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

(+) Yeah! (+)

18. Ebb and Flow - Ray - Nagi No Asukara OP 2
2014 (2/12)
Winter 2014 (1/4)
https://animethemes.moe/video/NagiNoAsukara-OP2v2.webm

Sometimes you just like something nice and peaceful, Ebb and Flow is an absolutely gorgeous song, and the opening is just as beautiful to match. There's actually two versions of this opening, with slightly different visuals, so naturally I picked the more spoilery one because I liked it slightly more. >_> It's a real feast for the senses, I really love the wintry backdrop, the added scenes with Manaka, and I think my favourite moment is Hikari reaching up through the water as the music swells. Not bad for Friendzone, the anime.

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and let's do a double

17. Kimi Ni Furete - Riko Azuna - Bloom into You OP
2018 (3/16)
Fall 2018 (2/4)
https://animethemes.moe/video/YagateKimiNiNaru-OP1-NCBD1080.webm

Another opening that is just absolutely beautiful to watch and to listen to. The singers voice is mesmerizing, I absolutely love the flowery imagery that pervades the opening, and it just really feels like a bittersweet kind of drama that you can just gnash your teeth into. The scene at the end where they're holding hands and transform into dolls is visually striking, but without knowing what the anime is actually about (other than yuri, I can tell that much) I won't really get the symbolism of it. Still though, I liked it a lot, and it appealed to me almost immediately.

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Nice, peaceful, gorgeous describes every Nagi no Asukara OP and ED, but yes that is the better one.

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16. This Game - Konomi Suzuki - No Game No Life
2014 (1/12)
Spring 2014 (1/3)
https://animethemes.moe/video/NoGameNoLife-OP1.webm

And so 2014 finally bites the dust. A very strong showing from the year, but there were a few honorable mentions of note. Sekai wa Koi ni Ochiteiru by Chico + Honey Works for Ao Haru Ride fits into that nice cozy OP area that very nearly made the list. The Mekakucity Actors OP is pretty catchy as well (Daze by Garnidelia), and there was almost another opening by Lisa in Rising Hope (Irregular at Magic High School) on here, but it fell just short.

This opening is visually stunning. The choice of colours and scenes is vibrant and lush and draws you immediately. When you combine that with a fast paced song, with beautiful vocals and an amazing piano melody, you've got a real winner of a opening. There are so many good looking scenes that I could not pick just one that stands out. Honestly it's so rich that I'm having trouble just talking about what I like most about it, so I'll leave it with this. This opening is awesome. (There, I did it.)

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Aw yeah Kimi no Furete. Great show and great OP. All of the flowers in the OP are very pretty.

I think Ebb and Flow would be a favorite of mine if not for the segment where the singer is talking. Putting talking segments in songs for any length of time is most often a good way to drop a song from top tier to bad tier.
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I don't typically like it, but in this instance it felt like it fit with the tone of the song and the visuals so it worked for me.

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15. Out of Control - Nothing's Carved in Stone - Psycho Pass OP 2
2013 (1/8)
Winter 2013 (1/3)
https://animethemes.moe/video/PsychoPass-OP2.webm

Just knocking these years right out of the decade, we've only got songs from 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019 left to put up. Some of the honorable mentions for this year that I haven't already mentioned include Crowds by White Ash for Gatchaman Crowds and Henai no Rondo by GRANRODEO for Karneval. Savior of Song by Nano for Arpeggio of Steel deserve special mention for being a really awesome song, stuck with a boring gachaesque opening.

CAUSE I FEEEEEEL! God, I fucking love belting this song out. The opening oozes style, from the choice of colour scheme, the shot direction, to some really freaking cool scenes, like the cut from the muzzle flash of the gun, to the cigarette being lit up and exploding, it's just got that wow factor to it. Hell I even love that slow walk of all the main cast shot through the chain link fence... this opening has everything you could possibly want for a gritty psychological crime thriller.

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14. Bravely You - Lia - Charlotte OP
2015 (5/11)
Summer 2015 (1/2)
https://animethemes.moe/video/Charlotte-OP1.webm

Sometimes you have really good reasons for liking an opening. Sometimes, it's just because it's really pretty. I typically fall into the latter category. Charlotte's OP is stunning. It has a lot of slow dramatic shots that just look absolutely gorgeous in motion. The piano of the song is quite beautiful and really carries the song, but the one thing that absolutely makes this OP stand out above all others is that fast paced looped from about 48 seconds in to 1:02. I dare you not to bob your head to the beat, it just gets right into you instantly. It's a shame this anime was rushed to hell, if could have been a really good slice of life anime, or a somewhat interesting psychological drama, but they didn't have enough time to devote to both.

