What Makes A Good Anime OP?
Posted by 0rion on January 6th, 2008 - 11:00 pm
Steven Den Beste made an interesting comment last week in response to our choice of Lucky Star for OP of the Year in our Best of 2007 Anime Awards, and it really set me thinking. I know which OPs I like and don’t like, of course, but I had never really stopped to consider what criteria I use to judge that.
Steven’s comment help illustrate that while we hold most of the same criteria on what makes a good OP, we disagree on how important each of those criteria are. From his comment:
“I suspect a lot of the difference of opinion is in what we view the purpose of an OP to be.
For a lot of people, it should be an AMV. That’s what the Lucky Star OP is. Myself, I think it should be an advertisement for the series. It needs to be fun to watch, and to have catchy music, but more important than those things is that it needs to introduce me to most of the major characters and give me some idea of what they’re like, and what their relationships are like. (But it shouldn’t give away spoilers, of course.)”
…
The Potemayo OP does show us those kinds of things, too. For instance, it shows Mikan trying to get close to Sunao and being chased away by Potemayo. It shows Guchuko bouncing on top of Potemayo, and Potemayo getting mad. We get to see Guchuko’s laser beams. Lots of relevant stuff packed into there.
The Lucky Star OP doesn’t do any of that. You can’t tell from it that Konata is an otaku, that Tsukasa is a wimp, and Kagami is strong and sane.
(Emphasis mine)
For the most part I agree with his criteria; the key difference between us is where we prioritize them. For Steven, the most important objective of the opening is to introduce the show, to give the viewer a quick montage-style synopsis of the characters, their relationships, and the setting.
For me, however, the music itself is the most important aspect by far. If I don’t like the song, I won’t like the OP / ED either and will probably skip it every time, end of story. I look for a song that’s interesting and catchy and will get me excited about the show, as well as something that I can listen to and enjoy on its own merits. That’s one reason why, despite being a great opening animation sequence overall, Potemayo’s OP didn’t make our list of “the best” - the song itself was somewhat irritating (in our opinion). While it complemented the opening montage nicely, it’s not the sort of thing I would ever listen to by itself.
While introducing the plot can be interesting, I think the music itself is far more important than trying to establish the story, characters, setting, etc. If the song is bothersome, regardless of how well it exposits the story, I’m not going to sit through it 26 times. Whereas with Lucky Star, I could quite easily enjoy the opening one episode after another.
Additionally, I don’t feel an OP really needs to serve as an advertisement device for a given series. There are a multitude of other methods by which to advertise a series. Personally, I watch most new anime series based on the recommendations of others, or because one of my preferred animation studios, directors, or animators is handling it. The OP of a show does very little to inspire my interest in it. Chances are, if I’m watching the OP my curiosity in the show is already piqued.
After music, the entertainment value of the montage is the next most important thing on my list. While I certainly do like it when an OP concisely introduces the cast and setting, it’s not really necessary, in my opinion, and in some cases can be detrimental (spoiler openings).
In fact, I’m actually quite fond of “cool” OPs that have little to do with the show, but are fun to watch as more or less self-contained music videos. For example, one of my favorite OPs of all time is legendary for having almost nothing in common with the rest of the show, other than the characters themselves - the Magipoka opening:
Another favorite of mine, Mushishi’s OP featured an awesome song… and floating green textures. While the song is wonderfully fitting for the show, it certainly didn’t do much in the way of introducing it, but I love it nevertheless. The opening of American animation Aqua Teen Hunger Force is another great example of an OP that had nothing to do with anything (fighting space aliens, etc), but which was hilarious and memorable.
On the other hand, I do think that the montage of an OP should be somewhat thematically consistent with the narrative of the show. Cowboy Bebop is an excellent example; the bebop jazz anthem Tank! not only matches flawlessly on the musical scale of things but also gives us glimpses of each character and their personalities.
