A shojo anime's satisfying Happily Ever After can come in many forms. It can be a clear promise of a couple's united future, a straightforward affirming kiss, or a wedding followed a ride into the sunset. A Happy for Now lets a season or a series end with a satisfying sense of completion, while also keeping the door open for more content if the series gets renewed.
Happily Ever After is one of the most common romance tropes, and in anime especially, they're almost always hard-won. It takes a lot for both parts of a couple to come to terms with their feelings and to be unafraid to share them. Often there's far more on the line than just a happy romance ending. Sometimes the couple has to save a world before they can look toward the future.
The following article discusses the endings of various Shojo anime. Please beware of spoilers.
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10 Usagi's Tears Restore The World
Sailor Moon
Glimpses into the future and visits from future versions of key Sailor Moon characters show aspects of the cast's destinies. From Sailor Chibi Moon's existence and presence alone, the protagonists and the audience know that Usagi and Mamoru will marry one day and have at least one daughter. A visit from King Endymion sheds light on what that future will look like: a kingdom at peace and a safe, united universe.
It's all a matter of making sure that future happens at all, which is up to Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, their children, and the rest of the Senshi and Starlights. In the series finale, "Usagi's Love: The Moonlight Illuminates the Galaxy," Usagi finally heals Sailor Galaxia, thus defeating Chaos. Not only is the universe, and the future, reassured, the episode closes out on a tender, love-affirming kiss between Usagi and Mamoru. All is well.
9 Emma Finally Accepts William
Emma: A Victorian Romance
Even though the title Emma: A Victorian Romance couldn't be more plain about its Happily Ever After ending, the later episodes make it seem like there may truly be too much keeping the central lovers apart. William Jones is pressured by his family, as is the case with most upper class families, to marry someone of similar finance and standing. Emma doesn't meet that in the slightest, as she's a member of service.
To make matters worse, William's engaged to someone else. He eventually gets out of his engagement and asks Emma to marry him, but it doesn't pan out. He sends Emma letters that she doesn't open, and asks her to meet him at the Crystal Palace. But despite it all, Emma and William can't stay apart from each other. Emma does meet William, and promises to marry him. There's also a lovely glimpse of their future where they build a family. They overcome much to be together, and become better people for it.
8 Yona and Hak Are Ready To Win Back The Kingdom
Yona Of The Dawn
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The Yona of the Dawn manga continues long past the anime, and fans still wish there was more content in the adaptation. But the anime does leave off on a very hopeful note for Yona's character progression, her kingdom, and her romance with Hak. Hak and Yona bicker plenty, but it couldn't be more obvious that they're meant for each other, even though Yona initially believed herself in love with someone else.
In the series finale, Yona is an accomplished warrior and a far less ignorant leader. She's accumulated the legendary Dragon Warriors, which are a huge part of regaining her kingdom and restoring peace. She looks to her kingdom, ready to win it back. And as for her and Hak, Hak couldn't be more proud to stand by her side. Not just as her bodyguard, but as her future spouse, too.
7 Lydia Saves Edgar And He Throws Her For A Loop
Earl And Fairy
Edgar comes off right away as a lothario to Lydia in Earl And Fairy. As they spend more time together, the audience and Lydia understand more about his nobler nature and tragic past. He also has a bit of a heroic streak when it comes to Lydia, for all his shameless flirting.
It's not until the very end that Lydia starts to give way to her own feelings for him. In the finale, she also saves Edgar's life. Though it seemed like they were doomed, and that one or both of them would die, they solve the riddle of their fates, and Lydia finally starts to discuss a future with Edgar. Though Edgar's pleased, he can't keep himself from teasing her one last time.
6 Kazehaya And Sawako Make Some Realizations About Each Other
From Me To You: Kimi Ni Todoke
Just the first season of From Me To You: Kimi Ni Todoke ends on a very Happily Ever After note. As Happily Ever After as it can get for modern teenagers with their whole lives ahead of them. The season 1 finale sees Shōta Kazehaya and Sawako Kuronuma walking together, and it's heavily implied that they're officially going to be an item.