(Tomori is best girl, fight me on the streets)

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13. History Maker - Dean Fujioka - Yuri On Ice
2016 (1/11)
Fall 2016 (1/2)
https://animethemes.moe/video/YuriOnIce-OP1v2.webm

There were a few honorable mentions for 2016 that I didn't get to. The opening for Sweetness and Lightning was very sweet and adorable (Harebare Fanfare by Mimimememimi). The first March Comes in like a Lion opening is also pretty good (Answer by Bump of Chicken) and... I think that's it for standouts for me, the rest I've already mentioned before in passing, or the show had another opening worth more merit. In any case, number one this year had to be History Maker.

Sometimes simple is better, sometimes you just need something with swelling inspirational lyrics to get you through. History Maker is amazing, and the added touches that the second version of the opening gives really just puts it over the top. If you aren't singing along to the OP whenever you hear it, then it probably hasn't embedded its way into your brain like it has mine. Dean's voice is beautiful, I love the splashes of colour that bombard the screen on each figure skating move the guys do, and seeing the finalists walking up to the final stage in the background really sells this as a hype piece. I love me some Yuri on Ice.

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12. Mukanjyo - Survive Said the Prophet - Vinland Saga OP 1
2019 (4/9)
Summer 2019 (1/1)
https://animethemes.moe/video/VinlandSaga-OP1.webm

Fuck yeah Vikings! This opening is matched really freaking well with the desperation and intensity of this song. The guitar licks are amazing, the singer absolutely kills it, and of course you've got one hell of a hook in "I've paid my dues, I've sold my sold, so tell me what is left for me when I've given up everything?" It's just like taking a steak off the grill right when it hits medium rare, or finding a pair of matching socks in the laundry hamper, it's just... mmm so good. The visuals are stunning, I love the change of Thorfinn from young innocent child to jaded angry teenager in just a few frames, and the very end scene where he's screaming out at the heavens amongst a pile of corpses... there is a lot to love about this OP.

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11. Last Inferno - Ceui - Legend of the Legendary Heroes OP 2
2010 (2/7)
Fall 2010 (1/2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eceqq_2uU8A

The last song before the top 10, and it's from something I don't think many people have actually seen, so go me, wooo. In any case, Ceui makes some incredibly moving pieces, and Last Inferno is definitely a standout. Her voice is so powerful and beautiful and it reall does a lot for this opening. Some of the scenes that stick with me are the refugees trying to escape from the flames as some of them fall to their deaths, Ferris gasping for air after killing a whole bunch of soldiers, and the very end when the foreign army is getting ready to charge at Sion's kingdom. I don't remember a lot of the details of the anime, but this opening stuck with me for just how raw it was. Wasn't quite enough to make the top ten, but it was incredible, none the less.

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bumpo

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10. Kyouran Hey Kids - The Oral Cigarettes - Noragami Aragoto OP
2015 (4/11)
Fall 2015 (2/4)
https://animethemes.moe/video/NoragamiAragoto-OP1.webm

This opening is funky as all get out. I love the colour scheme used for this one, the action sequences are captivating, and the chorus is just great times. It's a very dynamic and super catchy opening, and just hits all the right buttons for me personally. I swear, I respect the hero.

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9. Sincerely - TRUE - Violet Evergarden
2018 (2/16)
Winter 2018 (1/3)
https://animethemes.moe/video/VioletEvergarden-OP1-NCBD1080.webm

Hey, Logic... you want to cry on demand? Here you go! :( This song is so emotional and beautiful, I can't help but love it. The opening is so vivid and entrancing, even when it's a lot of still shots, you still get beautiful imagery, sunlight playing on the water, it's just a feast for the senses. And now I'm remembering some of the really bittersweet episodes again. God damn it. *sniffle* This is definitely an opening that will stick with me for the years to come.

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Logicblade posted...

