Board 8 > So, why do anime intros/endings so rarely match the show?

(+) Yeah! (+)

This isnt the case for every series obviously, but it sure seems like a lot of anime have intro or endings with songs and visuals that do not match the show whatsoever.

Happy People and the Bleach Soul Society Arc was my most recent inspiration.

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long running series will try to have ed/op that match overall tones. For shonens that means you get the cool songs, the dramatic songs, and the happy songs without much regard for the dominant emotion of the episodes.

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aesthetic

or maybe the intro/outro is made before anyone on the team actually knows the plot or anything else

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Usually you're going for a feel or vibe of the season, Titan is guilty of this. Though Titan is also pretty custom built for the show and way better than typical shounen at it.

Do think they're generally getting better at it with the clear successes that exists (Demon Slayer/Gurenge being the biggest in recent times). Then you've got shows that just go all in, like Interspecies Reviewers.

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i'm not much into anime but i think dragon ball z is a good example of this. i think the dub's rock the dragon fits the show better than cha-la head cha-la (even though the latter song is tons better).

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Mr Lasastryke posted...

i'm not much into anime but i think dragon ball z is a good example of this. i think the dub's rock the dragon fits the show better than cha-la head cha-la (even though the latter song is tons better).

what about this one

https://youtu.be/WCa4LaDFqJU


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that... was not a good choice for an opening song.

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One of my favorite endings right here

https://youtu.be/_GXPtJv6CyI

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Most anime use licensed music for their theme songs. Anime openings and endings have become more of an excuse to cross-promote and increase interest for the show by making a music video with a popular artist than as a means of summarizing the themes of the show

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INCEPTlON posted...

One of my favorite endings right here

https://youtu.be/_GXPtJv6CyI

But have you heard the original OP!?

https://youtu.be/gZGmDKxEp-I
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A combination of two things:

1) Licensing as others have said - you have to use the songs you have a deal for, even if they dont fit. This can mean you have no idea what youre gonna get in advance.

2) Openings and endings usually have deliberately contrasting tones - that means you often get an upbeat, exciting opening and a downbeat, relaxing ending, especially with action series. It pumps you up then it cools you down. Bleach does this constantly, and mostly effectively - Happy People jars not because of the tone of the song, but because of the lyrics.

Sometimes you get cases where there is a band licenced to write a theme for the show, and these fit the best. Popular examples are One Punch Man and Attack on Titan.

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Mr Lasastryke posted...

i'm not much into anime but i think dragon ball z is a good example of this. i think the dub's rock the dragon fits the show better than cha-la head cha-la (even though the latter song is tons better).

Nah that's just cultural. Of course rock the dragon fits the English dub and head cha la fits the Japanese 80s/early 90s feel

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it's also a difference in what dragonball was at the time. gotta remember that for Japan, who had the original series, there was a lot more of an adventuring element to it. whereas for everyone else the only things that mattered were the fights.


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DBZ is a lot more action oriented than DB so i do think rock the dragon fits better for that than cha-la.

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redrocket posted...

what about this one

https://youtu.be/WCa4LaDFqJU

I wonder when something like this gets made, how many people involved see it and think it sucks total ass but don't wanna be the guy to say so, which lets it get put through. How many people in the crew thought it was good and how many saw it was bad?

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