ITT we discuss the best anime intros we know. When in doubt about if you should focus on music/animation, choose music. Otherwise, the two can't really be separated so try to assess the whole things.
Try to keep to one intro/post for increased clarity and activity. No age requirement for the intros, but don't just discuss the two last seasons.
The obvious threadstarter is of course:
the Neon Genesis Evangelion intro.
The Yuusha ou GaoGaiGar OP, Yuusha ou Tanjou!
>>1
Best NGE parody ever is here: http://www.geocities.jp/empress48511/
My own vote is currently split between Paranoia Agent & Azumanga Daioh OPs, both very trippy but both very different. I love them equally and shan't decide!
Also, the Densha Otoko OP is pretty cool for various reasons, but I guess it doesn't really count as a real anime OP.
I was going to post this thread tonight, but then I didn't! Oh well.
>>2 is of course http://astrange.ithinksw.net/sa/music/Yuusha-Oh%20Tanjou!.mp3, one of the greatest giant robot songs ever (although not the best version of it). It's even better than SKILL and almost as good as King Gainer Over.
But you can't sing along to it as easily as to http://astrange.ithinksw.net/sa/music/GreatMazinger.mp3, unfortunately.
The Nadesico opening wins a lot too. Nadesico's music in general is refreshing, it uses horns/similar well, for instance. This could have something to do with the whole mecha heritage though.
Oh and YOU GET TO BURNING is amazing engrish, and this series knows it.
Úr Wikipedia, frjálsu alfræðiorðabókinni
∧＿∧ ┌────────────
◯i ´∀｀ ）◯ ＜ Kouyama Mitsuki-chan!
＼ ／ └────────────
_／ ＿＿ ＼_
（＿／ ＼＿）
ｌｌｌ
SKILL is the best. The version of the Gaogaigar theme where there's this chorus in the background going "GAGAGAGAGA" etc the entire time is tied for second best with King Gainer Over. YOU WA SHOCK is third best.
Actually, let me restate that.
The order is King Gainer Over! < Yuusha-Oh Tanjou! < SKILL < Yuusha-Oh Tanjou! Grand Glorious Gathering (the chorus) < Yuusha-Oh Tanjou! Perfect Yell Version
Unfortunately the last doesn't really work unless you've seen a few episodes, because it's the theme remixed with all the things they shout during episodes.
Also, King Gainer Over! can be listened to on repeat forever, but you get tired of Yuushaoh Tanjou.
I of course have all of these:
http://astrange.ithinksw.net/sa/music/Overman%20King%20Gainer%20-%20King%20Gainer%20Over!.mp3
http://astrange.ithinksw.net/sa/music/JAM%20Project%20-%20Skill.mp3
http://astrange.ithinksw.net/sa/music/gagaga_ggg_opening.mp3 (first half, the complete is in some torrent I don't feel like tracking down)
http://astrange.ithinksw.net/sa/music/10%20-%20Yuusha-Oh%20Tanjou!%20-Perfect%20Yell%20Version-.mp3
I personally kind of like the Planetes OP animation + song myself.
Zettai Shounen OP looks great but I hate the song.
I wanna ROCKS
FLY AWAY SOU TAKAKU
Best intro:Tobe Gundamu , need i say more.
also i like the intro of cowboy bebop anb Stand alone complex.
I hate mentioning such a recent anime, but...
The first intro of Honey & Clover owns owns owns! It's the intro that all the cool strange intros want to be in their dreams. I love that woman's vocals too.
>>13
the video for Dramatic is also pretty cool. it features honey, clovers, and a bear
For relatively recent shows, the openings I've seen that have really impressed me have been Honey & Clover, Fantastic Children and Emma (Which has a surprisingly strong opening, considering the otherwise slow-moving nature of the series). Zettai Shounen and Pani Poni Dash are also fairly impressive.
