Forum - View topicAnime OP/ED Recommendation Thread.
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zawa113
 Posts: 7358 |
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Paprika [OP]
Well first off, Susumu Hirasawa does the music, so it's one of his awesome techno sounding catchy tunes. But I like seeing Paprika and how she can interact with the world...rather unusually. It rather highlights that she's not a normal human, so it's a good showcase surrounded by some awesome music. Robotech [OP] What do you do when you have to bring over three anime to make broadcast episode minimum back in the 80s and have to make one OP for all of them to share? Well you can always do what Robotech did, which was take the most exciting bits of the three openings, put in some awesome/cheesy by today's standards 80s sound effects so there's lots of light gun fire and explosions and put some more exciting music in there (I've seen and own all three series in uncut sub, and I must say, two of the OPs are...kinda boring), and you can see how Robotech made so many fans in the 80s in part due to having an actually interesting opening. Durarara [ED1] Yeah, lots of people like the OP for being a lot like Baccano's, but I really like the ED. And for one reason: that damn long picture of all the characters and the occasional questioning of which way the gravity goes. This is one of those anime OP or EDs that I have seen lots of parodies of and that's because that long picture is just so damn clever! And seeing what various fans have done with it is part of the fun! See, there's Adventure Time, Ghost Trick, Pokemon Black and White, South Park, Persona 3, Persona 4, and so many others, it's so much fun! Hokuto no Ken [OP] It's a great intro into the world of show. Which is mostly head exploding and poor suffering people in a desert wasteland. But it's also got that catchy 80s'ness to it, it even switches to a female singer halfway through! Even after all these years, this song is used as the OP for games and whatnot, because it should be. Digimon [OP1] [OP2] [OP3] So structurally all the OPs are the same, showcasing the kids and their Digimon all while playing that damn catchy tune in the background (with some updates for new stuff in each seasons). And damn if we didn't wake up early to watch this show as kids and love the OP! Now that, is how you make the most use of like, 3 words. Pokemon [OP] Perhaps the most easily recognizable OP song out there. Really, you know I didn't need to link you to a vid, you know the song, and odds are you will hit the link just to sing along. Seriously, this was the version used for international release (that whole 2BA Master soundtrack came out all over the place) and that's because the guy who wrote it was a genius. I think this song has outlasted the show itself in many people's memories, that's not exactly easy to do. How many other tunes, anime or otherwise, can you walk into a room, say the first line, and get everyone else to respond? Kaiba [OP] Here we go, a nice unsung series. Much of this OP will make more sense the more you watch of the series, but in a world where you can transplant your mind, the changing bodies theme and how it's used it very clever and a nice touch |
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yotsubafanfan
 Posts: 653 |
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The Opening to Cowboy bepop, Tank!!, It's one of few anime openings that has little to no lyrics at all and it is amazing! It's jazzy toon that is so catchy you'll remember it from the first time you watch the anime, to the dark background and killer artwork, it really showcases the artistic appeal and action that Cowboy Bepop is known for in later years. I'm honestly suprised nobody put this down, it's one of the coolest openings in the history of anime!
The ending to Azumanga Daioh, Raspberry Heaven- After watching a wound up episode of Azumanga Daioh this ending helps you relax from all the bouncyness, it's dreamlike colors in the artwork helps you settle down, the animation in the ending is flawless and song is what the title says, it's a heavenly dreamlike ending beyond anyother anime song I've ever seen. (That and it is the only one I've seen with high school girls with expressions on there faces that make them look like they're stoned out of there mind, and then the Cat comes by in the end), but it's only to make you realize that you are still watching the same bouncy fun loving anime! 
