Anime Opening and Ending themes

[slothen]

Opening and Ending themes are a big part in our enjoyment of an anime. A good theme can help get us hooked on a show, sometimes we watch the opening theme each time we watch the show cuz its AWESOME and sometimes we just skip the OP or ED because they SUCK.

this thread is for discussion of opening and ending themes. there is one rule: if you introduce a new OP or ED into the discussion, you must provide a link, preferably youtube.

to start the discussion, here's a video of some guy talking about his favorite 11 opening themes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWujoO1z ... .com/blogs

strangely enough, i agree with most of his choices. even pokemon.

[Sailor Star Dust]

I think both Eva's OP and ED work.

The OP for so much information it packs into so little cuts and the ED for it's simplicity (as well as possible interption of "flying to the (black) moon" in EoE).

[BrikHaus]

I had my top 15 openings and closings on my old blog (with video evidence), before Wordpress killed it. Fuck you, Wordpress.

[zimlord]

Some good ones that came to mind (in no particular order):

Air TV OP - awesome song
Kanon ED - more Key goodness. good song.
Serial Experiments Lain OP - catchy, good tune
Ghost Hound OP/ED - both fit the creepiness of the show, which unfortunately lacked something in the end.
GaoGaiGar OP - one of the most epic, overblown openings I've ever seen
Elfen Lied OP - perfect
.Hack//Roots OP - Silly Go Round is an awesome song. This is undebatable.
Paranoia Agent OP - I personally liked it.
Angel Sanctuary OVA ED - Killer Jrock tune.
Comic Party Revolution OP - Love the song.
FMA OP - READY STEADY GO!
Texhnolyze OP/ED - both were good.
Welcome to the NHK ED (2nd) - one of the more beautiful songs I've ever heard.
Dai-Guard OP - BABABABABABAAA BABABABRBARA
Cowboy Bebop - okay, 3, 2, 1, let's jam
NieA Uneder 7 OP - chill tune that fit the show perfectly.
Ghost in the Shell OP (both 1st gig and 2nd) - Origa is awesome.
Ah! My Goddess Flights of Fancy OP - bagpipe meets Jpop? beautiful results.
Overdrive OP - full of energy.
Utawarerumono OP - crazy good song.
Mushishi OP - the Sore Feet Song
Evangelion OP - okay.

[Mr. Tines]

Many ED's suck, even for good shows. When I review anime I usually attach the OP, but it's about 50-50 whether I'll bother even listening to the ED when I'm watching a series, let alone attach it to a review.

One exception is the BLUE Drop ED -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4emZDAxSg0

Of course a great OP is no guarantee of continued quality as Bokurano demonstrates --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2fBN5jc5PM

NGE, I don't really rate the OP, and always skipped the ED.

[Dartz]

Proof of point...

The Fafnir of the Azure OP is actually pretty good... even this vocaloid version. Actually, vocaloid is almost cooler than the original by the sheer inhumanness of it...

Fafner of the Azure itself was shit. Okay... it looked cool... but I couldn't watch it without forever thinking of NGE...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm18-gHt-Vk

[Zuggy]

The openings to Noir and Requiem from the Darkness made me think "if I ever had to make an opening for something I'd want it to be like this".

Never skipped the openings for Escaflowne or Lost Universe as they were both so catchy.

When it comes to closing credits I can't really think of many at all... Gasaraki was a rare case where the closing was far better than the opening.

[BrikHaus]

Gasaraki was a rare case where the closing was far better than the opening.

Another was Count of Monte Cristo. http://youtube.com/watch?v=N1uURWFieJM&feature=related (pixellated awesomeness)

[CorporalChaos]

I'm fond of the Spice and Wolf ED, myself. Engrish warning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0P9ddLEN1M

[mrpanda]

When it comes to OP's im not to bothered by the art altho it does have some influence, for me it has to have a great tune.

Code Geass OP 2 : Very catchy tune arts not bad too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEQ6NLU7SgQ

Black lagoon OP: I LOVE THIS SONG, the art fitted amazingly too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re8bIzbcu5w

FMA OP4 : Only FMA OP that i liked, good song by AKFG.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO0EKXiRdyI

Personally i hated the EVA opening, not for the art but the song just plain irritated me these are two better version of it that i have found, one by animetal and one by kurikinton fox.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jaddIETOJY

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

I also agree with the vid about lucky star and cowboy bebop.

I also really liked Gurren Lagann's first ED

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYoV2zxPbuQ

[BobBQ]

Many ED's suck, even for good shows...

One exception is the BLUE Drop ED -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4emZDAxSg0

Seconded.

[NAveryW]

That guy's the first person I've seen who actually likes "WHAT'S UP PEOPLE".

