Whether they feature lo-fi samurai or jazzy bounty hunters,
these are the best anime openings that you won't be skipping any time soon.
The best openings don't always come from the best anime. Is "Lucky Star" a series
that stands the test of time? Not really. The humor is a mix of dry slice-of-life material
that other shows have done better, with plenty of otaku culture references that instantly date
the series to 2007. Older fans seeking a nostalgic flashback to a previous era of
anime might find some enjoyment in revisiting the series, but the majority of the fun is contained
in the opening theme "Motteke! Sailor Fuku," which translates to "Take It! Sailor Clothes."
The majority of "Lucky Star" is very slow-paced, but the opening sequence
is pure hyperactive energy. The lyrics, consisting mostly of nonsense about school
uniforms performed by voice actors Aya Hirano, Emiri Katou, Kaori Fukuhara, and
Aya Endo. The dancing takes after the ending theme to Kyoto Animation's previous hit "The
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya," and makes for a super entertaining bit of animation.
"Just Between Us" by Chatmonchy is a cute and fitting theme song for "Princess Jellyfish,"
a dramedy about a jellyfish-obsessed woman who befriends a beautiful crossdresser and has to keep
her man-fearing roommates from finding out. What really makes this opening sequence special and
worthy of inclusion on this list isn't so much the song itself, but the visuals that accompany it.
In just 90 seconds, this opening fits in references to "Sex and the City," "Star
Wars," "Singin' in the Rain," "Mary Poppins," "The Graduate," James Bond,
and even Bruce Lee. The first time you see it, it's the perfect bizarre hook for the show,
and once you start watching, you come to appreciate how well the
smaller details in all these parodies fit each character's personalities.
"Pop Team Epic" is one of the strangest anime comedies around,
a collection of short mixed-media skits that feature multiple voice actors taking
the roles of the chaotic schoolgirls Popuko and Pipimi. The opening theme,
a techno track also titled "Pop Team Epic" performed by Sumire Uesaka, is a bomb of
pure sensory overload that manages to perfectly encapsulate the chaos that the show is known for.
Starting with a nail-covered baseball bat destroying a TV set, the images that make
up this high-octane intro are as hilarious as they are fleeting. These girls are everywhere,
showing up in random places across the globe, spying on you in different forms,
and traveling through time to remake the world. Why do they exist? What do they
want with us? No one knows for sure… but we should probably be very afraid.
"Your life has been spared!"
Before lofi hip hop became inextricably linked to anime girls studying, there was "Samurai
Champloo." This 2004 anime about two rival ronin working together to help a girl find
"the samurai who smells of sunflowers" brought hip hop music and attitude into
Edo period Japan. Director Shinichiro Watanabe is perhaps the best anime director around when
it comes to effectively using music, and his anime always have outstanding opening themes.
The "Samurai Champloo" theme song "Battlecry" was composed by the late, great Nujabes,
with lyrics written and performed by Shing02. The mix of contemporary musical styles with
traditional Japanese art, and of chill beats with intense lyrics and violent action,
provide a striking first impression for anyone not yet familiar with the show.
A number of anime have made effective use of Western pop and rock songs for openings
over the years, including Duran Duran's "Girls on Film" in "Speed Grapher," The
Delgados' "The Light Before We Land" in "Gunslinger Girl," and Oasis' "Falling
Down" in "Eden of the East." One of the most famous examples of this, though,
is the use of "Duvet" by Bôa in the 1998 cyberpunk classic "Serial Experiments Lain."
"Serial Experiments Lain," a show about a teenage girl drawn into a
web of online conspiracies, is at once artsy, complex, scary, depressing,
and yet also beautiful — all features that the opening theme exemplifies. The credits
open with an ominous narrator letting you know exactly when this particular series takes place.
"Present day… present time! Hahahahaha—"
The bizarre message is followed up by the smooth sounds of "Duvet" and a showcase of the
anime's striking visuals. "Lain" was certainly prophetic about the dangers of the Metaverse,
but the internet today doesn't look anywhere near as cool as it did here.
A list of the best anime opening themes wouldn't be complete without at least
one upbeat shonen opening. Long-running battle shonen tend to cycle through a lot of openings,
so options for this category were numerous. After all,
ranking the best "Naruto" or "One Piece" themes could be full lists unto themselves.