I definitely agree on Mushishi, but that’s a given. Mushishi’s OP features a beautiful ballad sung by Ally Kerr, and though neither Ginko nor the mushi are featured in the opening, the themes of the series are captured perfectly. The lyrics speak of wandering distant lands, and the shapes of green forested landscapes capture the mythical vibe of the story. Honestly, the whole soundtrack for Mushishi is nothing short of brilliant.
Now, all that’s not to say that I totally disagree with Steven’s position, but I have strong misgivings about shows that try to tell the story in miniature through the opening. An OP that illustrates the cast and characters can be a great way to set the tone for the rest of the show, no doubt. Nothing is worse, however, than the dreaded “spoiler opening”, which goes so far in depicting aspects of the characters and plot that it gives away important details.
For lightweight slice-of-life or comedy shows, that kind of opening is generally fine, capturing the spirit of the show. For more dramatic shows, however, it can really ruin the pacing of the narrative. Stories are carefully crafted to introduce each character in a specific way and at a specific time, and to unveil the progression of the plot in a painstakingly planning manner (well OK not Sunrise, but you get the point). As much as I love Gurren Lagann’s Sora Iro Days, I don’t care for it as an OP because it gives away the direction the plot will take right from the very beginning.
Now Haruhi’s Bouken Deshou Deshou opening, on the other hand, is a perfect example of an OP done right. It introduces all the major characters and portrays key elements of their personality, but does it without giving away any of the plot. There’s lots of symbolism that becomes apparent after viewing the series, but to someone watching for the first time, it won’t be obvious.
For example, in the Haruhi OP, at 44 seconds there’s a shot of a knife, followed by another shot of a book hitting the ground. To someone who hasn’t seen the series, this won’t mean much of anything and won’t give anything away. Those who have watched the show, however, will immediately recognize the knife as Ryoko’s, with the falling book implying Nagato sensing the danger and rushing to rescue Kyon.
Ideally, a solid OP should be comprised of engaging music, good cinematography, succinct character representation, and perhaps an inkling of the overall story. Samurai Champloo’s Battlecry is another example of an opening that hits all the right notes. The music matches the renegade ronin personality of the narrative, and the montage illustrates both the setting and the main characters sublimely while not giving any key elements about the plot.
For me, the bottom line for a good OP is this: it captures the spirit of the story. It resonates with you the same way looking at a good photograph makes you remember an experience. As far as I’m concerned, an OP should conjure up fondness for a series, whether it’s ongoing or complete; a small musical movement in the greater opus of the series.
So essentially, our consensus on what makes a good OP seem to be as follows:
1. It needs to have an awesome song, one that can stand on its own merits.
2. It should look cool and be fun to watch.
3. In plot-driven series, it should show as little as possible of as yet unrevealed characters or plot points.
4. If possible, it should highlight the characters and setting, but preferably not at the cost of any of the above points.
What are your criteria for liking or disliking certain types of OPs?
Another good example of a great OP is Minami Ke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWQ-uCOlL4I
I probably emphasise Criteria 1 and 2. After all, I like Sunrise so I’m used to being informed of all the major plot events twenty episodes before they happen by the OP.
In fact, instead of rewatching Gundam SEED, one can simply take the time-saving alternative of watching all of its openings back-to-back.
Are you going to do another entry on what makes a good AMV? That would be interesting reading too.
I like OPs that try to be something different. Incidentally, one of my favourite ones is the one from Narutaru:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SIF5BLyh3Mk
Ops are like other aspects of genre series: there are certain expectations. This means that even small departures from a standard format can speak volumes. I certainly applaud openings that are more artistic or take chances (like Honey & Clover). But expectations also make it easy to parody an opening, as has been seen recently with Genshiken 2.
Most openings are quite generic in their presentation of characters. They do the basic job. Some can even be misleading. Think of Shana 2, where too many action-packed op sequences were followed by slow moving love quadrangle stuff. It’s like false advertising, or adding insult to injury.
