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Old 08-31-2012, 04:47 PM   #26
tau
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My favorite anime opening (from my favorite anime no less) is the opening to Last Exile. I'm not crazy about the music used for it, which is rare for me since I love the music and sound direction in the show overall, but on a purely visual and aesthetic level it's amazing.

It does a good job of getting you sucked into the world, and leaving this sense of mystery over it all that gets explained in the show itself. Seeing those old-timey steampunk cities and towns, the (I think) beautiful animation done for the sky/flying scenes, it just was very visually impressive to me when I first saw it, and still is today.
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Old 09-02-2012, 05:58 PM   #27
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Well, I said I'd post this when Talon finished Ouran, so here it is. I didn't think to include it originally since it's not the official ED to the series, but technically I think it was used as a special ED for the final episode on the DVDs. Either way it's probably one of, if not my favorite song(s) of all time. Listened to it incessantly when I first heard it, and was proud to have it at the top of my "Most Played" list. <3 (In fact I listened to it repeatedly when I first got iTunes in order to make up for all the times missed. XP ^^; )

BORKED

It's not complete without understanding the simple but bittersweet lyrics (which I memorized completely once, and can still recite most of them by heart). Like the show and characters themselves, they never fail to bring a smile to my face. =)

Spoiler: show
Not to mention the song echoes the sentiment of the finale. Even though I eventually moved Ouran from my laptop, knowing the Host Club will "always be waiting" for me, should I ever wish to see them again, makes my heart feel warm and welcome. <3


In fact, listening to it again inspired me to move the episodes back from storage since I had some space. \o/ Nostalgic Ouran stream soon? I think so.

See you tomorrow, all my friends~

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Old 11-19-2012, 08:35 PM   #28
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Two OPs to share tonight, one old, one new (relative to when I last posted).

Fate/Zero OP 2 "To the beginning": (Vimeo, raw)
This should come as no surprise. Though actually, what may surprise you is that I don't feel that the first half of the song or the visuals are quite up to snuff to dethrone any of the five I listed last year. However, once the video segues at 0m51s into its chorus, that's when this song explodes into melancholic and epic awesomeness. The lyrics alone are just ... HRNNNNNNGH. Then coupled with that are the visuals of Kiritsugu drowning in a sea of despair and having hallucinations of

Spoiler: show
his wife's ghost hugging him and snuggling his cheek with hers

... it's just ridiculously powerful stuff. If the rest of the opening were as incredible as the chorus bit, it would certainly be one of the best OPs of all time. As it is, it's still a solid OP which I looked forward to watching each week a new episode of Fate/Zero aired.

MoshiDora "Yume Note": (YouTube (left-right inverted)
I could've sworn that I watched MoshiDora with Yuki, that we discussed it weekly, and that there was a thread for this series on UPN. She denies all of it and sure enough there's barely any evidence of me mentioning the series by name at all. Unbelievable. Well, the series itself was an okay one -- it was dear and touching but at the same time it didn't take any risks so it felt very mundane at times -- but aside from gifting us with one of the longest titles in the history of anime, Moshi Koukou Yakyuu no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no "Management" wo Yondara or "What if a Girl Manager of a High School Baseball Team Read Drucker's 'Management'", MoshiDora also gifted us with one of the bittersweetest OP songs of the past two years. Honestly, I can't sing this simple song's praises enough. Whoever composed it had an excellent appreciation for how to move from the melancholic and wistful to the optimistic, hopeful, and happy. The song artfully dances between these highs and lows, accurately reflecting the emotional rollercoaster ride that MoshiDora is. And the way the song ends is just this perfect mix of the two poles. Is it sad and regretful? Is it contented and bright-eyed? It feels like it's both at once.
If you too can can hear the dream note* of my dream note**
then let us soar in this same great blue sky~

Each small step
down this long road we must now travel
is one step out of how many?
Slowly, slowly, but surely we're moving forward.

When you don't know the answer
and you can't find the formula either,
go back to the first page!

If you too can can hear the dream note* of my dream note**
then let us soar in this same great blue sky!
I'll fill the pages of my dream note** with countless dreams,
fold [them into] paper airplanes, and then let's send them into the sky together.

*note as in sound
**note as shorthand for notebook
- my translation of the op lyrics to the anime
Even the final words are remarkably ambiguous as to whether what the singer is singing about is a good thing or a bad thing, something she is thinking of happily or sorrowfully. And there's something else which is really quite powerful about this song's lyrics in the context of the anime it was written for: who is the singer? There are two possibilities, Minami (the main character) and Yuuki (her best friend). It's hard to say and there are arguments in favor of both interpretations. But this is one more reason I think the song is so good despite its superficial simplicity.

In any event, while I may love the song, the visuals are plenty weak enough to keep this one out of the Top 5. ^^; They're not bad ... but they're nothing particularly special either. The best part for me with the visuals in the OP is 1) the part with the bridge when we see flower debris gently falling from above while we're shown the interior of the classroom, 2) the part where we swing back into the chorus with the camera zooming towards Minami from behind with a quick glimpse of Drucker's "Management" clutched tightly in her hands beforehand, and 3) the final image of the keychain rabbits. Aside from that, the visuals are just as unassuming and plain as the story itself. They're quaint. Not bad, but nothing that's going to make you want to give them the gold medal for OP awesomeness either. Still, I have listened to this song so much over the past year and a half that it would be criminal of me to not give this OP a nod.