"Yu Yu Hakusho" has a somewhat unusual advantage, in that it used the super
catchy song "Hohoemi no Bakudan" — or "Smile Bomb" — for the entirety of its 112-episode
run from 1992 to 1995. Changes were made to the opening animation in Episode 67 and Episode 94,
but the iconic tune has always remained the same.
"Smile Bomb" was performed in Japanese by Matsuko Mawatari. However,
"Yu Yu Hakusho" was among the first anime dubbed by Funimation, which used to create
English language translations of the opening music to accompany their dubs. Thankfully,
the English version of "Smile Bomb" by Sara White manages to be just as good as the Japanese one.
Some anime purists might consider it sacrilege to list an American opening theme on this
list — much less one from 4Kids Entertainment, the infamous former dubbing studio that gave us
the horrific "One Piece" rap among other crimes against music. But every rule has an exception,
and the English opening to the first season of "Pokemon," performed by Jason Paige, may be the
single localized opening theme that is actually an improvement over the original Japanese one.
If you were young — or young at heart — when "Pokemon" hit the airwaves in the late-90s,
you can no doubt recite the lyrics to the opening theme song by heart. Start singing "I wanna be the
very best" at an anime convention, and you can guarantee that others will join in with "like
no one ever was." If you need more evidence of this infectiously catchy song's superiority,
keep in mind that when "Pokemon" was exported globally, other countries didn't adapt the
Japanese theme or make their own openings — they dubbed the English theme. It's just that powerful
around the world, with the ability to keep us motivated in even the most difficult times.
"It's you and me… I know it's my destiny, Pokemon!"
Every season of "Mob Psycho 100" thus far has had incredible opening themes, each performed by the
series' own musical group, Mob Choir. The first opening, titled "99," arguably deserves to be on
this list for its beautiful animation, inspiring lyrics, and the intense countdown ratcheting up
the anxiety. "1," the third season's opening, was released months in advance of the season premiere,
and proved to be another masterpiece even without the context of the new episodes.
If we had to choose, however, "99.9" — the second season's opening featuring the band
Sajou no Hana alongside the Mob Choir — is the best possible choice to represent
"Mob Psycho 100." "99" was always going to be a hard opening to top,
but "99.9" went above and beyond with even more exciting music and trippy
animation. It won best opening sequence at the 2020 Crunchyroll Anime Awards,
and some critics and fans have gone so far as to declare it the best anime opening of all time.
Gentleman thief Lupin the 3rd could probably be considered the anime world's equivalent of
James Bond. As such, it's only fitting that his theme music is as cool and instantly
memorable as 007's — even if he didn't receive it in his first appearance. Directed by future
Studio Ghibli co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, "Lupin the 3rd Part I"
was something of a mixed bag. The first half of the series is dark and gritty in places,
while the second half is more family-friendly. The creators were still figuring out what
worked for the character, and its repetitive theme is definitely not one of the greats.
"Opera fan, probably." "Everybody's a critic."
"Lupin the 3rd Part III" went in a different, wackier direction,
and its opening reflects that. However, it was the theme for "Lupin the 3rd Part II" that became
the true "Lupin" theme. Remixed multiple times over the course of the series' run,
it set the standard for jazzy adventure anime themes and has influenced countless anime
openings. In the 21st century, "Part IV," "Part V," and "Part VI" have all
returned to the "Part II" theme while adding their own great animated sequences on top.
Satoshi Kon didn't make anime the way anyone else did, and the opening sequence to "Paranoia
Agent" — the one TV series he directed before his death in 2010 — is unlike any other. "Yume no
Shima Shinen Kouen" — or "Dream Island Obsessional Park" — by composer Susumu Hirasawa was designed
to instantly wake up viewers tuning into this 2004 late-night psychological horror series.
"Paranoia Agent" is all about the allures and dangers of escaping from the difficulties of
reality, and the opening sequence illustrates this theme in the eeriest way possible. The show's cast
of characters are shown drowning underwater, falling from the sky, and standing in the middle
of traffic, all while laughing hysterically. The bombastic electronic music is overpowering
in a way that feels like yet another level of disassociation, with lyrics about beautiful
mushroom clouds and not worrying about tsunamis contributing to the surreal sense of disaster.
Can a great opening alone turn an anime into a phenomenon? The TV adaptation of Hajime
Isayama's "Attack on Titan" was going to be a blockbuster hit no matter what,
but the effectiveness of its first opening certainly helped its success.