The Ending To Clannad "Dango Daikazoku The cutest ending to any anime I've ever seen. But while at the same time it's one of the saddest. If you've seen Clannad you totally get where I'm going by. With what happens in the anime and all the sadness in it. But at the same time it's uplifting and inspiring, like you want to form a family bond like that. The art is really pretty too, something we all expect from KEY. Last edited by yotsubafanfan on Wed Aug 22, 2012 5:16 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Furudanuki
 Posts: 1874 |
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ARIA The Animation Ep 01 OP Ep 02 OP Ep 05 OP
Simply beautiful. If there is one OP that I would say sums up the atmosphere of the anime it introduces to perfection it would be ARIA's Undine. Unlike most OP's Undine plays while the episode is actually beginning so there is no "stock version": the visuals are different for each one. I wish I could have found better quality and/or cleaner versions online to post as examples. Air TV OP Blu-ray OP I get a lump in my throat every single time I hear the opening notes of this song. Japanese fans may be criticised for being too quick to move on to the next new thing, but Tori no Uta (Bird's Song) is over a decade old and crowds still leap to their feet every time Lia performs it in concert. XXXHOLiC TV OP Clean OP Shikao and the Family Sugar - 19sai live performance - Concert intro and band taking the stage lasts until about the 1:20 mark. Shikao Suga's 19sai (19 years old) is a trippy departure from the usual J-Pop OP/ED fare. A perfect fit for the often offbeat XXXHOLiC, I also give 19sai bonus points for being highly enjoyable song on its own merits. It is one of the anime OP's that I never skip, and it motivated me to seek out more of Shikao Suga's work. While Suga's music appears in a few other series, most notably Honey and Clover, in Japan he is much better known outside of anime circles both as a solo artist and as the frontman for Shikao and the Family Sugar. For the curious there is also an official TV music video for 19sai that you can easily find, but be forewarned that it has some rather disturbing content and should be considered NSFW. |
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The Naked Beast
 Posts: 1028 Location: A Blue Planet |
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Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion [OP1]
COLORS by FLOW This opening has a lot going for it. Knightmare Frames alongside an ever dominant Britannian presence in the world. Many important characters are also featured through group photos in the opening. They include the Black Knights, members of the Britannian royalty and military, and the Student Council of Ashford Academy. Of course, C.C. presents herself in a mysterious way in the opening also alluding to her nature in the series. Despite the happy tone of the opening, all is not happy in Lelouch's world. At the end, there is a cryptic image of a black chess piece tipped over on a chess board. It is hard to see, but I am assuming it a King piece. After all, what other piece do you tip over in chess? Maybe this is foreshadowing? Who knows? Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion [ED2] Mosaic Kakera by SunSet Swish The first time this ending plays, it just perfectly sums all of the feelings Lelouch has been hiding. This ending also plays after a [BIG SPOILER] in addition to another [BIG SPOILER] which has affected Lelouch greatly. All I will say is that they involve two female characters that have a big presence in Lelouch's daily life. The beautiful character art plays along side the main vocals of SunSet Swish. The melancholic tone is absolutely appropriate for all that has occurred up to the first half of the series. Fullmetal Alchemist [OP2] Ready Steady Go by L'Arc~en~Ciel I consider this to be the best OP for the series. It perfectly conveys a sense of adventure and lightheartedness. This is before the series takes a more serious tone in the second half. The main military characters you know and love and especially the ever shirtless Alex Louis Armstrong make their presence known. The three main Homunculi villains may bring down the happy level but a smiling Ed at the end makes everything better. Fullmetal Alchemist [ED3] Motherland by Crystal Kay Winry may the focus of the ending but Crystal Kay's voice is just beautiful. The somber yet gentle tone of the song with a R&B feel makes you feel at ease. If not anything else, just listen to Crystal Kay's beautiful voice. Sekirei: Pure Engagement [OP] Hakuyoku no Seiyaku - Pure Engagement by Saori Hayami (Musubi), Marina Inoue (Tsukiumi), Kana Hanazawa (Kusano), and Aya Endo (Matsu) This is one of my favorite songs on my playlist. I also enjoy themes with ensemble casts. The combination of voices is just something I like. It starts off gentle with the good times and company. Suddenly, a serious tone comes in to signal remind that being a Sekirei means that tough times are ahead. The action scenes and Discipline Squad remind you of the fights to come in the Sekirei Plan. At the end, there is a nice group photo of all of Minato's Sekireis. Toradora! [ED2] Orange by Rie Kugimiya (Taiga Aisaka), Yui Horie (Minori Kushieda), and Eri Kitamura (Ami Kawashima) How do you end an episode of one of the best anime series? You give a really good ending theme! The three main female leads lend their voices to this lighthearted ending theme. It has Takashu baking an orange tart as he prepares to host the female leads. The theme of oranges is prevalent in the ending animation and lyrics. Nevertheless, at the end, the tart is finished. As a bonus, how the female leads enjoy their dessert is reflective of their personalities. Ami enjoys it in a prim and proper manner. Minori is just her her happy-go-luck self. Taiga seems to think it is the best thing she has ever eaten and appears to want more. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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The indexes have been updated.