Okay, I know I said "two OPs" up top but I figured while I was here I should go ahead and give a shoutout to this season's OP and ED which I most enjoy. So here they are.

Sword Art Online ED 2 "Overfly": (Vimeo, raw)
This one is pretty much in the same boat as the other two. Really love the song but the visuals leave a bit to be desired. They do an adequate job but adequacy isn't the name of the Top 5 game. Still, I could listen to this woman sing more songs like this all day long. Gorgeous.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OP 1 "JoJo ~ Sono Chi no Sadame": (Vimeo, raw)
This is probably the best OP or ED of the season in my opinion. Doppel seems to be devestated by the garish 3DCG used to model JoJo and Dio, and while I'm not a fan of how the CGness of those two characters stands out either, I absolutely love the art direction with this one. Whoever thought "What if we did an an anime opening that looked like the manga come to life?" did one thing, but whoever then took that vision and actually brought it to life on film did quite another. The thing looks gorgeous. It is a true testimony to the epicness of the manga. It doesn't hurt that the song is pretty fucking awesome with a big James Bond feel. (It's gotta be all that brass! )

Last edited by Talon87; 11-19-2012 at 08:41 PM.
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Old 01-03-2013, 02:12 AM   #29
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I figured it was about time I did a little "best opening/ending of the year" thing. I was going to a few days ago, but posting isn't reading Rewrite, so yeah.

Best anime opening 2012:

3: Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita - This opening is so god damn catchy. I love the energy and cheerfulness in this opening.

2: Tsuritama - This opening is so god damn awesome. I had a hard time choosing between this and the Shimashita opening, but this has a little more meaning to it, instead of just being catchy. Also the dance is better than the Shimashita dance.

1: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 1 - YES! So god damn badass, and a great way of representing the first part of this show. This is what shounen openings should be like.

For endings, there aren't many that I remember. Actually I can't think of many I didn't skip. I'll try to think of some.

Best anime ending 2012:

2: Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter - CGI dancing mechs = YES! Though my enjoyment of this is mostly from the fact that I'm into Precure, which this is probably a parody of. It's a shame the show itself is awful.

1: Fate/Zero ending 2 - Aaah, I remember this. That's right, I never skipped this. Actually this is a really nice ending. Sadly I can't find a copy of this on youtube.

Honorable mentions:

Fate/Zero opening 2 - This one is really cool. It would have made the top 3 if it wasn't for the fact that I prefer catchy stuff for openings.

Hyouka opening 1 - I thought this was a really pretty opening.

Kokoro Connect opening 1 - I'm listing this as a bad opening. SO GOD DAMN BORING! It doesn't even feel like it's going anywhere, and even worse is how it just suddenly cuts the song at the end. I didn't like that about the Shimashita opening either, but the Shimashita opening is actually good!

Placeholder - There's another bad opening this year that stands out for me, but I can't quite remember what it is.

I think next will be VNs, since they have openings as well. Though since it takes years for VNs to be translated, I'll just be going by stuff I've read this year instead of released this year. Sadly VN openings are mostly dull. They're mostly just CG/Character sprite slideshows, which can be pretty dull. Also I haven't played many last year, so I don't have much to choose from. Also this will probably sound more like me being biased for my favorite VNs, but it's really not. The VNs I've played and didn't like just happen to have crappy openings too.

Best Visual Novel opening (I've read in) 2012:

3: Hoshizora no Memoria - Honestly, this one isn't even that great. It's not bad of course, but there isn't anything better for number 3 for me.

2: Little Busters - This is a pretty nice "Memories of" opening. It's much better if you've been through the events.

1: Rewrite - This is a CG/Character sprite slideshow with flash! Rewrite has a fully animated opening too, but I don't like the song. This opening is pretty damn cool though.

I'm not going to bother with endings. VN endings are pretty bad. I'll list some when I decide to add best endings overall, but there aren't many good endings from stuff I've read this year.

_______________________________

I forgot to do a best VN opening/ending in my OP post. I've spent way too much time with this post, so I'll do that later.

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Old 01-13-2013, 09:25 PM   #30
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Polar Bear Cafe OP 3 (no link)
This OP is incredible. The song so perfectly fits this series, hearkening back to the theme songs of the children's television programs of your childhood. Can't wait to get this single. Sadly, I can't find it anywhere on YouTube. And even if I could, I'd worry about Yuki and Daisy clicking the link and spoilering themselves on characters they've yet to meet.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OP 2
I quite enjoy this one. It's not as good as OP 1, but at the same time it's different enough from OP 1 to be judged independently ... and I almost feel like it's OP 1's equal when I do that. I really quite like it. Great song, great (if trippy) visuals, just all around a good OP that makes you want to watch the show and know what it's about.