10. Kyouran Hey Kids - The Oral Cigarettes - Noragami Aragoto OP

I was actually thinking this OP was a better fit when you commented on liking to belt out the Psycho Pass OP earlier >.>

Pretty big fan of this OP. Also the one from season 1 but this one is better.
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Hmm, have you posted a list of the OPs so far yet?
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I have a full list of the first 80 on the last page

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8. Flyers - Bradio - Death Parade
2015 (3/11)
Winter 2015 (1/2)
https://animethemes.moe/video/DeathParade-OP1.webm

Everybody! Put your hands up! Holy crap this opening is just fun. You get immediately hooked to the bombastic beats, the singer is just having a blast, and hey, everyone else in the opening is having one too! Sadly the OP is not at all indicative of what this show is actually like, but hey, I'm all for the absurd singing and dancing going on in this one. It's actually shorter than your average opening, but it's as sweet as it gets. It's very hard to pick a favourite part of this song, but my least favourite part is at 1:19, because it ends.

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7. Kimi no Sei - The Peggies - Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
2018 (1/16)
Fall 2018 (1/4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1PWA11Ec3E

And so 2018 hits the dirt after dominating most of the list. There were a few other songs to make honorable mention, but most have been covered by the list proper. 2018 had the best Shokugeki Opening in my opinion with Symbol by Luck Life. The Grand Blue opening was a pretty fun song, but just not up to the same level as the rest of the list, and the last honorable mention I have is Nostalgic Rainfall by Chico and Honey Works for After the Rain, which was one the very last cuts I ended up making, because cuts are fricking difficult.

Kimi No Sei is an absolute earworm, but this opening is so much more than that. The shots are cut incredibly well, there is a great mix of action and character establishing shots, and just a lot of things I absolutely love about it. The scene of MC running at the very beginning is constrasted by the traffic to make it seem like he isn't moving at all, and then you get a cut to a close up shot of him running and you can see he's just going full bore, throwing caution to the wind and driving himself to exhaustion. It was really clever and something that impressed me on multiple watch throughs. I'm sure there's more symbolism and stuff thrown in there, but all in all, this opening is both technically impressive, and one you can just listen to over and over again. Kimi no Sei, Kimi No Sei, Uwuuuu.

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Welp. Those might actually be #1 and #2 on my least favorite OP's if the decade list.

Flyers is a solid song but doesn't fit the show at all and actively detracts from the emotional state the show is aiming for. Kimi no Sei I actually just hate everything about it D:
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Well we may as well get to the top 5 today, and remove another year from the tally.

6. My Soul, Your Beats - Lia - Angel Beats OP
2010 (1/7)
Spring 2010 (1/3)
https://animethemes.moe/video/AngelBeats-OP1.webm

With 2010 getting removed from the list, I need to put up more honorable mentions. Yosuga No Sora had a really beautiful OP in Hiyoku no Hane by Eufonius, and Togainu no Chi had a rocking OP by GRANRODEO (Rose Hip Bullet) that at least deserve some mention. It also had the only Naruto Shippudden OP I kind of liked this decade in Diver by Nico touches the Walls. In fact, it had the only Fairy Tail OP I considered for this list as well in Ft. by Funkist. However, none of those could scratch the top 100, and they definitely couldn't beat number 6.

This song is beautiful, and it always gives you an absolute treat for the senses. I like Kanade playing the piano in time with the opening, it really carries the whole thing forward. and even though it does the thing where it just puts the name by the character as they show quick shots of them, it's still fine, because they really stick to Piano Kanade, and it's really good. It's a bit like watching a recital, rather than an actual OP, but I love the song so you know, deal with it. Lia has the most powerful energy of all.

In any case, that just leaves 5 songs to go, all from either 2015 or 2019. That's kind of weird, but it's just how it turned out.

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Ok I like this one at least. The piano is very nice.
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it's a shame such a good OP (and OST in general) is attached to an otherwise atrocious show
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Flyers is great and easy top 20 if not higher so good there

but yeah I don't care for Kimi no Sei at all

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What is with this Kimi no Sei hate the fuck is wrong with y'all. My complaint is that it should be top 5.

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Kimi no Sei is massively overrated and probably shouldn't be on the list tbh

Yeah Kimi no Sei is awful.

MSYB good stuff tho
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Flyers is great, Kimi no Sei is pretty good. Never been a big fan of My Soul Your Beats though, I like my OPs to have a bit more energy to them.

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Alrighty then... let's kick off the top 5 with some style.