---------- Hey classicalzawa, I too love the first Durarara!! ED theme. I must have listened to it at least twice a week for the past couple of years. I'm glad someone recommended it. Also, I appreciate you linking to those alternative fan-made ED themes; I didn't even know they existed. The Persona 4 one was definitely my favourite, it referenced the original closely and in such funny ways. Naoto standing in for Erika (and admiring Kanji's butt), Seiji and Mika being swapped with Dojima and Nanako (so cute), and Izaya and the knife both being replaced by Teddie were great touches. |
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GDFan
 Posts: 254 Location: North of Boston |
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Allison and Lillia[OP]
One of my all time favorites. Recently, Otaku USA reviewed this series and it wasn't very positive. The reviewer complained spoiler[that only one person was killed] and that it wasn't like Last Exile. I don't know why anyone would be expecting Last Exile after this OP  It perfectly sets the laid back(but still adventurous) tone of this series, and the song itself is quite beautiful.
@dtm42: I would like to contribute more, but it's getting late. Would it be better to edit this post later or make a new one? |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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You don't need to keep all of your recommendations in a single post, you can spread them out over as many posts as you want. So by all means make a new post, and I'll happily link it into the contributors' index next to the other posts you've made.
I ask that you only edit a post with new recommendations if the post is the most recent one in the thread (i.e. the last post on the final page). This is simply to avoid double-posting. And please, make the edit visible so I don't miss it; I don't want to be overlooking your recommendations. You can put a big EDIT heading over it or something like that. |
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EmbraceMe
 Posts: 2013 Location: Growing old and jaded. |
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I apologize if I repeat mentioned OPs or EDs. I'm making this post right before I sleep:
I'm more of a lyrics guy when it comes to music. If the lyrics are poetic, I will most likely enjoy the show. Being tone deaf, it's hard for to me differentiate the tones or pitches in songs so that's why I focus on lyrics. As long as the instruments are lovely sounding, I will appreciate the song. I enjoy lyrics largely because I love deciphering the meaning behind each poetic line. I don't really focus on the animation of OPs or ED mainly because many are largely repetitive - see this video. Fate/Zero 2 ED 2 - Manten (The Whole Sky)*: I interpreted this song as a representation of Kiritsugu's character. It's a poetic description of him as a whole and what his whole ordeal is. Seemingly optimistic (the lyrics at least), the song seems to give a more melancholic vibe. *I couldn't find the actual animated ED. Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei - Every single fricking opening - Much of my appreciation of this series comes from the abstract and absurd visuals in the openings. I rarely listened/watched the EDs but they're almost as good. The OPs seem to secretively symbolize or foreshadow something... Actually, the last statement might be true for those who have read the last chapters of the manga. They're suppose huge hints to the manga's conclusion. Also, it is somewhat "original" compared to the video I linked in my introduction paragraph. I actually don't pay attention to the lyrics of these openings but if I had to say which one is my favorite, it would be either Kusou Rumba or Ringo Mogire Beam!. 11eyes OP - Arrival of Tears - The chanting in the beginning of the song always hypes me up whenever I watch this. It's a very optimistic song that gets me singing along sometimes and I sort of hangbang to it a lot, too. There's really not much