Magi OP 2
Yuki pointed out that this one's by Porno Graffiti. I had seen the name in the credits but hadn't made any sort of connection. "Aren't they the same people who did FMA's first OP? " Ah. Right. Well, I'm not a fan of "Melissa" (the first FMA anime's first OP); but to be honest, this Magi song of theirs is catchy enough, and I enjoy the flavor of their voices enough, that I might consider looking into getting an album or two by these guys. We'll see. But I do quite enjoy this OP.

Puchimas! ED
Short though it is, I quite love this song. Puts a smile on my face and in my heart every time.

Anything else from January is either still too new for me to have warmed up to it or else wouldn't have made the cut anyway. I enjoy Minami-ke Tadaima's OP and ED okay, but neither of them grabs me the way OP1 and ED1 did. They will almost certainly grow on me. Senran Kagura's OP and ED, likewise, seem like they have the potential to grow on me, but there's no immediate magic. Sakurasou's OP2 is nice but I liked OP1 and ED1 more. ED2's song is merely okay, its animation sequence subpar. Maoyuu's songs don't really stand out to me yet, if ever. Polar Bear Cafe's newest ending has an awesome melody but the lyrics are too silly for it to work as a stand-alone song. (Still love it though. )
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Old 01-16-2013, 07:20 PM   #31
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Okay so I just wrote loads about OP's & ED's that I like and accidentally clicked a bookmark and now I'm pissed, so I'll just post my top ten and write about them when I feel like it.

10. Requiem for the Phantom ED2 - Emotional and the imagery is nice
9. Mirai Nikki OP1 - Batshit Crazy, and catchy. Found myself walking to college humming the 'Ein Zwei Drei' part quite a lot
8. Samurai Champloo ED [Shika no Uta] - Really chilled out, I love all of the Samurai Champloo OST
7. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Original OP - Every time I hear this I pull a big gay smile. Should've seen my face after not watching this for years, then seeing the film and hearing the tune come in :')
6. Jormungand OP1 - Catchy Japanese crap with a Drum and Bass twist
5. Baccano OP - I dunno I really like it though
4. Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni OP - What kind of music is this? I love it.
3. Bakemonogatari OP1 - Super simple and nice looking
2. Samurai Champloo Final ED [Midicronica - San Francisco] Love it so much. Makes me think of a lazy summer
1. Requiem for the Phantom OP1 - Beautiful in every possible way and what I would consider a 'Perfect' OP
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Old 01-16-2013, 08:47 PM   #32
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Ah! I completely forgot to do the top VN op/ed thing. I guess I'll do that, since there are some gems in the VN op/ed field.

3: Muv-Luv Alternative - What?! Someone other than Doppel is talking about Muv-Luv?! MADNESS! This opening is kickass. Nothing gets your blood boiling like JAM Project. I don't mean this JAM Project either.

2: Rewrite (already linked in my last post) - Surprisingly this slithered into my top 3 after I played it. Key's OPs are usually pretty good, but I think this took a step beyond them. Eeeehhhh it's hard to rate songs so I can't really describe it that well. This has more intensity I guess?

1: Ef a Fairy Tale of the Two(the actual OP doesn't start until 00:48 ) - It's rare that an animated VN opening is good. From my experience atleast, most of them have a crappy song, or since the VN company doesn't specialize in animating, the animation is lackluster. Ef's opening is a perfect example of an animated VN opening done right. The song is marvelous, the animation is pretty good, and it does a good job of getting you in the mood to play.

For endings....that's kind of difficult. VN endings are mostly just credits with a song playing and some event CGs showing. Also the songs mostly suck. So as of now until I remember correctly, there's only one that I'll list for the endings.

1: Clannad's true ending (WARNING: Major Clannad spoilers. Do not watch unless you've finished the Clannad VN or Afterstory anime) - This ending really got me. After a long LONG journey through Clannad, this ending started. The CG slideshow of the people you've made happy along with the result of that. Also like I've mentioned many times before, I'm a sucker for vocalized character themes, and Nagisa's character theme is one of my favorite.

Honorable mentions: Can't think of any atm. I might edit some in, I might not. Depends on how well my memory works today.
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Old 01-28-2013, 01:59 PM   #33
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Okay. I guess it's official. Since I went and got both the OP and ED albums for Minami-ke Tadaima and since I opened both up immediately to listen to the full-length versions of the OP and ED songs, quite enjoying both, I guess I should probably list these here now. Like I noted last time, neither grabs me the way OP1 and ED1 do. Right now, I would say I enjoy them both at around the same level of enjoyment as OP3. Here's my list:

OP1 > ED1 > ED3 > OP3 = OP4 = ED4 > Betsubara OP > OP2 >> ED2

I don't think either will be able to dethrone ED3 (which is just such a great song coupled with such cute and fun visuals), so this is probably the niche they're going to settle into for the remainder of the season. But we've still got eight or nine episodes to go, plus many a rewatching , so who knows.

