opening song – Anime QandA

10 Best Anime OP’s Fall 2019

My 10 Best Anime OP’s of the Fall 2019 season!

It’s that time of the season to count down the 10 Best Anime OP’s and ED’s of Fall 2019, in this post we’re starting with the OP’s and while I don’t think this was the strongest season for OP’s there are still some bonefide classics amongst the top picks! As usual, in preparation for this post I’ve listened to every OP available to listen to and I try and not not let my personal feelings for a show influence the decision on the OP’s themselves. Let’s get started!

Note: I’ve tried to get Youtube links to all the listed songs where possible but some are not ideal quality (i.e. videos played in quad view to avoid copyright detection) and if links end up being broken in the future it’s because they’ve been taken down.

~Number 10~
“Smile Skill = Suki Skill!” by Akaki Chikai from ‘Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!’

There’s nothing particularly unique about this OP, it’s just a catchy good time sung by cute girls, plus gotta love an easily imitable dance move incorporated into an OP’s visuals.

~Number 9~
“TIT FOR TAT” by MYTH & ROID from ‘Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious’

By this point MYTH & ROID are veritable veterans of singing OP’s for isekai anime (they’ve sung OP’s for such isekai anime as: Iskeai Cheat Magician, Overlord, Re:Zero and The Saga of Tanya the Evil) and here’s another one for their belt and it’s a banger that showcases the vocalists unique sound perfectly.

~Number 8~
“Can now, Can now” by Study from ‘We Never Learn! 2nd Season’

Okay, this one is a totally biased pick. I just love this anime and these girls (the voice actors are credited as the band ‘Study’ for the various OP’s and ED’s from both the first and second season. And they just sound great and this OP (and its visuals) are adorable. It’s not quite as good as the first seasons’ OP but it’s still pretty wonderful.

~Number 7~
“CAPTURE” by EGO-WRAPPIN’ from ‘Case File nº221: Kabukicho’

I’m not really sure what genre this song is, (jazz maybe?) but this is absolutely a case of a song growing on me the more I heard it, despite it being counter to a lot of my usual musical tastes. It’s cool and chaotic and fits with the visuals of the OP perfectly.

~Number 6~
“Wild Side” by ALI from ‘BEASTARS’

I’ll fully admit that a large part of the reason this OP is even in this list is because of it’s outstanding stop-motion visuals that tell a full story in of itself because musically this song doesn’t really work for me (I don’t like the vocalist and it’s a bit messy), but together with the visuals it’s practically a work of art.

~Number 5~
“Q-vism” by Who-ya Extended from ‘Psycho-Pass 3’

This OP fits so perfectly into the Psycho Pass universe that it’s kind of surprising it’s from a different artist to any of the other Psycho Pass OP musicians. That’s not to say it’s derivative–not at all–in fact I think it perfectly strikes the balance between being inspired by the past and carving out a bit of its new identity (kind of like Psycho-Pass 3 itself). I think it’s honestly great!

~Number 4~
“Thought I knew ft.ra’z, Hayes” by YVY from ‘Stand My Heroes: Piece of Truth’

My criteria for picking my favourite OP’s is kind of difficult to pin down, this song being absolutely an example of a song that I’d otherwise probably be indifferent to but for some reason the combination of the fractured, dark electro beat with the occasional falsetto of the vocalist and some genuinely evocative choice of English phrases really just clicked to make a stand-out OP.

~Number 3~
“BULLET MERMAID” by Rin Namiki (Yuu Sasahara) and Misa Aoi (Riko Kohara) from ‘Kandagawa Jet Girls’

I think something that anime OP’s seem to neglect nowadays is the importance of being ‘sexy’ especially for ecchi or even ecchi-adjacent anime–sure ED’s have it plentiful but not OPs!. Granted this OP doesn’t start really being sexy until the last 15 or so seconds but it makes it count! Also this song is just a damn catchy and fun little number that makes me smile every time I hear it!

~Number 2~
“Take On Fever” by OLDCODEX from ‘Special Crime Investigation Unit – Special 7’

I’ll always have a soft spot for this kind of music; heavy instrumentation kick-ass beat with a vocalist with a decent range. I’m not watching this anime, probably never will but this song will be in my head for days.

~Number 1~
“MAYDAY” by coldrain feat. Ryo from CRYSTAL LAKE from ‘Fire Force’

So I’ve got a lot of things to say about this particular OP and song so strap in for a wall of text. The reason this list is out probably a week or two later than I usually post them is because I was waiting for this one to come out. Not only is ‘coldrain’ an amazing band who I’ve recently gotten into in a big way (kind of like how I got into ‘Survive Said The Prophet’ after the Banana Fish OP) but when it was announced that this would be the OP I was practically giddy. I listened to the song a dozen or more times hoping each time that the visuals for the OP would be on par with the first cour’s OP. And alas, no, the visuals are honestly kinda lazy and don’t match with how killer this song is. So I fully admit that this Number 1 pick is 100% because of the song and not the OP’s visuals, if you think that’s a cop-out too bad this is my list. Amazing song, honestly one of the all time greats but with sadly lacklustre accompanying OP visuals.

***

And that’s my Top 10 OP’s for Fall 2019! Agree, disagree? Let me know your picks of the season in the comments below and thanks for reading!