to say other than it is impressive to me. Umineko OP- Katayoku no Tori HQ Raw Ver. - Like the 11eyes opening, the chanting in the beginning of the song and throughout the OP excites me. It sends shivers down my spine and the lyrics are just beautiful. I particularly like how the golden butterflies flutter around. Here's the Subbed Full Ver. for those who want to view the lyrics. The first 1:30 contains the originial OP whilst the rest are OPs from the VN. Neon Genesis Evangelion OP - A Cruel Angel's Thesis Subbed Full Ver. - I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet. The lyrics really contrasts with the dark tone of this show. I don't find the opening really notable but the flashing of some of the show's terminology gives it an edge against typical anime openings. The OP's strength lays within the lyrics as it is offers a very positive message. I really enjoy the instrumental intro after the first two lines. Anyways, I should be finishing this series before I praise it any more. But before that... ZANKOKKU NA TENSHI NO YOU NI SHOUNEN YO SHINWA NI NARE Those lines are really memorable. Here's a link to the Subbed Full Ver. but beware, it contains scenes from later episodes of the series. EDIT! Ef - A tale of Melodies OP -ebullient future - There are actually three different versions of this song but they're all pretty much the same. What I really love about the OPs are the lack of color; it's mostly monochrome. It demonstrates that you don't need rich color to be consider art or even look good. Also, it's one of those rare OPs that are sung entirely in English. I love how the presence of German in the background. UN-GO ED - Fantasy - I absolutely love the piano in this ED. I love the images of the characters as well. The animated bit with Inga transforming into his "female" form is nicely done. |
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One-Eye
 Posts: 2261 |
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Hmm...FLCL, WNHK, Paranoia Agent have already been posted. Ok, how about this:
Ghost in the Shell (movie) NSFW "Making of a Cyborg",OP.The music is minimalistic with some chanting and slow drums that blend with the sounds of the numbers changing on the screen. Its slow which goes along with the detailed progression of the building of the cyborg. It has a heavy almost ominous feel to it. The music feels primal in its simplicity and in some ways contrasts with the science of the visuals. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo ED. Fun energetic song with psychedelic visuals. Perhaps revenge is like a madness and this is what it might look like. |
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kaydub
 Posts: 318 Location: Cincinnati, OH |
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Bakemonogatari ED
Supercell - Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari Honestly, I think all of the music from Bakemonogatari is fantastic, and I highly recommend checking out all the OP's as well, but the ED is absolutely amazing and so I'm recommending it specifically. It's just a super upbeat and energetic song, with beautiful vocals and quite emotional lyrics. The lyrics themselves tie in heavily to the events of episode 12, and the song is that much more touching upon seeing it. I posted up the full version because the whole song is great, but check out the TV version(s) with the ED animation, it's got some cool artwork that's fun to look at. Nisemonogatari OP3 Yuka Iguchi - Platinum Disco Platinum cute! I love how cheerful this song is, and how it has a bit of a traditional Japanese sound to it. Tsukuhi's little dance is really cute too and the animation as a whole is... well, you can definitely tell you're about to watch a SHAFT anime. K-ON!! ED2 Houkago Tea Time - Listen!! I like this ED because, like the other K-ON! ED themes, it's a nice change of pace from the typical HTT cutesy moe songs used during the show. The organ in this song is really cool as well and gets your foot tapping right away. The