The Lucky Star OP was good because it told you this would be a lighthearted show about moe girls, and guess what, it was. Also, Japanese audiences are often familiar with the content beforehand. They know Konata is an otaku from reading the manga. They also know that it’s KyoAni. They know Haruhi had a dance, and now they see a new dance, which subtly tells them that this, too, is an otaku-oriented production.
But next the studio makes Clannad with an op with very traditional elements, even presenting each girl with her name and then systematically going through the other characters. Here they are declaring an otaku-focus, but in a different way.
Music is important, perhaps equally with the visuals. The song should remain with you and make make you think of the show and characters, or at least its mood, when you hear it elsewhere or think of it.
And mood is the most important element. More than going through each character, or having a song that can stand on its own. The OP must emotionally prepare us for what is to come each time that we watch.
I think Lucky Star OP also creates a “WTF Factor” as well. It’s so weird that people can’t help but checking the show out, just to see what’s it about.
Another one I really like is Moyashimon’s OP, it’s cute, relevant and eye-catching, not to mention a nice tune.
First, a quick response here to Author’s recent entry commenting on this post, since he’s an evil troll and turns off comments on his site…
This is missing the point. The OP should be an integral and enjoyable part of the show. A good OP is one that I’m more than happy to watch every time I watch the show, one that’s fun and gets me in the mood for the show.
If I’m immediately skipping 1:30 into the episode every time, something’s wrong.
Although perhaps I’ve misunderstood your point… feel free to further clarify. Also - “…our Castor and Pollux…” - that would be Gemini, I’m one constellation over.
LOL. Good point, I had not thought of this important aspect of anime OPs. They can be used as Cliff’s Notes for the series, thus obviating the need to go back and rewatch! Brilliant!
Well said! Definitely a good OP becomes one of the trademarks of the series, something that reminds you of the show when you hear it. In that sense, much like an advertising jingle, it becomes a powerful branding tool. I agree with your point about mood as well, but as I talked about in the post, the music is still critically important… a bad song is not going to put me in the mood to watch the show.
Also great points about how the Lucky Star OP is relevant to the show, despite (or perhaps because of) its zaniness. (b^_^)b
Yay Curriculum!! \o/~♪
Another great example of an OP done right.
I think those are fine ground rules. Now we’ll need to address what categories apply. An action series has to do things markedly different than a comedy, and what about artsy or experimental productions? Champloo clearly falls under this in many ways, which is perhaps why it works so well with hip-hop.
“In fact, I’m actually quite fond of “cool” OPs that have little to do with the show, but are fun to watch as more or less self-contained music videos.”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=97j86qH91Nk
http://youtube.com/watch?v=M6GNLXqh53Y
YES.
Music is probably the most important factor for me. If I can’t tolerate the song (I don’t even have to like it), despite the visuals, chances are I’ll most likely skip the sequences.
The OP has to entertain me in someway, either visually or aurally, and I don’t really have much criteria for that other than the song has to work for me. It makes things simple. :3
I’d agree with you in that the music is the most important thing, hands down, if only because I like getting down with my weeaboo self in the car with my anisongs. Or, more rationally, because you have to listen to the thing 12+ times - either I like the song/OP and watch through it or spend the 1:30 multitasking. XD
I haven’t really determined what kind of music worked; I’m partial to rock songs like Myself;Yourself’s Tears Infection, and to slow, melodic songs like Kanon’s Last Regrets, but even random J-poppy stuff like Minami-ke’s or Shugo Chara’s OP song are embarassingly catchy. I suppose it boils down to one of the rules you hinted at somewhere that it has to fit with the feel of the show.
As for the visuals, I enjoy ones like Haruhi’s or AIR’s, the ones that have subtle jabs at plot elements, so by the time the final episode rolls around you can look at the sequence and go “It all makes sense now!”. It’s kind of a mini-puzzle on its own.
