Well, in my defense, I didn’t know song for friends was a ED. But my vote goes to Koibumi, the lyrical content is just sad and beautiful, not to mention Yanagi Nagi’s voice, such a beautiful calm voice, and the piano version too. The first few lines of Koibumi really get to me though, since it relates to the Rewrite plot, and the chorus (Rewrite MAJOR overall spoiler, and Shizuru ending spoiler) the first six lines are “Holding hands as we walk together. We couldn’t even do such a simple thing. Time passes that we’ll never get back. I feel like it’s going to end as it is. This path home we walk together. I hope it goes on forever.” And not to mention the chorus 
“Even long after the forgotten time. Even if everything was left behind. I will always love you, so I will never forget. For now, it’s just a simple good-bye.” I will always love Shizuru 
And the ending of her route (MAJOR Shizuru route spoiler !!!) I interpreted it as “The dream that never happened.”
I guess I should elaborate more because just writing “feels” isn’t gonna do Koibumi much justice, I believe.
You know, you get through this really depressing ending that is called Shizuru’s route, which leaves you feeling all alone and depressed, and then this song starts playing.
The simple and calm melody that starts to play supports your feelings, and accompanying that you have Yanagi Nagi’s beautiful voice, standing out alone above all else. Her voice is so calm and soothing, it’s like a warm embrace that’s trying to get you back on your feet after the strong flurry of emotions you’ve been through.
My personal vote when to CANOE. Since Terra was my favorite “end route” it’s only natural that I like this as the best ED.
After all the events in Terra, hearing CANOE play was just icing on the cake. It filled me with an immeasurable sense of satisfaction, after a story I enjoyed so much. Watching the credits with it playing was great.
Not to say I dislike any of the other choices, I just took the one that stood out the most.
Saya’s ending is really great. I like how it does so many things with very simple tools. To get it out of the way, the song is awesome even if it’s a spoiler palooza. I checked a few and this seems to be the only ending in LB! that displays the song lyrics during the sequence. So Maeda must have been especially vehement about those lyrics and really wanted people to notice them. The visuals are, in similar fashion, really simple but effective. We’re shown a slowly scrolling image of Saya; at points they cut away to show CGs or other stuff, but the picture of Saya is our main focus. It wasn’t untill recently that I noticed that the picture of Saya in the snow is mimicking the death of Aya. In the end though we see that Saya is satisfied and smiling. The entire sequence consists of 2 images and previously used material, but how those are used makes it the best of for me.
Sasayaka no Hajimari, from Harvest Festa, makes a close second. Both versions how their roles but the Kagari version is a bit more cinematic, so that one inches ahead. I really wish the short version had the bit with: “sayonara tabibitosan…”, that’s the best part.
I had to cry reading through this. The emotions came back up, especially in that one part. Also we all know Saya is Maeda’s fav, so it was a given that he wants it to be the best ever and he did a really good job with that.
I have voted for Ichiban no Takaremo, but now I realize I forgot Dango Daikazoku. Is there a way to change it? That song is so simple, yet so deep…
it should if you just visit the site again and vote for it. It will change your vote to that then.
Another hard-to-pick poll. @.@
Dango Daikazoku has special place in my heart since it was CLANNAD that introduced me to KEY and the song is basically the signature of the anime. Dango Daikazoku embarked as the happiest song ever but ended as the saddest. I guess it’d make sense if Dango Daikazoku is on the top three of the poll, if not winning. Another ED that is up there with Dango Daikazoku is Ichiban no Takaramono. It just sounds so nice in the ears albeit the sadness it brought.
And then the last of my fav 3… well, I’ve got to undergo an unending debate with myself about which to pick: Koibumi or Ferry Poem. I decided to pick which one I played the most in my playlist (iTunes). Turns out I played the latter more, by thin margin. Watari no Uta is just amazing. Can’t understand the lyrics since I’m not sure it is in Japanese or English, but Tada Aoii still deliver it very, very well. So much humanity in it.
