LogFAQs > #941936131

33. Perfect Strangers - ZeroSignal620
https://youtu.be/8vbnLYROCj8

Unique: 1
Story: 5.25
Music: 8.5
Animation: N/A
Personal: 8.75
Average: 5.875

This one really hit me with the nostalgia, and wound up getting ranked significantly higher than it probably deserved objectively. I realize it's got a derivative sitcom style with a presentation that barely stands out from the intros to similar shows. But I dont care, damn it. This intro means something to me.

So what do I like so much about it? For starters, the theme song, which had an unusually great melody for a sitcom. The song conveys a sense of sincerity, making me care about the characters right away before I even get to know them. Its the tone so many other sitcom theme songs of the era tried to capture, but I think this one gets it just right.

Theres also more story here than it might at first appear. Granted, parts of the intro are just clips showing the city of Chicago or some silly moment without context, but with close attention, youll also see this is the story of a hopeful immigrant coming to America. You see his personality come through in the way he clutches that teddy bear (despite being a full grown adult) while riding on the back of a wagon with the sign reading America or burst, and you see the pure childlike joy on his face when he first sees the Statue of Liberty. You also get some hint of the Odd Couple premise, which shows the other main character being stiff and dressed distinctly differently from Balki (the immigrant character). So thats good enough for a respectable Story score. And what little I could award for the Unique factor comes entirely from the fact that this intro at least tried to tell more of a story than you get in typical sitcom intros with everyone just smiling at the camera.