One of the best parts of anyanimeis always the opening theme song. As the name of the term implies, an opening theme is almost always the first thing a person sees as soon as they turn on an episode, and when done right, it’ll always succeed in getting someone ready for an episode with a combination of great visuals and even greater music.
Anime openings are an iconic part of the medium, and that hasn’t changed in the slightest over the years. Whether it’s old-school openings from the ’80s or ’90s or more modern openings from the 2000s and up,there are plenty ofgreat anime openingsthat have cemented themselves as the best in the entire medium. A few anime openings like that especially stand out, as no matter how old or recent they may be, they’re sure to remain legendary for years to come.
“Seishun Complex” is the theme song to CloverWorks’Bocchi the Rock!, performed by the show’s in-universe rock band, Kessoku Band. Going along with the often abstract nature of the show, “Seishun Complex” doesn’t showcase any specific events of the story, instead using its time to show off the main cast in increasingly abstract and creative ways.
Not only does “Seishun Complex” do a great job of telling people what to expect from the characters, but with the abstract visuals and the great music and lyrics,the overall quality of “Seishun Complex” perfectly emphasizes how wonderfully bizarre an animeBocchi the Rock!is. It’s a big part of why the show has become such a hit, and hopefully,Bocchi the Rock!season 2will have something just as great in store for fans old and new.
9Kiss Me By Nai Br.XX & Celeina Ann
Theme Song To Bones Film Carole & Tuesday
“Kiss Me” is the first opening theme for Bones’Carole & Tuesday, performed by the singing voices of the eponymous leads, Nai Br.XX and Celeina Ann. Rather than show off any specific details about the story, “Kiss Me” instead focuses on conveying the bond Carole and Tuesday share and their drive to chase their dreams through both the lyrics and the visuals.
Shinichiro Watanabe’s productions are known for having both great animation and even greater music, and sure enough,“Kiss Me” is an incredible opening theme for its gorgeous animation and paint-like artwork combined with the heartwarming lyrics centered around the dynamic between the two leads. It’s a rare opening that perfectly sells its story through visuals alone without any spoilers, and it’s a big part ofwhyCarole & Tuesdayis a great animeto watch.
“Curtain Call” by Yuuri is the second opening to season 7 of Bones Film’sMy Hero Academia. When “Curtain Call” was made the new opening, things took a turn for the worse as the League of Villains got their second wind against the heroes and Bakugo seemingly died, so now more than ever, Izuku and everyone needed to come together to save the day.
Overall, the visuals in “Curtain Call” do a great job of highlighting the increasing tension of the final arc and the last few major battles it showcased, and it especially did a great job of emphasizing Izuku and Shigaraki’s connection and the final fight between All Might and All For One. Add in its infectious lyrics and sounds, and“Curtain Call” easily stands asMy Hero Academia’s best openingto the point that it’s hard to say howMy Hero Academia’s final seasoncan top it.
“Sorairo Days” by Shoko Nakagawa is the theme song toStudio Trigger’sTengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Throughout the series, “Sorairo Days” showcases three different sets of events: Simon, Kamina, and Yoko’s initial adventures on the surface, Team Dai-Gurren’s fight against the Spiral Army after Kamina’s death, and the new fight against the Anti-Spirals after the seven year timeskip, all of which highlight the escalating power of the eponymous mech.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagannis famous for the chaotic nature of its writing and animation, and the theme song perfectly leans into that, asevery version of “Sorairo Days” does a great job of illustrating how much the scale of things inTengen Toppa Gurren Lagannevolves alongside Simon’s growth as a person. Add in Shoko Nakagawa’s amazing vocals, and it’s easy to see why it’s so iconic a theme song.
“Hero’s Come Back!!” by Nobodyknows+ is the first theme song to Studio Pierrot’sNaruto: Shippuden.Naruto: Shippudenwasted no time throwing people intoNaruto’s new status quo, and to go along with that, “Hero’s Come Back!!” was focused primarily on highlighting the new designs of Naruto and his friends and how the Akatsuki would be the main villains, going forward.
