Board 8 > Logicblade Ranks the Top 100 Anime OP's of the Decade

(+) Yeah! (+)

Can't believe another new decade is upon us. It's been a long time since I made a ranking topic, but I'd thought I'd kick it off right by doing an anime opening's list. My methodology for this was pretty simple. I had four tiers that I ranked openings on. The first tier is "This could be my favourite OP of the decade. full stop.", the second is "I adore this OP, it should rank highly." and the third tier was "This is a really good OP, and should probably be in the top 100." The 4th tier was simply "Not good enough". In order to do this, I scoured the internet for other peoples rankings topics by anime season, by year, by decade, and tried to develop a comprehensive list. Well when there's 50+ animes a season, with 40 seasons to look through, you have to deal with a lot of songs, so naturally some may have fallen through the cracks. But it was not for a lack of trying. I even asked around in the board8 discord for a few suggestions, which helped round out my list. In any case, I've gotten to a point where I feel good about the order, feel good about the songs on the list, and I'm ready to get started... after I take a nap or get the long sleep.

To prevent the same anime from taking multiple spots, I limited it to one song per anime. There were a few exceptions, but honestly not as many as I thought there would be. There's also like a bajillion Fate animes, I treated them all as their own entities, rather than one big thing because... well they aren't. In any case, here's how my tiers ending up shaking out, for a bit of teaser.

Nachos Supreme Tier 20/100
A+ Tier 36/100
A Tier 44/100 (14 Honorable Mentions/Final Cuts)

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Awesome.

ya go my Connect

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Tag

I hope Kyousougiga made the list.
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Tagaroo
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100. Innocent Promise - Trustrick - Shounen Maid OP
2016 (11/11)
Spring 2016 (4/4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2si8RtqFYA

It's cute, it's warm and it's fluffy. Seeps right into your soul and makes you feel really comfy, this has all the hallmarks of a good opening. I especially like the part from about :46 to about 1:04. It doesn't have any sort of wow factor to it, it's just a very catchy song with some nice visuals to go with it. And for that, you get a spot on the top 100.

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99. Papapa - Shuka Saito - Ore wo Suki nano wa Omae dake ka yo (OreSuki) OP
2019 (9/9)
Fall 2019 (2/2)

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

So the first time you listen to this, it's just sort of whatever. Decently catchy, nice enough visuals... and then you listen to it again and all of a sudden you're all Papapa up in here. Shuka has a really neat voice, and I can understand it being nasally and offputting to some, but it really tickles my ears in just the right way. So in the end you end up getting a really cute opening about a silly harem anime. And that bench is about to ruin Joro's entire life.

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Tag

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98. Coolest - Customi-Z - Haven't you heard? I'm Sakamoto OP
2016 (10/11)
Spring 2016 (3/4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8d3bW42aFY

This one is just silly, but very aptly fitting of the gag anime that is Sakamoto. The entire gimmick is that Sakamoto looks cool doing literally any mundane task. Naturally the joke gets stale pretty quickly, but it's funny enough the first few times. I really like the vibrant colours, the fast beat, and the way the opening just really fits for the source content. You really are the coolest, Sakamoto-kun.

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tag

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97. Little Busters EX! - Rita - Little Busters EX!
2014 (13/13)
Spring 2014 (3/3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYwahups9Pc

Well, this is the first time a key anime is appearing on this list, and it won't be the last. I specify this one over the original little busters opening because I like the instrumentation more as well as the visuals. I have no idea what the hell the context of it is, since I've never played Little Busters, but I can assume that it's all very deep and full of spoilers. My favourite part is actually the buildup from about :38 to :50, just gives off that sort of eerie unsettling 'something is going on' vibe that I really like. It's a good OP!

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96. Divine Intervention - Fhana - Witch Craft Works
2014 (12/13)
Winter 2014 (4/4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsC99AIHjDQ

Huh, the bottom of my list seems to really lean into the soft and cute. I uh... promise that changes as we move on. It combines a nice song, with some nice visuals and actions scenes. Gotta get me a big tittied witch GF though... I don't have a lot to say about it, other than I just like it.


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WCW good show

the ED is a lot more notable than the OP tho
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Doing some research on the list added some anime to the "give it a shot pile." As for animes I've already given a shot, here's number 95.

95. Paradigm Box - Character Voices - Caligula
2018 (16/16)
Spring 2018 (7/7)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOESH-O7VRw

So Caligula. The game had a very good soundtrack and I grew to really like the characters and their struggles, so I said what the hell, give the anime a try. It wasn't all that good, but the one thing they absolutely nailed was the soundtrack, and especially the opening. The visuals are dynamic, fully utilizing the games' style of monochrome with just a splash of colour in the right spots. The two lead voice actors have a nice contrast in their voices, and it gets you really hyped up for what is essentially Persona 3 redux.