By a slim margin, I actually went with Yami no Kanata e from Rewrite. Some runners up were Saya’s song, Song For Friends, Koibumi, and Chiisana Te no Hiro.
There’s just something about Yami no Kanata e that I really love. It’s got the perfect blend of power, beauty, and sadness that comes out as this amazingly emotional song. I was speechless the first time I heard it, at the end of Lucia’s route (which, considering the bittersweet but still pretty sad ending that Lucia’s route had, was not only fitting, but added to the atmosphere.). It had the strength behind it to fully support the weight of everything I had just witnessed, from the beauty of it all to the tragedy of it all.
Definitely brave song from angel beats, I absolutely love how the characters begin to fade in and the group grows while the powerful song plays in the background until they are all together, it sends a chill down my spine every time
This was not an easy decision to make. There are so many brilliant Key endings. The Little Busters endings, Dango Daikazoku, Brave Song… Towa no Hoshi e also deserves a mention… but in the end, I decided to go with Song for Friends. The vocals, the instrumentals… it really is an amazing song.
I need to listen to to the Tomoyo After and Kud Wafter ending songs sometime actually, haven’t got round to it yet.
Little Busters has amazing endings - Song for Friends might be my favorite based on song alone, Saya’s Song doesn’t need any explanation, and the Little Jumper version of the main theme is the perfect coda to the epic that is the story, ending on ecstatic (no pun intended) hope for the future and closing the book by giving the happy ending Riki and pals deserve.
And while I don’t know if I’d ever call it the best song, Brave Song manages to bring the most emotion out of me every time I listen - it’s hard for me not to hear it without picturing the animation and tearing up.
I’m gonna need some time to think of what to actually vote for.
The song itself isn’t one of my favorites (there’s something about its production that bugs me, I don’t know why) but the main melody is probably the most beautiful Maeda has wrote. Every song in the OST with it is absolutely stellar.
Seeing all these people praising Saya’s song… I’ve actually never listened to it. I’ll wait for ME TL to listen to it, because seeing CGs and listening to songs is like a spoiler for me, it wouldn’t have the same impact if it wasn’t the first time I was listening to it.
That’s definitely a good move. I have very much the same opinion as you with things like that, I’ve always tried to tell people to not listen to it until they hear it in-game because it was quite an impact for me!
Ame Nochi Hare hands down. There are many amazing Key EDs, Song for Friends another close contender, but that song just feels so relieving. Like, we’ve overcome the worst, everything is gonna be okay from now on. It’s a wonderful piece of music.
Brave Song is way too high imo. Dango Daikazoku is completely overshadowed by Chiisana te no hira, yet I still really like watari no uta. And I never really got into Yami no Kanata e for some reason.
Even though I am so in love with the Charlotte ED, I have to go for the best, Song for Friends. It made a huge impact on me for my experience of Little Busters!, and I just love the song to death.
(I watched the anime first too and it was used heavily in the later episodes of Refrain lmao)
This was REALLY hard, but in the end I had to go with Regret. It was a big toss-up between that and Chiisana Te no Hira. While I will say that the scene where Chiisana plays in the anime makes me tear up every time, Regret really just hit me. It’s different in every way from everything else on the LitBus soundtrack and the “I just royally fucked up” feeling I got in my gut when it strarted created an awesome lead-in for the Refrain Route.
A lil off topic, but my favorite ED ever is Close Your Eyes from the Akabeisoft2 VN G Senjou no Maou. It’s another very emotional one with perfect timing. I read that VN after Clannad and Little Busters hoping to give my emotions a break. That didn’t really work out haha
Give it up for Song for Friends, woop woop.
I’d say give it up for Little Busters all together… Forty percent of the votes as of me typing this are of Little Busters. (Followed by the next thirty percent being Rewrite…)
Not Yuki No Hane, Toki No Kaze?
It’s unfair to bring up G-Senjou though. That VN actually had a large focus on the ost.