Most of the uploads to YouTube are pitch-shifted (blegh), so ... here's OP4 on SoundCloud, and here's ED4 also on SoundCloud. Sorry for the lack of visuals. I know it kinda flies in the face of the purpose of this thread, but I seriously couldn't find copies of the OP or ED that both had the video and didn't have altered audio.

Aside: Chihara Minori amazes me how well she can manage to sing in-character. Every time she handles a Chiaki solo, she sounds just like Chiaki would sound if she were real and singing. Which is impressive when you consider that Chiaki's voice sounds completely different from, say, Nagato Yuki's (Suzumiya Haruhi).
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Old 01-28-2013, 02:36 PM   #34
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I'll list some of my favorites in no particular order.

Goku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Op 3: Kusou Rumba rap version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKRHiue2sIM

I really love that strange paper doll style they used in parts and the whole circus motif was really cool looking too, not to mention that the song really got a boost with this new version sounding really intense and somehow upbeat. It gives me a sense that there's light somewhere through the despair.

Bakemonogatari Ed 1: Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari
http://vimeo.com/54444093

It's a sweet song with a great arrangement. Kind of atypical of an anime theme song but having known the lyrics and then watching the end of episode 12 I believe actually made my hair stand on end which made the ending that much more powerful. Also, as has been said earlier, Shaft can be annoying with their animation style (or lack thereof sometimes) in an episode but they are wonderful for animating an opening or ending.

Steins;Gate Op: Hacking to the Gate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLGS_rNSlKU

Both the video and the song really set you up for the mind-f journey your going to take with Steins;Gate. There's a darkness to this and a feeling that your definitely about to take a trip through some of the sound effects used in it and the video gives what could be a first hint that this series will involves multiple timelines and multiple variants of the same character.

One Piece Op 14: Fight Together
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOLoyjT9PZs

Another typical anime theme song style, but it still, going through the journey with these characters and seeing them separated and so far away, it perfectly gives off the feeling that even though the Straw Hat crew is separated, their hearts and souls are still with each other and will pull through the next 2 years to come out as strong as they need to be to support each other in the coming New World.

Jormungand: Time to Attack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QH2dpckof8

This isn't an opening song. It's a song that shows up every once in a while in the episode and is featured in the "Next Episode" part of the end. I just love this song cause the chorus makes me giggle.
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Old 02-04-2013, 03:40 AM   #35
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There have been a couple of noteworthy openings and endings I've seen/revisited that probably warrant me to blow some time on a post.

Hidamari Sketch S1 OP - This is a really catchy opening. I only ever skipped this opening when I was in a hurry.

Hidamari Sketch x Hoshimitsu OP - Hidamari Sketch does it again! Another great opening. I've mentioned this before, but SHAFT really does do well with OPs. I'm not sure whether or not I like this or the S1 opening better. I'd say the energy in this one wins me over.

Mitsudomoe Zouryouchuu regular ED - This is a really cute ending. Also supposedly she's the singer of the ever-overrated bad apple.

Tegami Bachi ED2 (no actual ED scene since this show uses the ED as a next episode preview) - This is one of the better emotional OP/EDs I've seen. Actually this ending can get your ass. Some episodes in Tegami Bachi are pretty powerful, then when it ends with that song, that just adds fuel to the emotional fire.

Speaking of Minami-ke VAs singing OP/EDs, I went VA reading a while back and realized that Haruka's VA did one of my favorite endings. I voted it up there partly because she did an amazing job of using her badass voice to sing it. I put it in the OP post, but here it is for those who care enough to check. She sings the opening too, and she uses her Haruka voice.
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Old 05-25-2013, 12:31 PM   #36
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The last two seasons have been pretty lackluster as far as openings and endings go. There's a a couple of noteworthy ones the last two seasons though. Lemme see if I can remember them.

Doki Doki Precure ending- I thought this was nice. As always, the ending looks really nice, but the song is pretty nice as well. I'd say this is the best Precure 3D dance ending since the Fresh ones.

Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko- HNNNNG! Oh god the moe! So damn cute! Ahem! Cuteness aside, it's still a good ending.

Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san Opening- I couldn't find the actual opening due to copyright bullshit. Figures. Still this is a really catchy ending. The random metal growls is also awesome. It's just a shame I couldn't find the actual opening, since the visuals are really nice as well. MUROMIIIIIIIIII! COCODAAAAAAAAA!
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Old 07-21-2013, 06:16 AM   #37
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So, the OP for the Nekomogatari Shiro part of Monogatari Series: Season 2 is wonderful in every way as per usual. The monogatari OP's never give you any spoilers of characters or events or anything like that, and they just go to all lengths to make their OP's and ED's look incredible.

Monogatari Series: Season 2 OP1
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Old 08-19-2013, 10:48 PM   #38
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For the Summer 2013 season ...

Genshiken Nidaime OP
Genshiken Nidaime ED

These two have really strongly grown on me, doubtless, as a result of just how much I love the franchise and have been loving Nidaime. I just got the ED album today and I love it. Visually, I love seeing all of the characters in the ED, especially the part with Madarame getting all excited and the other boys respond to him as you just know they would; and the OP, oh the OP! The OP is just incredible fun visually. Can't pick my favorite part either. The beginning where Hato spins around after having approached the window? The middle where she's spinning around in the sky? They're both great.