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MAKKA NA CHIKAI!
I like that one.

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I'm certain Busou Renkin was last decade.

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Oh I always confuse it with Little Busters.

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???

how
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Man theres so many openings I could list off that I hope appear... and then I realize Im not even sure if some of them were 2010 or later or if some were 2009 lol (Railgun, Working, Reborns last OP, etc.)

Definitely looking forward to seeing stuff I didnt know about too; I think so far only Little Busters and Caligula I really knew, though I know of Sakamoto

Tag
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Railgun is 2009 I'm pretty sure, assuming you mean season 1.
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Hmmm, wasn't familiar with that version of the Little Busters OP. Pretty much all versions of that song are great though.

Also this Sakamoto OP is a lot better than I remembered it. I guess I disliked the show enough that some of that feeling bled over to the OP also? Idk.

Caligula OP also great. Think I've got a soft spot for OP's that use color schemes like this one. (also similar to Sakamoto, funnily enough)
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Sakamoto OP is definitely better than the show itself, though I hesitate to apply any better word than "ok" to the show.

Below is a list of OPs I think should be on the list, or at least should been considered. They are more or less in airing order. Of course as I get closer to the present more obscure shows and such are easier to remember. I just went through a seasonal list and wrote down the ones I kind of remembered being good.

I'm not sure which Bleach and FMA BH OPs aired during the decade.

Both of the original DRRR! OPs
My Soul Your Beats (Angel Beats)
Both K-On S2 OPs
All of the TWGOK OPs
Both Nichijou OPs
Ao no Exorcist OP
Shakugan no Shana III OP1
Platinum Disco (Nisemonogatari)
Try Unite (Rinne no Lagrange)
Both Aquarion Evol OPs
Real World (Humanity has Declined)
One of the Sword Art Online OPs
Sparkling Daydream (Chuu2)
One of the JoJo OPs (Personally I think Bloody Stream is the best one)
One of the PsychoPass OPs (I think Out of Control is the better one but both are good)
Nanatsu no Umi yori Kimi no Umi (Muromi by the Shore)
One of the Attack on Titan OPs (It should be the first one)
One of the Haiyore Nyaruko-san OPs (I like Lets Nyah, even though I know thats not the name of the song)
Sisters Noise (Railgun S)
The Watamote OP
Database (Log Horizon)
Space Dandy OP
One of the Haikyuu OPs
Hikaru nara (Your lie in april)
Flyers (Death Parade)
Bravely You (Charlotte)
The Hero (One Punch Man)
Re: Re: (Erased)
Hopeness (Pandora in the Crimson Shell)
Genesis (Dimension W)
I'm pretty sure one of the MHA OPs is good enough
Either Re:Creators OP (This is a case where I think both are good enough where there should be an exception)
Deep in Abyss (Made in Abyss)
Other Side of the Wall (Princess Principal)
Kyoumen no Nami (Land of the Lustrous)
The Blend S Meme OP
My Hero (Inuyashiki)
Flashback (Kokkoku)
Danger in my Tsuugakuro (Chio's School Road)
Mob Psycho II OP (not the first season)
Touch Off (Promised Neverland)
Endoro~ru! (Endro)
Gurenge (Kimetsu no Yaiba)
Onegai Muscle (Dumbbell anime)
Wa! Moon! dass! cry! (Wasteful days of high school girl)
Rakuen Toshi (Cop Craft)
Wild Side (Beastars)

Tag

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Mac Arrowny posted...

???

how

I know them both as "that 2000s shonen anime whose OP was featured in Nico Nico medleys".

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tag

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94. Cerulean - BACK-ON - Gundam Build Fighters Try
2014 (11/13)
Fall 2014 (3/3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtDNymy7p9U

Man, nothing like a BACK-ON opening to get you hyped for smashing plastic models together. Gundam Build Fighters is a really fun series. Build Fighters Try... not so much. Same sort of premise, but the execution kind of flopped horribly. What didn't flop however was the rocking openings. Great action scenes, inspirational lyrics, and they just tie together really well. If the premise of the show is to sell plastic, they're doing a damn good job of it. Just Fly Away and Wimp are also really good openings, but I decided to go with this one as my choice.

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93. Hello, World! - Bump of Chicken - Blood Blockade Battlefront
2015 (11/11)
Spring 2015 (3/3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J8jcI0WtzM

I really wish Bump of Chicken made more openings for stuff, they do really good work. Karma from Tales of the Abyss is still a bop, and Hello World continues the legacy. The buildup of the opening is really great, I love some of the imagery in this opening a lot, from the scattered photographs zooming out and becoming the city skyline, to the action sequence at the big climax of the opening. It's very well done, all things considered.

