*out of breath*
This is my top 10 anime openings. It took a while to upload them and write the comments regarding them accordingly, but at least most of the work was already done. This project has been a year in the making, as has my other anime lists (you’ll see them in coming updates, I’ll probably upload my favorite ending themes to the blog very soon, as well as a “Just missed cut” for those who are interested), so I’m very excited to be able to share these with you.
You may not agree with my list, but if that’s the case, I encourage you to make comments here on my blog and even share with me your own favorites/top 10. I don’t expect you to be as ambitious as I was XD (making a list of 101 anime themes, with two sets of ties, is not easy, you find that it’s very easy to take too many songs from one series and miss a number of your other favorites in the process), but I’m always up for opinions.
With that, my top 10 anime openings resides in the video and under the cut. Warning, there are some offensive images in one of the openings in this video, so it’s not intended for sensitive viewers.
10. “Mad Machine” (Bubblegum Crisis) I’ll make a note that I’m not necessarily ranking this theme higher for its sequence, but rather for the song’s use as an opening. I would say it ranks as my favorite song from the BGC franchise. “Konya Wa Hurricane” had a better song in conjunction with the opening, but this one took to me as the better song in and of itself. I loved the instrumentation and vocal, and while the sequence doesn’t jump out individually in its dynamic, the music suits it quite well. Thematically, it works with the sequence and series when noting the creation and involvement of the Boomers, the main antagonists within the framework of the series, and that which the Knight Sabers battle against while living incognito. The vibe this song gives me, like many of the BGC, is both anthemic and melodic, and that’s why I would rank it among my favorites.
9. “Dreams” (Gundam X) I’m almost certain that most will find this an odd choice of song for a top 10 theme, but Gundam X’s opening had me almost instantly with its respective theme. It’s currently my favorite Gundam theme, and I think in part it’s because of the electro, melodic pop of ROmantic Mode, another of my favorite J-groups to date. Unfortunately, they’ve since disbanded, but they have a number of great songs and albums to their name. I’ll admit I was taken by Akira Asakawa’s vocals the most for this song, and it suits the anthemic nature of most Gundam themes. I won’t say that Gundam X is my favorite Gundam series of all time, but the theme certainly ranks well within my mind, and I think the sequences couples it rather nicely.
I found a Youtube video of the original song and video, I think it’s worth watching to see and hear the song from the group in visual tandem. I always do it to give people a perspective of what an artist does beyond the anime if I can find it, and ROmantic Mode were a popular group from about 1997-1998 for their respective anime theme contributions and their genre in Japan. Though I have to say, it is dated back to 1998, so the video shows its age rather notably. (Wow, 10 and almost 11 years old now). Beautiful song though, especially if you can find a point to connect with in its meaning.
8. “Stray” (Wolf’s Rain) Stray is one of my favorite themes in anime, indubitably. Beautiful orchestration on the part of Yoko Kanno, particularly within measure of the piano accompaniment and surging instrumentation. Steve Conte has a vocal style that I find difficult to turn away from. A lot of people don’t realize that he was actually sick with a cold during the recording of “Stray” – to be able to sing like that with a cold just baffles me, even to date, because he works this song so well with a raw grit, especially given the mood and tonality of the series. Wolf’s Rain also ranks among my favorite anime series, for its dual premise of wolves disguised as humans who search for a means to reach paradise. Love the clear cut and fluid animation of the opening as well, something that I find really consistent with what I look for in my favorite themes.
7. “Ready Steady GO” (Fullmetal Alchemist) As previously mentioned, L’arc~en~Ciel is one of my favorite J-rock groups, and I found the second opening of the FMA series to be one of my favorites. It’s a fun, fluid animation sequence, and the song is one of those themes that you find yourself bouncing along to. I always get a laugh out of watching the sequence with the military personnel where Armstrong’s flexing his muscles and Roy snaps his fingers in the burst of flame (showoff XD). They seem so raucous that it’s simply fun to watch them, and goes along with the song’s romping theme. The OP in general, like I mentioned in the video, makes me smile.
