×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
Best anime openings of all time?


Goto page 1, 2  Next

Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Atomsk



Joined: 18 Jan 2002
Posts: 11
PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2002 2:55 am Reply with quote
Just wondering what you people think are some of the best opening scenes/songs for an anime series? I personally liked the openings for Kenshin, Escaflowne, Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebop...a bunch of others I'm sure.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Animan



Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 65
PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2002 6:55 am Reply with quote
Great post, Atomsk!

The LUPIN III opener for their second series (in its final year) is a knockout! (Who could ever forget that end to the opening theme song: "Lupinnn, LUPINNNNNNN.")

Cowboy Bebop, of course. (The Bebop opener catches the attention of my friends every time I put it on.)

Gunsmith Cats has one of the coolest openers ever!

And I also like the original dreamy opener to Escaflowne!

There are a lot of good ones but I can't think of any others for the pressing moment...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
dudesup



Joined: 14 Jan 2002
Posts: 88
PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2002 8:42 am Reply with quote
Personally, my favorite opening scene is the one in evangelion.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message ICQ Number
ShockWave



Joined: 11 Jan 2002
Posts: 22
Location: Atlanta
PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2002 10:23 am Reply with quote
This one takes some thought. I've decided that most openings are forgettable montages of random images from the series that don't spell out to much.

Cowboy BeBop has the highest quality opening. It has such a great mod feel to it.

But I'll admit that my favorite of all time is actually the Robotech opening (I know, sacrilege to many). I have always been impressed by how they intercut the three series to make it look like a single entity that just flows into itself.

Honorable mention goes to the Speed Racer opening just because it has such a great song (English or Japanese)!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
Animan



Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 65
PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2002 11:52 am Reply with quote
'The Hakkenden: Lengend Of The Dog Warriors' has a gorgeous opener.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Ataru



Joined: 04 Jan 2002
Posts: 2306
Location: Missouri (Strikeman)
PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2002 12:22 am Reply with quote
Atomsk wrote:

Just wondering what you people think are some of the best opening scenes/songs for an anime series? I personally liked the openings for Kenshin, Escaflowne, Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebop...a bunch of others I'm sure.


Hmmm, I have always Kenshin 2 season opening, then there's Urusei Yatsura "Rock the Planet", Record of Lodess Wars TV have up, then there's Duel's. *L*
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail MSN Messenger My Anime My Manga
Tenchi



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 4471
Location: Ottawa... now I'm an ex-Anglo Montrealer.
PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2002 2:08 am Reply with quote
Okay, Cowboy Bebop has already been mentioned numerous times. Utena (1st) and Cardcaptor Sakura (1st) would probably also be in my top 5 openings.But, for a total adrenaline rush, I find nothing tops off the 1st opening for Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, "The Winner", a rollercoaster of an opening. I find the animation perfectly matches the music; I especially like the parts where a) Uraki is running whilst the years scroll from U.C. 0079 to 0083, b) Uraki runs whilst putting on his helmet, c) you see the Albion's countdown display, followed by the launch of the Gundam GP01 & the 2 GunCans, & d) the split screen with Uraki and Gato coming towards each other (in the cockpits) with "Oooh yeah!" in the background.

I'd name another OP to make it a top 5, but if I named one sequence, I'm sure I'd think of one I like slightly better an hour later.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Pariah



Joined: 14 Jan 2002
Posts: 11
Location: Federal Way WA
PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2002 12:50 pm Reply with quote
You know, it takes a lot to make a realy "good" opening for a series/movie. I mean, considor all the componants: It's GOT to have a catchy song, bottom line. The animation is usually much crisper than what you'd find in the series, mostly becuase they don't have to redraw it every episode, they can just take their time, do it right the first time, and boom! It's gotta get you hyped to see the show!

My personal favorites are: The Sailor Moon openings *1st and 2nd Season* C'mon guys, it's a CLASSIC! And EVERYONE knows the song!

Ronnin Warriors Opening! REEKS of the 80s!!!

Laputa! I love the turn of the century style drawings.

