I agree with a lot of what was said in this post, although it’s much less important for me that an opening give an idea of the characters of the world. Mushishi is a favorite opening of mine because it gave time to calm down and mentally get into the state proper for watching that show. Like Guff mentioned, it’s the feel rather than the content. For Kemonozume, I want my brain to be prepared for the bizarre style and the crazy/fun attitude prevalent throughout. For Cowboy Bebop, I want to slide on my ‘cool’ shades and get back in touch with the crew. For Trigun, I want to be out there diving for sandwiches through a hail of gunfire. For Turn A Gundam, I… Wait, nevermind.
Yikes.

Interesting topic, though. I’d never really given it thought before, and now i’ll be paying attention. I love this blog, by the way! I found it by chance, but i’m going to be reading through it pretty often now. You’re both fantastic writers with a lot of interesting thoughts!

Cheers-
Eye

PS- I’d like to add, after some retrospection, that music is crucial for me. Some of my favorite openings are based almost purely on song choice- Gunslinger Girl’s “Light Before we Land” is so darn pretty I picked up the (otherwise disappointing ) CD, and Ergo Proxy’s “Kiri” is what ultimately motivated me to watch past the third episode and get into the series.

Dude, do you work at Sunrise?

Also, Cowboy Bebop was made 10 years ago. Things can go awry in that amount of time. And they have.

In addition, Shinchiro Watanabe was the mastermind behind Bebop. It was his influence that made the show so excellent. Yoko Kanno did the soundtrack; it is her handiwork that is admirable, not the studio itself.

All in all You just make yourselves look foolish and showcase ignorance the more you pointlessly bash Sunrise. You do yourself little favour with all your blatant bias.

I don’t have a clear idea as to what an op is trying to achieve beyond encouraging the viewer to watch more…at lot of stuff I watch is based off reviews and whatnot so an opening theme isn’t going to sway my opinion at all. As for op themes that I really enjoy…

Satoshi Kon
Any of them. Paranoia Agent sticks in my mind for all that talk of mushroom clouds and tsunamis behind those laughing faces, but all of his stuff is really energetic and gives the idea of “forget what you’re expecting. Whatever it is, this is going to surprise you.” I guess Kon’s op themes just prepare you to expect the unexpected.

Ergo Proxy
I love the art style and I loved the song enough to preorder the CD by Monoral that it appears on.

Mushishi
I know I’m appealing to the Mushishi lurve that this blog’s founded on, but that op sequence is interesting because it tells you NOTHING about the show itself. It’s just thoughtful and relaxing, getting you into the appropriate mood.

Speed Grapher
To my mind, on of the coolest ever. I’m referring to the original of course - Shutter Speed is a decent DVD substitute and all but the Duran Duran tune is not only appropriate lyrically, but it captures that trashy and decadent vibe of the 80s that’s shared by the show. It oozes style and it’s a crying shame the DVD couldn’t retain it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc_jDEvGC7s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_1PssU1a9U

A good relation between the animation and song is a must for a good OP.

That said, I agree that a catchy theme song goes a long way, but it really should be complemented by strong visuals; for example GITS SAC’s OP, with music written by Yoko Kanno.

I’m with 0rion that a good OP to me is first and foremost, whether it makes me watch it every time I watch an ep or if I just skip it totally. That usually means the song itself along with the accompanying animation. Other criteria such as subtle hints, hidden clues, etc are secondary. Those helps to differentiate between a good OP and a great OP, but having those alone without the first two makes it a bad OP regardless in my book.

The OP is also a mood setter IMO. It gets you in the right frame of mind for the show itself. Lucky Star and Minami-ke’s op gets you ready for some lighthearted fun, Azumanga’s OP prepares you for some really insane and nonsensical ride while Gundam Seed (especially the first and the 3rd OP) gets you pumping up.

Among those I’ve mentioned, what made Gundam Seed’s OP an even greater one was they’re always full of hidden clues of what’s happening and what’s going to happen but unlike Bouken Deshou Deshou, it’s possible to interpret some, if not most of its meaning. I remember playing through the OP numerous times whenever a new one appeared, hoping to pick up hints.

Not forgetting Utawarerumono, where they actually sneaked in a single frame, lasting a mere second, revealing the truth behind Hakuoro’s past.

But again, if the song and animation wasn’t good in the first place, I wouldn’t had bothered with everything else.