I wonder, though, why EDs rarely get any attention - unless this is a quirk of mine. I tend to skip the ED and head straight to the preview unless the song is really catchy. (Because I enjoy getting myself killed, yes, I skipped Dango Daikazoku) Maybe because there doesn’t tend to be a lot of effort put into the ED visuals, I’d assume.
i dont think you can give qualifications to what makes a good OP. youre basically standardizing the OP making process if you do that. if every single one shows off each character’s personality, and has a catchy j-pop tune, and its plot driven describing obscure events from the story you get a standard pre-packaged OP which doesnt stand out. i think the most memorable OPs are those that stick out when you first see them as something interesting. they catch your attention with music or video or even artistically. i think the MAIN point of an OP is to have every element work well in colaboration together.
some examples from some of my favorite animes (whether you agree with the actual anime or not):
FLCL OP.
i know this anime is love or hate. people either absolutely LOVE it and others hate that a lot of people love it so much though they dont hate it completely themselves. either way you cant deny that if youve seen the OP with a catchy song by the Pillows (that english speaking people can get the basic gist of without subtitles) you watch the little scooter wondering what the hell its there for. obscurity and mystery obviously envoke curiosity. whether you find the yellow vespa entertaining or not you cant deny that youve seen it and you will never forget it, unlike various prepackaged drama or slice-o-life animes. we get it already: japanese girls like to sing and dance, and everyone in a dramatic anime is thoughtful or sad.
another good one is the OP to Last Exile.
again whether you love or hate the show to me its memorable because of the song/animation compatibility. the fact that the animation is absolutely spectacular in my opinion makes me want to watch the OP. couple it with music that fits the mood and you have yourself another OP that i can watch over and over. you cant deny that when clous is standing up high looking down on the city and the birds fly by with the camera circling it leaves an impression. other parts i will never forget are alvis standing in the open doorway of the airship as a blizzard rages outside and the soldiers aiming their guns at each other across the open skies. its a really powerful OP that doesnt exactly fit all of your criteria. its still an absolutely beautiful example of a memorable OP.
the final OP i will cite just to show that your criteria does work is the OP for Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad.
though a lot of people dont care for this anime it really is an aquired taste i guess. the animation isnt up to everyones standards and the anime is unique and not the same slice-o-life, random love dramas, or action (we get it the bad guy did it) mecha wars. the song is catchy, it shows off the characters and setting, it looks cool and is fun to watch with all of them singing along to the song (it could easily be a music video for a real band if it wasnt drawn), and it shows off some of the prominent parts of the show without giving away anything. i mean come one: “I WAS MADE TO HIT IN AMERICA!!!” anything you can downright sing along to is a HUGE plus.
to sum everything up an OP should be UNIQUE and have a GOOD SONG above all other factors. do you remember animes that are the same old crap everyone is doing? then how will you remember OPs that are all exactly the same. i mean when i saw the Lucky Star OP i could tell exactly what kind of anime it was but it was still unique and made me want to watch the show. it didnt look like it was going to be the same slice-o-life ive seen many times before. why does everyone love the Bebop OP? its obvious…who has ever heard a crazy song like that before as an OP with such great timing. it was something completely different than what we were used to. Haruhi was a unique show with a unique OP (not to mention it stemmed a hilarious dance craze), FLCL while being just downright incredible has a catchy OP song thats completely singable and god knows you will forever remember it when you see a yellow vespa, Last Exile is just visually stunning and the song matches every change of scene perfectly. you remember the different more than you remember the same old thing. i mean if Gurren Lagann had ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWAH as an OP youd probably think that was a great OP too.
One of the very best OPs I’ve seen is the one to “Petite Princess Yucie”. I like the music, and it has a lot of energy, but it also does do a good job of presenting the main characters and their relationships. We get to see Glenda’s broom and Elmina’s wings. We get to see Glenda and Yucie growling at each other while Cocoloo watches, worried. We get to see Beth apart from the others. Cube is in it, Yucie’s dad and his cooking are in it. The part time jobs are in it. The castle is in it.
And it doesn’t give away spoilers. Arc is in it, but all we see is his face when he’s wearing his traveling clothes. It doesn’t tell us anything at all about who he is.