WithNarutofinally going through its timeskip era after anime fans had to sit through over two years of filler,Naruto: Shippudenhad to start off on a high note, and fortunately, “Hero’s Come Back!!” was the perfect theme song to kick offNaruto: Shippudenthanks to its gorgeous visuals and its infectious hip hop style. Even after almost 20 years, it remains one ofNaruto’s most iconic theme songs, and overall, it’s easy to see why.
“Smile Bomb” by Sara White is the English dub of the theme song of the same name for Studio Pierrot’sYu Yu Hakusho. Unlike other English dub themes, White sings a largely straightforward cover of “Smile Bomb”, with the music of the English version being completely identical to the Japanese and White’s tone being a near-perfect match to the original performance of Matsuko Mawatari.
The original “Smile Bomb” was already a great theme song, and sure enough,Sara White’s cover of “Smile Bomb” does a great job of translating things into English with its heartwarming and energetic lyrics. “Smile Bomb” is often regarded as one of thebest English anime theme songs, if not the best, and after so many years, it’s still plenty easy to see why the song is held in such high regard.
“Ai wo Torimodose!!” by Crystal King is the first theme song to Toei Animation’sFist of the North Star. In terms of story content, the biggest spoilers are the conflict between Kenshiro and Shin that the first arc was centered around, and everything else is centered mostly on capturing the basic idea of Kenshiro using Hokuto Shinken to protect people in a post-apocalyptic world.
As simplistic as “Ai wo Torimodose!!” might be visually, it still does a great job of highlightingFist of the North Star’s aesthetic, and the gorgeously ’80s sound of Crystal King perfectly complements that at every turn.The action-packed visuals and vocals of “Ai wo Torimodose!!” have made it one of the most iconic parts ofFist of the North Star, and hopefully,the newFist of the North Staranimewill find a way to match it.
“A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”by Yoko Takahashi is the iconic theme song to Studio Khara’sNeon Genesis Evangelion. While the imagery does correlate heavily to the plot and themes of the series, it’s famously constructed in an abstract way that makes it hard to figure out what it means on an initial viewing, with it usually taking most of the series to figure out the meaning behind everything shown in the opening.
Not only does the abstract imagery of “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” do a great job of giving it a unique presentation without being too spoiler-heavy, butthe incredible lyrics and sound of “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” come together for an amazing melodramatic pop song that perfectly sells the atmosphere ofNeon Genesis Evangelionat every turn. It’s one of the most iconic anime theme songs of all time, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
“Tank!” by Seatbelts is the theme song to Sunrise’sCowboy Bebop. Visually, “Tank!” does what many anime theme songs do by portraying a lot of assorted imagery of the cast without any specific spoilers for the series, but what truly makes “Tank!” stand out is that there are no vocals beyond a brief introduction at the beginning of the song, with the song being almost entirely an instrumental big band jazz piece.
With a combination of gorgeous visuals and animation and an infectiously catchy jazz instrumental track,“Tank!”’s combination of music and visuals makes for an incredibly unique opening theme that perfectly sells the overall aesthetic ofCowboy Bebop. There’s never been an opening theme quite like “Tank!”, and it’s a big part of whyCowboy Bebopand Shinichiro Watanabe are both held in such high regard by anime fans worldwide.
“Cha-La Head-Cha-La” by Hironobu Kageyama is the first theme song for Toei Animation’sDragon Ball Z. The theme song was used for every episode up until the Buu saga, and it primarily shows Goku and his friends going about their lives in the fantastical and dangerous world ofDragon Ballas they deal with new threats, with the visuals always changing to reflect the current story arc, as well.
Not only are the visuals the perfect embodiment of a classic anime theme, but“Cha-La Head-Cha-La”’s great music and lyrics perfectly capture the adventurous themes ofDragon BallandDragon Ball Z, making it great to watch, no matter how many times someone might have seen it. It’s one of the most iconic theme songs in the history of anime, and there is no better contender for the best anime opening of all time.