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2019):

10 Best OP’s Winter 2019
10 Best ED’s Winter 2019
10 Best OP’s Spring 2019
10 Best ED’s Spring 2019
10 Best OP’s Summer 2019
10 Best ED’s Summer 2019

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2018):

10 Best OP’s Winter 2018
10 Worst OP’s Winter 2018
10 Best ED’s Winter 2018
5 Worst ED’s Winter 2018
10 Best OP’s Spring 2018
10 Worst OP’s Spring 2018
10 Best ED’s Spring 2018
5 Worst ED’s Spring 2018
15 Best OP’s Summer 2018
5 Worst OP’s Summer 2018
10 Best ED’s Summer 2018
10 Worst ED’s Summer 2018
10 Best OP’s Fall 2018
10 Worst OP’s Fall 2018
10 Best ED’s Fall 2018
5 Worst ED’s Fall 2018
***
The Best Anime OP’s of 2018
The Best Anime ED’s of 2018

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

10 Best Anime ED’s Summer 2019

10 Best Anime ED’s of Summer 2019

And now we’re counting down my best ED’s of Summer 2019 anime! A reminder that I listened to all the ED’s of the season and even shows I’m not watching have made it onto the list, so it’s not a completely biased list (though obviously its biased towards my tastes–it is a personal list after all). Let’s get started with the 10 Best Anime ED’s of Summer 2019!

~Number 10~
“Hibari” by ASCA from ‘Lord El-Melloi II Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note’

I don’t know what it is about this song, its not unique or particularly interesting–nor am I watching the show (nor will probably ever) but something about its melancholy intonations really got to me in a way I can’t really quantify–and sometimes that’s all the more reason to make mention of something.

~Number 9~
“LIFE” by Rude-α from ‘Dr. Stone’

There’s something very laid back and chill about everything this ED does which I’m really fond of. Rap kinda does nothing for me as a musical genre and the visuals are pretty weird and off-putting in places but the more I listened to this the more I enjoyed and I’m not even watching the show!

~Number 8~
“Torches” by Aimer from ‘Vinland Saga’

This song reminds me of a Western song but I can’t for the life of me think of which one… Regardless it’s all kinds of beautiful and emotional.

~Number 7~
“Hajime no Uta” by DracoVirgo from ‘Arifureta: From Commonplace To World’s Strongest’

Much like this show’s OP I do love how ‘unconventional’ this ED is while still remaining an air of familiarity also like the OP its reminiscent of James Bond openings (though in this instance its more with the visuals than the music) which is something I love. Hey! I did warn you that I had a strong bias with these things sometimes!

~Number 6~
“Seishun no Reverb” by Nozomu Tanaka (Chinatsu Akasaki), Akane Kikuchi (Haruka Tomatsu), Shiori Saginomiya (Aki Toyosaki) from ‘Wasteful Days of High School Girl’

Unlike this show’s OP (which took the Number 1 spot if you recall) the ED is very indicative of an anime ED it’s more relaxed and chill but it still manages to be catchy and inherently enjoyable over multiple listens.

~Number 5~
“Connected” by Tilarna Exedilika (Mayu Yoshioka) from ‘Cop Craft’

I’m kind of hung up on the idea of a cop show having an ED sung by its female protagonist (which is exactly the situation here) it’d be absurd if it were a US cop drama but because it’s anime it’s perfectly normal. I know, weird thing to get side-tracked by but here we are. Anyway this song is just great and powerful and Mayu’s vocals are a commanding force to be reckoned with!

~Number 4~
“Glow at the Velocity of Light” by Riko Azuna from ‘Astra Lost In Space’

This ED hits all the right notes and delivers a terrific and toe-tapping song from beginning to end.

~Number 3~
“Future Sign” by KiRaRe from ‘Re:Stage! Dream Days’

Any idol series worth its salt is bound to have top quality music and thankfully this show looks to have stellar music as shown in full splendour by this ED performed by ‘KiRaRe’ the idol group made up from the main characters of this series. It’s bouncy, fun and catchy–everything a good idol song should be!

~Number 2~
“Macho a Name?” Naruzou Machio (Kaito Ishikawa) from ‘How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift?’

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before (surely I must have) but I’m quite a fan of the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ in all its cheesy glory and this song sounds exactly like a Soviet Bloc entry–and that’s absolutely a compliment to this song. It’s absurd, hilarious and gets your feet moving and singing along to that chorus–I love it!

~Number 1~
“Veil” by Keina Suda from ‘Fire Force’

Wow. This ED song and its accompanying visuals sure do make an impact, from the minimalist but powerful vocals that start the song in an evocative and mysterious way to the absolute banger it transitions into just everything about it is a masterpiece. There’s kind of not anything else to say about it other than if you haven’t heard it yet, do yourself a favour and take it all in!

***

And that’s my Top 10 ED’s for Summer! Do you agree or disagree with my choices? Let me know your favourites in the comments below and thanks for reading!

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2018):

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2019):

10 Best OP’s Winter 2019
10 Best ED’s Winter 2019
10 Best OP’s Spring 2019
10 Best ED’s Spring 2019
10 Best OP’s Summer 2019

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

10 Best Anime OP’s Summer 2019

10 Best Anime OP’s of Summer 2019

It’s time for the OP’s of Summer 2019, and I watched all of them to make this list, yes every OP of the season and while I don’t think the OP’s were as strong as some previous seasons we’ve still got a enough truly great ones to make up a top 10! As with my previous lists I’m judging both the music and the visuals and of course, I’m a little biased with my picks (who isn’t?!) With that out of the way let’s count down the 10 Best Anime OP’s of Summer 2019!

