Today, I’m doing something a bit different. I love music and creativity on display. What better way to showcase that than to talk about some of my favorite Anime openings and endings. Loving them doesn’t mean I love the series they’re attached to and this list will have no order to it. Enjoy.
“Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni” - Eiko Shimamiya
Higurashi no Naki Koro Ni OP 1 - Studio Deen (2006)
The haunting vocals, bright colors on display, and lyrics promising dread, all of these drew me in to the horror that was Hinimizawa in 2008 when I first discovered this franchise. The When They Cry series (as it’s called outside of Japan) has a reputation for its audio and music work going out of its way to invite audiences into the story, but out of all of the Anime adaptation and sequel openings, this is the main one I come back to time and time again. The rest of them (even Kira’s) are on my regular playlists but this one is my favorite to listen to on its own.
“X-encounter” - Maon Kurosaki
Tokyo Ravens OP 1 - Studio Eight Bit (2013)
This opening is one of the most dynamic and complex ones in this list. No frames are wasted in conveying the tone of the series proper. It is very efficient at showing off the 20+ member cast of magic users that all play their parts in a story revolving around conspiracies, myths and a modern Japan torn apart by the introduction of different schools of spellarts only a few decades prior to the pilot episode. What’s surprising is how little it spoils most of the mysteries and plot of the series, opting for a more visual novel character montage approach. What’s even more surprising is how much of it uses frames from various episodes without feeling lazy. Sadly, the opening that replaced it in the second half was very lazy, reusing half of this opening without the skill, the personality and the backing music track to justify the change. Lightning doesn’t strike twice they say.
“Mikazuki” - Sayuri
Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace ED 1 - Studio Lerche (2015)
For the most part, I enjoyed this mystery series and watched it when it was airing. It’s not something that most Anime fans followed at the time. Rewatching it, it didn’t age well for me but still was a decent time with some interesting ideas. This ending is on this list for both being one of the most creative ones I’ve seen and my introduction to Sayuri. She’s not my favorite female JPop artist but is always on my mind with her bell of a voice and variety of style in her performances. Back to the ending, I love how much effort was put into making this feel like a stop motion glass painting with its own story separate from the main plot without feeling like it’s from a different series altogether. There have been only two other shows I’ve seen with a similar feel, but they say the first time is the best time. I agree here.
“Ref:Rain” - Aimer
After the Rain ED 1 - Studio WIT (2018)
This series made me laugh, cry and dread my impending doom from old age. It’s very special to me and also hard to talk about due to its subject matter immediately making it problematic for most Anime fans. If one were to read a synopsis or take the opening at face value without context, it would immediately come across as vile; that’s not exactly a wrong assumption (for thematic spoiler reasons), but is selling it short. It’s really a Seinen character drama about dealing with trauma and social taboos wearing the mask of a Shoujo romance between a 17 year old girl and her 45 year old boss. I knew of Aimer before watching but when I recommend it to others, this ending is what I show them first. There’s not much in the way of animation or visual flair on display but this ending is perfect for what it’s trying to say and do. Just like the rain, it drenched my soul.
“Dark Seeks Light” - Yui Ninomiya
The World’s Finest Assassin OP 1 - Studio Silver Link x Palette (2021)
When Silver Link releases a new Anime, I pay attention. Several of my favorite comedies were helmed by them. I bring them up because the series this opening belongs to was most definitely not for me. I finished the first season several months back but outside of any scenes with the Goddess, this opening, and the pilot episode, it was pretty forgettable. In contrast, I absolutely adore the craftsmanship shown in every frame here. What I had to say above about Tokyo Ravens is a glove. What’s impressive, though, is how this is one of the few J-Rap songs I can listen to on repeat on my own time. It typically doesn’t vibe with me due to how different it is most of the time.
“Oshiete A to Z” - Yukari Tamura (Slightly NSFW Opening)
B Gata H Kei OP 1 - Studio Hal Film Maker (2009)
Hear me out. Yes, this is a sex comedy. And yes, this song is very much something you would find in a more shameless, sexually exploitative series. The reasons it’s on this list are as follows: 1) this series is one of the few that explores sexuality and coming of age in a mostly healthy and positive light; 2) Yamada and the rest of the world are having a blast singing and dancing to the lyrics in a fun way; 3) the personality and charm of the rest of the work begin here and continue all the way through. The premise is simple: 15 year old Yamada wants to have sex with 100 guys before she graduates high school to become an “adult”. Instead, she falls in love with a normal dude that is surprisingly good to her and their romance is adorable. She spends much of the show delusionally scheming and plotting the perfect moment to enact a mass orgie with him, but that’s more charming and fun than it sounds if you can take it for what it is. There’s not much plot on display but I will always recommend this gem.
My Closing Thoughts
I don’t plan on this being normal content. This just felt right for tonight. Have you seen or heard of any of these series before? Leave your comments below, vote on this post, reblog and follow me. Thanks for reading; have a wonderful night.