Best anime opening songs - My Top Five
It’s my first blog of 2022 and as I am still getting used to the process of writing blogs, I thought “let’s do something easy and fun to think about for the FIRST of 2022” :- My top 5 opening songs to anime, these are songs that I listen to outside of watching the anime while working, doing my makeup etc and I have grown to appreciate the band/artist themselves. I am going to go in no particular order because I can’t choose which is my all-time favourite!
Tokyo Revengers - “Cry Baby” by Official Hige DANdism, there are very few times that there is an opening I don’t skip over at some point, but there is something very special about this song and I feel like my day is incomplete if I don’t listen to this song at least once. I find the artist’s voice interesting to listen to as its soft but strong. I am no singer myself nor can I play any instruments, so I have no idea how to describe what it is he does with his voice, but I love the way the voice melds into the melody, I always feel like I hear something new every time I listen to this and the pace changes towards the middle keeping me interested, wanting to listen to it over and over again.
Bungou Stray Dogs season 3 - “Setsuna no Ai” by GRANRODEO The lead vocalist Kisho Taniyama also does the voice acting for Nakahara Chuuya a reoccurring antagonist in the anime. Before I became totally engrossed in anime my chosen music to listen to mostly would be rock music, bands such as Queens of the Stone age, Biffy Clyro etc (I hasten to add I do still listen to a varied selection of music including K-pop, musicals and Indie rock like in most things it depends how I am feeling). I mention the rock from the 2000s because I feel like this band has the same kind of vibe as those bands mentioned above, not because of style but with the strong use of guitars and drums. GRANRODEO have done many incredible openings for other awesome anime such as “Seven Deadly Sins”, “Kuroko no Basket” and “Kidou Senshi Gundam” and many other animes I have yet to watch.
Kimetsu no Yaiba Seeason 1 -“Gurenge” by LiSA I think anyone who has watched this anime knows this song is incredible and it would be a crime for it not to be on my list! LiSA has incredible vocals and has actually done the openings and endings for many, many animes over the years including Angel Beats!, My Hero Academia and from the Fate series. I always get super hyped when I hear Gurenge and love it when it comes up on my playlist but I do feel that LiSA has so many other incredible songs that are overshadowed by how popular this song became when Kimetsu no Yaiba aired, but then that’s the same with many band/artists. I have heard many songs by LiSA that I didn’t know were sung by her until Gurenge but it was after that song I went out of my way to find more of her songs and I was surprised that I had heard her work before.
Fire Force season 1 -“Inferno” by Mrs Green Apple again one of those songs that I feel like my day is incomplete if I haven’t listened to this song at least once. This one is just an all-round great song to dance around to and it never fails to put me in a good mood. A lot like the Tokyo Revengers opening it has a lot of pace changes within the song that keeps me interested, I would love to go to one of their gigs and hear this song live, I just know it would be so much fun! I was sad to find out that in 2020 they have halted activities so they can become independent. I hope that means that we will see their work again soon and making more openings for anime!
HunterxHunter -“Departure!” by Masatoshi Ono. GUYS!! I love this song and feel that all of these songs are ones that will ever get old for me. This one, although I only watched HunterxHunter in 2021, 11 years after it aired, feels really nostalgic for some reason but I can’t give you a logical reason why I feel this way. I love Masatoshi Ono’s voice, it is so clear and bright and the whole song just makes you feel so happy, it’s a weird choice for me but every time I hear it, I feel like I am about to go on some epic journey!
So at the moment those are my favourite five, and I think the link between these songs are that each of one makes you feel like you are being pulled into another world, place, or time. They are not just an opening to the anime they are part of the episode.
I have many other songs on my anime opening ‘listen’ list, and I am sure some people are saying what about Tokyo Ghoul “Unravel” or Naruto “Blue Bird”, they were super close to my top 5 but there are a few new ones that just won out a little bit over these.
What is your favourite anime opening? Do you listen to the songs while doing other things? Leave a comment down below, I would love to know and maybe I will find a new favourite artist.
Much Love
Emily for Tornados and Trinkets