My favorite OP songs in terms of catchiness are actually all GAINAX anime: NGE ("Cruel Angel's Thesis", of course), Melody of Oblivion ("Will"), and Kono Mini ("Metamorphose"). Elfen Lied's "Lilium" is also a favorite, though it isn't a song prone to get stuck in my head.

Favorite ED songs include Welcome to the NHK's "Odoru Akachan Ningen" and FLCL's "Ride on Shooting Star".

As I'm required to post a link, preferably YouTube, here you go.

[Ornette]

Almost anything by ALI Project:
Rozen maiden träumend OP
Rozen Maiden Overture OP
Actually, here are all of them in one video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GDRAr9uiP3Q
Shigofumi OP
Kamichama Karin OP
Code Geass ED1
Code Geass R2 ED2
Princess Ressurection ED

Obligatory:
ROD OVA OP
ROD TV OP
Haruhi ED

Others:
Kemonozume OP
Cowboy Bebop
CODE E OP
Baccano OP
ARIA the Animation OP
ARIA the Origination OP
ARIA the OVA OP
Princess Tutu OP
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou OP and ED (both from 1st OVA)
Desert Punk OP
Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai OP
Kaiba OP
Macross Frontier ED 7 (Ranka's singing)
Macross Frontier ED 11
Monster OP
Tsukihime OP
Nodame Cantabile OP
Elfen Lied

Not sure why I like these since I think the music is terrible...
Chobits OP
Lucky ☆ Star

Those are pretty much the OPs that I don't skip 100% of the time. Also, Bokurano's OP that Tines linked, Spice and Wolf ED that CC linked, Gankutsuou ED that Brik linked, and the 100 Stories OP that Zuggy linked. It's harder to find good EDs because they're usually heavily credit laiden, and it's purpose isn't to grab your attention (although I find most OPs, including Eva's, grabbed my attention by telling me that I need to fast forward RIGHT NOW)

I agree with him about the Lucky Star, Elfen Lied and Bebop OPs, for the most part, I agree with most what he says except the GitS SAC and Death Note openings, and the Eva OP.

[honsou]

Lets start with some modern themes that haven't been mentioned yet

Mnemosyne Op
This is probably my favorite theme of the modern era, its just the kind of theme that really says "this anime is going to kick your ass." awesome stuff

Akagi Op A odd theme but i think it fits the tone of the anime perfectly, i never tire of it.

Akagi Ed 1 This happens to be the same band that did death note opening, though this i think is a much better song

Kaiji Op Another great opening, I'm not sure who in Mad house (the studio in charge of Akagi and Kaiji) but they got great taste in music.


Rahxephon Op
Really nice song here. And on a side note could Rahxephon be one of the most misunderstood animes ever? With everyone seeing it as "an eva clone" or something similar when it is actually heavily based on Raideen, interesting stuff.


FFU Ed For once a high energy ending theme, great stuff.

[slothen]

weird, i can't stand any of the OPs or EDs for code geass.

Naruto OP 5 pretty much my favorite OP ever. ever ever.
naruto OP 2 the one mentioned in the list.
stand alone complex 2nd gig OP always one of my favorites.
the OPs for Blue Drop and Spice and Wolf are two of the more recent OPs to catch my eye, the spice and wolf one is particularly gorgeous.

as for endings, i usually don't like them, although i've got a soft spot for the ED from Ouran Host Club

[Ornette]

I don't particularly like any of the OP/ED from Code Geass, except for the 2 done by ALI Project. The music is probably the most important part for me, since it's the first reason I have to skip it.

Spice and Wolf's OP is pretty good too. I don't really think much of the song but the OP itself is pretty representative of the show itself, like most OPs are (or should).

[Mr. Tines]

For current (2008) shows, the rare trick of good OP and ED is managed by Kaiba -- but that cheats and uses the same artiste for both.

Nijuu-mensou no musume has listenable Engrishy J-Pop for the ED, and an OP that fits the mood of the show.

The Allison & Lillia OP has a strange sorta-Celtic feel to it, a welcome change from J-Pop.

Another good OP and ED is of course Simoun.

And in any discussions of OP and ED, we have to mention the most misleading OP of all time, for Narutaru Shadow Star.

[Evangelion__x]

This is kinda random, but - I HATE Gundam SEED's opening theme song.

So much it pretty much put me off from watching the WHOLE series itself. :/

[chazthesilencer]

Dirty Pair Flash (mission 2)- One of the worse animated series I've ever seen,
the contrast between this opening and the series content is quite ridiculous.

Steel Angel Kurumi - I like.

[master_lloyd]

This is kinda random, but - I HATE Gundam SEED's opening theme song.

So much it pretty much put me off from watching the WHOLE series itself. :/

Which one there's like 5? Each as forgettable as the last.