Instigator / Pro
2
1540
rating
30
debates
56.67%
won
Topic
#2795
Anime Openings Debate
Status
Finished
The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.
Winner & statistics
After 3 votes and with the same amount of points on both sides...
It's a tie!
Parameters
- Publication date
- Last updated date
- Type
- Standard
- Number of rounds
- 4
- Time for argument
- Two days
- Max argument characters
- 10,000
- Voting period
- One month
- Point system
- Winner selection
- Voting system
- Open
Contender / Con
2
1724
rating
27
debates
88.89%
won
Description
Rules
3 Openings Per Round
Brief Description of the Opening (50-100 words)
No opening can be used twice!
Judges should base on music + animation
Round 1
Thank you Whiteflame for taking this debate. I am looking forward to this battle, especially since we have similar tastes in anime
(A very non overpowering opening with clean guitar riffs and harmonic vocals that don’t overpower a listener like other openings, animation representing Subaru’s struggle by respawning multiple times only for the people he cares about not remembering anything. A cleanly animated and significant opening with great music.)
(Despite how I feel about this anime, this OP is really amazing. The instrumentals with the smooth keyboard, the crazy guitar riffs, and the queen OP’s (LiSA) amazing vocals are so good throughout the anime. The animation is extremely clean, and symbolizes the fight they need to carry on, as their existence in the real world fades away due to their existence in this world.)
(The guitar riffs and the clean drums combined with the great vocals make this a great musical rock piece. The intro itself is extremely fascinating as well, as it introduces you to the setting that is taking place, a world consumed by infernals. It takes a deep dive into this world a clean animation style that is stylistically amazing.)
Thank you, Supa, for inviting me to do this. I'm looking forward to it!
I'll be trying for pretty strong diversity of choices every round, whether that is in terms of different series genres, types of music, types of visuals, or when these series were released. That being said, I am going to try to stick with a theme for each round (we'll see how long that lasts...) and this round, it's pure style.
This may legitimately be my favorite OP of all time. It's incredibly inventive. It has a smooth, weighty animation to it with an incredibly catchy theme. It's stylish and the jazzy number behind it are bold, bombastic, and it constantly builds on itself throughout. Every frame includes some element of a character or an interaction with something important from the world of the Bebop. I don't think there was a time I watched an episode of the show without watching this through, which is extremely unusual for me.
Another OP that oozes style. I've got my problems with the series, but this early on, when Bleach was at its height, it could do no wrong. The series of visual styles, the improvisational mood to it, and the hip hop-esque song really make this one pop. It's clear to me that the creators of this OP worked hard to stylize its characters in a way that really made it match the music, and it's truly incredible to see how they utilize all the characters to show off some incredible designs. Especially as the clothing worn by the characters is mostly unique to the OP, this was an incredible amount of effort for an amazing payoff.
Easily the simplest of the animations I'm including on this list, it nonetheless has to be here. It's an instantly charming, poppy song, an earworm unlike virtually anything else I've listened to this year or any other. The simple animations really work with the series. It's all about a trio of girls developing their own anime, and for the extremely limited amount of art assets they use, they convey their personalities almost effortlessly and showcase pieces of the design process that underpin the whole show.
Next round will include some power players, so be prepared to get pumped!
Round 2
My opponent has some great choices for openings that I enjoyed.
99.9 - Mob Psycho OP2
(This opening screams hype. The old guitar strums with the rock style that is so fascinating to listen to. The intro itself is bizarre, unique, and extremely well done. The crazy fights and clean animation cleanly combine this series. The deep scam on the faces show how the series highlights the relationship of characters and how they progress. It’s also flashy and epic, like, it’s using legos spinning.)
(This opening screams hype. The old guitar strums with the rock style that is so fascinating to listen to. The intro itself is bizarre, unique, and extremely well done. The crazy fights and clean animation cleanly combine this series. The deep scam on the faces show how the series highlights the relationship of characters and how they progress. It’s also flashy and epic, like, it’s using legos spinning.)
(The opening itself is a clean, hard rock, opening with a great drum line, clean guitar, and sounds that blend in nicely. LiSA, the queen of anime intros, uses a hard rock voice with hypnotizing melodies to combine with the hard rock strum. The intro itself is unique for its clean use of transitions, giving us at fresh 60 FPS clean motion. God the animations are so clean. It focuses on the character earlier lives and them growing up in the fictional world they are in. Say all you want about SAO, but it is one the most visually appealing animes.)
oath sign - Fate/Zero OP1 (starts at :41)
(Another song by the queen of anime OP’s, this song uses strong emotions with an enticing piano that builds up. It uses a combination of great build up and magnificent vocals to deliver. And what can I say about the intro itself? It’s another ufotable masterpiece where it’s cleanly animated. The fight scenes feel impactful, you feel that the intro itself is telling a great series. I know whiteflame is also an avid fan of Fate/Zero series, so hope he appreciates this.)
