What's your favorite anime opening?

Postby **ABlipinTime** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:17 pm

I'm sure we've had a thread like before, but I can't find it.

So yeah...

What's opening(s) and/or ending(s) to anime are your favorite or that you thought were well done?
Tell us why.
Good music?
Good shots?
If it was an ending, do you like it just because you enjoyed the rest of the show?
Those sorts of things.

Note to Mods:
Sorry if I've created a duplicate of a thread already started.

Edit: I found the thread. It doesn't ask the same questions as this one though.

Postby **That Dude** » Sun Dec 05, 2010 12:00 pm

Last Exile has one of my favorite openings of any anime I've ever seen. The music, animation, and pacing of it is really darn good.

Postby **bigsleepj** » Sun Dec 05, 2010 12:03 pm

Paranoia Agent. Other than the fact that it is just plain freaky it catches the mood of the series beautifully while hinting at some of the thematic angles.

Postby **Edward** » Sun Dec 05, 2010 7:04 pm

The "Howling" opening to Darker than Black is pretty awesome.

Postby **Tancos** » Sun Dec 05, 2010 9:12 pm

Another vote for Paranoia Agent — it's a work of art in its own right.

Postby **Ally-Ann** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 5:03 pm

The Lucky Star opening and Shugo Chara openings. :grin:

Postby **ABlipinTime** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 5:47 pm

*watches openings of all suggestions*

That Dude (post: 1441697) wrote:Last Exile has one of my favorite openings of any anime I've ever seen. The music, animation, and pacing of it is really darn good.

I've heard the anime is very good. The opening has good graphics. Can't say I like the choice in music, but it's hard to gauge. I'll look into it though, thanks.

bigsleepj (post: 1441698) wrote:Paranoia Agent. Other than the fact that it is just plain freaky it catches the mood of the series beautifully while hinting at some of the thematic angles.

...
That's weird. Interesting... and weird.
Thanks for posting that clip.

Edward (post: 1441788) wrote:The "Howling" opening to Darker than Black is pretty awesome.

As scary as that show looks, it would be an insult to the crew who worked on that anime to compare that opening with that of Bleach. That was very well done.

Postby **Atria35** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:46 pm

Eden of the East.

I love the music- it's by a band that no longer exists but had a few good songs while they were together.

I love the shots- it has very few "traditional" anime OP things in it. I love how it starts out rather disjointed, focusing on everyday things, but messes with them in background and texture. Then you have the text within it- it does have purpose and meaning, from the Biblical quotes to the the "abuse of greatness".

The ending to Eden of the East is also one of the more imaginitive endings I've ever seen, with paper-mation just being fun!

Postby **the_wolfs_howl** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 7:36 am

*feels like everyone's wimping out by only posting one or two songs* j/k

FMA - Melissa
This was my first ever anime opening. o_o Kind of crazy to realize that now, but I still love it to this day. Every time I hear it, all I can think is, "YAY, FMA!!!!" This was also the first Japanese song I memorized! :grin:

FMA - Rewrite
Another cool song, and I also like the animation. Exciting, and very fitting for the climax of the show!

FMA - Tobira no Mukou He
To this day, I can hardly believe I love this song as much as I do. Normally, I'd hate her voice. But somehow, even though the visuals of this one aren't amazing, I just really enjoy it. I suppose it might have something to do with it coming after some very cool episodes. It would get to a really cool cliff-hanger or stunning moment of heroism, and the "Bokura wa ima demo sakenderu..." would cue my sitting back and marveling over it.

FMA: Brotherhood - Again
Man, when this thing came on, it gathered up all the excitement I'd built up over Brotherhood and amped it up tenfold. I love this song for how exciting it is, and for how well it fits the visuals. They even lip-synch two lines!

FMA: Brotherhood - Uso
The animation for this one is very cute :3

FMA: Brotherhood - Period
I mainly like this for the gorgeous animation, but the song's not too bad either.

FMA: Brotherhood - Shunkan Sentimental
I think this song fits the animation better than any other Brotherhood theme song except for "Again." Cool song, too

Haibane Renmei - Free Bird (warning: one nude side-shot, nothing shown)
This opening gives you a perfect glimpse of what the anime's like. It shows you how beautiful it looks, how soft and simple the story is, gives you an idea of the characters, and...the music. Ohhh, that music is to die for. Ko Otani is amazing.

