Ask John: Why Is Post Credits Footage So Common in Anime?

Question:
Why is it that anime endings almost always have an “epilogue” that runs through the ending credits or occurs after the credits? Is this exclusive to anime? I haven’t seen enough Japanese TV shows or movies or other foreign titles to see if this also applies to other formats. And it is very very rare here in the U.S. – other than outtakes, the only recent title with an epilogue that I can think of is “Constantine.”

Answer:
I agree that anime does seem to frequently continue its story during its ending credits or in brief clips following the ending credits, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this “always” happens. While there are many anime that do include extra bits of animation, there are also many that don’t. Nor is the inclusion of an “epilogue” or additional brief animation limited to just anime. Relatively recent major American movies to include bonus clips during or after their ending credits include Shrek 2, Dodgeball, Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Kill Bill volume 2, the Dawn of the Dead remake, Finding Nemo, Pirates of the Caribbean, and doubtlessly many more.

The reason for the inclusion of this extra footage varies from title to title. In examples like select episodes of Mushishi and Haibane Renmei, having the episode continue through the ending credits allows the episode to squeeze in more story than usual. Horror movies are especially fond of adding brief cuts after their concluding credits as a figurative final twist of the knife. A final bit of animation can be useful to create anticipation for a sequel. In a case like the still frame at the end of Metropolis, it’s an epilogue that brings the story to a graceful and conclusive end. In such cases, a final bit of animation may leave the viewer with a particular tone or mood. Finally, a brief last bit of animation may be just the director or animation staff’s parting gift to the audience; just a way to have fun. The final shot in the Street Fighter II movie, which comes during the closing credit roll, even ends with Ryu shouting “Teaser!” Another classic example is the out-takes for the Rumic World: Supergal OAV – “blooper” that were animated specifically as a comical, fun little gift for viewers. Although these little additional bits of animation aren’t exclusive to anime, they may be more common in anime than in live action because creating a few seconds of additional animation is less expensive than shooting a bit of extra live action footage.