(Another song by the queen of anime OP’s, this song uses strong emotions with an enticing piano that builds up. It uses a combination of great build up and magnificent vocals to deliver. And what can I say about the intro itself? It’s another ufotable masterpiece where it’s cleanly animated. The fight scenes feel impactful, you feel that the intro itself is telling a great series. I know whiteflame is also an avid fan of Fate/Zero series, so hope he appreciates this.)
Well, clearly Supa a connoisseur, since he just chose two of my favorites. Love doing this.
Anyway, this round is all about the sakuga. In case you're unfamiliar, it basically designates those moments when the animation budget takes it up a notch, and everything becomes glorious. I've chosen three anime that have sakuga in spades.
Gurenge by LiSA - Kimetsu no Yaiba (...apparently not available on YouTube, but can be found on Crunchyroll It starts at 0:58)
This series became a phenomenon for a reason. The animation is absolutely gorgeous - a consequence of Ufotable's absolutely breathtaking work. A beautiful balance of character, location and action showcases, it's an incredible display of what the series has to offer without giving away too much. The music is excellent, starting off slow and then picking up until it reaches a fever pitch of fast-paced singing and glorious instrumentals. Another song that I absolutely could not get out of my head after I first heard it.
Another soft start, boosted by an incredible guitar riff and speeding up over the course of this incredible rock song. What makes this one truly special is how it displays the characters. There's something amazing about the scenes that just show Ed, Al and Winry in back-to-back scenes, each experiencing the events that take place early in the series in their own way, and watching the action on display shortly thereafter tells you you're in for quite the ride with one of the best series around.
The series is hype, and the music makes clear you know it by hitting you full throttle from the opening chords. The scenes on display showcase the incredible depth and breadth of its animation, but while the action scenes are awesome, splicing them with character moments and transformations (the series' bread and butter) truly make it as inspiring as the series itself.
Round 3
Starmaker - My Hero Academia OP7
(This opening is a musical masterpiece. A catchy opening that combines rock rhythms and pop catchiness, this song makes you bob your a little bit, as it should. The arc is themed around making a good rock concert, and the animation also exemplifies it. An arc centered around Jiro using her musical abilities for leisure, this arc is a fun arc that develops the characters' relationships by having them work together, while isolating the main characters as they go through their own struggle. It’s a fun intro for a fun arc.)
(This opening is a musical masterpiece. A catchy opening that combines rock rhythms and pop catchiness, this song makes you bob your a little bit, as it should. The arc is themed around making a good rock concert, and the animation also exemplifies it. An arc centered around Jiro using her musical abilities for leisure, this arc is a fun arc that develops the characters' relationships by having them work together, while isolating the main characters as they go through their own struggle. It’s a fun intro for a fun arc.)
(This is one of the most under appreciated intros. I think the eeriness that I get from this intro fits the theme of this show. A mystery type anime that’s futuristic yet eerie. The intro itself is a clean, black and white intro highlighting every character as the gears continue to move.)
(The song itself has layers to it that makes it extremely interesting. It combines an interesting element of pop but in a rock way. It reminds me a lot of modern rock where the guitar is a little more clean. The animation itself is fascinating. The colors contrast the darkness of the world and the change from normal to dark symbolize the essence of this show.)
Another round, another theme. This time, we’re looking at innovative OPs, the ones that do something truly creative and masterful with their OPs.
This OP inspired me to do this whole category. The stop-motion animation is a tour de force, depicting both the fraught nature of the major interaction of the series while simultaneously displaying both the dark and light themes of the show as a whole. In particular, the shift from night to day displays how the main character struggles with self-control. The song is an absolute bop with jazzy tunes and a piano riff that sticks with you well after it ends.
I’ll be blunt: this show is an acid trip and the OP makes sure you know that. The kaleidoscopic visuals and mesh of neon outlined characters and vibrant colors distinguishes this OP from everything that has come before or since. The clones of the main character just marching and then turning partially into gyoza, all to a tune that oscillates between hard rock and metal infused with lyric-less series of “ohs” all come together to ensure that you get a distinctly insane taste of a world that is constantly teetering on the brink.
