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Favorite and least favorite Anime and Cartoon openings?


Varysblackfyre321

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Cowboy Bebop is probably my all-time favorite...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRI_8PUXx2A

Neon Genesis Evangelion a close second...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-QSmNReDyI

The GITS SAC openings were great:

Inner universe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxkMzn4et2U

Rise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQIqgxeNtl0

Naruto's Fighting Dreamers was cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjBTNbEXbAA

Witch Hunter Robin has this nice rock vibe to it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsP6EIIcaLY

Just like Jigoku Choujo (Hell Girl):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVBmh1EmC5M

I really like Boa's opening for Serial Experiments Lain:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO4myLCfN-Y

Or Bokurano's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05p646nlYS0

And Madlax:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S404mS-694

Hmmm... That's a lot already, I think I'll stop here for today.

Oh shit, the second opening for Shingeki no Kyojin of course:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CID-sYQNCew

Though in all honesty, my favorite from SnK is definitely Vogel im Kafig...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2LdF1RlSL0

Edit: BTW I'm surprised no one mentioned Avatar... It's not interesting musically speaking, but you can't not learn Katara's introduction by heart...

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Drawcabi drops the mike with non anime opening tunes.

Also in firm agreement with rippounet on the ones I'm familiar with on that list. Yoko kanno tends to do well with the music for openings.

What i like about the 80s/90s cartoons was that their openings told you everything you needed to know about the show going in.

Gargoyles was pretty epic too

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3 hours ago, HelenaExMachina said:

Not as original or exciting as everyone else’s but the opening notes of Futurama always make me happy

Simpsons and disenchanted both have good intros. The Simpsons was one if the first to play around with the opening sequences in a way that emcouraged the viewer to watch each one carefully.

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4 hours ago, red snow said:

Simpsons and disenchanted both have good intros. The Simpsons was one if the first to play around with the opening sequences in a way that emcouraged the viewer to watch each one carefully.

The Mickey Mouse Club did that with Donald Duck and the gong, but there were only about a dozen different ones that they reused over and over.

The Muppet Show did it (as an homage?) in Season 1 with Gonzo and the Gong, but after that it changed to Gonzo with the horn. There were other things that changed opening to opening, how Kermit introduced the guest stars, Statler and Waldorf making cracks...they also did a completely different opening for the Loretta Lynn episode:

 

 

Some people say The Simpsons theme is very similar to The Jetsons:

 

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9 hours ago, HelenaExMachina said:

Not as original or exciting as everyone else’s but the opening notes of Futurama always make me happy

Good pick. Just thinking about it wants me want to hum the tune.

20 hours ago, Rippounet said:

 

Edit: BTW I'm surprised no one mentioned Avatar... It's not interesting musically speaking, but you can't not learn Katara's introduction by heart...

Disagree completely in it not being interesting musically. The musical soundtrack for the series was awesome imo.  I find Avatar opening to be perfect. It coveys, the mystery, drama, and humor the series is loved for. 

 

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54 minutes ago, Varysblackfyre321 said:

Disagree completely in it not being interesting musically. The musical soundtrack for the series was awesome imo. 

Yeah, but I was talking about the opening... I mean I like the ta ta ta taaa as much as anyone but the opening alone is not special for the music.

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Wholeheartedly agree with Batman TAS being present here. Though I think also the Superman TAS theme should be added here... both extremely iconic openings. Also yes, the Ghostbusters opening, even though it had the advantage of leaning on the movies' soundtrack.

Other than that... I can show off some of my childhood memories. One of those that blew me away right away is the Opening of "Starship Troopers Chronicles", because yes, Starship Troopers of all things got an animated series that stuck closer to the book and combined Beethoven with Kennedy for its opening:

Next to that, the German openings for Digimon always struck me as really amazing renditions of the Japanese ones. When I heard what they did to the English Dub for the first time... I was honestly horrified.

Digimon Tamers as link because it somehow doesn't like being embedded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTyzsRixR4U

Other than that, the opening of Slayers was also one that kept getting stuck in my head as a kid.

When it comes to more modern openings, I really love Fate/Zero's. Kalafina is always the best!

Speaking of Kalafina... I actually watched Aldnoah.Zero solely because of the opening (and the setting being penned by Urobuchi). It's a shitty show, but damn the opening is good:

Speaking of Urobuchi... There is the opening of the Madoka Magica movies that I really like. Especially the way we see Madoka grow up with her family and friends and then that grim cut to the other protagonists being all alone. Really makes you feel how good Madoka's life so far had been and what's at stake for her... Too bad pretty much all versions were being taken down from Youtube, so there is only a cover left:

Of course, when it comes to horribly iconic openings, I am not allowed to forget Higurashi as well. I have seen its imagery copied several times so far:

Speaking of Ryukishi... Can't exactly miss out on the opening of Umineko... with all its flaws, the opening song is still pretty great:

Since there are so many people here praising Cowboy Bebop, I should also link at Psycho Pass for a somewhat similar direction in its third opening:

Despite my massive problems with its story, I must admit I liked Steins;Gate 0's opening more than the one of the first series:

That's just a few favourites on the top of my mind. I might add more later on.^^

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You've rattled off a lot of great ones (especially Batman: The Animated Series, Cowboy Bebop, and X-men), but... no The Mysterious Cities of Gold

 

Kind of have to give a nod to Ulysses 31 too, which Linda introduced me to:

 

Oh, and going to anime, I just find the opening song for the original Berserk to be super catchy, and both endearingly fearless and endearingly incongruous as a choice for such a violent, medieval fantasy:

 

 

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4 hours ago, drawkcabi said:

The Mickey Mouse Club did that with Donald Duck and the gong, but there were only about a dozen different ones that they reused over and over.

The Muppet Show did it (as an homage?) in Season 1 with Gonzo and the Gong, but after that it changed to Gonzo with the horn. There were other things that changed opening to opening, how Kermit introduced the guest stars, Statler and Waldorf making cracks...they also did a completely different opening for the Loretta Lynn episode:

 

 

Some people say The Simpsons theme is very similar to The Jetsons:

 

Say what you will about how the series’ longevity, I always appreciated their OPs for always being unique in some way. 

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4 hours ago, Toth said:

Wholeheartedly agree with Batman TAS being present here. Though I think also the Superman TAS theme should be added here... both extremely iconic openings. Also yes, the Ghostbusters opening, even though it had the advantage of leaning on the movies' soundtrack.

 

I like Superman TAS' opening, however I prefer the Ruby Spears' Superman opening (though for the actual shows it's the reverse), I just love hearing riffs on the John Williams' Superman theme for my Superman.

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