A new season of anime means a new batch of anime openings and endings. For some shows, the openings and endings can be one of the only saving graces, for others it can add to an already stellar package. This season has been unlike the last two seasons in that there isn’t an opening that is far and away better than the other openings. That, however, does not mean that the quality was down. Quite the opposite, actually. There were so many good openings this season that it was hard for me to decide which one I preferred the best at first, and ultimately any one of the ten I selected could be someone’s favorite from the season. With all that being said, these are my selections for the best openings and endings of the season.
Top 10 Openings:
10. Golden Time
Golden Time’s opening doesn’t have much going for it in terms of visuals. It literally just follows around the two lead characters of the show Tada Banri and Kaga Koko. And while some of Koko’s reactions in the opening are adorable, the real saving grace is the opening’s song, “Golden Time”, sung by Yui Horie, Koko’s seiyu.
9. Wanna Be the Strongest in the World
This opening does a good job of summarizing Sakura’s change from an idol into a wrestler. On top of that it shows of the majority of the show’s prominent characters to date, and the song “Beautiful Dreamer” by Kyoko Narumi is good enough to get me hyped to watch some animated joshi wrestling.
8. Beyond the Boundary
Beyond the Boundary’s opening features beautiful visuals, as expected from its animation studio, KyoAni. While the visuals don’t necessarily tell much of a story on their own, we at least get to see each of the principal characters have a chance to shine. In addition, the song “Kyokai no Kanata” by Minori Chihara is simply beautiful.
7. Coppelion
It should be said, the only redeemable thing about Coppelion is its production values. While the series itself has horrific writing, both of the character and story variety, the series has gorgeous backgrounds, a unique art style, and well animated action scenes. This carries over to the show’s opening and ending, which are by far the best things about the show. The opening’s song “Angel” by angela is really, really good and is backed with sharp, well animated visuals.
6. Unbreakable Machine-Doll
Unbreakable Machine-Doll’s opening does a serviceable job at showing off the main cast, but it truly shines at the action scenes included. I also like the visual of Yaya being surrounded by all of those gears at the beginning of the opening. The opening’s song “Anicca” by Hitomi Harada is pretty good too, especially the strong focus on guitars.
5. My Mental Choices Are Completely Interfering With My School Romantic Comedy
My Mental Choices Are Completely Interfering With My School Romantic Comedy’s opening is funny and cute at the same time. The song “S・M・L☆” by Afilia Saga is adorably sweet. The animation shows off the lead character Kanade as well as all of the primary ladies in the show. It also slightly hints at the kind of jokes the show has, albeit in a toned down manner. The highlight of the opening, however, is when the buxom Reikadou pushes aside the token loll character Yuragi with her enormous bust.
4. Yowamushi Pedal
Yowamushi Pedal has been far and away the biggest surprise when it comes to the sports series this season. Whereas all the other sports series came in with some form of hype, Yowamushi Pedal just sort of appeared with no expectations. One of the things that has helped Yowamushi Pedal is that it has the best opening out of all of the sports series this season. It shows off all the introduced characters so far while also showing some of the rival characters yet to be introduced. However, what makes this opening just work is the song “Reclimb” by ROOKiEZ is PUNK’D. This song is just pure adrenaline in musical form. Any self respecting sports anime should have an opening that gets you pumped like this.
3. Arpeggio of Blue Steel
Arpeggio of Blue Steel has been a show that has just progressively become better with each episode. One of the things that has been good from the start is its opening. The opening introduces all of the human characters that actually matter plus all of the mental models for the enemy Fog ships. The action sequences in the opening are stunning, and the song “Savior of Song” by Nano and MY FIRST STORY is pretty catchy in its own right.
2. Log Horizon
The opening is from beginning to end non-stop action, and shows off pretty much every character to ever get a speaking role in the show, while also covering some of the plot points of the show. Some may be turned off by the gratuitous English in the song “database” by Man with a Mission featuring Takuma, but I personally love it, I think it gives it some charm.
1. Kill la Kill
Kill la Kill’s opening is a minute and half long perfect example of what to expect from this show. It covers all of the bases of the show. It shows off the fluid, and heavily old school/western animation, it shows off the heavy focus on fanservice, and it shows off some great looking action. The accompanying song, “Sirius” by Eir Aoi is also really, really good. If one looks at an opening as a summary of what to expect, there are few that do it better than Kill la Kill’s.