Wolf's Rain - Stray
Beautiful animation, shows all the characters, and I can never get over how the guy's voice and the guitar wailing match the visual of the wolf howling. Beautiful.

Wolf's Rain - Gravity
The visuals aren't all that amazing - just a wolf running in the snow in front of the moon - but obviously they did their research about the way wolves run. The song is soothing, and I liked how in different episodes the wolf would change to a different character.

Trigun - H.T.
Such a cool, exciting song that perfectly portrays what the anime is like. (It somehow sounds cowboy/gunslinger to me.) And the visuals gave me an impression of Vash that was completely opposite of the way he ended up in the first episode, which made me really happy :grin:

Samurai 7 - Unlimited
Visually, it's just generic shots of the characters and some swords, but I like the song.

Samurai 7 - Fuhen
One of the most boring endings I've ever seen, but I love the music. It sounds very Japanese, which is extremely fitting for an anime about samurai.

Claymore - Danzai no Hana~Guilty Sky

I love this song so much. And the animation goes along with it pretty well, showing off that loverly claymore :3 I also like the bright-red flower petals for some reason. This is the only time I've liked an ending song for an anime without liking an opening. The opening wasn't too bad, it just wasn't as O-M-G-AWESOME as this one. I love the melody, and it also fits the show well.

Lovely Complex - Kimi + Boku = LOVE?
This is a recent favorite; normally I don't much care for girly songs (or animes!) like this, nor do I usually like much use of brass instruments. But somehow, I've become really fond of this and am working on learning to sing it

I like how some of the shots go extremely well with the music.

Postby **Sapphire225** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 8:41 am

Tori no Uta - Air (TV)
Dogfight - Initial D
Lost Heaven - FMA: Conqueror of Shamballa (Actually, almost anything by L'arc en Ciel, I know they're not opening but still...)
Soramimi Cake - Azumanga Daioh
Drawing Days - Katekyo Hitman Reborn
Days - Eureka Seven
Tank! - Cowboy Bebop (Just about anything written by Yoko Kanno actually)
Baccano's opening theme which I don't know
Durarara!!'s openign theme that I don't know
Rise - Ghost in the Shell
And although ths is an ending theme a well, Alumina - Death Note
Edit: Can't believe I didn't put this one: Aozora no Namida - Blood+

Postby **TWWK** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 9:03 am

I second Atria's pick of Eden of the East - very cool opening.

If I had to cut my list to my five favorite, I'd pick these:
Bleach (1st OP): No single opening has made me stop what I'm doing and watch in marvel, upon first viewing, like this one did. The quality of the series may be meh, but the show will always have a place in my heart because of the opening. "Asterisk" gets the blood pumping (and remains one of my favorite songs), while the movement of art across the screen and various views and colors used are really entertaining.

TMoHS: "Bouken Desho Desho" sounds oldish, but works really well for this funky series. The opening features Haruhi is all her glory, being bossy and excited, and we even see the personalities of each of the main characters. And I LOVE the scene where Kyon and Haruhi look to the sides in split screens, and you think they'll look toward each other, but they look in opposite directions.

Serial Experiments Lain: Notable for featuring and English-voiced song ("Duvet" by Boa), it's the juxtaposition of the dramatic and (possibly) relationship-based lyrics against a show that questions the nature of what's real, who God is and the digital age that makes for a very interesting opening. It seems not to fit at all at first listen, but "Duvet" really captures the feel of another unique series.

Toradora: The opening for Toradora! lets you know immediately that this won't be an ordinary romcom. Dance beats mixed with sharp cuts that would seemingly fit better into an action series, the opening lets us know that Toradora! is going to have some suprising moments, both in plot development and in, surprisingly, action sequences.

Cowboy Bebop: The old standby, "Tank!" is a great jazzy piece that captures the series' classy feel. It's also energetic, setting the stage for the series' numerous high-energy fights and action sequences. The animation is terrific, basking in shadows and dances (or dance-like fighting), rather than explicitly showing the protagonists. In a series that pays homage to so many different films and musical pieces, a jazz tune was a perfect selection.

Postby **Atria35** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 9:10 am

Sapphire225 (post: 1442762) wrote:Durarara!!'s openign theme that I don't know

Which one? Drrr! had 2, the first which was Uragiri no Yuuyake by THEATRE BROOK, the second was Complication by ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D. I personally favored the second.