Linked Horizon's "Feuerroter Pfeil und Bogen" — from the German for "Crimson Bow
and Arrow" — sold skeptics on this particular show potentially being the coolest thing ever.
The plot of "Attack on Titan" turned messy and controversial, but even if you hate the show
itself, this opening is still perfectly calibrated to get your blood pumping and make you want
to fight some Titans yourself. The show has had similarly great openings in its later seasons, but
none can match the first one — every action-packed second of this theme became instantly iconic.
The figure skating romance "Yuri on Ice" became an instant phenomenon among anime
fans in 2016. It ended up sweeping the first ever Crunchyroll Anime Awards,
winning all seven categories it was nominated in. While there was some controversy about the
show winning so many awards against some worthy competitors, it's still undoubtedly
one of the best anime of the past decade. Regardless, "History Maker" by Dean Fujioka
was a genuinely deserving winner for best opening and deserves the number four spot on this list.
"Well, this won't be an official record, but that score's among the top ten in the world!"
Performed in English, the lyrics to "History Maker" are all sung by Fujioka, but are written
essentially as a duet. The first verse is from the perspective of the anxiety-ridden Yuri, while the
second is from the point of view of his supportive coach Victor. The triumphant chorus is meant to be
the two of them together. The beautiful music is matched with equally beautiful animation, with
stylized and expressive renderings of the main characters skating their way around the screen.
As the "Lucky Star" girls proved, having anime characters dance to their own theme
songs can be an easy formula for a winning introduction. "Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!"
provides another dance-heavy opening, set to the upbeat anthem "Easy Breezy"
by the rap duo Chelmico. It stands out both due to the sheer catchiness of the
music and the personality the artists at Science SARU put into the animation.
"Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!" is about high school girls making their own anime.
Unlike most other high school anime, where characters tend to be at least drawn if not
written as idealized archetypes, the "Eizouken" girls are designed to be as quirky as their
personalities. This definitely comes across in the opening: Asakusa's awkward charm,
Kanamori's cynical confidence, and Mizusaki's freewheeling joy can be seen directly in their
moves. The second half of the opening moves on from the dancing to a fast-paced barrage
of iconography associated with the characters, building to an incredibly exciting title drop.
If this list were specifically ranking the most influential anime openings,
then "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" from "Neon Genesis Evangelion" would probably clinch
the top spot. Performed by Yoko Takahashi, the song is sung from the perspective of a
maternal figure inspiring a young boy to "become a legend." An uplifting contrast
to a show that would soon prove itself to be extremely dark and heavy, "A Cruel Angel's
Thesis" exploded in popularity even beyond the massive success of "Evangelion" itself — it
was the single most popular karaoke song of Japan's Heisei era, according to Crunchyroll.
The opening sequence's visuals have proven just as iconic as the music. "Evangelion"
might have gone through some significant changes over the course of its production,
but the opening's rapid montage of images, title cards, and symbolism is packed with foreshadowing
that pays off at the end of the series. It's probably the ideal of what people think of as
an "anime opening," and it's been lovingly parodied on numerous occasions as a result.
Three, two, one, let's jam. Yoko Kanno is perhaps the greatest composer to have ever worked in
anime — her themes for "Vision of Escaflowne" and "Wolf's Rain" were both under consideration
for this list. What was never in question, however, was that "Tank!," the iconic opening
to Shinichiro Watanabe's beloved sci-fi Western "Cowboy Bebop," was certain to be number one.
Though "Tank!" and "Cowboy Bebop" as a whole took clear inspiration from "Lupin III," they have
always stood out from the general popular trends in anime. The incredible big band jazz tune makes
for one of the coolest sequences in anime history — even if Jet isn't the biggest fan of the genre.
"I thought you like jazz.”
"Don't be dense. I started wailing the blues when the
doctor whacked my bottom on the day I was born."
This highly influential opening theme was many years in the making,
as Kanno explained during an interview with Red Bull Music Academy. She elaborated —
"The seeds for that score were sown in middle school and high school when I was a member of
the brass band [...] I wanted to play brass music that shook your soul, made your blood boil,
and made you lose it. [...] I wanted to make music which would light a fire in me when I played it."
That fire caught hold of countless anime fans across the world,
and it still burns brightly to this day.