For me the alltime worst OP is “Divergence Eve: Misaki Chronicles”, a series I love and strongly recommend (but only after you’ve watched “Divergence Eve”, which I also strongly recommend). The OP music is uninspired, but what’s worse is that what we see is totally deceptive. It has almost nothing to do with the series. There are images from the series mixed into it, but in such a way as to totally distort their true meaning. From the OP you’d come to the conclusion that Misaki is a party girl living in contemporary Japan, not a military officer in the 25th century fighting against an alien menace.
I hafta side with SDB on this. The purpose of an intro is to make people want to watch the whole thing. To this end, introducing major characters and/or themes with a song that appropriately sets the tone is “traditional”. And, if you think of broadcast TV as the primary delivery medium, this still makes excellent sense today.
However, for many of us, broadcast TV is not where we get our fix anymore. We’re not surfing at the top of the hour or half hour, looking for something that catches our eyes; we’re deliberately watching something that we have likely seen a considerable amount of information for, including stills and probably even video. Heck, AMVs have gotten me into many of the series that I’ve ever watched.
Therefore, with the traditional purpose of the intro in decline, and a glut of series out there competing for attention, it would make sense for some creators to get more creative with the intro. Doesn’t mean they’re fulfilling the original purpose of the OP… but maybe it meets more with what they see the new purpose as. When you get to that point, maybe the whole issue of “best” or “most effective” OP becomes about as important as judging AMVs. I don’t know.
That said, I still hold a strong sentimental attachment to the traditional notion that dadgummit, the intro tells you kinda what the story’s gonna be like, and who’s gonna be in it. I’d like to call out attention to GitS:SAC2 as an excellent example of this, in both animation and lyrics. You meet the major characters, get a feel for them, and see something of what the series is going to be about, without any actual spoilers involved.
The purpose of the OP is to reduce the amount of animation work for the series by something like 10%. You can spend a lot of time making nice OP visuals, giving you good-looking shots to put in advertising materials, and still come out way ahead by the end of a twenty-six episode series.
Having a theme song is very good for marketing purposes too. And it’s a profitable business in its own right - that Lucky Star OP blew the doors off when its single was released, anime-market-speaking.
There’s obviously different schools of thought when it comes to the opening visuals. Most popular is the montage, where you get shots of the male and female lead doing something exciting/endearing, and quick little cameo shots of all the other characters, with the villain popping up somewhere or other in there. As weird as the Lucky Star OP is, that’s exactly what it’s doing.
Then there’s everything else. There’s damned few shows that don’t go with the montage-type opening, and most of the ones that don’t have a pretty lame OP. Couldn’t stand the Crest of the Stars OP, for example, and I kind of like the whole swirling galaxy thing. It can work, though - the Golden Boy OP, for example, looks more like something for Initial D with bikes than for the perv-fest that follows.
I generally come to enjoy a lot of OP songs, even if it doesn’t hook me initially, but I’m a special case of sorts - I have to watch them over and over. When I’m watching casually, if the song doesn’t grab me, I don’t bother watching it more than once or twice, and that’s all there is to it.
I pose a question to everyone. Has anyone else heard the second verse of the Sore Feet Song? Man, the first verse fits Mushishi so well, but the second….Its just freaking hysterical.
Now, I think a good OP depends on the show. For example, it is the shoujo and slice of life series that require the “trailer” style. Its good to see some brief concepts of how the characters interact, who is what, and so forth. really, Lucky Star does this, but in a very wide way. It doesn’t encapsulate the characters, it runs the whole SHOW. Basically, when you watch the openign, you realize “Prepare for randomness whiplash.”
Minami-Ke, on the other hand, runs a fairly good actual “trailer” style. You get a good feel for at least half the cast in it, without it not being fun.
Now, your shonen, mecha, and other actiony shows, require an opening that revs you up, usually. My favorite there is Busou Renkin’s Makka no Chikai. It shows a lot of the characters, though mostly in basic splash shots and action sequences. But in the place of pure trailer, it is instead just plain FUN. Fast, energetic, and exciting, it really draws you to it.