animation, however, is definitely just as cute as the show itself, is well done and a lot of fun to watch. Plus, it has not one but two Mios... winning! Mawaru Penguindrum OP1 Etsuko Yakushimaru - Nornir This OP really fits the show well, with it's subtly haunting tone and lyrics that convey a sense of despair and maybe even a little bit of regret, which ties in perfectly with the overall theme of the anime. The animation does a bit of subtle foreshadowing as well, particularly with visual cues that become recognizable as the series progresses. The Tatami Galaxy ED1 Etsuko Yakushimaru - Kami-sama no Iu Toori As far as I can tell, the song itself doesn't really have anything to do with the anime (the lyrics are actually kind of morbid depending on how you interpret them...) but it's a really catchy and cool song. The animation is really unique as well, and is a definite reference to the "4.5 tatami world" of the series' protagonist and the spoiler[seemingly infinite number of said worlds revealed to exist at the series' end]. Bodacious Space Pirates OP Momoiro Clover Z - Mōretsu Uchū Kōkyōkyoku - Dai-Shichi Gakushō 'Mugen no Ai' This one is just awesome and really sets the tone for the entire show. As soon as it comes on, you know you're in for a lighthearted, energetic, and fun ride. A hot pink logo superimposed over an explosion of flames, a cool spaceship doing cool spaceship things... sounds like a recipe for extreme if you ask me. Doesn't hurt that the awesome guitar track was done by Marty Friedman of Megedeth fame. Bodacious! |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15466 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Working!! OP (Someone else) It is so cute, upbeat and fun that I can't help but like it, I actually use it as my ringtone. I have also seem a number of parodies. Black Rock Shooter OP (Black Rock Shooter) I know that the song is a big part of the mythos, but as someone who had no real knowledge into BRS before, or of Miku, I really did like this song straight away. The CGI is good as indication of the series, I would say it is some of the best there has been. Fairy Tail ED 1 (Kanpeki gu~no ne) It is so hard to pick a single OP or ED from Fairy Tail, I have so many that I like, but I will go with this as it has such a dreamy and fairy tale feel to it. Puts a smile on my face. Toradora OP Pre Parade It filled with the attitude of Taiga and just seems to exude the fun of the series. I think it does a superb job of conveying the clash of personalities. |
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4084 |
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This one was going to be a part of my next batch of recommendations but for different reasons. Where the opener is abstract and minimalist which is fine for an adaptation of a four panel manga gag series, the ending is very concrete; the girls are walking, starting out on their alone. They gradually meet up, get acquainted, have fun together. And then... "Raspberry heaven!" Yup, they're all dead {If the whole "floating the sky" thing wasn't enough of a clue, they start right on this line}. Yet, it's not a sad feeling since they're not alone. What kind of heaven would a raspberry one be? Strawberry heaven, chocolate heaven, even a watermelon heaven gives an image of the warmth of summer. A raspberry heaven is more a bitterweet version, I guess. Yes, you're dead but you're not alone. You're not changing but maybe you don't want to remember what you became. The cat comes in at the end because he's god, you know. The ending is a lot more complex and meaningful than a gag series should have. Or if you just want to see it as a lovely spring day with the flying and magical cat as delusions or random artistic choices then that's ok too. |
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Veers
 Posts: 1197 Location: Texas |
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Looks like a lot of things I would have mentioned got mentioned already, but here are some more.