Kaitou Jeanne opening. Gotta Love SHAZNA!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail AIM Address
Stray Dog Strut



Joined: 09 Jan 2002
Posts: 18
Location: New Jersey
PostPosted: Tue Feb 12, 2002 6:15 pm Reply with quote
There are a bunch of great anime openings, but two really stand out for me.
My personal favorite is Gundam Wing's second opening, Rhythm Emotion, it's so perfectly done. The Lodoss War TV series also stands out, because the only reason why I bought that damned series, the WHOLE stupid thing, was because the opening convinced me that it would be good, how wrong I was.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
Vicious



Joined: 26 Jan 2002
Posts: 97
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2002 4:26 am Reply with quote
As mentioned Bebop and Eva. I also like the Slayers try opening for the music.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Gai Super Napalm



Joined: 09 Jan 2002
Posts: 148
Location: Hoboken, NJ
PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2002 2:55 pm Reply with quote
For opening music nothing beats Sakura Saku imho. (love hina op)

However; with the best synergistic effect of style of animation with music is hard to decide. I think ROLW did it better than cowboy bebop; although im not saying that CB's OP was bad (in fact it was among the best ever).. but there are other op's that just.. are more special to me.. they struck something that went beyond just "thats a good mix of music and animation"..

These ops..

You get to burning - Nadesico
Ultrarelax - Kodomo no omocha OP2

Nadesico's OP was a great OP; but the ammount that i liked the series gave an urgent anticipation the begining of each new ep (the OP of course). As for ultrarelax; its hilarious.

Other op's i like... (music)

get along ( slayers op 1)
jyuukuji no news ( kodocha op 1)
H.T. (trigun)
Kopellia no Hitsugi ( noir )

As for other mixes of music and image; i thought that Read or Die's OP/music was great (better than bebops).. and i liked Hellsing's too.

There are some other ones i hold in very high esteem for different reasons; like

Mugen No Ryvius' op (i forgot its name); i don't really like the full version of the song; but the way its put in the episode is really good; and I really like the opening animation; because it shows tons of people, and they are all *actually* characters, which is one of my favorite things about the series (20+ chars)

Also.. the king of really cool really wierd OP's..

Love Tropicana - Jungle wa Itsumo, Hale nochi Guu

The op music mixes with the animation really, really well; and then all of a sudden, it doesn't at all.. you are totally slapped in the face by a seriousness that is absent in the song, but instead of not fiting in at all; it just makes the scenes in the OP seem just, vastly dark and mysterious.

I like so many more ops (marmalade boy, slayers try, ranma season 1, to heart (feeling heart), etc...).. its really hard to chose the best out of them..

But I think i like some ED songs more. Whats your favorite (or what do you think is most effective) end song?

My vote is for Tokimeki no Doukasen (FY) and Panniku (Kodocha).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website AIM Address
crystal_wingz



Joined: 01 Feb 2002
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2002 12:19 am Reply with quote
Stray Dog Strut wrote:

There are a bunch of great anime openings, but two really stand out for me.
My personal favorite is Gundam Wing's second opening, Rhythm Emotion, it's so perfectly done. The Lodoss War TV series also stands out, because the only reason why I bought that damned series, the WHOLE stupid thing, was because the opening convinced me that it would be good, how wrong I was.


GWING!! nice... i agree, that opening is worth an honourable mention...sync and everything was well done...cowboy bebop, ithink, is unanimously popular. I like the upbeat opening in star ocean ex...puts the series in a real 'hype' mode to begin with...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail ICQ Number
ShinsowGumi



Joined: 17 Feb 2002
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2002 12:35 pm Reply with quote
My favorite openings are from Dragonball Z(yeah), The Vision of Escaflowne, and Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
nekochanm66



Joined: 15 Feb 2002
Posts: 7
Location: Bellingham, WA
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2002 5:59 pm Reply with quote
Vision of Escaflowne
Nadia
Jubei-chan
Gasaraki
Trigun

All of these have great music and inspired animation. I would also add the opening for Himikoden, but as the series itself was less than stellar it shouldn't be included.

Of them all, I'd have to say that the Trigun opening held the most interest for me.

Another topic: Best Ending Credits for an anime!
My vote is for Now and Then, Here and There.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail AIM Address
floor182



Joined: 06 Jan 2003
Posts: 20
Location: cali
PostPosted: Tue Jan 07, 2003 8:56 pm Reply with quote
i never liked jazz before cowboy bebop came out. it changed my perspective on the whole jazz thing
oh and inuyashas begining is cool too, but is it just my tv or did cartoon network take it off yours too?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group