Postby **TheSubtleDoctor** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:05 am

How has no one posted this?

After seeing this OP, I began to believe...not in the me that believes in you or even the you that believes in me...but in the me that believes in myself.

Postby **Sapphire225** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:28 am

Atria35 (post: 1442769) wrote:Which one? Drrr! had 2, the first which was Uragiri no Yuuyake by THEATRE BROOK, the second was Complication by ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D. I personally favored the second.

The second definately, sorry. Should have been more specific.

Postby **KhakiBlueSocks** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 10:37 pm

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]Pilot Candidate (Yes, I know I ripped it a new one with regards to it's dub, but I still like the orchestral music and the opening animation, and because the show ends so abruptly, it's actually nice to see that the protagonist gets his hearts desire...even if the outfit kinda sucks.) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FktnFQ7CSZc

Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad - (Beck has Engrish and it's not afraid to use it...and that's what I love about the opening sequence. "Hit in the USA" has found a home in my truck's CD player from now on--right next to Greg Ayres "All the Same", Otis Redding "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" and Vic Mignogna's "Far From Home" [don't give me that look; you know you liked it too]. I also love the fact that we see our protagonists sing the song in the opening sequence and that, if you listen to the song one way, it sounds like the group is saying "I was made to hit an American". Rock on Beck.) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYy5nEdkRBg

Planetes - (The reason I like this one so much is because, aside from the fact that it's historically correct in the progression of the space program, it also introduces all the main characters just in case you forgot their names! I find that cool as I have the memory of a goldfish. Also, if you notice, the creators make small changes as the series progresses which is noticeable on the DVD's as they give you all the openers to compare.) - http://youtu.be/CZ-OyT4ivkM

Aria: The Origination - (I am an all around fanboy of the "Aria" series, and all the opening and closing titles rock my socks, but it's something about the last season opening song "Spiral" that really gives me a warm, relaxed feeling. I especially love it when it's played over the opening sequence on the 2nd to last episode.) - http://youtu.be/76NzKGeFlH8

Lucky Star - (Yes, yes, I know. But it's my list, so deal with it.) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViEH57xQu1c

Honorable Mentions:

Genshiken - (I don't know if it's the opening whistle, or the fact that the song fits oh-so perfectly with the Genshiken group's outlook on life, but "My Place Daioh" will always have a soft spot in my heart.) - http://youtu.be/14ZefrEE6pU

Mushishi - (It's not as sharply animated as "Pilot Candidate", it's not quite as stirring as "Hit in the USA", and it's not as...moe...as "Motteke! Sailor Fuku", but something about the opening sequence of Mushishi, accompanied by "The Sore Feet Song" just fits with this slow-paced, "green" series.) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQqlCatywJI

Spiral - ("Who are the blade children?" heck if I know. But what I do know is that the clean white backgrounds, cool geometric shapes, and puzzle pieces abound really make this opener a cool one. Now, if only I could understand the series that comes after it...) - http://youtu.be/Lmhqjeeavjo

Neon Genesis Evangelion - (It is safe to say it's the one opening theme that every single anime fan knows the first couple lines to. Admit it, you do. Even if you say you don't, you do.) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A62011nyXNI&feature=fvst[/color][/SIZE][/font]

Postby **Rusty Claymore** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 10:43 pm

School Rumble Season 1 OP, Scramble. No idea who by, but it was epic.

Postby **the_wolfs_howl** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 2:41 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agY9axKRNaU

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

Postby **Wallachia** » Fri Dec 24, 2010 1:46 pm

My, this is a hard question. I really like evolving Openings and Endings as they seem to have a powerful effect on the viewer while watching a show. Especially one with a lot of character development.

