For those of you that have been following my blog over the past few weeks, I posted a series of videos that chronicled my favorite anime opening themes at present. Granted this list was a year in the making, probably more than that because I made essentially two lists and revised the first one to form the second (you can find the list on my Youtube channel. It’s very different from the revision, so if you’re interested give it a go).
This list below is my current ranking of themes at present. Granted, this list is always subject to change, but I keep it here for record’s sake. A little over a year ago, I started watching anime themes crop up on Youtube and a number of different anime sites and publications noting what they believed to be the best anime themes of all time (opening, ending and insert) of all time, ranging from the 60s to present day. There were a lot of choices I found myself not agreeing with: either I thought their sequences were too dull or the song was simply to a series that was for its ecchi sequences, or the songs were too much from one genre of anime/music….you get the idea. So I was inspired to create my own list of favorite anime themes. Mind you, this is NOT a best of list. These are my favorite themes, fair and square, they shift order on some terms for the song, others I find myself taken with the sequence in conjunction with the song. So you could say its both a subjective and objective list: subjective in terms of the song stylistic suiting my taste, appeal, memorability and value , objective in terms of how it presents itself in technicality, symbolism and conjunction/fit with the series.
So, here they are, in order from #101 to #1. If you want explanations, check my blog for the videos and beneath the cuts for extended commentary. This is just the bare list for my favorite anime openings. I’ll have a separate list for my favorite anime endings and insert themes later.
Hope you enjoy, and as always feel free to comment.
101. Yuko Obata-“Fushigi Iro Happiness” (Magical Emi)
100. Kinki Kids-“Boku wa Tameni” (You’re Under Arrest 2nd OP)
99. “Ghost Sweeper” (Ghost Sweeper Mikami)
98. “Bayuka~True Light” (DNAngel)
97. “Tenchi Muyo” by Sonia (Tenchi Universe)
96. “Mou Nakanaide” (Ranma 1/2 6th OP)
95. “Kokoro no Ato” by Riyu Kosaka (Mokke)
94. “Battlefield of Love” by Asami Ikawa (Angel Heart 3rd OP)
93. “Haruka Kimi no Moto He….” (Haruka 
92. “Men of Destiny” by MIO (Gundam 0083 Stardust Memory)/”Uuchuu ni Saku” (Rental Magica)
91. “Inori no Asa” (Shamanic Princess OP)
90. “Makafushigi Adventure” (Dragonball OP)
89. “Bowls of Silver, Bowls of Gold” (Brother Dear Brother)
88. “Daisuki Da Yo ~Into Your Heart” (To Heart, remember my memories)
87. “Boku wa Tachi Kore Wa” (Ranma ½ 2nd OAV)
86. “Hohoemi no Bakudan” (Yu Yu Hakusho 2nd OP)
85. “Mighty Body” by AA Chino (You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle)
84. “Tobira wo Akete” by ANZA (Card Captor Sakura 2nd OP)
83. “R.O.C.K.S.” by Hound Dog (Naruto 1st OP)
82. “We Are” (One Piece 1st OP)
81. “Gessekai” by Buck-Tick (Nightwalker)
80. “Flying in the Sky” (G Gundam)
79. “Cat’s Eye” by Anri (Cat’s Eye)
78. “Wedding Wars” by Furil (Wedding Peach 2nd OP)
77. “Moonlight Densetsu” by Peach Hips (Sailor Moon Super S OP)
76. “Venus Say” by Buzy (Twin Spica)
75. “Lonely in Gorgeous” by Tommy February6 (Paradise Kiss)
74. “D-Technolife” by UVERworld (Bleach 2nd OP)
73. “There’s no World Without Logos” (Hellsing OP)
72. “Koi Kaze” (Koi Kaze)
71. “Growing of My Heart” (Detective Conan)
