While many fans watch the OP of an anime, many choose to skip it, but they're truly missing out. There are some amazing OPs out there that are a pleasure to watch at the start of every episode. Some anime shows even have multiple OPs if they run long enough.
The OP of an anime is the perfect chance for the artists to be experimental whilst also introducing the characters of the show and the themes. Some OPs can be a completely different aesthetic than the actual show, whereas some keep it simple and true to the source material. Read on to discover some brilliant OPs that anime has to offer.
9 Kiznaiver
Arguably one of the most experimental OPs and a unique take within the anime industry, Kiznaiver has a stunning OP that features a ton of psychedelic visuals blending together to make a super colorful animation. It's not what fans would usually expect to see when they watch an anime OP, but that's what makes it just that much more special.
In the middle of the psychedelic visuals, there are a few snapshots of the characters and some locations, followed by each of the main cast being introduced. These characters are then included within the visuals, creating a gorgeous contrast between the bright shapes and the vibrant character designs.
8 Dress Up Darling
Firstly, the OP introduces us to the two main characters of Dress Up Darling, Gojou and Marin, and their two completely different lifestyles. The OP does a good job in showing the different cosplays that are covered within the first season whilst also perfectly capturing Gojou's usual expression, setting the scene for the show quite well.
The next part shows Marin in a variety of colorful and stylish outfits that almost look like stickers against a pink background of her dancing, letting viewers know that the topic of fashion is a heavy focus in this anime.
7 Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie
The OP starts by showing a range of snapshots that look like photographs of the main cast that were taken by the characters themselves, boosting those slice of life vibes. The overall aesthetic of this OP has a very pastel palette, making it visually appealing and suits the designs of the characters well. There's a short scene with Shikimori getting ready that is a delight to look at due to the muted pastel tones as she does her makeup, followed by Shikimori and Izumi appearing into different situations.
These included a scene that looks as if they're in a detective movie, a spy movie, and then a part that is quite clearly inspired by Alice In Wonderland. The last scene also perfectly captures the essence of the show with Shikimori saving Izumi from a flying ball, much like how she saves him continuously throughout the anime.
6 Tokyo Ghoul
One of the most well-known and popular anime OPs is the one for Tokyo Ghoul, even if anime fans haven't seen the show, they'll more than likely have seen this OP or heard the song "Unravel". It opens up with the iconic scene of Kaneki sitting on a chair in the clouds, followed by the screen shattering as viewers are introduced to quick snapshots of the cast while the song kicks in.
There's a great scene of Touka and Kaneki walking past a window in their human form, while their reflection shows their red ghoul eyes. After the OP shows each character in the middle of Tokyo by themselves, there's a gorgeous scene where a collage of bright colors explodes out of Rize and Touka, appearing as if they are wings.
5 Bakemonogatari
This OP is famous mainly for its song due to it becoming popular on sites such as Tiktok and being put into many meme formats. It's quite an appealing OP visually too, with some lovely pastel hues as the viewer watches Nadeko read and eat some Pocky. In contrast, while she's walking, Koyomi appears, but he's grayed out, as opposed to the bubbly colors of Nadeko.
What's interesting about this OP is that no other characters are in the visuals and no info is given about the show. If a viewer is completely new to the show and this is the first thing they see, they'll be in for a surprise when they start to watch and realize it's a vampire show. It's important to note that this is in fact, the fourth OP in the show.
4 Wotakoi
This OP got popular due to the dance becoming a worldwide trend on the social media app TikTok. It's a simple dance to learn, as it only involves moving the hand. Visually the OP is great too, as it opens up with the main cast of the romance anime being introduced alongside a background that represents their overall color pallettes.
It then goes on to a charming pixilated section with the characters in their pixel forms designed after the characters from the game they all play together. Not only is the song catchy, but the dance is too, so it's no wonder that it garnered a ton of attention from anime fans.
3 Jujutsu Kaisen
The incredible OP song, Kakai Kitan, perfectly matches the vibe of the show and the OP animation overall. The opening scene is of the pink-haired Itadori on a train, covered knee-deep in water with fishes swimming around him. The rest of the main cast are slowly introduced as they go about their daily life, followed by a visually stunning scene of fan-favourite Gojou standing high up on a tower, overlooking the city skyline of Tokyo as he wears his iconic mask to cover his eyes.
As Itadori's train seems to go through a dark tunnel, Sukuna's reflection appears in the window, signifying that he's always inside of Itadori. The rest of the OP showcases more of the cast as well as hints of the demons that exist in the universe.
2 Dorohedoro
Opening up with vibrant and psychedelic animation, Caimen appears wearing his iconic gas mask. Viewers then watch as multiple Caimen's drawn out of colourful linework walk in unison while the psychedelic patterns show through the walls. It's a pretty bright start considering how dark the actual anime is, theme-wise and aesthetically.
The next scene shows Nikaidou cooking a meal in her restaurant, featuring some fantastic animated food. She then starts to manically chop up some meat as her blades seem to glow, followed by the OP ending with the many Caimen's suddenly having Gyozas for heads.
1 Kakegurui
The start of the OP showcases colorful pieces of fruit and a large dining table, as two members of the main cast lay on top, both with a cherry in their mouths. The main character Yumeko delightfully prances around them with a knife and fork. The whole OP features an experimental art style with what seems to be an aquatic background as if the characters are underwater.
Card games can be seen sprawled across the collages of items as each member of the cast is introduced. Towards the end of the OP, Ryouta is now on top of the dining table full of bright food, with an understandably terrified expression, as all the female cast sit around him as Yumeko moves closer towards him.