Small error on this video: for whatever reason it has the right theme song, but the wrong set of #s. >.< This is indeed my favorite anime openings 29-20, not 49-40. List of themes in this video noted under the cut.
I usually have a few errors here and there within my videos, whether it’s using a wrong word or something minor like I mentioned in the numbering, but I tried to keep them as minimal as possible. I know I’ll probably have to go back through my posts and find any grammatical errors I’ve made in the past few posts, because I found a few looking back through them. You can tell that I’ve been steadily updating these as much as uploading them will allow, and sometimes that means after a long day of doing other things when I’m a little more relaxed, but still sleepy 
On this list, quite a few old and new themes, so I won’t waste any further time, since this is treking closer to the home stretch.
#29 “Scarlet” (Ayashi No Ceres) This dropped a bit from when I last ranked it on the overall list, but it’s still one of my favorite themes. As mentioned in the video, shamefully I did cry to this theme, but I should note I cried with respect to the series subject matter while this song was played, and it’s a beautiful, melancholic piece with prominent piano accompaniment. Ayashi no Ceres is a rather brute title in the shoujo romance genre, one of the darkest I’ve seen to date. This particular opening is the one shown during the last few episodes of the series, and I hesitated to include it in the overall list, but I realized that this montage was much stronger than the original opening sequence. It reasonates powerfully with the song, and I couldn’t omit it. I think that this theme has one of the most beautiful instrumentals of any anime theme I’ve heard to date.
#28 “Daybreak’s Bell” (Gundam 00) Definitely a recent favorite since this list was penned. I’m definitely a fan of L’arc~en~Ciel, have been for a number of years now, probably…since around 2000 or 2001, when I first heard their album “Real”. “Neo Universe” and “All Year Round Falling in Love” were among the first few songs I heard and claimed as favorites. It wasn’t until after that time I started coming into their anime contributed songs. They’ve performed for series like DNA Squared, Rurouni Kenshin, Great Teacher Onitsuka, among many others. I also own some of their CDs among other L’arc collectables at home. So that should tell you about my zealous investment in them as a group.
I think this is one of L’arc’s strongest contributions to an anime theme because of the resonating anti-war message that works within the context of the series to a fault, and it has enough driving momentum to match the nicely animated sequence accordingly. Granted, Gundam 00 is a series I continue to follow to date (and I do have a hard time coming into it), but I think it’s well noted among my favorite anime openings.
#27 “World’s End” (Code Geass R2 2nd OP) I bet no one expected a Code Geass theme on this list, and granted, when I started this list more than a year ago, Code Geass was still a rather recent watch for me, so I couldn’t decide on what theme to really take from it. After finishing R2, I finally did. If it weren’t “World’s End”, the theme I would have likely chosen here would have been “Colors”. Both are strong themes by the same group (FLOW) and have ample amount of this lightly propelling, moderate energy that opens up in surges, with montages of the characters and conflict within the opening. “World’s End” not only caught my attention from the song, but how well animated it was when juxtaposed to the other themes across both seasons of the series. For that, it deserves a place in my top 30.
#26 “Hit in the U.S.A.” (BECK) This song gets my vote for being the most likely anime opening to be sung/hummed/tapped along to at some point in time. It’s that catchy, and it’s one of my favorite anime openings to date. Beat Crusaders contributed a lot to the BECK anime series, but I think “Hit in the U.S.A” is among their strongest. The part of the opening where the characters are singing along with the chorus is one of the moments from an opening that stood out in my mind quite prominently. Great pan shots in what seems to couple a Western, American feel in the overall spectrum. I really liked how both the animation and setting were well adapted to the song itself. The last scene where Koyuki strums the guitar seemed the most appropriate way to conclude it all.
#25 “Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni” (Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni) I definitely meant what I mentioned in the video about this being one the most well executed horror openings I’ve seen in an anime series to date. It begins with minimal chants and progresses into this menacing progression of electronic rhythms; to my surprise it suits the mood very well. Eiko Shimamiya’s vocals are the strongest to accent it all. She has a unique style unlike other singers I’ve heard, and she’s definitely my favorite I’ve artist for her respective range and diversity of influences. If the music doesn’t quite grab you, then the images certainly will, or you might be taken in both like I was. I know I couldn’t turn away the first time I saw it (I wouldn’t say Higurashi is as blunt as series as Elfen Lied, but it’s definitely has a high creep out factor, especially if you go in not knowing what to expect.) I think this theme will stay a favorite for a long time for me, because it offers a lot that many common anime themes do not.