As is often the case with young people, though, there's still a lot of back and forth to go through. Sawako still struggles with loneliness and rejection sensitivity, which is understandable. But she and Kazehaya have already proven that they can communicate, grow, and work through tough things together rather than grow apart. In season 2, Kazehaya steps up to the plate emotionally, making his relationship with Sawako very clear. The couple only continues to grow closer from there.
5 Li-Ren And Hajika Ride Off Into The Sunset
Hanasakeru Seishonen
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Hanasakeru Seishonen is a classic reverse harem romance anime. Kajika Burnsworth has her choice of suitors, and she's tasked with choosing one to marry soon. Her father designs a creative courtship game for her where he's selected a few suitors for her, and she's free to take her pick. The twist is that he doesn't tell her which men are the official suitors.
Li Ren Fang is supposed to help Kajika with the courtship game rather than ostensibly participate in it, which is a shame as he's totally in love with her. What follows is a great childhood friends-to-lovers romance, with a dash of forbidden romance to raise the emotional stakes. They survive much political unrest and danger, and end up closing out the series happily together. They realize their mutual feelings and secure a future as lovers.
4 Hayate And Himeno Bring New Life To The Happily Ever After Ending
Pretear: The New Legend of Snow White
In Pretear: The New Legend of Snow White, Himeno is the new Pretear after the last one became corrupted. Though her story is inspired by a fairy tale with a happy ending, Himeno's predecessor brought about the exact opposite of happiness. She brought about only broken hearts and destruction.
Himeno's pain doesn't make her destructive. Rather, she's kind and loving, and that's what sets her apart. She becomes something new altogether: the White Pretear. Both she and her love Hayate take turns dying and bringing each other back to life. Just like Prince Charming in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves fairy tale, Hayate brings Himeno back from the dead.
3 It Takes A Lot For Akane And Yamada To Overcome Their Endearing Awkwardness
My Love Story With Yamada-Kun At Lv999
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Akane flounders a lot when she's around Yamada in My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999. She's very awkward around him because she's totally smitten. It's understandable as he's handsome, cool-headed, and oddly chivalrous for a modern-day guy. Yamada watches out for Akane in ways big and small.
Yamada seems unfeeling, but when he does talk about his thoughts and feelings, Akane's floored by his depth. It takes a long time for Akane to summon the courage to ask him outright if he likes her. Once she does, Yamada is quite clear that yes, he does, very, very much. Their getting-together arc is completed on a very optimistic and affirming note, and there's plenty of potential for more arcs in upcoming seasons.
2 It Takes Nearly An Eternity, But Tomoe Finally Fesses Up to His Feelings
Kamisama Kiss
Tomoe really starts to angst about falling in love with Nanami in season 2 of Kamisama Kiss. It's not until the very last episode of the season that he asks Nanami to be his bride. In usual Tomoe fashion, it's not quite straightforward.
Tomoe confesses his love to Nanami as she sleeps, and then he later proposes to her in the past. The flashback time-skip can confuse things a bit. But eventually present day Nanami remembers someone promising to marry her, and puts together that it was Tomoe. The anime also has a rather sumptuous wedding scene, expanding on the scene in the manga.
1 Sometimes A Couple Deserves Two Marriage Proposals
My Happy Marriage
My Happy Marriage is greenlit for a second season, but the season 1 finale has a solid Happily Ever After that could have stood on its own. Thankfully, there will be more content because the story has so much potential. Even with more episodes and conflict coming soon, the first finale suggests that Miyo and Kudo's relationship will endure, because they are perfect for each other.
By the finale, Miyo's come a long way emotionally and in terms of her supernatural gifts. She knows her worth, and Miyo even saves Kudo with her Dream-Sight. And though Kudo's already proposed once before, after the dust clears, Kudo happily proposes to Miyo again. The two reaffirm their feelings for each other before returning to his home, coming full circle.