This is by far the oldest of the three, and while it may seem somewhat tame by today’s standards, for 2003, the CG in this OP is absolutely phenomenal. The scenes on display, particularly the fighting between CGI tanks, is depicted in incredible and loving detail in a way that most shows cannot manage even to this day. Among the best visuals in any OP, with a taste of both the action and dramatic chops the series has to offer, and the partially electronic, partially percussive music accompanies that beautiful, almost operatic singer to perfection.
Round 4
I wanna thank Whiteflame for taking on this battle. He had some great choices that I was thinking about choosing. He had a lot of great choices and with us having relatively similar tastes, this was an interesting battle.
(The newest Attack on Titan OP has a lot of influence on it. For one, it is a hype opening. It also portrays the world accurately, the magnum opus and ending of an iconic series. The animation is arguably the most meaningful. The white and black shows the manipulation by each side, brainwashing them, while color is an understanding. It has an unique and combined with the eerie and hype into, it really is a good series.)
(Everyone knows my love for Naruto as a series, and this opening displays it perfectly. It shows the climax of a great series with excellent action and clean animation. The transition of Naruto during the build up shows his evolution. The song combines classic rock elements with an unique and hype voice that is catchy and hype.)
(What can I say, for a show about music, it would be fitting for the show to be musically catchy, unique, and has a great combination of all the instruments. The intro itself is reflective of the experiences the MC’s go through in trying to help each other. It’s a hard warming intros that is extremely catchy.)
I really appreciated the opportunity to do this, Supa. Goodchoices all around – he certainly picked several that would have been on mylist if not for their presence on his.
Onto the final 3! These are the three that are the most evocativeand dramatic. Like R2, this is a category with a lot of personal favorites, andI’ll probably end up posting two honorable mentions in the comments for thosewho are interested. However, also like R2, I am solid on this group.
Colors by FLOW - Code Geass
This doesn’t show much in the way of action scenes, but immediatelyblasts you with an incredible instrumental to throw you into a series that willhave you on the edge of your seat throughout. The music transitions betweenhigh intensity for dynamic scenes to quieter, more serene moments perfectly. Mostlyfocused on the character roster, it’s fascinating to watch the leads transitionbetween environments and roles as the OP proceeds, never losing sight of themind games inherent to the conflict at the center of the series, symbolized bythe fallen chess piece at the end.
Aoi Shiori by Galileo Galilei – Anohana: The Flower We Saw ThatDay
It’s incredible just how much this OP balances, includingjarring but effective color shifts and character transformations that showcasethe characters both as children and as teenagers, often showing the twotogether to show rather than tell how these characters are still affected bythose younger years. The soft rock sometimes rises in volume, but alwayslow-key to accompany the various slice of life moments and present a sombertone for a series that will have you in tears by the end.
OP/ED by See-Saw - .hack//SIGN
This right here is the OG of isekai, a classic with a strong OP. Starting with that amazing guitar chordand launching into some of the best singing/beat combination in any OP (YukiKajiura is personal favorite), it gives you a little bit to chew on from eachcharacter in this digital world, giving very little away aside from who is atthe center of the plot. While many series have tried to replicate this type ofvisual design, it still remains a personal favorite in design and execution, theincredible dancing of the avatar being the stand out for animation.
Onto the final 3! These are the three that are the most evocativeand dramatic. Like R2, this is a category with a lot of personal favorites, andI’ll probably end up posting two honorable mentions in the comments for thosewho are interested. However, also like R2, I am solid on this group.
Colors by FLOW - Code Geass
This doesn’t show much in the way of action scenes, but immediatelyblasts you with an incredible instrumental to throw you into a series that willhave you on the edge of your seat throughout. The music transitions betweenhigh intensity for dynamic scenes to quieter, more serene moments perfectly. Mostlyfocused on the character roster, it’s fascinating to watch the leads transitionbetween environments and roles as the OP proceeds, never losing sight of themind games inherent to the conflict at the center of the series, symbolized bythe fallen chess piece at the end.
Aoi Shiori by Galileo Galilei – Anohana: The Flower We Saw ThatDay
It’s incredible just how much this OP balances, includingjarring but effective color shifts and character transformations that showcasethe characters both as children and as teenagers, often showing the twotogether to show rather than tell how these characters are still affected bythose younger years. The soft rock sometimes rises in volume, but alwayslow-key to accompany the various slice of life moments and present a sombertone for a series that will have you in tears by the end.