5. Identity - Mikio Sakai - Rakudai Kishi No Cavalry
2015 (2/11)
Fall 2015 (1/4)
https://animethemes.moe/video/RakudaiKishiNoCavalry-OP1v3.webm

So... the top 5 was the absolute hardest for me to break apart. On a different day, I could easily have an argument for this being my top opening of the decade, but today, I'm locking it into the list at number 5. I absolutely love the style of this opening. The song is catchy, the art style and colour choice is done incredibly well, and the focus on the red of fire and blood is very well done. This opening actually has three versions, each changing who the main character clashes with for the last 20 seconds of the OP, so naturally I chose the last person he clashes with, because I am a sucker for those one strike, one kill kind of samurai duels. The shots establish Ikki and Stella well, there's just enough fanservice to pique your interest without turning you off completely, and the action sequences are vivid and fun. This is an absolute banger, and definitely one of my favourites of this decade. The show was actually pretty enjoyable too, though I hear it's a good thing it never got a second season.

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having read what would be covered in a season 2, I would gladly watch it
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4. 99.9% - Mob Choir - Mob Psycho 100 II OP
Winter 2019 (2/5)
2019 (3/9)
https://animethemes.moe/video/MobPsycho100S2-OP1-BD1080.webm

This opening is incredible. From the super catchy music, the really neat style and choices, this opening is just packed full of absolute goodies. The fight scene is absurdly sakuga, which is pretty crazy for an OP, but it just totally nails it. It catches your attention immediately, and holds it throughout the entire piece. It's pretty clear where all the One Punch Man budget went to, because this was absurd.

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3. Gurenge - Lisa - Kimetsu no Yaiba OP
2019 (2/9)
Spring 2019 (1/1)
https://animethemes.moe/video/KimetsuNoYaiba-OP1-NCBD1080.webm

Lisa has one more banger to crank out for this list, and Gurenge is just incredible. There's a lot of care crafted into every shot, but it draws your attention from the very beginning with Tanjirou trudging through the snow in desperation. The music hits hard, the opening visuals are so on point it;s incredible, and I absolutely love what they did with the breathing styles used for the swords, it's just gorgeous to watch over and over again.

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well it is probably my favorite Lisa song

not sure top 10 but very good. 99 is amazing of course

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99 >>> 99.9 (though 99.9's pretty good)

Gurenge is low tier for LIsa tracks.
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oh wait that was 99.9

99 is better

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yeah Mob Season 1 OP is way better

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Both are fantastic, I SLIGHTLY prefer 99. Slightly. 99.9 gets points for YOUR LIFE IS YOUR OWN which I absolutely love.

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99.9 is a way better song solely because it doesn't have the obnoxious counting
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th3l3fty posted...

99.9 is a way better song solely because it doesn't have the obnoxious counting

99 is way better because it has the counting

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the counting is the fucking worst part in 99.9. I'd actually say it's so bad it makes the song bad.

The counting probably works better in the full version of 99, since it's spread out over 4 minutes instead of 90 seconds.
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People actually care about the counting in it? Wow lol

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KokoroAkechi posted...

the counting is the fucking worst part in 99. I'd actually say it's so bad it makes the song bad.

I wouldn't go this far, but it does definitely take it out of top 100 consideration.

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2. Brave Shine - Aimer - Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works OP 2
2015 (1/11)
Spring 2015 (1/3)
https://animethemes.moe/video/FateStayNightUBWS2-OP1.webm

So I may as well cover the honorable mentions from both 2015 and 2019 now that we're at the end of the list here. Choosing 100 songs was tough enough, all the honorable mentions make it that much more difficult. From 2015, we have Seraph of the End's Opening X.U. by Hiroyuki Sawano that's a real banger. There's Harumodoki by Nagi Yanagi for the second season of Teen Romantic Comedy Snafu which happened to just be a real pretty song. I really liked the song Ai no Scenario by Chico and Honey Works, but the opening is literally just the main dude standing while the camera pans around him.

As for 2019, there were some bangers that year too that didn't quite make the list. Kanata no Astra's OP (Star*Frost by Nonoc) was really catchy, even though it only played for like half of the episodes and Carole and Tuesday's OP (Kiss me by Nai br.XX & Celeina Ann) was 90's R&B as fuck and I have a bit of a soft spot for that kind of style. Huh... I guess that was it for my 2019 honorable mentions.