Now while I said in the opening paragraph that there was no clear cut leader in terms of the openings, that is not the case with the endings. Unbreakable Machine-Doll’s ending is far and away the best ending of the season. Just from a purely visual standpoint, the rapidly changing visuals is just stunning to look at. Add on top of that the really catchy song “Maware! Setsugetsuka” sung by Hitomi Harada, Ai Kayano, and Yui Ogura, the seiyus for Yaya, Irori, and Komurasaki, respectively, and you have a great ending. The cherry on top, though, is the point in the ending where Yaya, Irori, and Komurasaki are rapidly spinning on the screen.
And so there you have it, what I think are the best openings and endings of the season are. If one of your favorites did make the list, more than likely it means I haven’t seen the show it belongs to, or I simply didn’t like it quite as much as the ones listed.
7. Coppelion
It should be said, the only redeemable thing about Coppelion is its production values. While the series itself has horrific writing, both of the character and story variety, the series has gorgeous backgrounds, a unique art style, and well animated action scenes. This carries over to the show’s opening and ending, which are by far the best things about the show. The opening’s song “Angel” by angela is really, really good and is backed with sharp, well animated visuals.
6. Unbreakable Machine-Doll
Unbreakable Machine-Doll’s opening does a serviceable job at showing off the main cast, but it truly shines at the action scenes included. I also like the visual of Yaya being surrounded by all of those gears at the beginning of the opening. The opening’s song “Anicca” by Hitomi Harada is pretty good too, especially the strong focus on guitars.
5. My Mental Choices Are Completely Interfering With My School Romantic Comedy
My Mental Choices Are Completely Interfering With My School Romantic Comedy’s opening is funny and cute at the same time. The song “S・M・L☆” by Afilia Saga is adorably sweet. The animation shows off the lead character Kanade as well as all of the primary ladies in the show. It also slightly hints at the kind of jokes the show has, albeit in a toned down manner. The highlight of the opening, however, is when the buxom Reikadou pushes aside the token loll character Yuragi with her enormous bust.
4. Yowamushi Pedal
Yowamushi Pedal has been far and away the biggest surprise when it comes to the sports series this season. Whereas all the other sports series came in with some form of hype, Yowamushi Pedal just sort of appeared with no expectations. One of the things that has helped Yowamushi Pedal is that it has the best opening out of all of the sports series this season. It shows off all the introduced characters so far while also showing some of the rival characters yet to be introduced. However, what makes this opening just work is the song “Reclimb” by ROOKiEZ is PUNK’D. This song is just pure adrenaline in musical form. Any self respecting sports anime should have an opening that gets you pumped like this.
3. Arpeggio of Blue Steel
Arpeggio of Blue Steel has been a show that has just progressively become better with each episode. One of the things that has been good from the start is its opening. The opening introduces all of the human characters that actually matter plus all of the mental models for the enemy Fog ships. The action sequences in the opening are stunning, and the song “Savior of Song” by Nano and MY FIRST STORY is pretty catchy in its own right.
2. Log Horizon
The opening is from beginning to end non-stop action, and shows off pretty much every character to ever get a speaking role in the show, while also covering some of the plot points of the show. Some may be turned off by the gratuitous English in the song “database” by Man with a Mission featuring Takuma, but I personally love it, I think it gives it some charm.
1. Kill la Kill
Kill la Kill’s opening is a minute and half long perfect example of what to expect from this show. It covers all of the bases of the show. It shows off the fluid, and heavily old school/western animation, it shows off the heavy focus on fanservice, and it shows off some great looking action. The accompanying song, “Sirius” by Eir Aoi is also really, really good. If one looks at an opening as a summary of what to expect, there are few that do it better than Kill la Kill’s.
Top 5 Endings
5. Wanna Be the Strongest in the World
This ending is a pretty simple one, it is just the show’s in universe idol group Sweet Diva performing a song, really. That being said, the song in question, “Fan Fanfare!!!” is good enough on its own to get me to always sit through the credits
4. Log Horizon
Log Horizon’s ending is the complete opposite of its opening. While the opening is fast paced action, the ending is a bit slower and focuses on the extremely cute badass Akatsuki as she walks around the city. The song “Your Song” by Yun*chi is also pretty cute.
3. Miss Monochrome: The Animation
I will fully admit, this ending is slightly the subject of nepotism, as I love the hell out of Vocaloids, and while Miss Monochrome herself isn’t a Vocaloid, she is in the same ballpark of being a virtual idol. Interestingly enough, she is the creation of, and voiced by, Yui Horie. Ultimately I just really, really like the song “Poker Face” being sung during the ending.
2. Coppelion
1. Unbreakable Machine-Doll
And so there you have it, what I think are the best openings and endings of the season are. If one of your favorites did make the list, more than likely it means I haven’t seen the show it belongs to, or I simply didn’t like it quite as much as the ones listed.
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