OP/ED by See-Saw - .hack//SIGN
This right here is the OG of isekai, a classic with a strong OP. Starting with that amazing guitar chordand launching into some of the best singing/beat combination in any OP (YukiKajiura is personal favorite), it gives you a little bit to chew on from eachcharacter in this digital world, giving very little away aside from who is atthe center of the plot. While many series have tried to replicate this type ofvisual design, it still remains a personal favorite in design and execution, theincredible dancing of the avatar being the stand out for animation.
Thank you all for the votes
Appreciate the vote! Just FYI, the Dorohedoro characters often look like that (though she is rather masculine), and the main character is actually the guy with the mask who is walking through the scene as multiples of himself before his head turns into gyoza. It's an odd one, for sure.
Round 1 from Whiteflame had 3 brilliant choices. While the third one was a bit ridiculous for my liking and not at all the style of Anime I enjoy (visually speaking) all three had brilliant transitions and matching of characters, colours etc to the music. The songs were the only drawback because other than Bleach's early-season opening, I didn't super love the other 2 songs but I definitely don't dislike them.
For Supa's Round 1, the first one had a decent song and I can respect the animation kind of... That flashy psychedelic style works if it's subtle but that is way too in-your-face, it actually could trigger epileptic fits if one has photosensitive triggers. It is just so eye-aching, I was not a fan of the effects since they were done too in-your-face and it didn't even make sense because the music was soothing, not rough (so why was the animation rough?). The SAO, second link, was already irritating me because of the unbelievably long and boring intro both music-wise and animation wise (too slow). Everything about this anime screamed 'why are we not moving onto the next scene?!' it was a wonderful song though and her voice is sexy, ngl. The third one from Supadudz was again very epileptic-threatening with its strobe light effects and I did have to physically skip through the video because of this (not saying I have that, I'm saying it still annoys my eyes). On the other hand, unlike his first link the strobe effects and intensity properly matched the pumping-vibe of the song. Thus, I would say his third is a good piece for sure and the anime style itself is extremely brilliant, very realistic even (which isn't always good in manga/anime but all these characters and fighting effects in the opening seem believably real to my brain as it tries to picture it as a real life 3D thing).
So, overall Whiteflame is winning now for sure.
Round 2
Supadudz's SAO (second link) is amazing. Everything about it I liked, there was nothing to dislike in it as an opening song and animation, however one thing I would say is odd is how passive it is for a sword art show. His other 2 were equally 'meh' with the first being an art style I don't like (but brilliant transitioning and okay song) and the third being boring to watch, it was like a photo-reel.
I loved all of Whiteflame's Round 2, the first link is potentially my favourite style of Anime animation ever, on part with Naruto. The way it depicts the troll goblin face, wild boar-head, cat-masks, butterflies and just the general eye concept is so fantastic. I loved this opening a lot, in ALL ways, soothing to watch indeed. The thid link was nice too, though a bit childish art-wise, it had brilliant transitions and decent music. FMA wasn't my style, why do they all look so Caucasian first of all? It's like a Danish or German local cartoon more than Anime in any shape or form and it felt boring to watch for me, as was the song. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it at all.
Round 3
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Supadudz slayed this. All three, so fucking good in all ways, especially the latter two. The first is very good indeed but the latter 2 are AMAZING even the songs. I liked it a lot. Transitions, animation-style, song-vibe all of it, spot on.
Idk what this Round was from Whiteflame... It's like cheating? Two of them weren't Anime openings regardless of them being openings for Anime. That wolf one I just straight up disqualify, it's cheating. The third link is a very nice opening, sure, and it has animation as opposed to puppets (unlike the first link) but again it feels extremely cheating because of course CGI looks better than Anime, that's a given. CGI will always display realistic objects superior to Anime due to how CGI can shade and feign 'depth' in ways Anime can't. The second link was essentially (and I say this with no transphobia intended at all) an extremely masculine female character, who is what I assume is the main character and a bunch of colour squirts in the scenes where she's not there. It was also very poor art, not becasue it was a masculine woman but just the entire way it depicts characters disproportionately. Her chin and jaw were as big as her forehead and just the whole thing was like 'eh... idk about this'. Weakest Round from whiteflame by far but the music was good.
Round 4
Supadudz only was poor/meh in the first link. The latter 2 are just on point in every way, I LOVE Naruto artistically, it is the style of Anime that always will be in my top 3 no matter what other styles are come up with, I predict (whiteflame showed a style that could compete though, which I mentioned earlier in this RFD). I loved the songs of the latter 2 as well, nice and smooth to watch.
