All things come to an end. It is the way of the universe and is a necessary outcome from a system in which entropy is a thing. So why the hell don't most series; be they comic, manga, television, or movie, end? I know that most end up finishing at some point, typically only because they get canceled, but that material has often just gotten continually worse. Why let it get to that point? Why not tell your story and then end on a high note? I know the answer is ultimately fiscal in nature, but that is the problem. When writing a story (and ultimately reading/watching a story) it is nice to have closure. The catharsis I feel at the end of a series like Watchman or Cowboy Bebop is felt because the story ends. Sometimes we want more, but from my perspective that want is price enough to pay for a story well told.
Just in case it wasn't clear; I am a fan of artistic integrity over making money. If I want to produce something that people will enjoy, I would like to think that I would make sure the story gets told in the way that it was meant to. I understand the corporate perspective on this. It takes money to put together a movie/show/comic so having one that ends means that the dollar spent on it doesn't stretch as far as the dollar spent on a show like Law and Order which last for years and get a huge following. This is why shows like Law and Order get made. Shows that are episodic in nature that don't tell one long story, but instead give you story nuggets that are easily digestible, if not filling. They are easy to make (in comparison), they produce money, and fans get what they want: pulp fiction style mysteries.
This is less a problem with movies that are one shots. The movie tells a story and people enjoy it. But there is another type of problem that gets associated with this media. Sequels and/or remakes. I have written about this before, so you can read my rant there, but in short: this is companies trying to cash in on something they know works.
When movies get superfluous sequels that ad nothing to the plot, when TV shows last far longer then they need too, and when comics last for three quarters of a century they lose something. Characters become meaningless, or at the very least just lose impact. Batman locks up villains all the time, sure, but he has been doing it for 50 years and the same bad guys are still doing the same crimes. I love Batman, but clearly he is not doing anything to help the situation is it has not been resolved in that amount of time. I hate to see movies/television shows/comics that I have invested myself in turn into trash because someone wants to make money. It is disrespectful to the fans and the creators.
While writing this I struggled, and even turned to Eshi to try to find a western TV show or movie series that ended on purpose/with purpose, and not because it got canceled. I can't, and he couldn't. Please leave a comment about series you can think of, because we are at a loss.
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