ten minute long deepdive video on all the details in this one, from the references to the four horsemen of the apocalypse, to hints at how certain characters are going to react to CSM’s first “holy shit what now?” scenario, to just the overall nature of how the cast is stuck in literal never-ending backrooms. Endlessly trippy to watch, and I swear I always pick up on something I didn’t get on a previous watch. And then there’s the song itself, which is a great setup of something fun and a little manic, with a changeup that makes it go completely unhinged. I even love the ending scene, with character designs that although you only get brief glimpses of them, are so good that I wish that those are the ones MAPPA went with for the main series. “In the Back Room”: Chainsaw Man’s best end credits sequence, and honestly, was there a better anime ED this year?
TGRIP is a part-time writer, media essayist, and film school graduate residing in Portland, OR. He/his. Also seen on Unwinnable. You can follow him on twitter @Dennisthatsit.
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