Key Magic of superconvenient Happy Endings

[Karifean]

So you get to the final part of the story and it looks to be a bittersweet conclusion. Even though the big bad is gone, in the process some of your favorite characters died or suffered a mortal wound. Nonetheless, the remaining protagonists that are still standing will keep on living, forever carrying the legacy of their fallen comrades with them in their hearts...

...and then the deus ex machina of plot convenience shows up and it turns out that you can actually save them and no one actually needs to die. Maybe it's been foreshadowed, maybe it came straight out of the writer's asses, but whatever, hooray happy endings for everyone!

What's your thoughts on when a story has a fakeout bittersweet ending and then turns around and has a full-on happy ending after all? Do you just feel happy for the characters, or do you feel betrayed? Which stories did this well, which did it poorly?

[Wolf Kanno]

I actually really hate when stories do this. Just give me my bittersweet ending. It has more impact than an unrealistic ending where everything worked out, it makes the struggles of the characters lose their impact when it's "happily ever after" and rarely is it ever pulled off well.

[FFNut]

I'm with wolf, give me the bitter sweet ending. Tragedy helped write that story, it's not the same story without it.

[Anzai]

I also concur with Wolf. Tragedy and a bittersweet taste build a story far more effectively, let them have a victory that leaves meaningful scars. I cannot recall a situation where this scenario was done in a way I consider successful.... All things considered it feels almost like a scam.

[blackmage_nuke]

I don't mind if it was foreshadowed well enough and something I had previously forgot about swoops in to save the day (Toy Story 3)
If the movie has been an emotional rollercoaster the whole way through then I like to keep guessing at how it will end. It just adds to the tension when I want all the characters I've grown to like to make it through okay. There are a few times when I feel the story would have had a deeper impact if a fake death stayed dead but there arent too many where Im too disapointed with the outcome.

What I really dont like though is when they have a litteral big party at the end to show how happy everyone is (Unless the party is already happening during the climax and relevant to the plot)

[Karifean]

I honestly don't mind it at all. There was a time where I'd have been furious about it, but I've since seen it done well and changed my mind about it. I can respect a story being basically all like, yeah, we could make this end in a bittersweet way and have it be really meaningful and stuff, but there's actually a legitimate way to get a better ending so screw that. When a story has me deeply invested in it a happy ending becomes the desired outcome and I like it when the story itself also isn't simply content with having a bittersweet end but also tries as hard as possible to get the best possible ending.

That being said it's still a dangerous thing to do since it can seriously backfire if it isn't done well. Especially when it makes earlier sacrifices or dramatic moments completely pointless. That just leaves a sour taste. But if it still builds on those moments instead of just invalidating them it's usually perfectly fine with me.

[Fynn]

I generally don't like it, but I honestly think it depends on the story. There are times where I really want the Deus Ex Machina to happen. But in general, Bittersweet Endings are my favorite.

[Ayen]

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie is the only thing to comes to mind, but I can forgive that since it's a kid's movie and you kind of expect it.

[MissH]

I'm a happily ever after through and through kinda girl. I hate hate hate bad/sad endings. Danny takes the p*ss out of me because if we watch a film and it has an ending I don't like,I refuse to accept it. I'll make up my own ending and that's the way the film has to be remembered. I hate unnecessary deaths where they kill off a character you've gotten to care about for absolutely no bloody reason. Makes my blood boil!

[Mr. Carnelian]

I used to be quite a cynical 'oh, no, not ANOTHER happy ending' kind of guy. But, these days, I'm quite a sucker for a well-executed fakeout bittersweet ending turned full-on happy.

One of the examples that springs to mind is The Force Unleashed II.

A mediocre game at best, but I found the light-side ending - where Starkiller is holding a seemingly dead Juno in his arms but then she unexpectedly reaches up to kiss him, and says "We're alive" - really quite touching.

[blackmage_nuke]

Terminator Genysys Was an example of disappointing happy ending. It was really obvious the T800 would survive because of the giant pool of previously unused plot device that was inexplicably in the same room as the time machine, so I never even got attatched the initial "sacrifice". I was also not too atatched to the characters so I wasnt too invested in wheter they lived or died