If you’re interested, here’s the actual PV of L’arc en Ciel performing the song. Likewise, the video does put a different perspective on the song aside from the anime series, and considering myself a fan of J-music in general, I always love to link these as I can find them. I’ll probably edit them in to my previous entries to give a perspective of how they’re different from the anime theme. They look like they’re having a lot of fun in the video though, and the SD characters of the band in the video are awesome. XD
#6 “Grain” (Monster) Another one of my favorite instrumentals from anime overall; I definitely have a fondness for instrumental themes, as noted throughout this list, but it gives you an idea that songs without words can have just as much of an impact in creating the context and mood of a series as those who match a vocal performance to a respective theme or occurrence in a series. Like I mentioned in the video, this is one of the opening themes that caught me within the context of its sequence -showing Dr. Tenma fervently on the run and always looking behind his shoulders for some forthcoming danger, suspenseful and impeccable timing with the melody. There are a lot of things going on with the instrumental that make it stand out among peers: the heavy hitting, yet subtle guitar, the orchestrated subsection, and of course the minimal vocal contributions. All help to create the mood of this suspense/thriller opening to make its coherence and representation for “Monster” very well noted. Loved it when I first heard it, and I’m sure I’ll still love it for years to come.
#5 “Blue Water” (Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water) Before I progress any further, I want to say that Nadia isn’t one of my favorite series of all time, but I definitely liked it for what it had to offer. If only those cursed filler episodes were omitted, this could have been one of the best series of all time, let alone for its respective age. This series had excellent animation for its time (1989?! I was..what…five when this series premiered in Japan? Wow…the animation in this is even better than some of the series I’ve seen in contemporary measures, and that’s saying something considering this series is almost 20 years old.) “Blue Water” is a beautiful theme, with an infectious quality that stuck with me throughout the duration of the series. There wasn’t a moment where I skipped the opening to this series as I watched it; same could be said of all the themes in my top 20 list. I own 2 of the three main Nadia OSTs (yes they’re imports from Japan, and yes, I bought them) and they don’t leave my active CD rack. I love Miho Morikawa’s voice, and she’s contributed to a number of anime series (this and Ranma 1/2 among a few others), but I think this is among her strongest offerings when it comes to an animated/musical match.
#4 “Lilium” (Elfen Lied) One of the most artistic and beautifully orchestrated themes I’ve heard to date from an anime series. “Lilium” continues to have a strong impact on me whenever I hear it to date, and I think it’s probably the best offering to come out of Elfen Lied (I used to love the series when I first watched it, but over the years, I’ve become more neutral about it.) The montage is based on a series of paintings by Austrian Gustav Klimt. My sister has a fond appreciation of art, and helped me discover some of the parallel paintings that went in conjunction with the series. They’re beautifully interpreted and integrated in the framework of the series.
I’m in a debate as to what type of music “Lilium” falls under: the majority of people I noted say it’s Gregorian Chant, and while I’m more than likely resigned to agree with that after thinking it over, there’s still some underlying element to it that I can’t put my finger on. It adds a depth and definition to the series that I appreciated in the long run.
#3 “kiri” (Ergo Proxy) Kiri was an instant favorite for me, and it wasn’t all that long ago that I watched (but still haven’t finished) Ergo Proxy. The grunge-inflected melody, coupled with the dark settings and visually asthetic settings of the opening really caught along with me. It helps that MONORAL has influences that derive from some of my favorite bands, so their modern stylistics really bring out the most that this opening has to offer. Ergo Proxy might not be one of my favorite series (at least not yet, I’m getting closer to finishing it overall), but it’s opening scene and song certainly stand well within my mind.