~Number 10~
“FLARE” by Void_Chords feat.LIO from ‘Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest’

I’m not sure what it is about this OP but despite being very ~modern~ sounding it just connected with me in a way I didn’t expect. It’s got a bit of James Bond about its opening notes, then transitions into something reminiscent of trap and dubstep and then suddenly saxophones? Maybe some might call it “messy”, I call it “avant garde”!

~Number 9~
“Inferno” by Mrs.GREEN APPLE from ‘Fire Force’

A part of me wanted to complain how generic and routinely ‘shonen’ this OP for a new shonen anime sounded… and then another part of me thought I should get my head out of my ass and just enjoy what is a simply banging tune, with slick accompanying visuals. It just works!

~Number 8~
“Zero Centimeter” by Yuiko Oohara from ‘Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2’

While not as immediately catchy as the OP for ‘Takagi-san’s’ first season, this OP feels like a worthy spiritual and emotional successor that only benefits from having knowledge of the show its from and the journey we’ve been on. It’s cute and sweet and fun and light and just an utter joy to watch/listen to.

~Number 7~
“Shadow is the Light” by THE SIXTH LIE from ‘A Certain Scientific Accelerator’

It’s dark and brooding and tense but still got that infectious beat that makes an OP a winner.

~Number 6~
“MUKANJYO” by Survive Said The Prophet from ‘VINLAND SAGA’

Survive Said The Prophet delivered one of 2018’s best OP’s with “Lost & Found” from ‘BANANA FISH’ so its no surprise that their second(?) go at an anime OP is a kick ass banger! Yes, it’s not as catchy as the aforementioned but it’s still packs a punch and captures your attention from beginning to end!

~Number 5~
“Iya yo Iya yo Mosuki no Uchi” by Spica Spica from ‘Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?’

It’s just well made, high energy silly good time fun–kind of like the show itself!

~Number 4~
“HELLO to DREAM” by Yuka Iguchi from ‘Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon II’

Say what you will about bagpipes as an instrument but they can be evocative when used sparingly and, let’s face it, as far as rare instruments appearing in anime OP’s bagpipes are pretty much at the top of the list. Aside from that though it’s just a damn solid OP with some expensive looking 3D background visuals to tie it altogether.

~Number 3~
“Daisuki” by Ayaka Ohashi from ‘Hensuki: Are you willing to fall in love with a pervert, as long as she’s a cutie?’

There’s something comfortably cliche and fundamentally familiar about this OP song, it by no means breaks new ground musically, nor is it an exemplary example of this genre’s music, but what it is is an OP that impresses without being flashy and delivers without being drastic, simply said it’s just an all round great experience without drawing attention to itself.

~Number 2~
“Onegai Muscle” by Hibiki Sakura (Ai Fairuz), & Naruzou Machio (Kaito Ishikawa) from ‘How Many Kilograms are the Dumbbells You Lift?’

OP’s from Doga Kobo anime in the last year or so have been absolute utter joys to behold, there’s just such an utter commitment to the theme of their given anime and “Onegai Muscle” is absolutely no exception. It’s a high energy, supremely focused and wonderfully tight melding of music and visuals that transcends the language barrier and indeed even the interest barrier (I have no interest in exercise or weight training and yet this OP has me entranced) which comes together to create a sublime OP experience.

~Number 1~
“Rin! Moon! dass! cry!” by Nozomu Tanaka (Chinatsu Akasaki), Akane Kikuchi (Haruka Tomatsu), Shiori Saginomiya (Aki Toyosaki) from Wasteful Days of High School Girl

Before I’d been given the translation of this OP’s lyrics this song was already highly ranked on this list, probably second or third. After all its a unique sounding song (which is admittedly rare given just how many anime OP’s exist in all sorts of musical genres) but not only that the visuals were a fun and dynamic treat too. Then came the third episode on ~whatever streaming service this show airs~ and we were afforded the translated lyrics… and then everything came together. This OP is wonderfully meta, tongue-in-cheek and legitimately hilarious… I don’t think there’s ever been a case where I’ve not only laughed at an OP and its lyrics but done so repeatedly after the fact. It’s very specific but it’s also very funny and very cool!

***

And that’s my Top 10 OP’s for Summer! Agree, disagree? Let me know your picks in the comments and thank you all for reading!

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2018):

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2019):

10 Best OP’s Winter 2019
10 Best ED’s Winter 2019
10 Best OP’s Spring 2019
10 Best ED’s Spring 2019

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

10 Best Anime OP’s Spring 2019

10 Best Anime OP’s of Spring 2019

Spring anime has sprung and with it a fresh bloom of new anime OP’s and ED’s have risen from the garden! As per my (new) rules–instated at the start of the year–both the quality of the visuals and the music are being taken into consideration and every anime of the season is being assessed and is eligible regardless of whether I’m watching the show or not. Yes this list might be biased towards certain factors but I’ll explain the “why” of my choices under each pick. With that out of the way let’s look at my 10 Best Anime OP’s of Spring 2019!

~Number 10~
“Equal” by sumika from ‘Mix’

Sometimes an OP is just so refined and polished–despite being about a topic that’s ostensibly uninteresting to me (in this case boy’s highschool baseball)–that it can’t help but grab your attention. But then again sports anime almost always tend to be remarkably polished and catchy so I shouldn’t be too surprised.