For slightly older series, some that have left an impression on me include Stellvia (One of the most powerful openings since Evangelion), Twin Spica, Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito (If only for the incredibly disquieting close-up of Ken-chan's eye), Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto and Sakura Taisen (Everybody knows this one rocks). I am sure I am forgetting a bunch here.
For even older series, I am getting a bit foggy, but Evangelion and Nadesico have already been mentioned, with good reason.
Ooh yes, I've always liked Sakura taisen's OP.
Here's another one for Honey and Clover too. I don't like the 2nd OP... the first one was absolutely nuts! I loved it! That lobster hand really spooked me the first time! The song went so well with it too.
>That lobster hand really spooked me the first time!
I always feel something is missing when the sound of it attacking isn't present in the second intro version. ; )
PaniPoni Dash intro is very catchy (the show itself is so damn cute)
>>18
Indeed.
Excel Saga's wins for quirkiness, Kiminozo's wins for teariness, School Rumble's wins for 0wning so damn much.
Excel Saga's opening I'll agree with, it's awesome, and I haven't seen School Rumble's, but Kiminozo? I always thought that opening was solidly average.
SORE WA AI JA NAI
cough cough
Crest of the Stars wins for having an intro that's 100% old school sci-fi without any explanations or excuses.
Oh, does that mean it's going to have an intro? Because I just watched the first episode and it only had some zoom effects on pixelated images of starfields.
∧＿∧ ┌──────────────────
◯（ ´∀｀ ）◯ ＜♪"I ♥ U" wo anata kara kikitai
＼ ／ │ kiss suru shunkan no chikai kokyu wo♪
_／ ＿＿ ＼_ └──────────────────
（＿／ ＼＿）
ｌｌｌ
Giant Robot show ops FTW! (ﾉ･∀･)ﾉ
I really liked the Godannar opening.
Besides that, Tsukuyomi's, Honey & Clover's, and a lot of the Naruto ones (though Naruto itself isn't that good.)
hay! I just did a search for Yuushaoh Tanjou! using google.co.jp, and we were on the first page! Go 4-ch!
GaoGaiGar has to potental to be the best ever, but it's not humanly possible to put enough energy into the "ga-ga-ga ga-ga-ga gao gai gar" parts.
Years ago, IGN Sci-fi used to have a whole series of articles about anime openings. Each one examined the opening of a prominent anime, and they took you through the techniques and structures used in it. It's too bad they appear to be locked away in the insider section now. I used to watch the quicktime videos repeatedly to see all the nuances in the animation.
The ones that stuck with me the most because of a high quality visuals and good music were Those Who Hunt Elves(nice timing of action to the music), Orguss 02(the dub version of the song, which sounds better than the original version although I only heard the original recently), Key the Metal Idol, Lain(these two for the wierd melancholy mood), Gunsmith Cats (awesome style), and the aforementioned Nadesico and EVA.
__,_ _,. -─::::''':::'::- ., l
, ::'´::::, ':'´::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::'' ､ l
./:::::::／::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;::ヽ l
/:::::::/:::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;/;;;;;;;l.l;;;;l.;;;;;;;;;;;::' , l
/:::::::/:::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;/ l;;l;;/ l;;;l ',;;l;;;;;;;;:::', l
/:::::;;;l::::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;/l;//,,__l l;/ l/ l/l;l.l;;;::l;l l
/:::::::;;;l:::;;;;;;;;;;;;;/.l/´,,,､ ' ' '''' ' l;:l;l.l. .l
