Did the series get bad ratings and have to get cut short or something? It was just like all-of-the-sudden done! I would have thought that this series would be 26 episodes as well, and 21 episodes doesn't seem normal for any series. I know last exile isn't very well known in America, but I thought it was pretty huge in Japan.
Ah well, I enjoyed the series and I think I have read all of the manga up to the current. Now I just need to sit tight and wait to see how Claus ends up in a wheel-chair. For anyone who hasn't checked out the manga, I would recommend doing so. I generally don't like manga, but its got a really nice side story going with the original series crew.