#2 “Rise” (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG) There are probably three songs on this overall list that Yoko Kanno has contributed to in one way or another, all within my top 20 themes, and this happens to be my favorite of them all. There’s a lot going on with this theme, and it departs from the conventional anime opening by an elongated stride. This used to be my favorite anime theme without question, #1 for quite a few years and it overtook Konya wa Hurricane and Tank which had shifted back and forth before it. Why do I think of “Rise” so highly? Well, for one, it’s my favorite among the Ghost in the Shell SAC series (though I adore “Inner Universe”, I had to only choose one of them. The sequence for the former didn’t appeal to me as much either, regrettably) and Origa became one of my favorite singers as a result of her work with Yoko Kanno. She has a classical vocal style, but it meshes with a modern interpreted melody in a way you wouldn’t think would work; she also brings a lot of heart to it that isn’t lost in translation. I don’t know Russian (I really wish I did), but from what I could take in the translation of it, it’s really a beautiful song. Notably, Origa actually does a great job transitioning from Russian to English and doesn’t miss a step in the melodic notations of it. Yoko Kanno’s orchestration deserves its respective accolades for the way it has all these different elements running through it: electronic predominantly, but you can hear ethereal chants, funk, among others. It comes out brilliantly, I don’t know if anyone else could have done it with as much precision. The theme itself sets your blood running as you hear it, and I always find myself more alert whenever I hear it, particularly in the pulse pounding sequences of the OP. Very well animated and noted in transition.
and now….my #1…..*drum rolls*
#1 “Guns ‘n Roses” (Baccano!) This used to be featured on my overall countdown, but somehow, this infectiously noted jazz inflected instrumental found its way into my heart and came as my favorite anime theme to date. I couldn’t part from it no matter how much I tried. The way it showcases all of its respective era characters, the animation style, the big band romping progression, all of it stood out to me beyond its respective peers. I wish there were more periodic era anime series like this that are fun, engaging and unique in their presentation. Baccano! is a fun series, though I wish there were more people who could appreciate what it has to offer. It’s based on an award winning novel series from Japan and has a unique style of storytelling in that it shifts from one year to another to provide a perspective on each of its characters. I’d compare it to the movie Crash, in that one encounter of a set of characters is viewed in a different perspective by another set of characters, and vice versa, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously in its progression to note a difference. The theme fits the series to a tee, and I can indubitably say it’s one of the best series of its respective year that I’ve seen.
That’s all for my respective favorite anime opening list! I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey, it was a fun one for me, both in making and sharing it with you. I’ll have some posts chronicling my favorite anime endings/inserts and movie themes to come in future lists, but for now, I leave you to your thoughts.
Take care,
Rose
Hmmm I was getting quite worried when I saw the Monster theme (anime was fantastic, but opening theme didn’t really stand out) and Ready Steady Go (thought this one was god-awful actually – not a fan of jock in general lol!). But luckily, Lilium, Rise, and the Baccano theme came soon afterwards, so I’m a happy bunny again
I think you’ve pretty much covered all my favourites in your list (though some of them were ranking disappointingly low!) apart from… the Crest of the Stars opening theme. Most people thought it was a bit boring, but I thought it was a really epic orchestral piece.
ooops, just realised the Rise song is not the one I’m thinking of from GITS. Inner Universe is the one that I really like… but you didn’t pick that one… noooooo!
Just goes to show you and I have different tastes, Kaj, hehehe.
Thanks for the comments.
And like I said, this is kind of a reflection of how I liked the song and sequence for each video. I did NOT like Inner Universe’s sequence at all. I thought the CG sequence was too overdone. The animated version that I saw as the alternate (I don’t think it was used in the American broadcast of the series) was a lot better to me, but I couldn’t take it into consideration because I saw it after I made this list. I loved the sequence and song for Rise, but Inner Universe is more superior as a song to me if I had to choose between the two.
CotS is decent for its sequence, but I agree with you on the song, it’s orchestration is indeed beautiful. I probably would have included it on here if I had watched the series at that time. This list is now a year or so old with only some minor revisions. I thought about redoing it yet again, but that would take forever T_T