. _ /::::::;;;;;;ヽ,-､l;;;;;;l '､ｿ.' .,'';)', ,'/ .l
l'l .l l .l.l::::;;;;;;;;;;;l l;;;;;;l == . ,' -.l;;l ｌ
l.､.l l l l l l::::;;;;;;;;;;;;;ヽ l;;;;;l .l;l .ｌ
.l ',l .ll .l.l l:::::;;;_;;;;;;;;;;;;;l;;;;;l ,,______ , ./;l ｌ
', ,.´ .l,, './;;;:;;;;;;;;;l;;;;;l'' , - ／;;l. l
. ', .', '´ /l;l;;l l;l;/l;l;;;/- l｀' - .,, __,.. - '´ .l;;l;l .ｌ
.l ', ./ ' '_,.-─- ､.,｀''- ., lヽ _ .l/ l
.ヽ ,'´ ／´ ヽ、 .ヽ''- .,_''--'l｀'''- ,,､ , -､ l
l l _,.-''/´｀ヽヽ '､ ｀''-' l l '＼___ ／,. '´,',, l
l .l / ./ .ヽ', .ヽ ' ,l ＼｀''''-､－- .,,,,,,,, - '''=-, ｌ
l l /''´ .ヽ ' , ', ヽ l ____ _, -'´ヽｌ
l ',ヽ、 ', i l ', l l_,.. - '''´ .ヽ....l´､___／ l
l. ', ヽ l l .l l l l .l. o ヽ'''´ l
/ l l ',ヽ .// l l ./ .l lll l. ｌ
l l l ヽ / l l ./ l l .l
', ヽ / / .l l / .l_______l l
ヽ ',__,/ ./ .l l __,.／ .l
. ', / ./l l l´ .l
ヽ_/ .／/ / l l
ヽ .-'´ ヽl ' ' l
Anybody catch "Air"'s intro? Amazing song and very fluid movement throughout. It's on my morning "pump you up for the day" playlist.
higurashi no naku koro ni
Air is really cool.
I like Kanon aswell.
Elfen Lied: Superior to everything on earth because of obscure art references and Ratin lyrics.
Serial Experiments Lain has a great opening song...and so does NANA (although it's kinda tuneless. And people give you weird looks if you try to sing it. -_-;;)
bleach all of them rock
but the one i like the most is the last one where YUI sings rolling star
♪ Zankoku na tenshi no you ni... ♪
Freedom OVA opening. I hate the show, but its opening is nice and has some really good 3d renders.
Death Note 2nd op
The second Death Note opening is the greatest opening since Musashi Gundou!
>>41 isn't manly enough to appreciate the song!
2nd death note opening is so bad, the first opening and ending was much better! 2nd doesn't even have any lyrics~~
The fact that he compares it to Musashi Gundou should tell you something...
I love the new Death Note OP. It's different, it's unique, it's awesome. It took real balls to do something like that. I'd like to see more of that than the average "crappy j-pop tune with shots of the main characters running and panning on backgrounds" stuff.
I love J-rock anything from Dir en grey to Gackt
I love Death Note as well
The Death Note Second Opening and Ending is just so cool... fun to see some "rock japanese" in a anime, and the Real song is even better then the one shorted for the anime.
The best part about the new Death Note OP is all the people that hate it. It's hilarious.
lu la lu la PIANO wa sekai no
yume saku rohara ni MELODY
I loooove the new Death Note OP. Serial Experiments Lain and Paranoia Agent also had epic OPs.
Two of my faves right now are the eternally awesome King Gainer OP Rising Force the 2nd SRW:OG anime OP
-lols at 2nd Death Note OP-
There are lyrics... just that you'll have to find them out.
I'll vote: GEKIGANGER 3 OPENING!
Well since someone resurrected this corpse:
LUCKY STAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EPIC KAWAII DESU
to # 30 airs intro song is called Tori no Uta
no its tori no shi
No, it's "itte yoshi".
Kamichu! had a pretty good opening. Good production values.
Getsumen to Heiki Mina OP and Code Geass OP 1.
>>55
Only if you can't stomach the fact that some kanji have more than one possible reading.
I like the original Yuusha Raideen OP. It sounds almost like a march.
I think the opening to Steel Angel Kurumi is really gewd ^^ kawaii desu! :3 I think the name's 'a miricle that begins with a kiss'
lovin kujibiki unbalance, suzumiya haruhi and the lucky star opening^^
NGE and gurren-lagann OP are epic too
Grooooovin' Magic~
Yorisoeba itu demo...