But another opening that shows NOTHING but is PERFECT…is Gankutsuou. But i base that one almost entirel yon the music. Sure, the singer has some problems of tone, but the song itself is absolutely beautiful, despite the visuals being entirely semi abstract still art paintings that only hint at what is what. One of my favorite openings ever.
And lest I forget some other favorite openings of mine, these ones are mostly based on tone. Higurashi’s first and second openings. They are semi abstract trailer types. Both of them overload with strange and surreal imagery focused on the character. It makes it very hard to determine who is what, but it draws you in almost horribly. Whether the spine tingling evil sound of the first OP, or the more desperate tones of Naraku no Hana.
And last of all, one of my new favorites. “Mirai wa Bokura no Te no Naka”, the opening of Kaiji. One of the best punkish songs ever. The opening is almost useless. All, ALL it shows is Kaiji himself. It shows you what he is, who he is, but it hardly hints as to what he is facing. But it is AMAZING. It has this wonderful rebel spirit and rock sound that just caught me from the first notes. And this was a show that originally, I decided to watch on a whim, not sure if it COULD be any good.
The basic argument of music vs visual isnt wrong. If an anime has an idiotic song, a cool visual will NOT save it. The fierce generics of Emonaut, i mean Dragonaut, cover its own troubles quite nicely, but not that im saying the video is cool. The opening is entirely forgettable, which didn’t say much for the show until it became insanely funny.
Dub openings fall into this trouble usually too. They dumb down the sound into either a “Gilligan’s Island” in which they think they need to summarize the show, or into just white noise (the SECOND english opening to DBZ comes to mind. it was just loud.). This rarely works, because they dont put the effort into either being catchy, or fun, so of course people get mad about it.
Frankely, if I like the song, I’ll at least enjoy the opening, although it doesn’t guarentee a constant watching. But I have a bit of a music ear, so that’s just my own leaning.
Actually, I agree with SDB that an OP should be an advertisement for the show. Not all marketing is official and it’s easy for fans to simply refer people to the OP and let the show sell itself. However, I agree with Epic Win in that I believe the best way to accomplish this is to become more like an AMV.
Unquestionably, most important is the music. If it’s irritating, overly repetitive or simply dull to the ear, it’s no good. How skippable the OP is during episode watching is a nice informal measure for this. It may stand on other theoretical “artistic” measures, but it’s not going to be considered a great OP by most viewers.
Granted, this may push OPs as a whole to follow a montage formula, which can be stifling. But as Avatar noted, those that deviate find it a lot easier to screw up. While “boring”, I would insist the montage formula exists for a good reason.
From last year alone, I’d nominate Baccano! and Dennou Coil as having the two most memorable OPs. The first because it’s as exuberant and wild as the show itself, and not only clues you into the fact that you’ll be watching something fast-moving, complex and fun but gives you lots of information about the characters and their relationships in a very economic way. The second because it’s set to a beautiful tune that really matches the tone of the show it introduces, as do the visuals - peaceful and harmonious, but with dark and threatening elements under the surface.
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei has the most distinctive opening of all (from episodes 3-9, that is) but that has more to do with shock value and a kickass song than any of the criteria Orion mentions.
[…] the OP discussions, I’m still too hammered from the flu (or whatever) to put together a coherent discussion […]
Quite honestly, I’d have to say that the Ghost in the Shell 2nd Gig OP was the best I’ve seen. Not only did it introduce most of the characters, it set a kind of atmosphere that echoed what the series would be pretty much talking about, even though it (the OP) didn’t really delve into what the characters were like. I think it’s pretty similar to how the Mushishi OP is great; as it sets the mood (the idyllic state of the song echoes the rather pedestrian pace of the show).
To me, atmosphere, and the general feel of the OP is everything.