Rozen Maiden (2013) ED

I really love the new Rozen Maiden ending as well. Both visually and musically, it gets off to a little slow start but picks up strongly in the second half. Portraying the Rosa Mystica as a nebulous galaxy in deep space was clever; that crystal is each of the girls' very soul, their entire world, their entire existence, much like the galaxy we find ourselves in. And when you see a Rosa Mystica, it indeed looks sort of like a star system or a Bohr-model atom, with those thin rings encircling a rose red nucleus. Got this album too; you can find the full length version here.

Servant x Service OP

The opening to Servant x Service gets an honorable mention from me. It's very fun, but I'm still not sure how I feel about all of the half-real world half-CG stuff surrounding the animated characters. Again, though: it's a super fun melody with super fun visuals and definitely deserves a mention.

Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka Cł-bu OP

This is another one which gets an honorable mention. Neither the animation nor melody strike me as super special, but I dunno, it warms my heart a bit to see the girls in sequence during the middle bit of the song. I just wish this were still the OP visually instead of ARGH WHYYYYY EPISODE 03'S END WHYYYYYY. If I liked the series more I could see myself loving this OP a whole lot more. As it is, I like it okay, enough to at least give it a nod.
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Old 08-19-2013, 11:27 PM   #39
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Summer 2013


OP: None. None of them are good enough to be "best" for me this season.

ED:

Free! ED

One of the catchiest ED's I've heard. I don't really have much else to say about it but it's easily one of my favorites this year.


Dangan Ronpa ED (Episode 2 spoilers)

This song is just perfect. I love it so much. It fits the atmosphere of the show perfectly, and it's so menacing and evil sounding in a fun/twisted way.


I can't pick one over the other, so I'm going to have to give these two EDs a tie for ED of the season for me.



Honorable mentions:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon
Unique, cute, silly. It's great.


Shingeki no Kyojin OP 2

I hated this at first. I made some comments in the SnK thread about how much I loathed it, but it's grown on me. It's no "Guren no Yumiya", but it's a pretty darn 'epic' intro and song.


Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka Cł-bu ED

Catchy, fun, cute. Sung by the VAs, I love it. It's like an anthem you might sing as a troop while marching.
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Old 08-20-2013, 12:07 AM   #40
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I was thinking about doing one for this season, but with no-one doing one with me for the last season, I was afraid of one-sidedly spamming this thread. Anyway, my favorite openings/endings this season. There's also some Grisaia no Kajitsu endings that deserve some attention.

I agree with the Servant X Service OP and Free ED. They're both very nice.

Love Lab ED

Really cute and catchy ending. I can't help but have this goofy smile watching this ending.

Doki Doki Precure ED 2

Both of Doki Doki Precure endings are good! Usually Precure endings are a huge shot in the dark. Most of them are only okay, so it's nice that both of the endings in this season are good. This one has some good expressions on the models, and the song is so fun and cute.

__________________________

The endings I'm about to link pretty much show every event CG for the route, so if you actually intend on reading Grisaia no Kajitsu, I would recommend scrolling to the bottom of the page before the third CG shows. They can get very spoiler heavy. Another neat thing about these endings is that the lyrics are actually about the heroines.

Sachi ending

Hmm...I admit on its own it's not that great, but this ending did a great follow up to Sachi's route. This song is in the tune of a music box Sachi had, so that adds a fair bit to the song's impact.

Makina's ending

Like Sachi's, this was a great route follow up. Such a strong and emotional ending after the best route in the VN.

Michiru's ending

This doesn't really follow up the route, but on its own it's a very nice ending. I also liked how they went with the ending, did a final epilogue scene, then went right back into the ending. That's why the song cuts off in this video. The ending comes in two parts.
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Old 08-20-2013, 12:00 PM   #41
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Lil' Bluey

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Gin no Saji's ED. Love that opening line.

While I agree Servant x Service's OP is absurdly fun and upbeat, my favorite is the ED. So chill and relaxing.

Surprisingly I also find Prisma Illya's ED kinda catchy.
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Old 10-24-2013, 10:11 PM   #42
Talon87
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Was just enjoying "Farewell Song" by Lia again. I really wish AIR had lived up to its ending theme song. Oh well. ^^;

Earlier this week, I was enjoying a brief stroll down Memory Lane with "Sakura Saku", the infamous OP to Love Hina. Nine and a half years later and it's still true: this song goes from hated to beloved over the course of the series. The first time you hear it, unless you have a really open mind when it comes to music or you've got really eccentric taste, you're probably thinking "What is this garbage? " It's loud. It's fast. It's like it's the song to the Japanese merry-go-round from Hell. ^^; But good God if it doesn't just warm your heart and become a personal favorite by the time you finish the series. Amazing example of Pavlovian conditioning. Truly remarkable.

Well, guess while I'm here, I should maybe offer some early thoughts on the OPs and EDs of the Fall 2013 shows I'm watching. Guess I'll list them in alphabetical order.

