The Best Anime Openings...

The ones that stand out....

I don't think it's any surprise for people who generally know me that I do enjoy watching anime. I was brought up in a generation when animation was dominating the scene and when anime, was beginning to become part of the norm of viewing pleasure in the west. This is evident with shows such as Pokemon for example which stemmed across the different artistic mediums of being a manga which turned into a show and became a gaming franchise that is still going on for 20 years now, which is kind of staggering to think about. What is also kind of crazy to think about, is the amount of 'anime' shows I've watched and how many of them, really have good openings to them which out-class openings to live-action shows that ordinarily get the praise and most notice. In this rather different and special Post, my attempt is to share with you, the openings that are well... just really good to watch and listen to. While there will be selections from Japanese Animation shows that I've watched, I will also try to vary it with other animated shows and films that hold significance as far as their openings are concerned. Anyhow, without further delay, lets begin the list!!

1. Pokemon Season 1: Indigo League Opening

Now it wouldn't be much of a list without mentioning the very thing that started off this post and started of me watching 'anime', then talking about the first opening of Pokemon. It's an opening, looking back on it, that of course holds lots of nostalgia and memories from when I was little and overall, it really was a catchy theme that a lot of people recognised. I mean, every-single episode was the same, but the opening did just get you in the right mood! I couldn't really do this list without this opening and can anyone really say differently?

2. Cowboy Bebop - 'Tank!' - The Seatbelts

Having reviewed both the T.V. series and the one-off film on this Blog, it's no surprise that Cowboy Bebop's opening makes the list. One of the things that this show is primarally built upon is it's musical motifs, particularly in blues and jazz music, and it doesn't shy away from being an opening that never gets saturated every-time you watch it. Along with the animation, the opening to this show depicts what Cowboy Bebop is all about with it's great music and gripping animation...

3. Eden of the East - 'Falling Down' - Oasis

An anime show that I've watched recently, I had to put in Eden of the East's opening into this list. What's kind of weird yet interesting about this specific opening, is the choice of music in the form of Oasis; a band that of course, being from Manchester, I can easily associate with and now and again listen to. I was honestly a bit shocked when watching and listening to this opening for the first time as it kind of signifies just how much Japanese animated culture and western culture bridge between one another these days, and that's really cool to witness. It's an opening that again, depicts what Eden of the East is all about with this kind of dystopian/futuristic storyline that the show has to offer. The ending credits to this show as well is something to admire and watch as well. Definitely up there for me!!

4. Sword Art Online - 'Crossing Field' - LiSA

Being that I reviewed this slightly recently, while it was somewhat of a disappointing show in terms of it's potential, one thing that Sword Art Online had going for itself was it's animation and music, and the opening is a perfect example of these two successful formal components. The music itself reminds me of a classical song; just how it slowly builds itself up from the start, and has a sequence in the middle that epitomises and illustrates the action and adventure of the show...

5. Bleach Opening 1 - 'Asterisk' - Orange Range

Of course, at some stage, I do have to mention at least one of the openings to Bleach, being that there's so many of them and I could have chosen one of the other better ones. But, I think Opening 1 to Bleach is the better one, simply because it captures the fun and upbeat 'quirkyness' of the show rather well. While the first season of the show is mostly filler, but does get better in the 2nd season with one of the most interesting story-lines, Bleach Opening 1 is unique in terms of it's animated direction and the pop-esque Japanese song...

6. Batman: The Animated Series - Opening 1

Now I know what you're all thinking, 'Alex, this isn't an anime now is it?' and yeah, you're all kind of right. Arguably however, from it's animation, I do believe that it is a show that has been heavily aspired by Japanese animation in terms of what you see in this show with it's dark-deco design and the designs of the characters; being abstract along with the setting. As well, can anyone really discourage me in choosing this opening? It really does have to be one of best openings in any T.V. show ever. Taking Danny Elfman's theme from Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, the show's opening is simply epic. The animation itself is both hauntingly dark, yet completely satisfying in terms of what is going on-screen; with batman being batman in beating up 'goons' (ha, that word haha). I can't really help you if no one has never seen this opening...

7. The Seven Deadly Sins - Opening 2 - MAN WITH A MISSION

Another anime show that I've recently watched, The Seven Deadly Sins Opening 2 gets a nod and it's certainly an entertaining opening. It's not only an improvement of the 1st opening which I thought didn't appeal to me, but this specific opening really enthrals you to keep on watching the show since the 2nd half of season 1 starts to pick up some pace with the action and the story. You can in fact watch it on Netflix at the moment, so go check it out if you want...

8. Psycho-Pass - Opening 1

Again, having reviewing this show that I actually think is one of my favourite anime that I've ever watched, it would be criminal to not mention the opening of Psycho-Pass. The overall show is shrouded in melancholy and sci-fi mystery and the opening holds abundance to this with the fitting music which is playing over a minute and a half of monochrome weirdness on screen with the two main characters interacting with each other. Of course, it takes elements from 'classics' such as Ghost in The Shell, but the show has it's own take on things, and you can't go too wrong with that...

Not the specific opening, but is basically the same thing! :)

9. Avatar: The Last Airbender - Opening

Now again, like with what I was mentioning with the Batman intro a little while back, Avatar: The Last Airbender is very much a show that is anime-inspired and shows this kind of bridging of western culture and Asian culture. Anyhow, although this opening is very short, it is a show that I implore people to watch. A lot of people do down-play this show because of it's kiddy nature. While I'll admit it does have some of that, I like to think it's a show that is clever; a show which goes into deeply serious talking points like war, good and evil, propaganda etc... 