I'll try and list a few off the top of my head... I'm probably missing a lot and some won't follow the above idea but here goes:

Angel Beats (OP)
[SIZE="1"]It's a lovely song, and some of it's scenes change to reflect the episode you'll be watching.[/SIZE]
Baccano! (OP)
[SIZE="1"]How can you not like this? It's a great opening and the cut in partway through as a recap of the last episode feels wonderful when the song resumes.[/SIZE]
Durarara!! (OP)
[SIZE="1"]On the same note as the above, it's also a good opening. I'm talking about the first one, by the way. I didn't care too much for the second.[/SIZE]
Busou Renkin (OP)
[SIZE="1"]The anime was rather generic, but was still enjoyable. The opening, however, was great fun.[/SIZE]
Clannad (ED)
[SIZE="1"]Dango Daikazoku...[/SIZE]
Clannad After Story (OP and ED)
[SIZE="1"]Well, the opening theme is wonderful. The ED theme is great too but it certainly didn't fit in well during some episodes.[/SIZE]
Cowboy Bebop (OP and ED)
[SIZE="1"]This should require no reason as to why it was enjoyable.[/SIZE]
Darker than Black (OP)
[SIZE="1"]It set the mood fairly well in my opinion.[/SIZE]
ef - a tale of memories/melodies (OP)
[SIZE="1"]Great song that eventually evolves at the last moment.[/SIZE]
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (OP)
[SIZE="1"]I enjoyed pretty much all the openings. The amount of foreshadowing was pretty interesting at times. Rewatching a some of them makes you realize how spoiler-ish some were.[/SIZE]
Macross Frontier (OP)
[SIZE="1"]Lion is great. That other song that plays during the end of episode 20... I can't remember the name... That was great too.[/SIZE]
Maria+Holic (OP and ED)
[SIZE="1"]My how awkward... Barring the rest of the show the OP was pretty fun and the ED was nothing but an ear-worm.[/SIZE]
Onegai Teacher (OP)
[SIZE="1"]That OP gets me too. One of my first romance Anime (after Ah! My Goddess.) and the first to bring me to tears during an Anime. Looking back on it now, well... It's still nostalgic but maybe I would cry over it or the show.[/SIZE]
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (OP and ED)
[SIZE="1"]"RUMBA RUMBA RUMBA RUMBA RUMBA!" Marionette and Omamori were good too.[/SIZE]
Slayers (OP and ED)
[SIZE="1"]The opening for Next was great, and the ED for... I forget which season... I enjoyed one of those too.[/SIZE]
Suzumiya Haruhi (OP end ED)
[SIZE="1"]The ED to the first series was great. The OP was okay I suppose. Super Driver was also pretty good.[/SIZE]
Astro Fighter Sunred season 2(OP)
[SIZE="1"]Haven't skipped it once. Gotta see whether that gun's battery is finally charged yet![/SIZE]
Toradora! (OP)
[SIZE="1"]First OP was pretty great.[/SIZE]
Trigun (OP)
[SIZE="1"]H.T. is wonderful.[/SIZE]
Welcome to the NHK! (ED)
[SIZE="1"]That ending was just weird but I somehow never skipped it.[/SIZE]

Postby **MightiMidget** » Fri Dec 24, 2010 5:40 pm

the_wolfs_howl (post: 1444157) wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agY9axKRNaU

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

...You rock. That totally made my night. xD I haven't heard that in...wow. forever.

Anime Openings... hm...

Darker Than Black's "Howling" remains my favorite...
Monster's OP (I don't know the name, but I love it so much!)
Legend of Legendary Heroes' 2nd OP -- it's so pretty! I would replay it because I thought it was so very soothing. =)
Guns N' Roses - Baccano's OP. As soon as I heard that, I knew I was going to love it. Same with...
Saiyuki. Both the OPs. I realized it was going to be terrible and cheesy, it was, and I enjoyed every second of it.

(actually I like all of Saiyuki's OPs for all seasons)
Ergo Proxy OP -- this, I'm fairly mediocre on the song, but the graphics I think are amazing. It feels like such a darkly whimsical blending of reality.
Kaichou wa Maid-Sama!'s OP -- a friend and I watched this on and off together, and agreed it was impossible to feel down when this came on. At first it was kind of "wow, that's scary" but after a while it was just plain fun. (Squid Girl's OP has the same effect on me)

there are a lot more...but I need to get ready for church hehe.

Postby **Zangetsu** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 9:20 pm

I really enjoyed the second opening from Eureka Seven and the first opening for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Postby **otakuminister** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 3:39 pm

Gurren Laggan "Sorairo Days"
Evangelion "Cruel Angel Thesis"
DTB Both openings
All Death Note op and cl themes (except the last op)
D Gray Man - last op sequence by UVERworld

Postby **AnimeGirl** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:04 pm

My favorite opening are.....