Galilei Donna: the OP, "Synchromanica", is a J-pop song with some whispers of jazz influence here or there. Reminds me of a "pop nightclub song", if that makes sense. Depending on when I listen to this song, I either quite like it or I really can't stand it. ^^; The ED, "Innocent", on the other hand ... this song, I love. It has "And so the adventure begins ..." written all over it. It reminds me a lot of the Suisei no Gargantia ED only even better. That stated, I say I "love" it, but it's not like it's that strong of an entry compared with OPs and EDs past. ^^; Might be more accurate to say that it makes me happy each time it comes on? But it's not like it's an "OMG MUST HAVE THE CD NAOW @_@" song.

Gingitsune: the OP, "tiny lamp", is a fairly standard Japanese pop+soft rock song. But damn if I don't enjoy it. Particularly when the singer seems to hit her stride with the chorus. The ED, "Gekkou Story", is a fairly standard Japanese pop-rock song. Doesn't really do it for me but I don't hate it either.

Golden Time: Not really a fan of the OP, "Golden Time". I love me a good Horie Yui opening theme song, but "Golden Time" just isn't it. At least not for me, it isn't. It's not terrible but it's completely forgettable and not something I'd ever want to put on my iPod. The ED, "Sweet & Sweet CHERRY", has a really infectious melody that I quite prefer to the OP's. But to be honest, I feel like it's too overdone with the synth pop SFX. Too much modulation of Yui's voice, too much *thnk thnk thnk* beat noises, too much synthesized hand clapping noises ... I think the song could've been a lot, lot better if it matched how it opens and closes (where it's almost nothing but the piano). The melody and lyrics seem like they have the potential for a melancholic lovesickness -- which would perfectly fit the Kouko of our early tale -- but they've been passed through some mad scientist's Fun Machine -- "ARE YOU HAVING FUN YET, KIDS!?" -- and it comes out so cloy and peppy-poppy and ... yeah, disappointed. ^^;

Hunter x Hunter: We still have "Departure" for our OP. But that was expected since, iirc, their last reuse of it was the fifth cycle and this is the sixth (?). I haven't noticed if the lyrics shifted again to Verse 2's or not -- we've heard both verses far too many times at this point for me to be able to tell any more -- but regardless, I both wasn't expecting a change yet and am hoping for a change come the next cycle. (If we haven't hopped back to Verse 2 yet though, then that might be a while ... -_-; ) As for the ED, we actually do have a new song: "Hyori Ittai" by yuzu, their third contribution to the project and the fifth ending theme song overall. I like yuzu's sound, but this is probably 1) my least favorite HxH song of theirs, 2) my least favorite ED of the five we've had so far, and 3) the last HxH song I want to hear from them for a while. Don't get me wrong! I still adore "Reason", and I don't dislike their remix of "Nagareboshi Kirari"; but as Yuki and I discussed once before on Skype, I vastly prefer the original "Nagareboshi Kirari" to the remix (even if the original in no way, shape, or form suits the Chimera Ant arc); and even if I don't hate it, I'm not crazy for it either. My list would go something like this:
ED1: loved it
ED2: loved it
ED3: loved it, then loved it
ED4: it's okay ^^;
ED5: it's ... okay ... I guess ¬_¬;
yuzu, I love ya ... but it's time you let someone else try their hand at a HxH ED. Especially since EDs are the only way we HxH viewers get any new songs. ¬_¬ *long jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii at MadHouse*

Kyoukai no Kanata: the OP, "Kyoukai no Kanata", is pretty good. Yuki noticed it was another Chihara Minori song. Moment she said it, I was like, "Yeah -- I totally hear Suisei no Gargantia OP here." But I'll be damned if I can pick out Minori's voice when she sings OPs. Sounds nothing like Nagato Yuki. Sounds barely like Minami Chiaki. Anyway, Minori's got that kinda high-pitched nasally twang to her singing, so you'll likely either love the song or hate it. I'm more in the love it group here, I guess: she's not a nano.RIPE for me. ^^; As for the ED, "Daisy", it's a pretty good J-pop-rock-w/-male-vocals song. Kind of generic -- it doesn't really stand out from the crowd for me -- but I guess it's generic in a good way? -- 'cause a lot of these songs tend to sound fun and pleasant to listen to, and this one's no exception.

Nagi no Asukara: the OP, "lull ~Soshite Bokura wa~", is like the Gingitsune OP for me in that it's fairly standard but man if I don't enjoy it, especially when we reach the chorus. From around the 1-minute mark onward, I'm just in heaven with this song. Not sure what it is about that simple musical construction but it's like hypnotic honey for my soul as that singer hits those high notes and we see the kids swimming to the undersea village. I don't have much to say about the ED, "Aquaterrarium", other than that it's pleasant enough but doesn't really do anything for me.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: None of the OPs or EDs stand out to me as an amazing song for the ages, unfortunately, but if I had to pick a favorite right now, it'd probably be between Gingitsune's OP, Kyoukai no Kanata's OP, and Galilei Donna's ED. Any of those three, I guess, would be my favorite so far this season. Hard to say for certain though. I really would've loved it if Golden Time had given us the next "SCRAMBLE" or "Vanilla Salt" but sadly that didn't happen.