10. Samurai Champloo - Opening

Taking a leaf from his own Cowboy Bebop routes, Shinchiro Watanabe again dazzles us with the 2004-5 anime series of Samurai Champloo, a show that is very much like Cowboy Bebop set in the edo-era of Japan. The opening is just as slick and as sharp as the show; with rap-esque music mixed with slick animation of the characters you see in the opening, doing there thing. A must watch...

11. Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children - The Promised Land

Now I'm fully aware that this is an digital-anime film,  and not an actual show. But I did want to at least mention the opening to this tale of Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children as it does introduce us to the film in a rather classy and helpful way. With the rather therapeutic vocals in the background, the character of Marlene helpfully explains the low-down of the world of Final Fantasy 7 and all-in-all, it's a rather beautiful opening, despite the actual film having multiple faults of its own...

12. High-School of the Dead - Opening

A show that is filled with fan-service for the Otaku to revel in, High-School of the Dead doesn't shy away from presenting itself with it's own opening. Amiss the fan-service that is unnecessarily there in the opening, is animation that stands out; with segments remarking back to the original manga strip and an opening song that melds in well with the 'pop' aspect of the show...

13. Ghost in the Shell - Film Opening

Again, I'm fully aware this isn't an opening from an anime T.V. show, despite this film spawning it's own spin-off shows in recent years, but I did want to add the opening of the Ghost in the Shell 1995 film as it is probably one of the better opening to an anime film. The chilling music that is playing over sequences of the main character being born as a 'shell', an A.I with superhuman abilities, does certainly add weight to a film that is thought-provoking and challenging. It's no wonder the Wachowski Brothers were so inspired by this film...

14. Baccano - Opening

Moving on to an anime that seems from the outset to be a simple tale, but ultimately becomes as complex as a rubix cube, is the opening to Baccano which settles with a nice and jazzy intro that really does settle you into the time period of the show. It's an opening that makes you want to like 1920's New York and one of the ways it does that, is the characters that are quickly introduced within the intro, some who are mysterious who have their own agenda's, and some who are downright mad and add humour to the show...

15. Deathnote - Opening 2

Similar to the status of Bleach, in terms of it's popularity beyond the main anime demographic, Deathnote opening 2 makes my list and yeah... it's a kind of weird one. Being that the whole show is basically two powerful minds going at each other; trying to rid the other in a tense scenario, it's funny really to have an opening that implements the Japanese heavy metal music genre in anime that normally doesn't have the sought of music. Oddly, it is rather catchy and for myself, it's hard to resist laughing at this intro for being attention provoking....

16. Attack on Titan - Opening 1 - Guren No Yumiya by Linked Horizon

Similarly being as ambitious and as loud as the previous entry, Attack On Titan lets itself be known to you with an opening that is simply epic. The musical score of this opening is similar to that of the music of Two Steps From Hell and their epic orchestral pieces. The important thing is that, it's an opening that never gets tiresome and always gets you in the right mood in watching this bloody-shed show...

17. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie - Opening - Ask DNA

I seem to be making a habit of choosing openings from anime orientated films, but since I do like the T.V. series and this film, the Cowboy Bebop Movie opening has to be at least mentioned. What I like about this opening is probably the odd realism of the animation; depicted lives of people in the Cowboy Bebop universe in a montage segment that is metaphorically capturing the era of the time of the films release. What's funny as well, reading into this intro, is the fact that the voice actors of the main characters make appearances; somewhat breaking the 4th wall. The song as well fits perfectly into what Cowboy Bebop is all about as well...

18. Guilty Crown - Opening 1 - 'My Dearest' by Supercell

Very much a show that copies the narrative constructs that of another popular anime show in Code Geass, Guilty Crown is another futuristic/mecha/dystopian flick that is visually beautiful when it can be. Similar to that of Sword Art Online's opening from before, the music has this way of building itself up starting very slowly, and then near towards the end, kicks it up a gear into a compendium of vocals, that are of course in Japanese, but also German if I'm not mistaken (There is at least one track from Guilty Crown that is German/Japanese I think). 

19. Psycho-Pass - Opening 2

It's a bit of rarity really to have a season of a show that has two good openings, but with Psycho-Pass being one of the better anime's I've watched in recent years, I had no doubt there 2nd opening would be rubbish. All I will say is that the visuals and the song that plays over is not only different from the first opening, which was also good, but manages to capture the mood of the 2nd half of the first season and yeah... the animation is just simply gorgeous!!  

20. Paprika - Opening- 'Lounge'

Last on the list then is the film that Christopher Nolan was arguably inspired by when making Inception, Paprika, a Satoshi Kon film that goes above and beyond in terms of it's animation style; echoing it's surrealism and contextual tropes with infamous directors in David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock. Both the opening theme and the intro of the main character going from place to place in a dream-like manner just epitomise not only who Satoshi Kon, but what Japanese animation can do in it's maximum...

Right then, and that I think concludes things. I am sorry If anyone was expecting an anime show that should have been on this list like Dragonball Z or something. What I would like to do in near future with this list is to add to it; add things that other people like and not just what I like from an opening. Anywho, as always, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this one-off Blog Post. Again, I am sorry that I'm not posting as often as I used to, but it is slowly paying off for myself. I have already done a fair amount of my dissertation for my final year of Uni and I am being consistent in doing a fair amount each day. Even though I did say I will add to this list of anime openings, I do want to make up a list of my favourite T.V. openings as well which I think should be intersting since we are living in a age where T.V. is dominating the scene. I think you should expect to see that Blog Post around the middle of April some time, I'm not too sure on the specifics yet. With saying all this however, what did you think of the list? what anime openings would you put in this list? Let me down in the comments below. I think that wraps up everything I wanted to add at the end. Thank you once again for checking out this Post, you guys are the best. I will be back soon, until then... ADIEU!

Alex Rabbitte.