~Number 9~
“Dash&Daaash!!” by Fudanjuku from ‘Magmel of the Sea Blue’

Striking a balance between both familiar sounding and with some uniquely fun elements (okay so random English words thrown in isn’t unique–but it works so well here) is made to look effortless here. It’s also the kind of OP that’s over so quick you’re kind of sad because it was such a fun time throughout!

~Number 8~
“Again” by Beverly from ‘Fruits Basket: 1st Season’

This song almost brings me to tears every time I hear it, it’s so beautiful and melancholic and I never even watched the original ‘Fruits Basket’ anime or read the manga so my feelings are coming off (as of the writing of this post) just three episodes of the new series. It’s a moving song for a moving anime. The only reason it isn’t higher is because listening to this OP more than once in a short space of time proves difficult because of how slow it is.

~Number 7~
“Bon♡Kyu♡Bon wa Kare no Mono♡” by Sumire Uesaka from ‘Why the Hell are You Here, Teacher!?’

Generally speaking, OP’s aren’t that sexy–sure there have been some in the past but I can pretty much count them on one hand that’s how rare they are. Usually the sexiest visuals are saved for the ED (for some reasons) but not only is this one among the sexiest but it’s also comes with a damn cute song too!

[If the embed doesn’t work for the ‘Streamable’ video click this link: https://streamable.com/jz4qh]

~Number 6~
“Kotae” by Mao Abe from ‘AFTERLOST’

It’s just a banging tune with some cliche (but still dynamic) visuals accompanying it–sometimes simple works best.

~Number 5~
“Hitoribocchi no Monologue” by Hitori Bocchi (Chisaki Morishita), Sunao Nako (Minami Tanaka), Honshou Aru (Akari Kito), Sotca Luckythar (Yuuko Kurose) from ‘Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu’

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I adore OP’s and ED’s that are sung by the cast and the cuter the cast the better. Hitori Bocchi’s OP is full of high-spirited energy and joy and makes me smile every time I experience it!

~Number 4~
“WONDERFUL WONDER” by EDOGA-SULLIVAN from ‘Ao-chan Can’t Study!’

In past season’s I had a (admittedly stupid) self-imposed rule to not include any OP’s that were 1 minute or less–here’s the OP that “forced” me to break and disregard that rule once and for all. This OP is cool and fun and catchy and matches the visuals perfectly! One minute OP’s deserve attention too!

~Number 3~
“Koyoi mofumofu!!” by Senko (Azumi Waki), Shiro (Maaya Uchida) from ‘The Helpful Fox Senko-san’

Sometimes a thing is just too cute for words. (PS, can’t find a version of the OP that isn’t in weird “quad vision” so just watch the show for yourself!)

~Number 2~
“Ultimate☆MAGIC” by i☆Ris from ‘Kenja no Mago’

One of the biggest compliments you could ever award an OP is that based on its quality alone it singlehandedly made you want to watch the show it was from. I had next to zero interest in this show until I watched its OP. It was a joy from start to finish to watch the OP and (once I get round to watching it) I hope the show is as much of a joy to watch as well!

~Honourable Mention~
“Isekai Quartet” by Ainz (Satoshi Hino), Kazuma (Jun Fukushima), Subaru (Yuusuke Kobayashi), Tanya (Aoi Yuuki) from ‘Isekai Quartet’

A part of the absolute joy of this OP is entirely in knowing the shows these characters are from (that extends to the show too for the most part) and while it’s arguably deserving of a spot on the list I felt it was too niche of a choice to justify it because of the requisite knowledge required to enjoy it. It’s still a catchy tune with bright visuals but ultimately there were more appropriate picks for a list like this.

~Number 1~
“Seishun Seminar” by Study from ‘We Never Learn!’

There’s a lot to like about the OP but likewise it’s not immediately evident from a first or even second viewing. It’s low-key sexy but not salacious (like the Number 7 pick), it’s catchy but it does it with subtlety, it’s the kind of OP that grows more and more fun to watch the more you see it but in a way that’s almost hard to quantify. All I know is I can’t stop thinking about it and when it comes to an anime OP that’s the sign of a true classic.

***

And that’s my Top 10 OP’s for Spring! Agree, disagree? Let me know your picks in the comments and thanks for reading!

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2018):

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2019):

10 Best OP’s Winter 2019
10 Best ED’s Winter 2019

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

10 Best Anime OP’s Winter 2019

10 Best Anime OP’s of Winter 2019

Hello everyone! A new year and you know what that means, new anime OP’s and ED’s to indulge upon! Last year I made the odd caveat that I was only going to judge the songs on the quality of the music and not the visuals in a move I thought would give my ~opinions~ an air of impartiality. But you know what, that’s dumb, I’m biased as heck and I know it. So while–for the sake of completionism–I did listen (and watch) every anime OP this season, this list is still probably going to end up pretty biased so, you know, if you’ve got a problem with that, tough luck! With that out of the way, let’s count down my 10 Best Anime OP’s of Winter 2019!

~Number 10~
“Kaze Tsuyoku, Kimi Atsuku.” by Q-MHz feat. Mitsuhiro Hidaka a.k.a SKY-HI from ‘Run With The Wind’

Oh hey, the first OP is from a show I don’t watch, see I’m totally not biased! Expectedly for a sports anime its OP is high energy and high quality but in addition to the quality song the visuals are also top quality almost coming off like a little short film. If I didn’t have a natural aversion to male-centric sports anime I might even admit this made me want to watch the show…

~Number 9~
“Kono Yubi Tomare” by JUNNA from ‘Kakegurui xx’

I love James Bond opening credit sequences–in some ways they are the spiritual predecessor to anime OP’s in that they’re big elaborate affairs that can work as little art pieces of their very own. The song here, is not nearly as good as Kakeguri’s 1st season OP but it more than makes it up for it in the visuals which are very ‘Casino Royale’ inspired and at times are mesmerising.