Last edited by Talon87; 10-25-2013 at 09:23 AM.
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Old 10-25-2013, 12:09 AM   #43
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Lil' Bluey

>Gingitsune

OP link doesn't work, but I enjoy it as well. ED is nice enough too. (Just noticed the visuals rather resemble Nagi no Asukara's ED.)

>Golden Time

Listening to the ED again, I realized it reminds me of this song. Not much to say about the OP other than I like when she leans in for a kiss and the guy just smiles. (Also that part where she looks up at him and blushes is what really makes me think of Taiga's face from ToraDora.)

You know, it's kinda clear they invested a lot more effort into the ED's animation...

>Hunter x Hunter

I think I like the new ED a bit better than the last one. *shrug* But yeah, someone other than yuzu would be nice. ^^; My ranking would go as thus:

ED1: Weird at first, then loved it.
ED2: Liked it.
ED3: Loved it.
ED4: It's okay.
ED5: It's fine.

>Kyoukai no Kanata

Now that I've been exposed to Minorin's style of OP singing it seems fairly easy to detect due to the unique accent. *shrug* I'm certainly a fan of it, at least when she does sing like Yuki. (Or rather a marriage between the two, as in her Hare Hare Yukai solo. Love the way she pronounces words here.) My favorite parts are the beginning and fadeout where she's singing more softly, similar to Yasashii Boukyaku. Already mentioned I like the ED.

>Nagi no Asukara

OP is meh for the most part, but I adore the finale when the kids leap in the air. The sudden drop beat is unexpected but pleasant to listen to, being more melodic than the rest of the song. (I imagine the full version won't share the same conclusion, which would be disappointing. Kinda like how I prefer the TV size of Brotherhood's second ED over the full version specifically for the lack of lead-in to the vocals.)

Nagi's singing is always nice. (Ha, I just realized the coincidence there.)

Little Busters! Refrain:

I don't care for either the OP or ED as much as the first season's, but just thought I'd mention J.C. Staff seems to be putting a lot more work into the animation now. (I was honestly impressed with some of the art direction in the third episode, which had a pretty nice insert song to boot.)

Magi: The Kingdom of Magic

The guys who brought you the first S1 OP are back. I like this one by them better. (Though nothing beats Morgianna's dancing in S1's OP2. <3

Talon: And boobs! Don't forget boobs! )

This is the only version of the ED I can find on YT. Nothing special obviously or else there'd be better quality, but I think you can tell at least that as with LB, the studio's stepped up their game a bit. (This applies to the series animation in general, not just the OP/ED. We all know how those lied the last time...)

Last edited by lilboocorsola; 10-25-2013 at 12:23 AM.
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Old 10-25-2013, 06:32 AM   #44
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Arpeggio of Blue Steel OP: What can I say, I love a good arpeggiated synth used as the main focus of a song. Really enjoy this opening, songwise and also the visuals are great. It also does a great job of showing what the show is all about. Probably my favourite OP of the autumn season.

Spoiler: show
BORKED


Blazblue: Alter Memory: The song is actually a big favourite of mine, really enjoy it. The only problem is, the opening isn't really an opening; it just uses lots of little clips from the first episode and thats all. I'm pretty sure this show has a really low production value though, so I can see why it would do that. Oh well, hopefully if they make another series it might look like the actual in game cutscenes (which has 100x the visual prowess and a much better song).

Compare this (Anime Opening):
Spoiler: show
BORKED

With this (Second Game Opening):
Spoiler: show
BORKED

WHY COULDN'T THEY DO IT LIKE THAT
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Old 10-25-2013, 09:51 AM   #45
Talon87
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>clicks Yuki's links for Magi

Whoa. So they put the show on hold for half a year such that the Halloween witch costumes would be more timely? (Not gonna lie that I'd like to meet Judal's lady witch friends ... ) Seems kind of bizarre to introduce European-style witches to an ostensibly Medieval Middle Eastern tale. Then again, we did have a quasi-sub-Siberian tribe in the form of the nomads Aladdin met circa Episode 04 of Season 1, so I guess that means Europeans are fair game. (Not to mention that the first season did establish that we're probably going to go globetrotting all over this world ...)

>Little Busters

Still haven't watched the first season past the first one or two episodes. (Think it was just the first episode I watched ...) Haven't bothered to keep track of Refrain, especially not after hearing bbb say that he wouldn't even be bothering to watch it despite everyone on the Internet saying that this is the arc to see. Makes me feel all the more strongly that I should probably just sit the anime out and play the game instead. Never played a Key game before though and I have to confess that neither Kanon nor Clannad instill me with confidence that I would enjoy such a game. (Key seems to have a bad habit of burdening me with routes I care little for that block my way towards their epic True End paths.) Anyway, yeah, just now watched the OP and ED you linked and I have to agree with you that they don't seem to be anything special. The ending seems especially lazy, not just because the song's a bit of a bore but because the animation is almost nothing but one panning shot of a static cel.