#24 “rose” by Anna Tsuchiya (NANA 1st OP) NANA’s opening theme had me in its initial premiere. I couldn’t get the song or the respective sequence out of my mind, because I think it fit the tonality of the series very well. A lot of people I talked to said they didn’t think Anna Tsuchiya fit the mold of Nana Osaki’s rock image very well, but on the contrary, I thought she was perfect; her building energy had the right amount of edge and swagger for a frontwoman of a band. Her style tends to be more grunge than punk, but it’s hard to have a set image of what Nana O. encompasses in your mind, because you do think of her as a female vocalist with an edge, and that could cover a wide range of different singers and styles, even taken out of the noted influences in the series (i.e. Sex Pistols). Regardless, I was impressed with the animation style of the opening, particularly in the backdrops and shifting scenes. I think they could have tailored Nana O’s character design a little better (Hachi was fine), but I’m not terribly picky. Considering they went straight from the manga designs, I thought it was a decent adaptation.
#23 “Days” (Eureka Seven) I would note that Days is my favorite theme overall from the Eureka Seven franchise, namely for its lush instrumentation and dynamic sequencing. It might be more noted because it’s the first opening theme, but I would say that FLOW does this style of song extremely well. You’ll note that I chose “World’s End” for similar reasons. I liked how each of the characters were showcased in shifting montages fitting to the style of the song, and the animation is crisp and lucid. If there’s anything most that I loved about Eureka Seven when watching it for the first time, it was that I loved watching the building relationship between Renton and Eureka. I think this theme showcases this nicely in context as well.
#22 “Sore Ga Ai Deshou” (Full Metal Panic Fumoffu?) I chose this as my favorite theme of the FMP franchise because I liked how lighthearted the sequence came across and the clear cut animation sequences. “Tomorrow”, the original series opening, had a stronger song, but the sequence didn’t stand out in my mind as readily. “Minamikaze” is catchy and lush, but didn’t quite stand out as strongly as this one did, at least for me. Mikuni Shimokawa is another one of my favorite female J-singers, and you’ll see another theme of hers in the entries to come as a testament to that.
#21 “Kimi ga Sukebito Sakebitai” (Slam Dunk) I always find myself humming along with the melody of this song whenever I heard it. It’s one of those classic themes that you would think would accompany a sports related anime, because it sets your blood on edge. The melody drives it accordingly, and in a series featuring basketball, I’m not surprised that it fits the tonality spot on. Sakamichi is one of the most inherently likable oafs that you can come across, and as he grows into a formidable basketball player, you can’t help but follow him with a smile on your face. Indeed, this is the type of series you have to love the game or are willing to love the game if you want to come into it, but for the respective sequence and song, I think any one who likes driving rhythms could come along and find it catch on them. As I mentioned in the video, it’s a classic theme full of vigor.
#20 “Night of the Summerside” (Kimagure Orange Road) No doubt one of my favorite anime themes of all time and well worth including in the first slot of my top 20. Its infectiously catchy, nostalgic progression makes it easy to sing along to and the rhythm fits the theme very well. It helps that Kimagure Orange Road is one of my favorite anime series to date, but among the three opening themes, this one stands out beyond the crowd. Ikeda Masanori contributes to some of my favorite songs in the franchise (as does Kanako Wada, but you’ll see more of her in the ending themes.
It’s worth saying that this is probably the strongest sequence to match the respective story, because the series revolves around a guy with ESP caught in the midst of a love triangle. Considering Kyousuke has enough problems managing his ESP powers, it’s worse when he finds his intentions confounded within his relationships….if only by mere accident. XD
We’re finally in the home stretch. Two more videos to showcase my top 20 (well, technically 19) anime opening themes. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ones featured so far. Look for the updates to be sometime late tonight, considering the service I’m uploading them to is quite booked. 