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92. Kimi no Shinwa - Aquarion EVOL OP 1
2012 (8/8)
Winter 2012 (3/3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnHnWyxTid8

One more before I call it a night, and we have an opening for an anime about super robots punching things, love, koans that make zero sense, and a plot better suited to a super robot wars game than any sort of anime. This could have been the other Aquarion EVOL opening, I do like that song as well, but the second opening is basically a clip show so obviously that's out of the question entirely. This opening does a good job showing off their colourful cast of characters, giving you a bit of insight into what they're like, and tops it all off with some beautiful action scenes. The last twenty seconds or so are real good.


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cerulean 2 low

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Ah, I forgot to put the artist for the Aquarion EVOL op, it's Akino and Aiki. Too late to edit it.:(

91. Daydream Syndrome - Marina Fujiwara - Yumekui Merry
2011 (12/12)
Winter 2011 (4/4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0SUtZF7Uo4

Some openings rank really highly because I like the song so much. Daydream Syndrome is one of those songs that just stays in your head all day when you listen to it. As for what is going on with the visuals, I have no real idea. I assume they're meant to be deeper than they appear, but the series does look really cute regardless. It hits you with the rocking tempo early, has some really fun key changes, and that climax is great.

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The first 30 seconds of Cerulean is fucking amazing. I'd rank the OP in the top 25 of the decade at least. Domon on the cliff is totally goddamn hype.

Kimi no Shinwa's a bit awkward. I was all ready to complain and say this belongs in the top ten, but the animation is... real low tier. The song is tops at least.
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Logicblade posted...

I really wish Bump of Chicken made more openings for stuff, they do really good work. Karma from Tales of the Abyss is still a bop, and Hello World continues the legacy. The buildup of the opening is really great, I love some of the imagery in this opening a lot, from the scattered photographs zooming out and becoming the city skyline, to the action sequence at the big climax of the opening. It's very well done, all things considered.

March Comes In Like a Lion certainly benefits greatly from this, with a really strong first OP and ED both by Bump of Chicken. No list spoilers, obviously, but that is one of the very many good things about that show.

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90. Sawakaze - Tomofumi Tanezawa - Kimi Ni Todoke
2011 (11/12)
Winter 2011 (3/4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75F5ZHd5VmQ

Short, Soft, and Sweet. Sawakaze just gives you that warm bubbly feeling in the depths of your heart. The singers voice is enchanting as you fade away into a dream-like haze. You can't listen to it without developing a derpy smile on your face, and for that it's worth a spot on this list.

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89. Renegade - Stereo Dive Foundation - Gangsta
2015 (10/11)
Summer 2015 (2/2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COBpRXm_CUQ

I love the style of the opening, so much so that I can even forgive this having a weaker song than usual. Not that it's bad or anything, just the verses and chorus can be a bit hit or miss for me, and the backing chipmunk sounds can be grating or just fine depending on how I feel. The style is great, the action is really good, so I would feel remiss not having this somewhere in the top 100. The long version of the song is more palatable, but the short version, I dunno, it just rubs me the wrong way.

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88. Serment - Mami Kawada - Shakugan no Shana Final
2012 (7/8)
Winter 2012 (2/3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbuL1a_TZbQ

Finding a good version of this opening was difficult to say the least. Finding the full version, or a nightcore version, no problem, this though? That's another question entirely, so we take what we've got. The Shana openings all have a lot of neat buildup in them, and this is no exception. Kawada is just pleasant to listen to and as the music swells, the action matches pace, combining touching memories with intense stare downs, and it's just a good solid opening all around.

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87. Trigger - Yuuki Ozaki - Terror in Resonance
2014 (10/13)
Summer 2014 (3/3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ARRcK4LVs

Haunting beautiful vocals combined with some very trippy visuals makes for a really good opening as it turns out. Well, at least I think so. Probably the best godzilla spinoff to date. Wait, it's not? Whoops. Everything from about 30 seconds on to the end is really good, and almost makes me want to pick up the series again, even though I dropped it pretty quickly for a reason.

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86. Flashback - Miyavi vs. KENKEN - Kokoku
2018 (15/16)
Winter 2018 (3/3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhBA6ynorvc

This one is a god damn trip. I got to hand it to them though, it's hauntingly catchy and addictive. It's got that paranoia agent vibe to it, despite being an entirely different flavour of song. This is just a really good case of the visuals and song combining to make a better opening than they would be if they were just their individual parts. It really goes hand in glove in that sense. It's not going to get the upper hand on some of the other songs on this list, but it will force my hand when it comes to awful, awful puns.