~Number 8~
“Touch Off” by UVERworld from ‘The Promised Neverland’

Just gonna get this out of the way, this OP doesn’t fit this show at all. Fight me. That said it absolutely kicks ass on it’s own, UVERworld have never been better and this OP just draws all attention to it as soon as it starts. “Fire” indeed.

~Number 7~
“KODO” by nonoc from ‘Magical Girl Spec Ops Asuka’

The first 15 seconds of this OP kick my ass so much that’s it’s kind of hard to recover and gather my thoughts. Thankfully this is no one-trick pony as the rest of the OP lives up to the hype it sets up for itself delivering an absolute banger. It’s always a good sign when the OP feels shorter than the 1:30 it covers and leaves you wanting more!

~Number 6~
“Endoro~ru!” by Yuusha Party [Yuusha (Hikaru Akao), Seira (Shiina Natsukawa), Fai (Ari Ozawa), Mei (Inori Minase)] from ‘Endro!’

In contrast to the previous pick this song starts off relatively quaint and low-key, it’s cute, quaint and unassuming for nearly a minute and then that infectious chorus kicks in and I’m all smiles. Plus you know I’m a sucker for an OP sung by the show’s cast…

~Number 5~
“Love Dramatic” by Masayuki Suzuki feat. Rikka Ihara from ‘Kaguya-sama: Love Is War’

This isn’t my preferred genre of music, it’s ‘twee’ and I don’t usually enjoy it. But again it’s those James Bond inspired slightly psychedelic dance-y visuals that completely make this an effort of the whole being greater than the disparate parts.

~Number 4~
“Kawaki wo Ameku” by Minami from ‘Domestic Girlfriend’

This OP made me pregnant.

~Number 3~
“Gotoubun no Kimochi” by Nakanoke no Itsuzugo (Kana Hanazawa, Ayana Taketatsu, Miku Itou, Ayane Sakura, Inori Minase) from ‘The Quintessential Quintuplets’

Much like the show itself this OP has no business being as being as memorable and endearing and charismatic as it is. In fact here’s a little behind the scenes info on this list: I usually like getting these Best OP lists out in the first month of the season but as I’m writing this we’re in the third and final month of Winter 2019 and initially this song barely scraped in at Number 9. But as the list was delayed, ever did this song creep up, I found myself humming it then outright singing the parts at random points during the day. I don’t know how or why but this OP won me over in a way I never expected. Talk about a “surprise”.

~Number 2~
“shadowgraph” by MYTH＆ROID from ‘Boogiepop and Others’

Oh my god, I just can’t get over how cool and sexy this OP is, a show this weird and sci-fi has no business having an OP this damn slinky. It’s also a case where the song syncs up so perfect to the visuals that you can’t help picturing the OP in the head when you hear the song alone.

In any other season this’d be the winner but there’s one better. Warning, massively biased choice incoming!

~Number 1~
“Kizuna Music” by Poppin’ Party from ‘BanG Dream! 2nd Season’

So, uhh, yeah. I love BanG Dream! the anime, I love BanG Dream! the mobile game and I love all the (literally hundreds) of songs associated with the various bands featured throughout. The second season of ‘BanG Dream!’ came in like a proverbial wrecking ball to be my favourite show of the season (yes, calling it now, sorry ‘Endro!’) and so it’s no surprise that Kizuna Music–a bonefide pop classic in my opinion–is my Number 1 song of the season. Yes this choice is biased, I’ve played this song in the mobile game so much I could probably play it with my eyes closed and simultaneously sing it in Japanese. But I legitimately think there’s no better OP to come out of this season than this. Hence it being my pick for number 1.

***

And there’s my list! Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment below and let me know what OP was your favourite this season! And stay tuned for the Worst OP list, and the lists for best and worst ED’s of Winter 2019–coming soon!

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2018):

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

Best Anime OP’s 2018

Taking a look back at the Best Anime OP’s of the whole year of 2018

So as you might be aware I’ve been listing my best and worse OP’s and ED’s of each season this year. But rather than just pick my 10 favourites from all the previous ‘top’ lists, I’ve decided to do something a little different for the final best of OP list of the year. I’ve decided to break it down into categories, almost like an awards show (albeit a bit less rigid than most). Also unlike the previous seasonal lists I’m taking into account the visuals as well as the music and whatever bias I have towards the show will be fully on display–where applicable. So with that out of the way let’s take a look at what I consider the Best Anime OP’s of 2018!

Coolest Anime OP

What’s cool for one person may not always be cool for another, but as far as straight up stylish and flashy visuals mixing with a rocking song, nothing comes close to “Break In To Break Out” by Lynn from ‘Persona 5 The Animation’.

Anime OP That Best Represents The Tone Of The Show

Sometimes an OP can give a good visual representation of what a show is like, but fails to capture the quintessential essence of the series–the ~feeling~. However, “Iwanai kedo ne.” by Yuiko Oohara from ‘Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san’ embodies not just the characters, the setting and the tone perfectly but also the youthful innocence and charm of youth and young love.

