Anime openings tend to run a gambit of tried and true tropes that never cease to impress so long as the animation is on point and the song is a banger. However, the release of Chainsaw Man's opening is a reminder that now and again, an opening comes along that truly is concocted at a different level.Chainsaw Man began streaming on Crunchyroll on October 11 and while critics were able to check out the premiere early, fans and critics had to be patient until the air date for the opening. Directed by Shingo Yamashita, the title sequence isn't just a thorough sample of the show's bizarre tone but a celebration of the original author's love of film.
Meet Shingo Yamashita
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Yamashita should be familiar to most anime fans as of late, perhaps not by their name for those less savvy with industry names, but surely for two of his most popular works of recent memory. He is the director and storyboard artist responsible for the openings for both halves of Jujutsu Kaisen, which were beloved for their smooth animation, bright colors, and photorealistic cinematography.
Plenty of openings put their best foot forward in the animation department, but Yamashita's work goes even further beyond. A full show animated at such a level of quality would be unthinkable and perhaps because of that, Yamashita's openings go all in on excessive digital effects work and smooth slow-motion character animation.
The production style feels more akin to a music video rather than a TV series, hence why it might feel excessive and bizarre if the techniques were mirrored in the main story. Even more impressive, there is a blend of 2D and 3D not done quite so well since perhaps 2004's Ghost in the Shell: Innocence.
Even without all the bells and whistles seen in Jujutsu Kaisen's openings, Yamashita's work and his direction favor hyperrealistic movement that can add weight and realism to the most absurd and fantastical moments. It's great for displaying personality and in an opening where it's just music playing over visuals, that can be a great asset.
Chainsaw Man's Opening
Kenshi Yonezu's opening, "KICK BACK," is almost as infectious of a jam as his opening for My Hero Academia season 2, but with a considerably more chaotic edge. The first 20 seconds is a barrage of visual callbacks to classic films, all with the characters from Chainsaw Man filling in for the original characters.
It's not just that the scenes are shot-for-shot recreations, but also that the background art and digital effects work have made the likeness uncanny and the connections undeniable. Pulp Fiction, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, No Country For Old Men, and even the Keanu Reeves Constantine film of all things - just to name a few - are given loving homage in animation.
Even after the initial barrage, the opening pulls back to emphasize the larger cast all watching a film together and hanging out. The emphasis on the cast and how they play around with one another is the opening's greatest attribute. It sets it apart from other openings that simply build relationships through sequences of combat or smaller and broader displays of character acting.
A Twitter thread (linked above) has compiled all the references from the opening beyond the film ones and pledges to keep updating as new ending themes are released. There are to be 12 ending themes, meaning a new one for each episode, which is pretty insane when you get right down to it. However, considering the first ending was just a collage of imagery from the episode, there's a frightening chance the same might go for the rest.
This would be a shame because ending themes can be just as gorgeous and worthy of watching as ending themes. If they're going to the trouble of making 12 songs, it would be nice for them to be paired with some nice imagery. It doesn't even have to be intensively animated. Save that for the series itself.
One-Of-A-Kind
Some openings are great because they do what other openings do, but better. Then there are some that excel not just because of adherence to norms but by delivering something unexpected, or so bizarre that it becomes an instant meme. Chainsaw Man is most certainly the latter. Fans of the manga have praised it for capturing the chaos and charm of the characters and there is certainly plenty of that visible, even for those with no frame of reference. When the opening references Fight Club or when Denji and Power doing what looks like a Mickey Mouse dance, the opening feels reminiscent of the strangeness of Paranoia Agent's opening.
The mere fact that the opening has such tasteful, diverse, and enthusiastic references to film is not just a nice nod to the manga author's love of film. It is a statement about the people working on the anime. As a visual medium that has cranked out some truly incredible films, many of which have gone underappreciated, it's nice to see a production team flaunt their influences like this. The inspiration for truly great art rarely comes from just one place. It's a culmination of media that has impacted creators and guided them to create something of their own. Anime should not just be inspired by anime, but also by film, literature, and art, and when these things coalesce into some new great piece of art, it should be treated as such.
When a piece of art is meaningful to someone but associated with a medium that is considered "lesser" it can feel as though the art is being underappreciated and undervalued. Granted, people would fare much better not fretting over their favorite works being recognized by purveyors of snobbery, but an understandable desire for recognition persists. Recently, with things such as Warner Bros. Discovery's countless layoffs and restructuring, animation has especially been hit hard, with many works being removed from streaming. The stigmas against the value of animation as a medium are more prevalent than ever, and perhaps it may be projecting, but the opening of Chainsaw Man feels like a fitting example of how inspired this medium can be.
The opening currently sits at over 7.5 million views at the time of writing and will likely increase more just from people rewatching it again and again. Like with the premiere episode itself, it is a phenomenal sign of things to come and another stellar piece from director Shingo Yamashita and the team at MAPPA.