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles OP1 - "BLAZE" by KINYA.
I REALLY love this song. In fact, the TV-size version is better than the Full Version (it sounds different for some odd reason). Plus, the clips are beautiful! I really love the opening of Sakura curling up and her wings closing her in. And the fight scenes!!!

Fullmetal Alchemist OP2 - "Ready, Steady, Go!" by La-Arc-Ciel. (I think)
I really, REALLY love this song! It's so energenic!! And the clips are pretty good, too! I like the part where we see Hughs, Mustang, Hawkeye, and Armstrong. And when Winry has an umbrella and offers her hand.

Fullmetal Alchemist OP4 - "Rewrite" by Asian Kung Fu Generation.
This HAS to be the BEST FMA opening ever! Not only is the song beautiful and emotional sounding, but so are the clips!!!

Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations - "Synchronicity" by Yui Makino.
Yeah, the opening is just a bunch magic circles spinning. Though the clips aren't very exciting, it's rather interesting still. A sort of mystical feeling. But this opening's strength is THE SONG! Sung by Sakura's seiyuu, Yui Makino, it fits the series perfectly (as if sung from Sakura perspective!) and is hauntingly beautiful.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - "Again" by Yui.
This song is so beautiful and emotional, and the clips as well! It's like I think a 2 minute opening, but worth every second! The lip-syncing of Winry and Hawkeye for a couple lines was brilliant! Too bad the opening is chopped shorter on Adult Swim, but that's why you watch it online or on the DVD!

Heroic Age - "Gravitation" by Angela.
A perfect, exciting song with lovely clips to go with it! I'm absolutely in love with this song. I like how you see all the characters and a few action scenes, letting you know it's going to be an exciting anime!

I'm sure there's more, but that's it for now ^.^

Postby **TheSubtleDoctor** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 9:28 am

Not sure about being a favorite opening, but I just started watching the Patlabor TV series and like the first OP a lot.

And I've already posted this elsewhere, but I'll do it again b/c it's great. GaoGaiGar is awesome on so many levels. That OP is probably in the top five for me =). What does say about me?

Postby **Roy Mustang** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 10:55 am

Witch Hunter Robin opening

Noir opening

Trinity Blood opening

Record of Lodoss War opening

Macross Plus opening

Ghost in the Shell SAC 2nd GIG opening

[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

Postby **Agloval** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 3:27 pm

TheSubtleDoctor (post: 1458629) wrote:What does say about me?

Only good things.

I have a soft spot for the first Victory Gundam ED, even though I don't really love the rest of the show. It's a hilariously inappropriate way to follow the end of many of the episodes (so, for example, one episode cuts -- hah -- to this straight after a scene in which people are guillotined).

I like a lot of openings, but I'm trying to think of some calm ones. I suspect it might be harder to pull off a really impressive opening if you're using calm music and scenes rather than something with lots of energy.

Postby **AnimeGirl** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:27 pm

Ooh! A new favorite opening...

"Daia no Hana" the opening for Black Cat. I fell in love with this opening the first time I watched the series! It's such a beautiful song, and I like the clips that go with it, too! (I especially love the part where you see Train's reflection in Saya's necklace!). And my favorite line is "Now for the first time in my life I live for someone else"

Postby **Radical Dreamer** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:47 pm

Someone may have mentioned this earlier, but I am just going to drop this in here.

It's not my only favorite, but it's really the only one I feel like digging for/remembering right now. XD I may return to this thread later. XD

Postby **ABlipinTime** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:46 pm

Radical Dreamer (post: 1458686) wrote:Someone may have mentioned this earlier, but I am just going to drop this in here.

It's not my only favorite, but it's really the only one I feel like digging for/remembering right now. XD I may return to this thread later. XD

Oh wow, that one was weird. Probably reflective of the story. It was intriguing enough for me to go look up what the story was about.

I need something cheerful to follow that up.

MAL · Postby **Mr. Hat'n'Clogs** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:25 pm

This OP is awesome. I actually probably like the other Brotherhood openings more but this one probably isn't going to get a ton of love so I thought I'd share it.

Postby **Yamamaya** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:41 pm

Umineko animu OP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0BbSBUTgLQ

Spice and Wolf Tabi no Tochu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN_WgwEmRaw

And for some reason I love Shakugan no Shana's first opening
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrP0jyTgK24

What's your favorite anime opening?

What's your favorite anime opening?

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