>BlazBlue: Alter Memory

Okay, so admittedly there's a difference between shelling out cash for a single opening video and financing an entire season-length television anime ... but still. ^^; It's really embarrassing that the video game opening looks and sounds so much better than the anime opening. Not just technically, but artistically too. Camera angles, what content the director decided to show us, pacing, etc. The TV OP just feels so formulaic and by-the-book. It also feels kind of paradoxically slow. The video game OP by comparison is the sort of thing that will pump up just about anyone who shelled out the $60 for the game. "This purchase is SO going to have been worth it. " Whether the gameplay backs that up or not ^^; , they'll feel that way after unpackaging the game and seeing this video. Common sense asks, "Why didn't they just use the video game OP?" But it then follows up with the answer: "Well ... because it would be false advertising if the OP looked like that while the show's innards looked like this. ^^;"

>Arpeggio of Blue Steel

Another generic J-pop / J-punk(?) song. It's not bad to listen to, but it's so, so forgettable for me. That's kind of the problem with a lot of Fall 2013's offerings: pleasant but forgettable. Where is my Genshiken Nidaime OP? And like, even that isn't Top 10 OPs of All Time material or anything, but at least it's charming! Lovable! Unforgettable! Some of the Fall 2013 offerings seem to have the charming and lovable parts down pat, but they all seem to be struggling for me with the memorability.

Shameless "My Fellows" plug here. Now this ... this is how you do an ending.

J.C. Staff: But that's just a scrolling static cel too. ¬_¬
Talon: Ah! But this one's awesome!
J.C. Staff: *sigh*
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Old 10-25-2013, 10:13 AM   #46
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Beyblade, original series. That was badass.
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Old 10-25-2013, 10:54 AM   #47
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Lil' Bluey

Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
(Not gonna lie that I'd like to meet Judal's lady witch friends ... )
Oh? What about the girl on the left at 0:56? ;O

Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
>Little Busters

Still haven't watched the first season past the first one or two episodes. (Think it was just the first episode I watched ...) Haven't bothered to keep track of Refrain, especially not after hearing bbb say that he wouldn't even be bothering to watch it despite everyone on the Internet saying that this is the arc to see. Makes me feel all the more strongly that I should probably just sit the anime out and play the game instead. Never played a Key game before though and I have to confess that neither Kanon nor Clannad instill me with confidence that I would enjoy such a game. (Key seems to have a bad habit of burdening me with routes I care little for that block my way towards their epic True End paths.) Anyway, yeah, just now watched the OP and ED you linked and I have to agree with you that they don't seem to be anything special. The ending seems especially lazy, not just because the song's a bit of a bore but because the animation is almost nothing but one panning shot of a static cel.
Yeah, I was referring more to the OP as an example of better animation, as I recall the first season's being somewhat lazy, especially for the so-called second version. The ED screenshot is nice though, even if static.

I'm still not sure how to feel about LB since it seems it has yet to delve into the heart of the mystery, and I'm not entirely certain what just occurred in the third episode (if it has to do with Refrain or Kurugaya's path - lol @ what I presume is one of her important scenes showing up in the above link btw when they skipped her in the first season). They're at least trying though.
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Old 10-25-2013, 11:04 AM   #48
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I personally really like the Golden Time ending. It's catchy, sounds nice, and the song sticks with me.

Other than that though, I skip most of the OPs/EDs this season. Most of them are your regular blah openings/endings.

I guess for other stuff that's not of this season, there's a couple I guess.

The second ending of Yuru Yuri S2 was magnificent. This is the closest to the actual ed I could find. The guitar sort of overpowers it, but it's generally the same. Whoever drew these pictures was a genius (in a horrific sort of way), it's cool how they make an entire ending of these. The song's really nice too.

Despite being a poorly animated show the creators clearly didn't care about, the Aikatsu ending was really nice. I really like the art and the song's catchy. That's all an ending needs!
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Old 11-30-2013, 08:06 AM   #49
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This list, for your interest, changes almost every month with what I feel like watching. Yes, not all these animes are great, but say what you want about Lucky Star or Gundam SEED: unlike the rest of their contents, at least their musical taste was impeccable.

OPs:
1. Guren no Yumiya (Shingeki no Kyojin)
2. Soramimi no Cake (Azumanga Daioh)
3. Butter-Fly (Digimon Adventure)
4. Motteke! Sailor Fuku (Lucky Star)
5. A Cruel Angel's Thesis (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

EDs:
1. Secret Base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono (Anohana)
2. Alternative (Rozen Maiden)
3. Find The Way (Gundam SEED)
4. Hare Hare Yukai (Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi)
5. Hoshi no Tobira (Gundam Stargazer)

Last edited by Schadenfreude; 11-30-2013 at 08:11 AM.
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Old 11-30-2013, 11:57 AM   #50
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Been recently obsessed with Phantoms opening Karma, by Kokia. Personally I would say this is better than Lilium, all of the visuals of this opening are so good. I'm not sure if I prefer the song over Lilium, but either way its a fantastic opening.

Spoiler: show
BORKED

Its a shame the second opening was done by Ali Project.
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