Best Vocals In An Anime OP

I know I shouldn’t be so surprised when are Voice Actor has a good singing voice, after all most if not all of them do in-fact sing anime OP’s and ED’s as a part of their jobs, however sometimes a vocalist will blow you away as was the case with “Touka no Manimani” by Nao Toyama from ‘Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits’. Not only are the vocals sublime but the song is terrifically beautiful and matches with the ethereal and mysterious vibe of the visuals too.

Sexiest Anime OP

Along with what’s “cool”, what’s “sexy” is subjective too. But this is my site so you all have to deal with my opinions! For me, obvious things are sexy, boobs are sexy, skimpy outfits are sexy, pin-up style still poses are sexy and apparently now I can add vaguely animal girls to that list too thanks to “killing bites” by fripSide from ‘Killing Bites’.

The “I can’t speak Japanese but I’ll try and sing along anyway” Award

It’s hard to sing along to a catchy song, even harder still when the lyrics aren’t provided on screen but sometimes a song is so damn catchy you just try your hardest, even if it’s just in your head! Few songs in 2018 were just as joyously infectious as “Mission! Ken Kou Dai Ichi” by Sekkekkyuu (Kana Hanazawa), Hakkekkyuu (Tomoaki Maeno), Killer T Saibou (Daisuke Ono), Macrophage (Kikuko Inoue) from ‘Cells At Work!’

Anime Is Art, OP Edition

We all know anime is art, but sometimes an OP can be its own little piece of art both with regard to visuals and audio. “Kimi ni Furete” by Riko Azuna from ‘Bloom Into You’ more than meets the criteria to be called art with its contemplative and evocative music and vocals accompanied by a simply stunning set of imagery–put this in a museum or something!

Sadly there’s no version of the OP on Youtube with the actual visuals so enjoy this still image.

Most ~Angsty~ Anime OP

Gotta love that teenage ~angst~ and you know what’s even better? When an OP can convey a series’ angst through the power of music and visuals alone (and maybe the lyrics, I don’t know, I didn’t get a chance to see the lyrics for this one, but we can only assume). “Azalea” by nano.RIPE from ‘Citrus’, is ripe (pun intended) with the gay teen angst and I love it!

The Anime OP that gives me the “feels”

“The Girls Are Alright” by saya from ‘A Place Further Than The Universe’. This is a great song, with great visuals but what makes it even better is just remembering how excellent this show was and how powerful so many of the emotional moments in this show were, even just listening to the song brings a tear to my eye.

The ‘Two Sides Of The Same Coin’ Award

I’m not even sure I’m using that term correctly, but basically this pick is for a show that has two OP’s (one for each cour) and they are ostensibly the same song, but I feel like each one has enough differences (both musically and visually) that they both deserve a mention. They are “KISS OF DEATH” by Mika Nakashima x Hyde from ‘Darling In The FranXX’. Listen to both below, if I had to pick a favourite I’d say it’s the second cour OP, while I enjoy the “sexiness” of the first, the second is too beautiful to ignore.

OP 1.

OP 2.

Rock Out With Your OP Out

Sometimes a song just rocks too hard for it to be ignored and “found & lost” by Survive Said The Prophet from ‘BANANA FISH’ definitely is one of them! Plus the visuals are just so polished and well-suited that I’d have been crazy not to mention it!

The “I didn’t watch this anime but the OP makes me want to” Award

There were a few top quality OP’s that made me intrigued enough to want to watch the show they were attached to. But none made quite the impact like “Voracity” by MYTH & ROID from ‘Overlord III’, because damn this song is quirky and irresistible and I mean just look at all those good-looking evil girls in the video… you make a tasty proposition Overlord, very very tasty.

The ‘Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai’ Award For Overall Excellence In An Anime OP

No, “Kimi no Sei” by the peggies from ‘Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai‘ isn’t my pick for Best OP. Rather it’s OP is just so well polished from beginning to end and has a song that has the sort of crossover mainstream appeal that were we living in a just universe it’d be on the charts in the West that I decided to create an entire category just so I could mention this OP. It’s my site and I can do what I want!

~Honourable Mentions~

There were just so many top quality OP’s I felt I needed to mention 3 more that were just on the cusp of being included but missed out because, well, I didn’t want this list to get too long to be honest! They are:
“SHINY DAYS” by Asaka from ‘Laid Back Camp’
“Colors Power ni Omakasero!” by Colors☆Slash from ‘Mitsuboshi Colors’
“One Room Sugar Life” by Akari Nanawo from ‘Happy Sugar Life’
All of them worthy of mention to be sure!

The Best Anime OP of 2018

Regardless of this pick it’s probably going to disappoint someone such is the nature of this business of picking a best anything but here we go, my pick for the Best Anime OP of 2018 is “Flashback” by MIYAVI vs. KenKen from ‘Kokkoku’. It’s probably an anime few people remember, I think I enjoyed it more than most people (you can read my review of it here) but what stood out week-after-week was that OP. Does it fit the tone of the show? Not at all. Is it a genre of music I generally listen to? Not really. But is it the most mesmerising, toe-tapping, energetic and all round spectacular OP of the year? You bet it is!

And there we have it, my weird, award style list of the Best Anime OP’s of 2018! What did you think of this different approach to presenting a list? What did you think of my picks?! Leave a comment below and let me know! Thanks for reading!

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists:

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

10 Worst Anime OP’s of Fall 2018

My 10 Worst Anime OP’s (Opening Songs) of the Fall 2018 season!

