One of the best parts of anyanimeis always the opening theme song. As the name of the term implies, an opening theme is almost always the first thing a person sees as soon as they turn on an episode, and when done right, they’ll always succeed in getting someone ready for an episode with a combination of great visuals and even greater music.
Some people would rather skip opening themes to get straight to the actual anime, a practice that’s become effortless thanks to streaming sites using “Skip Intro” buttons. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with that, but it shouldn’t always be done, asplenty of anime have opening theme songs so good that it would be crazy to watch them play out with every episode, no matter how many times a person might have seen them. A few opening themes of that caliber especially stand out, and each one will surely be great to watch for old and new fans alike.
“Specialz” by King Gnu is the second opening theme for MAPPA’sJujutsu Kaisenseason 2. The theme song was the main theme for the Shibuya Incident arc, which took up most of season 2’s runtime, and sure enough, most of the visuals are dedicated to showing off the various events that played out in the arc, although it’s kept largely spoiler-free for anyone who didn’t read the manga beforehand.
Jujutsu Kaisenis famous for its stunning visuals and animation, and sure enough,“Specialz” perfectly represents the visual aesthetic ofJujutsu Kaisenwith its gorgeous visuals and direction that effortlessly play into the dark tone of the arc, all while being accompanied by a truly standout song from King Gnu. It was one of the best opening themes of 2023, and overall, it’s easy to see why.
9Kiss Me By Nai Br.XX & Celeina Ann
Theme Song To Bones' Carole & Tuesday
“Kiss Me” is the first opening theme for Bones’Carole & Tuesday, performed by the singing voices of the eponymous leads, Nai Br.XX and Celeina Ann. Rather than show off any specific details about the story, “Kiss Me” instead focuses on conveying the bond Carole and Tuesday share and their drive to chase their dreams through both the lyrics and the visuals.
Shinichiro Watanabe productions are known for having both great animation and even greater music, and sure enough,“Kiss Me” is an incredible opening theme for its gorgeous animation and paint-like artwork combined with the heartwarming lyrics centered around the dynamic between the two leads. It’s a rare opening that perfectly sells its story through visuals alone, and it’s a big part of whyCarole & Tuesdayhas always been such an amazing anime to watch.
“JoJo (Sono Chi no Sadame)” by Hiroaki “Tommy” Tominaga is the first opening theme for David Production’sJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The opening begins with a montage of manga panels featuring the Joestars in reverse order from Jolyne Kujo before transitioning into a 3D shot of Jonathan Joestar, all of which leads to a CGI rendering of key scenes inPhantom Bloodending with the climactic fight between Jonathan and Dio.
Not only were the 3D visuals surprisingly great for an anime, butthe composition of the visuals for “JoJo (Sono Chi no Sadame)” combined with the incredible rock track of the song, itself, makes for an opening that never fails to convey the over-the-top, action-packed energy ofJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. There was no better way to open the long-awaitedJoJo’s Bizarre Adventureanime, and the opening still holds up phenomenally well after over a decade.
“Pokémon Theme” by Jason Paige, often called “Gotta Catch ’Em All”, is the original theme song for the English dub of OLM, Inc.’sPokémon. While the Japanese equivalent was a standard anime theme song, albeit a good one, the dub opted for more of a cheesy pop rock song that played into the lighthearted and kid-friendly tone the English dub wanted to emphasize.
“Pokémon Theme” is as cheesy a song as one would expect from a 90s anime dub, but that’s not a bad thing, asthe energetic sound and lyrics of “Pokémon Theme” make for a fantastic segway into the anime that works in large part because of how cheesy it is. It’s one of the most iconic anime theme songs of all time, and anytimePokémonuses either the original version or a cover, it’s always a great bit of fanservice for old and new fans alike.
“Smile Bomb” by Sara White is the English dub of the theme song of the same name for Studio Pierrot’sYu Yu Hakusho. Unlike other English dub themes, White sings a largely straightforward cover of “Smile Bomb”, with the music of the English version being completely identical to the Japanese and White’s tone being a near-perfect match to the original performance of Matsuko Mawatari.