70. “Seventh Moon” by Fire Bomber (Macross 7)
69. “For Real” (Saiyuki 1st OP)
68. “Super Drive” (Gravitation)
67. “Rolling Star” by YUI (Bleach OP)
66. “Metamorphose” by Yoko Takahashi (Kono Mini)
65. “Puzzle” by Round Table feat Nino (Welcome to the NHK)
64. “Believe” by Nami Tamaki (Gundam Seed 3rd OP)
63. “Life Goes On” (Antique Bakery)
62. “Hajimari no Hito” (Bartender)
61. “Silly Go Round” (.hack//roots)
60. “Allegro Cantabile” (Nodame Cantabile)
59. “Naraku no Hana” (Higurashi Kai)
58. “Towa wa Hana” by Yoko Ishida (Ai Yori Aoshi)
57. “Tori no Uta” by Lia (AIR TV)
56. “Egao no Wake” (Shounen Onmyouji)
55. “Master Keaton’s Theme” (Master Keaton)
54. “Just Communication” by Two-Mix (Gundam Wing)
53. “Breeze” by Megami Hayashibara (Slayers Try)
52. “Orange Mystery” (KOR)
51. “Angel Night” by Psy-s (City Hunter 2 -1st OP)
50. “Sakura Kiss” (Ouran High School Host Club)
49. “Just another Sunday” (Hana Yori Dango)
48. “Ryo-oki’s Theme” (Tenchi Muyo OVA)
47. “Second Flight” by Kotoko (Onegai Twins)
46. “ex-Dream” (X-TV)
45. “Inori~You Raise Me Up” by Lena Park (Romeo x Juliet)
44. “Cloud Age Symphony” (Last Exile)
43. “Haruka Kanata” by Asian Kung Fu Generation (Naruto 2nd OP)
42. “Hitori no Yoru” by Porno Graffitti (Great Teacher Onitsuka 2nd OP)
41. “Brand New World” by D-51 (One Piece 6th OP)
40. “The Light Before We Land” by the Delgados (Gunslinger Girl)
39. “Dress” by Buck-Tick (Trinity Blood)
38. “Ai no Botcchii” (Touch OP 2)
37. “I’ll be the One” (Hikaru no Go OP 2)
36. “Uninstall” by Ishikawa Chiaki (Bokurano)
35. “duvet” by boa (Serial Experiments Lain)
34. “Rewrite” by Asian Kung Fu Generation (Full Metal Alchemist 4th OP) / “Ichirin no Hana” by High and Mighty Color (Bleach 3rd)
33. .“Shell” by Bana (Witch Hunter Robin)
32. “Rhythm Emotion” by Two-Mix (Gundam Wing)
31. “dis (club mix version)” by Mika Arisaka (Infinite Ryvius)
30. “Hatenai Tabi” (Bubblegum Crash OVA)
29. “Scarlet” by Iwao Junko (Ayashi no Ceres)
28. “Daybreak’s Bell” by L’arc~en~Ciel (Gundam 00)
27. “World’s End” by FLOW (Code Geass R2)
26. “Hit in the U.S.A.” by Beat Crusaders (BECK)
25. “Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni” by Eiko Shimamiya (Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni)
24. “rose” by Anna Tsuchiya (NANA 1st OP)
23. “days” by FLOW (Eureka 7)
22. “Sore ga ai Deshou” by Mikuni Shimokawa (Full Metal Panic Fumoffu)
21. “Kimi no Kuribito Sakebitai” by BAAD (Slam Dunk 1st OP)
20. “Night of the Summerside” by Ikeda Masanori (Kimagure Orange Road 1st OP)
19. “Sara” by Force of Nature (City Hunter 2 2nd OP)
18. “Yuudachi” (Boogiepop Phantom)
17. “Wish” by Olivia (NANA 2nd OP)
16. “Tank” by Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop)
15. “All the Way” (Kino no Tabi)
14. “Give a Reason” by Megumi Hayashibara” (Slayers Next)
13. “Cruel Angel’s Thesis” by Yoko Takahashi (Evangelion)
12. “Konya wa Hurricane” by Kinuko Oomori (Bubblegum Crisis OVA 1st OP)
11. “Rinbu Revolution” by Masami Okui (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
10. “Mad Machine” by Kinuko Oomori (Bubblegum Crisis OVA 2nd OP)
09. “Dreams” by Romantic Mode (Gundam X 1st OP)
08. “Stray” by Yoko Kanno/Steve Conte (Wolf’s Rain)
07. “Ready Steady Go!” by L’arc~en~Ciel (FMA 2nd OP)
06. “Grain” (Monster)
05. “Blue Water” by Miho Morikawa (Nadia, the Secret of Blue Water)
04. “Lilium” (Elfen Lied)
03. “kiri” by MONORAL (Ergo Proxy)
02. “Rise” by Origa (Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig)
01. “Paradise Lunch” by Guns ‘n Roses (Baccano)
