Anime Openings: Yeah, They Be Good Stuff.

 Why are Anime Openings so dope? 

---

Since the beginning of anime in the 1950's in Japan, one element has stood the test of time and has continued to evolve along with the anime as a medium. The opening is also known as the intro or the theme song. Every anime from Astro Boy to Demon Slayer has had an opening that made sure to let the audience know what they were in for. 

From the soaring high rock tracks that action anime/battle anime have that illustrate the rivals and even the big bads of the current season, to spooky ambient tracks that lend horror anime a vibe fit for any haunting evening, the anime opening is the perfect bite-size demonstration of what makes the show you’re about to watch worth your time.  Of course, not all openings are bangers. Some can be misleading either for dramatic effect or simply don’t make one feel the hype for the show. One such show that committed that sin was the 4Kids “westernized” version of the first One Piece intro. Not only was the plot explained to you every single time, but the way you can tell that this was a decision by men in suits who just saw what the kids were into and just jammed it down our throats with a rap that gave short biographies on every main character in the show. It just did not compliment the show, whoever thought that campy rap suited a pirate epic that spanned the globe was out of their mind. 

What is an opening, essentially?

To define in a somewhat academic, fancy, sipping tea with a pinky in the air sort of way, an anime opening is an examination of the animated opening/ending credits sequences that bookend most popular modern anime. In anime, an opening credits sequence often highlights main characters, hints at plot arcs, and features the names of studio staff, all while synchronized to music. It's essentially a highlight reel of things to come during the current season of the show.

How can they be so good? 

Simple, they just are. Most of the time, an opening sticks with you for many days and if they impact you on a deeper level, they can stay for years. Many still get excited whenever the opening song to Dragon Ball Z blasts over the speakers of your local convention, or the citypop vibes that the opening song of Yu Yu Hakusho gives off when its infectious beat and smooth vocals hit the 90’s vibe hard. Let’s of course not forget the explosive hard rock of the Demon Slayer’s season 1 opening song. The world was taken by the neck and forced to accept anime opening music as its new god!

In short, like most media, there are good and bad openings to an anime. It all depends on what gets the viewer excited when they wish to watch and enjoy an anime. This short “essay” was made on a bet and is in no way a copyright infringement case. Enjoy the short thingamajig.