I'm hopeful that he is alive, being inconspicuous with C.C. in the countryside - maybe on the Orange Farm 8D hur, country folk. <3 I don't think its a cop-out since they left it so open in the air of if he died or not, if they straight out showed us he was still alive, balloons and all, then maybe it would. But, its subtle and not as important as with those who are still alive, and how they are going on with their lives and such.

I don't mind if he were dead though, depressed sure, but either way its still a beautiful ending ... with some holes, but works regardless.