Cowboy Bebop OP - Tank! is a great song, how has no one mentioned it? Well known and a bit old school but it still deserves a mention. An energetic jazzy intro with stylistic animation, this one's a classic for a reason. Read or Die OP - There's not much going on in this OP so in that regards it's not very that interesting as a piece of animation, but the music is great and the urban footage sets the scene really well. By most standards, watching anime on youtube is generally NSFW, but this OP has some more risque shots/silhouettes that deserve a warning. Read or Die OVA OP - Like the show's OP, but with more animation going on. Also, as with the above, be forewarned of nekkid. Ergo Proxy OP - Artfaggy style, pretentious text, cryptic symbols, mood-setting backgrounds of wastelands and destroyed cities, and a great song. English vocals also help hide your power level. What more could you ask for in an OP? Pani Poni Dash OP - I really don't like the show that much but this is a great, catchy OP. There are several variants of the song/OP, but they're all top-tier SHAFT OPs, so yeah. (Sorry, audio quality isn't very good in this one video.) Haibane Renmei OP - Not exactly an exciting OP, but then, like ARIA, the show is not really meant to be. The calm, atmospheric music of Free Bird is a fantastic piece to introduce the show. Bakemonogatari ED2 - I didn't even like this show that much but it has such awesome EDs, as has been mentioned. Love the heavy linework sketch style in this one. Bakemonogatari OP4 - Rennai Circulation. I feel dirty admitting it, but I love this OP. This song is so catchy it's not even fair. Anything HanaKana touches turns to gold. Tatami Galaxy ED - This is the most hypnotizing ED ever, seriously. I don't know how many times I rewound this one to rewatch it while watching the show--considering the lead-in from each episode to the ED, perhaps an amusingly appropriate response. Durarara!! OP2 - Both of the OPs are good, but I like this song better; direction and music are great. The use of color contrast in this OP is a little more interesting to me, too. Also, both OPs do this, but in most episodes, the way they sneakily cut the "recap" into a few seconds during the OP is well done (kind of makes watching this show's OPs out of context a spoiler, though). Shiki ED2 - I'm not generally a fan of BUCK-TICK, but this song with a sort of haunting, subtle power really fits the show well and the imagery of slowly raising flood of blood coming up to drown the characters is a perfect encapsulation of the show. WARNING: This ED contains some kind of significant (though not completely unpredictable) spoilers for the first half of the show in general, and more specifically the ED itself has "PIP preview" of the next episode, which can also be spoilerific. Unfortunately, I can't find this ED on its own streaming... the song is easy to find but not with the matching ED visuals... I can provide a mediafire link to just the ED clip (not whole episode) if that's okay, or, alternately, http://www.hulu.com/shiki (the ED in question appears in episodes 12-22) Edit: Whoops, kaydub already mentioned Tatami Galaxy ED. I skimmed through and misread that as a nom for the OP. To make up for that goof, have some Kalafina, everyone. Kara no Kyoukai OP1 and OP7 in particular, are awesome and haunting choral pieces that are probably the most "OPish" of the bunch (other KnK OPs are interspersed with dialog or actual non-OP footage). These OPs are very moody, to match KnK, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing; they are very effective and well done intros. KnK has some fantastic ending tunes, too, but they're just creditrolls so they don't really count as EDs. Sora no Woto OP - I really like the way this OP is put together. The song is really nice to begin with, but more than that I really like what the OP does in context of the show, how it sets up and builds up the mythological aspect of the show and paints a picture of the present as if it were the past. I think the show kind of squanders some of its potential in this area, but that's of no detriment to the OP itself. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15466 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Have you seen Inu x Boku SS, specifically it's 6th ED (Sweets Parade) Kana Hanazawa in that, and the song makes it feel like you might get diabetes or something. Both songs are cuteness overload. |
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Divineking
 Posts: 1293 |
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Future Diary OP 2
While it;s not quite a good a song as the first opening it's still pretty catchy and both lyrically and visually it captures the tone of the second half of the series perfectly. If you pay attention to some of the coloring in the opening it helps to alude to the fate of certain characters, and the actual lyrics(spoken in engrish) foreshadow a lot of the events that happen towards the end. As such though it's probably better appreciated when you;ve gotten to the end of the series. Fairy Tail OP 9 I wouldn't normally want to consider a long running shonen for this sort of thing but this opening in particular I think really captured the feeling of story arc it was based and the lyrics pretty much hit it home. Plus the song itself is very good. Death Note OP 1 The song itself is pretty amazing and I like how the visuals put a lot of emphasis on the rivalry between Light and L while also showing the kind of pedestal Light puts himself on. The lyrics themselves are also extremely fitting since they perfectly capture both Light's arrogance and idealism when it comes to achieving his goals. |
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