Whiteflame comes in soft... Firstly, that first link's opening is just not an opening at all at the start. What am I watching? Then out of nowhere boomboomboom flashing this character into that character bombarding my eyes and brain with too much visual stimuli at once. That's a thumbs down from me. The second is going for a mild vibe, I get it and respect it for what it is. It's a great soft-vibe opening, not the most spectactular thing ever but it wasn't supposed to be. It was great for what it was, made me feel calm. That final, third opening made me laugh actually, I don't know if they were intentionally being over the top strange and unpredictable with their transitions and animations but it put a smirk/smile on my face so I liked it even though it was very 'out there' let's say. The song oddly did match the opening even though they're paced differently.
For me, Whiteflame is the overall winner because of consistency. Supadudz had extreme highs and many more lows than Whiteflame did. Whiteflame's worst Round involved him trying too hard to be creative, I feel, which is an understandable reason. Supadudz's worst Rounds were the ones he was opening with, which are not the Rounds you want to 'meh' your audience or annoy them with. I have my opinion and I don't need to put some 'score' to justify this. If I did a score, I guarantee you, Supadudz falls short due to the inconsistency earlier on.
Thanks for voting! Appreciate your taking the time to go through these.
Final Judgement
Supadudz had 974 points
Whiteflame had 956 points
Supadudz wins by a slim margin. Pretty close call but Supadudz was saved by Hikaru Nara and I didn't like Whiteflame's Breezy song. I could give +5~10 points to Gurenge for animation but that's not enough to win.
Starmaker: 76/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/kana-boon-starmaker/)
Steins;Gate: 87/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/steinsgate-hacking-the-gate/)
Eve: 70/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/eve-kaikai-kitan/)
Total: 233
Wild Side: 93/100 https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2020/09/29/beastars/ [+5 points for unique animation here]
Chaos: 78/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/welcome-to-chaos-by-know_name-dorohedoro/)
Ghost: 76/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/ghost-in-the-shell-inner-universe/)
Total: 247
_________________________________________________________________
My War: 69/100 https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/my-war-by-shinsei-kamattechan/
Naruto: 65/100 https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/kana-boon-silhouette/
Hikaru Nara: 92/100 https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2018/08/10/hikaru-nara-your-lie-in-april
total: 226
Colors: 76/100 https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/colors-flow/
anohana: 79/100 https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/aoi-shiori-by-galileo-galilei/
Dot hack: 88/100 https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/dot-hack-sign-opening/
total: 243
Total Supa: 459
Total Whiteflame: 490
As this is a music debate, I trust that no in-depth analysis is required. Nevertheless, I've linked my song review blog posts in case someone wants to see why a song got its rating
Redo: 86/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/rezero-redo/)
SAO: 85/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2018/06/18/lisa-crossing-field/)
Fire Force: 90/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/fire-force-inferno/)
Total R1: 261
Bebop: 86/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/cowboy-bebop-tank/)
Asterick: 74/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/orange-range-asterick/)
Breezy: 60/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/chelmico-easy-breezy/)
Total R1: 220
______________________________________________________________
99.9: 88/100 https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/mob-choir-99-9/
Alicization: 89/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/adamas-lisa/)
Fate/Zero: 77/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/fate-zero-op-1/)
total R2: 254
Gurenge: 89/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/『gurenge』by-lisa/)
Again: 87/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/again-by-yui-fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood/)
Sorairo days: 75/100 (https://favesongs.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/tengen-toppa-gurren-lagann-sorairo-days/)
Total R2: 246
Supa so far: 515
Whiteflame so far: 466
To be continued
Hey, still hoping to get a vote or two on this if you get a chance.
A couple of honorable mentions:
The Outlaw Star OP, Through the Night by Masahiko Arimatsu, is a 90s classic that is so good, I could barely stand to leave it out of my R2. It's an incredible series and an action-packed OP full of great character moments with a catchy rock song that leans heavily on the drums in the best of ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3gI-E_vqVA
The second season of Re:Zero starts with one of my all-time favorites, Realize by Konomi Suzuki. This would absolutely have made the list (R4) if Supa hadn't already hit the series in the first round, and I still considered doing it, if not for my promise to make these rounds as diverse as possible. While it may be more difficult to grasp just how great this OP is without seeing the first season, you can feel the weight of it throughout. This OP is practically dripping with sentiment, mostly of the dark variety the series is known for, but always with an eye towards moving past the worst and, hopefully, achieving something great on the other side. It's practically a self-contained summary of both the first season and of the main character's mindset in the first half of S2, which I've never seen any other OP do so well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-RUTZBbGwM