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bumpo

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85. Here - Junna - The Ancient Magus' Bride
2017 (6/6)
Fall 2017 (2/2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuZbmLLv1vM

Oh wow, I only have 6 songs from 2017. Must have been a weak year overall. In any case, the Ancient Magus' Bride does not have a weak opening, Junna's voice is enchanting as we get anime beauty and the beast out in full force here. The choice of instruments is hauntingly beautiful, as the spanish guitar just gently plays with your heartstrings. It feels weird loving an opening so much, and only having it number 85 on a list like this. It's crazy.

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love that song

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woooo glad to see Kokkoku; was probably my fav OP of the entire year last year let alone that season, but knowing its competition... yeah, I can see it being bested by those

And one more for the night.

84. MAYDAY - Coldrain ft. Ryo from Crystal Lake - Fire Force
2019 (8/9)
Fall 2019 (1/2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0WClcc-aVs

Sometimes you just want some heavy screaming in your shounen anime about fire fighters who literally fight with fire. The opening has some nice visuals, but it's very inconsistent. But the song is really enjoyable, and if I like the song I'm going to at least consider the opening for something. Not my favourite coldrain opening this decade, but I do really like this one, and the bridge of "EVERY BRIDGE WE BURN" is just such a god damn earworm. You gotta love it.

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83. PROMPT - Natsumi Kon - Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince
2013 (8/8)
Summer 2013 (2/2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66ywZgB8iQ4

So guys, I really like Mecha anime. Especially ones that ended up being the least popular out of all three that were airing at the exact time (Valvrave, Gargantia). In any case, I can't even find a good version of this opening, just goes to show how underappreciated this show was in certain circles. I mean, Hiraiface, I get it, but the action choreography was actually stunning, and both openings had merits for making it on this list. I liked this one's song a little bit more, and could just feel the inspiration welling up in me when listening to the last 30 seconds or so.

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wait shit macross f wasnt this decade was it? i totally forgot it might be like 2010 and i forgot but if its eligible lion better be so high up

edit: 2008 wow would not have guessed that early, feel like it newer than that. oh well

Majestic Prince I liked.

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Lion would have done fairly well if it was a song this decade, yes. Sadly Delta was nowhere near as good in the opening department than Frontier. Is that list spoilers? Eh whatever.

82. Now Or Never - Nano - Phi Brain Season 2
2012 (6/8)
Spring 2012 (4/4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LKssvKRmD4

Are you ready to solve some fucking puzzles? After listening to this opening you might as well be. Phi Brain actually had some really underrated openings, both this and Brain Diver are real bops, and again it was hard picking exactly which one should make it onto this list. In the end I liked Nano's Now or Never just that little bit more, the guitar riff draws you in instantly. The visuals to the opening have this nice mirror effect going for it, starting and ending with similar shots of the protagonist and arc villain, and sometimes I just like the duality of the whole thing, makes up for the style being a little off the beaten path. Didn't realize most of my 2012 reps were from the month of spring though.

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81. Genesis - Stereo Dive Foundation - Dimension W
2016 (9/11)
Winter 2016 (2/2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Cqzz88jrxY

And now for an opening that gets by solely on how beautiful the action is. I don't hate the song perse, but it's very hit or miss. It's definitely the action that's the main draw, from the funky dance at the beginning, to the car chase and fight scene, it just oozes style. If the song did more for me, this could have easily been in the top 30. However, it's just a case of I really appreciate this, but there is definitely better out there.


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Let's end the 80's with a blast.

80. Spirit Inspiration - Nothing's Carved in Stone - Zetsuen no Tempest
2012 (5/8)
Fall 2012 (1/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OYMM-68VGU

Nothing's Carved in Stone has some really catchy openings, and Spirit Inspiration is definitely an inspired piece. You very quickly get a handle on what sorts of characters the main cast are, and you get to see some cool action scenes, interspersed with some funky bass licks, and of course "SPIRIT INSIPIRATION, NO I CAN'T LOOOOOOOSE." It's all done very well and is definitely worthy of being on the best openings of the decade list. Oh, and the anime is a definite much watch, also one of my favourites from the decade.

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Some notes thus far

Spring 2016 was a stacked season for OPs but I'm surprised by the current selections

I like them, but I'm not sure i would've taken sakamoto let alone shounen maid over kiznaiver, kabaneri, flying witch, sansha sanyou, anne happy or even kuma miko. Chances are redo takes a place too so there be some fallen ones there

On the other hand, reasonably strong initial pick for the preceding winter season with dimension w. Looking forward to what the top one there could be. ERASED? Rakugo? Dagashi Kashi, or perhaps dark horse options like Pandora in the Crimson Shell or Myriad Colors Phantom World?

Still on 2016, hoping for amanchu or ange vierge in summer and... actually any of a whole bunch of fall shows but i guess especially shakunetsu/show by rock s2/yuri on ice (but i fully expect only one of them at best. Oh well)

I guess I will give personal biases on other years next time i check in here apologies in advance lol