== The endings of adoptions

Author correctly [[points out
http://ani-nouto.animeblogger.net/2009/03/30/cks-on-anime-endings/]] the
elephant in the room for sources of unsatisfying endings with unresolved
mysteries: adoptions of ongoing manga series (or any ongoing series,
since there are adoptions of light novels too). The honest answer to his
question is that I didn't think of it; I was more or less only focusing
on things that were within the control of the anime creators.

Having said that, it's still the anime studio's responsibility to solve
the problem. I can only think of two good approaches; the studio can
break with the manga and come up with their own answers to the mysteries
(call this the *Full Metal Alchemist* approach), or they can do their
best to push the unanswerable mysteries into the background and focus
the story on something that they can resolve (call this the *Fruits
Basket* approach).

Both approaches can produce satisfying endings if done well, but I
think that only the first approach produces a work that stands alone
and has a real conclusion. With the second approach, I think you pretty
much always get 'and then life goes on, with more happening' endings;
satisfying but not complete.