With the good comes the bad, now we’re taking a look at what qualifies as my worst OP’s of Fall 2018 but first some few rules I put in place for these lists. These are my opinions and not empirical, a song you love I might hate and vice versa. Secondly only the song itself is being judged, not the accompanying visuals or the series itself–even a terrible anime can have awesome OP’s and ED’s! Now with that out of the way let’s count down my 10 Worst Anime OP’s of Fall 2018!

~Number 10~
“PARADOX” by QUADRANGLE from RErideD: Derrida

This song isn’t bad it’s just aggressively boring–which sometimes is even worse.

~Number 9~
“Fighting Gold” by Coda from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind

I don’t know a lot about JoJo but what I do know is that they have absolutely top-notch ability in picking standout ED music–I guess the same can’t be said for OP’s as this a painfully mediocre affair that sounds like the lead singer is having a hernia.

~Number 8~
“Pink Lemonade” by Sangatsu no Phantasia from As Miss Beezlebub Likes

Musically I really enjoy this song, but the vocalist is just absolute rubbish. It’s like she’s reading from a song sheet for the first time while thinking about everywhere else she’d rather be than recording this song.

~Number 7~
“katharsis” by TK from Ling Toshite Shigure from Tokyo Ghoul:re 2nd Season

Oh how the mighty have fallen! The first season Tokyo Ghoul OP “unravel” by TK from Ling Toshite Shigure is one of my favourite OP’s of all time, so how did this one manage to work its way onto my worst list? Call it unreasonable expectations, but I legitimately can’t stand this track. It sounds like a parody, it sounds like a mockery, but most of all it just doesn’t sound good.

~Number 6~
“Gravitation” by Maon Kurosaki from A Certain Magical Index III

*wildly discordant noises vaguely resembling a song intensify*

~Number 5~
“Soul Seeker” by Crossfaith from Fist of the Blue Sky: Regenesis 2nd Season

I don’t why I don’t like this OP, I should, I mean it’s pretty damn metal, but at the same time it just kind of feels ~forced~ and lame and I’m not even sure why!

~Number 4~
“Gekkou” by BUMP OF CHICKEN from Karakuri Circus

Another case of a vocalist who sounds like singing is something they’d rather not be doing. Maybe I just don’t understand Japanese music, but everything about this feels like a ‘chore’ rather than anyone involved is having any fun.

~Number 3~
“Nameless story” by Takuma Terashima from That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

This feels like a first pass at a song, like something someone hurriedly strummed out when put on the spot to come up with a song. I mean the one thing this OP has over most of the songs on the list is a decent lead singer, but even he sounds like he’s just warming up rather than giving a final powerful performance.

~Number 2~
“Origin” by Mili from Merc Storia: The Apathetic Boy and the Girl in a Bottle

*yawn* Like everything about this song is just boring and uninteresting. It’s the musical equivalent of a shrug.

~Dishonourable Mention~
“power of the dream” by lol from Fairy Tail: Final Season

This band is called ‘lol’ huh? Well that about sums it up… it’s not ostensibly a bad song, it’s just more like why? Was there really no better options for an OP out there?

~Number 1~
“Utopia” by 04 Limited Sazabys from Radiant

~autotune whining~ *incessant drum machine* (rinse repeat) god this song sucks. Sorry if this isn’t the most insightful deconstruction of an OP but sometimes there’s not anything worthwhile to say about something this worthless.

***

And there’s my list of the Worst Fall 2018 OP’s! Agree? Disagree? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below and thank you all for reading!

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists:

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

10 Best Anime OP’s of Fall 2018

My 10 Best Anime OP’s (Opening Songs) of the Fall 2018 season!

A new season of anime means a new season of anime OP’s (openings) and ED’s (endings), and because I love anime music so much I’ve listened to every OP for the Fall 2018 season and will list my Top 10 best and worst over the coming weeks. First though a few rules I put in place for these lists; obviously they are my opinion and not empirical, a song you love I might hate and vice versa. Secondly only the song itself is being judged, not the accompanying visuals or the series itself–even a terrible anime can have awesome OP’s and ED’s! With that out of the way let’s count down my 10 Best Anime OP’s of Fall 2018!

~Number 10~
“Naru” by Luck Life from ‘Tsurune’

It’s just a solid, well-polished song. Sports anime always get such quality OP’s don’t they?

~Number 9~
“Soranetarium” by MICHI from ‘The Girl In Twilight’

The pounding backing bass immediately draws your attention in for a powerful first 30 seconds, and while the rest of the song never ~quite~ lives up to the strong start it’s still a unique sounding track.

~Number 8~
“FREEDOM” by BLUE ENCOUNT from ‘BANANA FISH’

The second OP for Banana Fish is not quite as strong as Survive Said The Prophet’s stellar “found&lost” from the first half but this still a top notch song with angsty vocals (and some English lyrics too) that’s bound to find itself on regular play on my anime music playlist!

~Number 7~
“Jump Up↑ Yell!!” by Kaminoki Koukou Cheering-bu [Kohane Hatoya (Yuka Ozaki), Hizume Arima (Yuina Yamada), Uki Sawatari (Mikako Izawa), Kotetsu Tatejima (Tomori Kusunoki), Kana Ushiku (Haruka Shiraishi) from ‘Anima Yell!’

For a song that basically starts off with an all too common cheerleading chant akin to “we’ve got spirit, let’s hear it”, the rest of the song impresses by being adorably cute, endlessly catchy and musically dynamic by experimenting with so many different styles. It’s like there 4 songs in one, all of them the kind you want to clap your hands along to!