A smooth and cute poppy song that fits, not because it's Gunbuster, but because it's the very antithesis of Gunbuster in almost every way.
Simoun, for those that give it a chance, is a very well constructed character-driven war drama. The opening, despite Japan's propensity for mid-song guitar riffs for no reason, is excellent and poignantly accents the events that unfold.
Shin Shirayukihime Desetsu Pretear - There's something fun about the title and the saying of. Even better, though, is the opening theme, White Destiny, which has managed to sneak into most every playlist I've made in years. It's catchy, but not too hard so it fits everywhere almost.
Beyblade is terrible. Seriously, you're doing yourself a service by killing yourself if you actually take it seriously and are over the age of nine. However, somehow, it managed to get a song I've only ever heard called "Off the Chains" (it would fit...) as one of its openings. And THAT is awesome.
Reckless Fire - Hotblooded but not mecha... What? sCRYed made a much better manga...
Take It, Shake It / Yakusoku no Bashou e - I hear people berating Gonzo Digimation constantly for what and such, but damn, if Kaleido Star's first season didn't have absolutely amazing openings. Colourful and cheerful, filled with hope.
Cloud Age Symphony - Oh yeah, speaking of Gonzo, everyone watch Last Exile. Do it. Especially if you like steampunk, lolis, Murata Renji, or are a Nadia fan.
And I'm tired, so for my last trick I reach back...Senaka goshi ni Sentimental. There's something awfully classic about Megazone, you know.
I love Yuzurenai Negai, the Magic Knight RayEarth OP. Then there's TOUGH BOY, the second Fist of the North Star intro. And the best thing is, Halko Momoi, my favourite singer, has covered both of them. :D
I love the Lucky Star opening (Motteke! Sailor Fuku) because it's crazy. (And having a dance to go with it doesn't hurt)
I love the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni opening (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) and the ending as well (why, or why not).
The ending animation is fairly boring, but I like the opening animation (and no, not because of the fanservice =P)
MAAAAA KUUUUU ROOOO SUUUUU
Pegasus Fantasy from Saint Seiya kicks your collective ass.
Hello.
I am a student living in Japan.
Please forgive a sudden note.
This is youtube in Japan.
I compete for the reproduction number of times by a dance contest performed in Japan.
Please play it.
Please cooperate.
I want to have the comment.
Please allow to be clumsy English.
Hello.
I am a student living in Japan.
Please forgive a sudden note.
This is youtube in Japan.
I compete for the reproduction number of times by a dance contest performed in Japan.
Please play it.
Please cooperate.
I want to have the comment.
Please allow to be clumsy English.
Mirage Of Blaze... Nice opening riff, solid female vocal, hot animation
>>64
This man knows what he's talking about.
Also, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei's OP "Buretenda" was pretty damn awesome.
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei OP and Cloud Age Symphony from Last Exile seconded.
Maria+Holic's opening animation is really trippy, and I like the energy of the song (HANAJI) as well. The game style ending (Kimi ni, Mune Kyun) animation is also one of my favorites.
My favourites are:
One Piece 6th OP
Bleach 9th OP
UMAE WA BOKURA NO TENE NE KA
>>1 You have taste
Neon Genesis Evangelion OP, Cruel angels Thesis (Zankoku na tenshi no Youni)
That is a pure classic
I also like The Clannad and Clannad after story OP's
They make me feel great for some reason haha
The obvious answer for super awesome anime intro is Great Teacher Onizuka - Driver's High (by L'arc-en-Ciel)
Seriously, the black & white with the cool track playing in the background. It gives me shivers everytime.
Ghost in the Shell:SAC. The russian song is awesome.
What about Cowboy Bebop. Tank is really good too.
And Black Lagoon. Red Fraction.
>>1
The NGE opening still brings back good memories when I hear it.
Paranoid Agent's intro is awesome
Freedom's second/third intro is great (half in story)
Full Metal Alchemist got some great ones,naruto too.
etc
Betterman - Yume no Kakera