The original “Smile Bomb” was already a great theme song, and sure enough,Sara White’s cover of “Smile Bomb” does a great job of translating things into English with its heartwarming and energetic lyrics. “Smile Bomb” is often regarded as one of thebest English anime theme songs, if not the best, and after so many years, it’s still plenty easy to see why the song is held in such high regard.
“A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”by Yoko Takahashi is the iconic theme song to Studio Khara’sNeon Genesis Evangelion. While the imagery does correlate heavily to the plot and themes of the series, it’s famously constructed in an abstract way that makes it hard to figure out what it means on an initial viewing, with it usually taking most of the series to figure out the meaning behind everything shown in the opening.
Not only does the abstract imagery of “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” do a great job of giving it a unique presentation without being too spoiler-heavy, butthe incredible lyrics and sound of “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” come together for an amazing melodramatic pop song that perfectly sells the atmosphere ofNeon Genesis Evangelionat every turn. It’s one of the most iconic anime theme songs of all time, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
“Tank!” by Seatbelts is the theme song to Sunrise’sCowboy Bebop. Visually, “Tank!” does what many anime theme songs do by portraying a lot of assorted imagery of the cast without any specific spoilers for the series, but what truly makes “Tank!” stand out is that there are no vocals beyond a brief introduction at the beginning of the song, with the song being almost entirely an instrumental big band jazz piece.
With a combination of gorgeous visuals and animation and an infectiously catchy jazz instrumental track,“Tank!”’s combination of music and visuals makes for an incredibly unique opening theme that perfectly sells the overall aesthetic ofCowboy Bebop. There’s never been an opening theme quite like “Tank!”, and it’s a big part of whyCowboy Bebopand Shinichiro Watanabe are both held in such high regard by anime fans worldwide.
“Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” by Creepy Nutsis the second theme song for A-1 Pictures’Mashle: Magic and Muscles. The theme song showcased many of the new characters introduced in season 2’s Divine Visionary Candidate Exam arc, most notably Mash’s opponents in the tournament and the members of Innocent Zero, but the most iconic part of the theme song is when Mash and other characters start doing a dance that became a real-life meme for a time.
While the theme song forMashleseason 1 was a fairly standard anime theme song,“Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” was an amazing theme song thanks to its catchy music and lyrics and highly expressive artwork and animation that makes the original theme look boring by comparison. The breakout success of “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” helped take bothMashleand Creepy Nuts into the mainstream, and that level of success is plenty deserved.
“Otonoke” by Creepy Nutsis the theme song to Science Saru’sDandadanand Creepy Nuts’ second anime theme song of 2024. Much like “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born”, “Otonoke” is an energetic hip hop song dedicated to showing off the cast and various scenes from the anime without being too spoiler-heavy, although with the nature ofDandadan’s story, the imagery tends to be far more abstract and surreal.
“Otonoke” became a massive viral hit thanks to its infectious lyrics and beats combined with the surreal imagery visuals that constantly go through different art and animation styles, and as is often the case, it undoubtedly played a big part in whyDandadanhas been as successful as it is. By pure chance, Creepy Nuts made two of the best openings of 2024 forMashle: Magic and MusclesandDandadan, and both openings are virtually perfect in every regard.
“Cha-La Head-Cha-La” by Hironobu Kageyama is the first theme song for Toei Animation’sDragon Ball Z. The theme song was used for every episode up until the Buu saga, and it primarily shows Goku and his friends going about their lives in the fantastical and dangerous world ofDragon Ballas they deal with new threats, with the visuals always changing to reflect the current story arc, as well.
Not only are the visuals the perfect embodiment of a classic anime theme, but“Cha-La Head-Cha-La”’s great music and lyrics perfectly capture the adventurous themes ofDragon BallandDragon Ball Z, making it great to watch, no matter how many times someone might have seen it. It’s one of the most iconic theme songs in the history of anime, and there are no better examples of ananime opening so good that you’d never want to skip it.