In any case, that leaves us with Brave Shine as our top opening of 2015, and second best of the decade. Again, any of the top 5 could have been number one for me on a different day, but Brave Shine is absolutely gorgeous. You've got beautiful character establishing shots, Archers looking up to the sky in the reality marble to kick the song off is just immediate attention drawing stuff. The action is beautiful, intense and the song just embeds itself inside you and never lets go. Ending the opening with Shirou confronting Archer is just... mwah *chefs kiss*, fire emoji, 100 emoji, eggplant emoji. but today it isn't number one.

1. Kawaki wo Ameku - Minami - Domestic no Kanojo OP
2019 (1/9)
Winter 2019 (1/5)
https://animethemes.moe/video/DomesticNaKanojo-OP1.webm

Because this anime by the hack writer Sasuga Kei happened to just have a ridiculous banger for an opening. The emotion the singer puts into this is so freaking raw it's incredible. There's apparently a lot of symbolism actually in the opening that really shows exactly what kind of characters the girls are, who the hell the piano player in the OP actually is, all that sort of stuff, but I love it precisely because it tells you exactly what the hell the anime is all about in 90 seconds so you don't actually have to watch it. I love the music, the angry staredown between the two main girls at the end, the fact that the other two girls have their reflections hesitate before getting any close to the main guy, the use of rain... it's all done splendidly, and for all of that, makes it my top opening of the decade.

Thanks for putting up with my awful opinions everyone, let me know what you thought, and what your top openings of the decade were, and what openings you think I snubbed too hard.

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The counting in 99 didn't bother me. Even if you hate it, you know exactly when the song is going to end at least.

Also, no Unravel from Tokyo Ghoul?

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Lisa - traumerei my favorite OP of hers. Too bad its for such a terrible show.

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Pretty good #1. Not a huge fan of #2, but it's alright.

Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Bangaichi OP2 - Ringo Mogire Beam -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhx-qWDMGyo

Concrete Revolutio S2 OP - Wareru Doukoku - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdcDlt2c6y0

Encourage of Climb S2 - Summer-Colored Present - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTeLGxA1rrU

These are my top three that aren't on your list (My Soul Your Beats and Raise Your Flag are my favorite two on it). Would you mind sharing your thoughts on them?
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Of course I'm biased in this regard but my personal favorite was Limit Break X Survivor

https://youtu.be/Li76Oh-HdIw

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theiceisnice posted...

The counting in 99 didn't bother me. Even if you hate it, you know exactly when the song is going to end at least.

Also, no Unravel from Tokyo Ghoul?

Katharsis was my pick for the Tokyo Ghoul series, I found Unravel breathy and annoying, honestly.

BK_Sheikah00 posted...

Lisa - traumerei my favorite OP of hers. Too bad its for such a terrible show.

I had so many Lisa openings, I definitely don't dislike this one, it just didn't pop out enough at me to say I wanted it on the list for sure.

Mac Arrowny posted...

Pretty good #1. Not a huge fan of #2, but it's alright.

Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Bangaichi OP2 - Ringo Mogire Beam -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhx-qWDMGyo

Concrete Revolutio S2 OP - Wareru Doukoku - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdcDlt2c6y0

Encourage of Climb S2 - Summer-Colored Present - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTeLGxA1rrU

These are my top three that aren't on your list (My Soul Your Beats and Raise Your Flag are my favorite two on it). Would you mind sharing your thoughts on them?

That first one is uh... uh... hold one while I replace my eyeballs. It's definitely something, alright. I can see there is appeal for someone, but for me it just weirds me the fuck out. It takes a good minute before it gets to something resembling tolerable, and then the chorus kicks in again.

Concrete Revolutio OP was one I at least considered, but I dropped it off my honorable mentions pretty quickly once the list started filling out. I don't particularly dislike it or anything, but if all the openings on my list are at least A-'s, this one is a solid B. I don't particularly like dubstep, but it actually kind of works for this opening. I just wasn't too fussed about the last 20 seconds or so of it.

Some openings really toe the line between comfy and boring, unfortunately for Encouragement of Climb, I find it more boring than comfy. It just doesn't do anything to stick out for me.

ninkendo posted...

Of course I'm biased in this regard but my personal favorite was Limit Break X Survivor

https://youtu.be/Li76Oh-HdIw

DB Super actually had a really good second OP. Might actually just be the best Dragon Ball opening out there, all things considered. Does the appropriate amount of work getting you hyped up for the battle of the ages, and the song is a lot of fun.

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ya go my brave shine

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