Anime openings and endings are two of the most discussed elements of the medium in almost every season. One search on YouTube nets countless lists of the most catchy songs book-ending everything from niche gems to well-known classics. However, some OPs and EDs feel particularly special, as if the animation team went all-in or the artist poured their soul into the track. Something about the execution feels distinct and in some cases, these sequences almost dwarf the quality of the shows themselves.
Assembled are some openings and endings that excelled in capturing attention and creating intrigue. Some of them come out-of-left-field and present sights and sounds wholly unexpected but pleasantly surprising. Others capitalize on the hype going into a series and embrace it fully. And others are just really darn catchy (the simplest reason there is).
"Memosepia" by Sajou no Hana (Mob Psycho 100 II)
There seems to be a science to how anime ending themes grip an audience. After all, people tend to praise openings more than endings, but an ending theme with a strong opening chord progression can grab the audience's attention like nothing else. It also serves as an emotional release and one that the audience begins to associate with the emotional cliffhangers.
Mob Psycho's second season had a lot going on and truly raised the emotional stakes. Hearing vocalist Sana pour her soul into this ending provides the perfect backdrop while crying about what happened at the end of episode eight.
"Give it Back" by Cö Shu Nie (Jujutsu Kaisen)
It may seem sacrilegious to name this ending as opposed to the first one, "Lost in Paradise" by ALI. However, while the second ending doesn't have the same funky energy as the first, the imagery and the chorus of this ending come across as more sentimental and in theme with the series itself. "Lost in Paradise," in contrast, almost seems to clash with the dark modern fantasy of Jujutsu Kaisen.
"Give it Back" is a song about longing and remembrance. And while the imagery is primarily the principal cast hanging out and having fun, there is a sense of sadness that the moments shared will be fleeting and looked back on in tougher times to come. Nostalgia for the simpler days of youth is infectious and this ending captures it more poignantly than most.
"database" by MAN WITH A MISSION (Log Horizon)
An opening so hype that they reused it for the second season. The fascinating thing about Log Horizon is that the common appraisals of this MMO-themed anime are for its storytelling, political metaphors, and the themes of community that define modern internet culture. This opening forgoes that in favor of heavy rock and sequences of intense fantasy battles, something that is more of a highlight in something like Sword Art Online, typically.
The production value of the opening is also impressive for how cost-effective it is despite its reputation. There's a lot of static imagery and not a lot of the sakuga that other anime rely on in an opening to build hype. It's just great music, clever editing, and imagery that encompasses the enormity of the story's scope. It's rather impressive, and undeniably what sold many people on the show.
"Flyers" by BRADIO (Death Parade)
Perhaps it's the easy answer, but people forget how deceptive Death Parade's opening was. It lures people in with the promise of shenanigans and dancing and fun. While the show has received no shortage of praise, few of those critics would call the story fun. And yet, everyone was listening to the Death Parade opening and sharing GIFs of the dancing (a proud anime community tradition).
Despite the contrast between the show's content and the opening, the song isn't labeled particularly deceptive either. While not representative of the entire show, it could be argued that the opening captures the essence of the story's optimistic side. Those who haven't seen it and those who have weathered the storm can still find enjoyment in this upbeat happy tune that took the community by storm.
"Easy Breezy" by Chelmico (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!)
Eizouken's opening was particularly unique because apart from its admittedly catchy tune, the visuals were off-kilter in the best way. Abel Gongora directed the opening for Masaaki Yuasa's 2020 hit, a sequence produced predominantly in Flash and Adobe Animate. Between the vibrant colors and the characters' fun poses, it moves unlike most openings and certainly unlike most that go as viral as Eizouken's.
Much like everything else in the show, it goes just a little harder than you expect. It opens strong only to set its sight higher to go even further beyond. Oddly trippy, constantly moving, and encapsulating the personalities of its main trio, Eizouken went hard right at the beginning of the year and dared its competition to do better.
"Sugar Song to Bitter Step" by UNISON SQUARE GARDEN (Kekkai Sensen)
The first season of Kekkai Sensen, directed by Rie Matsumoto, was a cult hit that persevered in the zeitgeist thanks in part to an infectious ending theme from one of the most infectiously catchy bands in the anime sphere. For a series that tows a line somewhere between Hellboy and Avengers, no other song quite encompasses the chaos of Hellsalem's Lot, or the tight-knit friendship of the super-humans keeping it safe.
Like several others on this list, the sequence became a meme, and it was the kind of song that everyone waited to hear each week. When the hour-long finale aired, it was only right that the full version was blasted over the end credits as the sun set on the destroyed metropolis. It makes all the blood, sweat, and tears worth it, and there's no better metaphor for the series.