Anime. What more can be said about it that hasn’t already been said before. It went from being an underground niche medium (and still is in some parts) to a mainstream stay that has seen the light of Hollywood and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Everyone has their favorite titles, genres, waifus, husbandos, best boys and best girls, but if there’s one thing that anime fans love more that anime itself…its anime openings.

What is it about these ‘openings’ that draw in crowds of otaku from all around the nation and even overseas? From its panning cameras to its vivid and vibrant colors anime openings have always given fans a taste of what the atmospheric mood of the show that they’re watching, will be about.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the many, MANY years of watching anime, its that the music to the opening of an anime title is the first thing that jumps out at us. If the opening gives us a visual of what the anime series is going to be about, then the music will give us what type of emotion that show will carry along with it. If we had to give an example right now, the best one that everyone’s familiar with is Soul Eater. As soon as you hear the first kick drum you guys lose it; not because its one of the most recognized opening anime songs in the anime community, but also the fact that anybody that is a fan of Soul Eater (or knows someone who is) is already familiar with the opening sequence. Hell, we have T.M. Revolution as one of our top tracks on our Spotify playlist.

When it comes to anime openings it makes fans feel a special type of way; most of the time they’ll sing along to the song or even just do a crazy dance because the rush of endorphins just hits you. The music as we’ve said before is the emotional piece of the opening; which lets the viewer know what the mood and the feeling of the show will be about, while the opening sequence introduces you to the cast of characters that interact with one another, and give you a glimpse of what the story of the series will be about – depending on the genre. Supernatural Fantasy Harem titles like High School DxD will have music and visuals that make you feel a sense of action, excitement, danger, and yes…boobies. High School Rom-Coms and Slice-of-Life Comedy anime openings give you more of a silly, zany, entertaining mood with its music and opening sequences; while psychological thrillers and horror anime openings give you more of a chilling, uneasy, and anxiety-induced mood.

Anime openings are always associated with the overall mood of the anime title itself. There are various alternative versions that change from season to season to reflect the mood of the show during that season; like when the second opening to a funny rom-com title becomes more series and drama-filled during its second season (or half). For some fans the opening may actually be the best part of the anime series even though the rest of it onwards may be, well…trash. (We’re not judging you.) At the end of the day; we love anime openings because they make us feel a sense of excitement and joy when watching the showcase of vivid colors, high quality sequences, and impeccable attention to detail. In fact, there are some anime-inspired shows that have taken a page out of the anime opening playbook to pay homage to anime openings as a whole. To put it simply; there is something visually beautiful about anime openings, and to end this post, here’s one opening that we all know and love! 😉