~Number 6~
“Kimi ni Furete” by Riko Azuna from ‘Bloom Into You’

Everything about this song is gorgeous, it might not be the most original sounding pick on the list but it’s got such a tangible heart and depth to it all that it almost doesn’t matter.

~Number 5~
“Reimei” by Sayuri x MY FIRST STORY from ‘Golden Kamuy 2nd Season’

This OP has two female singers and one of them has this really irresistible vocal quirk where she’s on the ~verge~ of unleashing a full metal-style growl but never quite does. I don’t know if her other songs are sung like that or are full metal, but I really couldn’t get over how cool it was that it kind of overtook everything else about this song (which is really good btw).

~Number 4~
“FIRE GROUND” by Official Higedan-dism from ‘Hinomaru Sumo’

Holy shit this is a lot of funky fun! Ordinarily this kind of male vocalist would be a turn-off and almost find it in the ‘worst’ list because of it, but the rest of the song which is just glorious funky bravura more than makes up for it!

~Number 3~
“Mob mentality” by Mili from ‘Goblin Slayer’

The first 45 seconds of this song set such a moody tone and then the tempo ~explodes~ but not without losing that sense of foreboding that came before–it’s hard not to associate this song with the anime itself because listening to it gives me such anxiety but in some ways that just goes to demonstrate how powerful a piece of music can be that evoke such strong emotions. Even without the link to the show though I still think this would be as high as it is on the list.

~Number 2~
“†Kyuutie Ladies†” by Sophie Twilight (Miyu Tomita), Akari Amano (Yuu Sasahara), Hinata Natsuki (Lynn), Erie (Azuki Waki) from ‘Miss vampire who lives in my neighborhood.’

“chu chu chu!” Sorry, I’m just a sucker for cute songs sometimes…

~Honourable Mention~
“Never Lose” by Tomohisa Yamashita from ‘Ace Attorney Season 2’

I’ve only been doing this whole ‘listening to every OP and ED’ ~thing~ for a year now but I don’t think I’ve ever heard an EDM anime OP and while I don’t have a particular fondness for the genre (I don’t hate it either) just for the sake of how damn different it sounds it deserves an honourable mention!

~Number 1~
“Kimi no Sei” by the peggies from ‘Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai’

I love anime music, but despite this it’s rare that an artist will have an impact enough on me just from a minute 30 long song to make me want to seek out ~more~ of their non-anime works. The only bands that have had this effect on me to date are: Monoral, moumoon, Nothing’s Carved In Stone, Thyme and now the peggies are added to that very short list. It’s indie pop-rock that just hits all my buttons, and while its probably not the catchiest song on the list, it is the best–in my opinion.

***

And there you have it! Agree? Disagree? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and thanks for reading!

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists:

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

5 Worst Anime OP’s of Summer 2018

My 5 Worst Anime OP’s (Openings) of the Summer 2018 season!

The ‘worst’ list is always the hardest, not because I have a hard time being judgmental—that shit comes easy, the hard part is actually finding songs that even qualify as ‘worst’ because so much anime music (specifically OP’s and ED’s) are just so good, that’s part of the reason why this list is just 5 songs, because I didn’t feel right listing the other 5 that would have made out the 10 “worst”. Even so half the songs on this list aren’t actually bad, they’re just not as good as the one’s that came before! But that said, if they’re on this list then they’ve done something ‘not quite good enough’. For the list of the best OP’s of Summer 2018 (and a full list of my regular list-making requirements) click here. Otherwise enjoy my countdown of the 5 Worst Anime OP’s of Summer 2018!

~Number 5~
“Momoiro Typhoon” (Peach-Colored Typhoon) by Luna Haruna from Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs

Divorcing all opinions of a show from an OP is hard, especially here given how much I like the show and the opening visuals, but to be honest this song is just way too low key and kinda bland, admittedly it picks up toward the mid-way point but by then it’s already too little, too late.

~Number 4~
“Red Swan” by Yoshiki feat. HYDE from Attack on Titan Season 3

Another one that’s hard to separate from the visuals, but here it’s because they work so well together—it’s a deliberately contemplative effort pairing the nostalgic visuals with a soft song like this and in my opinion it works for the show! Where it doesn’t work is listening to this as a song by itself because it… is… dull. Also the lead vocalist is kinda bad?

~Number 3~
“Make my story” by Lenny Code Fiction from My Hero Academia 3rd Season

Oof. What’s with all these great, high-profile shows with mediocre OP’s this season (and last season). The chorus kind of destroys any potential for this being enjoyable, sounding like a boy-band sucking helium. It’s just such a ‘meh’ of a song; I can’t help but be left disappointed.

~Number 2~
“Tenshi yo Furusato o Kike” by May’n from Lord of Vermilion: Crimson King

There’s nothing wrong with May’n, it’s just this song kind of exists and nothing else, while many other songs on this list are far more low-key and uninteresting this is just utterly generic from beginning to end.

~Number 1~
“Sassoku to Hashiru Tonegawa-kun” by Gesu no Kiwami Otome from Mr. Tonegawa

Ugly sounding music, ugly vocals—just an unpleasant musical experience, not much else to say to be honest!

***

True to the quality of the music this anime season the OP list wasn’t all that bad, save for an utterly muddy-sounding Number 1. And trust me when I say it’s absolutely a good thing when there’s only 5 viable picks for a worst of list! Coming up next is the Best and Worst ED (Ending Songs) of Summer 2018!

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists:

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!