There are two types of OPs Iike, ones with a good song or animation, or ones that are memorable. I personally don’t like stereotypical j-pop anime songs with high pitched vocals, but there are many exceptions as many of these songs have catchy animation sequence. (I prefer the subdued piano songs with smooth vocals, but those are more suited for closers).
OPs I like are the ones that have a lot of energy and get you pumped up to watch the show. Usually I like watching openings, but if I’m really looking forward to the next episode, I’ll skip it just because the suspense is killing me.
I think one of my favorite openings was RahXephon’s Hemisphere. Although I haven’t seen that series in ages, it was the one rare openings that watches almost every episode.
IMHO, RahXephon was one of those cases where the OP was superior to the actual series… watching the OP, you could imagine that something really neat was going on.
@ Curbside
Excellent observation about FLCL. I would most assuredly fall into the “absolutely love it,” category. The Pillows are such a fun and enjoyable band; the FLCL soundtrack (Addict) only furthers the excellence of the show. In fact, I think their contriubtion to the series was just as instrumental as Yoko Kanno’s work with Cowboy Bebop. Additionally, the ending theme from FLCL is irrevocably epic: a unique amalgamation of live action stills, montages, and Haruko cosplay. Yes, ride on shooting star.
@ Big D
I must concur with your comment on Ghost In the Shell S.A.C. 2nd gig-that opening is just breathtaking; every element in the OP comes together so well. The characters are introduced seamlessly with the music; their motivations are elucidated without giving too much away about the plot.
@ Avatar
Well played on the Lucky Star comment good sir. The scathing irony of the frenetic paced highly energetic opening compared to the very ordinary, everyday humor within the show was just brilliant. It’s like having Rage Against the Machine open for a golf tournament.
@ Dio Bravo
Yes! The second verse from the Sore Feet Song (Mushishi OP) is hilarious. I can’t really imagine Ginko killing off giant bears though…
Also, I definitely agree that Kaiji’s OP is amazing. The punk bravado of the song is so palpable and resonates so perfectly with Kaiji’s character. The pairing of the song and the story is just flawless.
@ A Transfer
Bure Bure Bure…that opening was so great; though I do agree it had more to do with the high concentrations of rock contained within the song rather than the montage with its random bizarre images.
Oh, how did I forget, Planetes OP! Not only that it captured the theme of the series quite well, it’s even updated as the show progresses.
[…] coincidentally, I came across a post by 0rion over at Epic Win which discusses something very relevant, which is: what makes a good anime […]
What a great OP debate we have here
Makes me wanna throw in my half cent as well.
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.
Can I do some shameless self advertisement and say the OP for Freedom Project’s fantastic ? Granted it wasn’t actually done by Sunrise but by the talented folks from Kamikaze Douga.
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.
And don’t forget the epic openings from the Ghost in the Shell movies with music by Kenji Kawai!
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.
Yikes, left it a bit too long before replying…
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.
[…] song and awesome accompanying animation. As we discussed recently, this is another great example of an OP done right, exemplifying the character of the series and creating the perfect vibe to psyche you up for the […]
You are aware that Cowboy Bebop is a Sunrise show which you said had a great opening and that casually introduces the characters and then you go onto say that Sunrise series don’t do such things and act like they don’t have painstakingly crafted plots, WHEN YOU JUST DAMN WELL USED ONE OF THEIR’S AS AN EXAMPLE THAT DID! If you’re going to use Cowboy Bebop for an example in highlighting anything positive than stop generalizing concerning Sunrise and what you hold to be consistently poor planning by the studio. In fact you just described the essence of Sunrise openings for how you panned their efforts inside the article.
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.
@ Kaoishin Sama
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.
I’d like to throw in that the “bondage” opening to Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is one of my favorites of all time, despite (or maybe because of?) it’s misleading nature. Not to mention the fantastic textures and really provocative, interesting imagery. It’s not every day you see your protagonist centered naked in the spiral of his own umbilical chord and an underage girl as a pregnant Hindu goddess. :p
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.