Category Archives: Opening of the Week

Anime/Manga, Opening of the Week

Opening of the Week: No Pain, No Gain by Nano (Btooom! OP)

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There are very few openings which I have repeatedly listened to hype myself up. Not that all OPs are meant to do this, of course, but of the more upbeat songs I’ve heard, most I just listen to once and for the rest of the show. No Pain, No Gain, however, is not one of those openings. It is an opening that not only has a great instrumental but an extremely powerful female vocalist.

Btooom!, like many of its battle royale contemporaries, has a sense of urgency and desperation in its action. Each of the characters is trying there hardest to survive, and all have a different motivation for what drives them to stay alive, be it selfish or otherwise. In Btooom’s case, that urgency and desperation are further emphasized by the weapons that players use to fight: bombs. Knowing that they could be used at any place and at any time means that the show’s characters are constantly on their toes. Naturally, then, it would make sense for the show’s opening to accurately depict that range of emotions.

And, in fact, Btooom’s opening does this quite well. The extremely rock heavy instrumental makes you feel the pressure of trying to survive while others are out to get you. One of the best parts of the song is during the opening seconds, where the guitar takes up the entirety of the instrumental, and the lead vocalist, Nano, who lends her vocal talents to add to the strained and extremely intense atmosphere.

Nano is definitely a lot of the reason this song works. Her deeper voice adds a level of seriousness that would not necessarily be present had it been performed by another artist. Her lyrics in the song also very much mirror the story of the show’s two main characters, Ryota and Himiko, who was very much thrown into a world they knew nothing about and were forced to fight there way out.

Probably the least impressive part of the opening overall were the lyrics, which definitely rang as a little bland sometimes, but still managed to get the message across well. Overall, definitely worth a watch/listen.

What do you guys think of this opening? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

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Anime/Manga, Opening of the Week

Opening of the Week: Chain by BACK-ON (Air Gear OP)

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The other week, I talked about another opening from a band called Back-On. It was the 16th opening known as Strike Back, and it made me remember just how much I love opening songs by this band. As ridiculous as it sounds, they actually have an enjoyable Linkin Park-esc sound. So this week, I’ll be looking at their opening song for the anime Air Gear: Strike Back

If the immediate Linkin Park comparison above didn’t convince you, then let me tell you a little bit about Air Gear. The show centers around Ikki, a teen who wants to ride using Air trecks. One day, while looking through his room, he finds a pair, and begins his riding career. What are Air trecks? Motor powered roller blades.

The street gang, fighting aspect of the show lends itself to a lot of edge, which is very much reflected in the opening music. Kenji03’s vocals on the prechorus are very reminiscent of Linkin Park’s lead vocalist, and Back-On’s MC Teeda also feels a lot like Mike Shinoda.

Overall, the song is extremely catchy and fun. The Japanese lyrics don’t really inhibit the fun to be had with the song, especially with it’s slower, more powerful build-up.

What do you guys think of this opening? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Anime/Manga, Opening of the Week

Opening of the Week: Strike Back by BACK-ON (Fairytail OP 16)

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Fairytail is a show that people have criticized for many different reasons. Whether it be its lackluster story or its cast of one-note characters, virtually everything about Fairytail people have described as mediocre. One thing the show has going for it though is its wonderful collection of intro songs, and today I’ll be looking at another one: Strike Back by Back-On.

The episodes that Strike Back proceeds are in a part of the show where the Fairytail crew and various other allies are trying to stop the resurrection of dragons, even though it has been foretold by prophecy that it will happen. Naturally, then, one would want a song that captures that feeling of rebelling against fate. Does this opening deliver?

Pretty much. Back-On’s particular mix of rock in rap is one that I have appreciated for a while, ever since I heard the opening for Air Gear back in 2013. Admittedly, the song does come off a bit edgy, but, to be fair, a lot of rock and rap fusion can feel edgy in the wake of the legend of Linkin Park.

The group is made up of MC Teeda, and Kenji03, who does pretty much everything else, as they are the only two members of the band as of the writing of this post. The two of them vocally bring a lot to the song, with Teeda especially delivering some heated bars.

The visuals, like a lot of the Fairytail OPs, are nothing really to write home about. They give you a quick setup of the premise of the arc while showing some actions scenes. That is about it.

Overall, though, a solid entry in the Fairytail OP catalog, and definitely worth a listen.

What do you guy’s think about this OP from Fairytail? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Anime/Manga, Opening of the Week

Opening of the Week: Asphyxia by Co Shu Nie (Tokyo Ghoul:re OP)

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Tokyo Ghoul:re has been airing this season and…eh, it’s been alright. Personally, I think the show was definitely a bit hyped up. So far, its been really nothing but set up, which only leads me to believe that :re season two is going to be confirmed at the end of the show, which, would not be the worst thing. But aside from that, how does the show’s opening fair?

Well, this is probably going to end up being one of the more negative Opening of the Week posts, because, for me, Asphyxia is really only alright. The band, made up of two members, Mirai Nikamura and Shunsuke Matsumoto, to distinguish the song from other opening themes in the same vein other than the pacing of the music.

The band starts the song with a slow buildup, transitioning into a short but fast-paced piano section followed by a seemingly light electric guitar, which is shoved into the background and hardly makes an impact on the music overall.

Nikamura, the groups lead singer and guitarist, uses her voice well enough, but her voice throughout the song feels a bit high pitched for the atmosphere the song is clearly trying to create with the music. On top of that, her singing often falls off of the rhythm of the music, sounding a lot like she is not trying.

Overall, the opening does not do much to impress, both musically, as well as in the visual department, which does little to differentiate itself from other openings. It is definitely better than the second season opening, but not better than the first by any stretch of the imagination.

What do you guy’s think about this OP from Tokyo Ghoul:re? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Anime/Manga, Opening of the Week

Opening of the Week: Winding Road by Man with a Mission (Golden Kamuy OP)

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Ever since the first time hearing Log Horizon’s OP Database, I have absolutely been in love with Man with a Mission. Not only does the group have an awesome Rap/Rock combination, but they make use of their lead singers voices and puts them in the best possible place for the song their singing. At this point, every time I see them listed on an anime’s opening, I pretty much guaranteed to watch it. Not to mention that most of the show’s that their songs are attached to I really like, and Golden Kamuy is no different so far. Today we’ll be talking about their newest offering, Winding Road.

Most of the songs that Man with a Mission to are super fast-paced and often have some kind of an awesome drop when the chorus comes in. Winding Road, however, is a fair bit different than some of the stuff I’ve covered from them before. The music is much more reflective of the show its attached to than in other songs.

The song opens at a much slower pace than is typical for Man with a Mission, after which it keeps this slow pace for the song. The lyrics have a much more reflective look, mirroring the characters that are the focus of the show, as they talk about having “one last desire” and a dark past they need to deal with. This makes sense because, in Sugimoto’s case, the need to find money and help his late friend’s wife helps him cross paths with Asirpa, who looks to avenge her father’s death.

The music also lives up to its title, as the long drawn out build up of the music mirrors the feeling of a stretched out journey, be it literal or figurative. Normally the guitars are more intense, but the whole song feels much more stripped back and atmospheric.

The OP’s visuals also do a good job at giving us a sense of where the characters came from. In the beginning of the OP, Sugimoto is walking next to a river, telling us about how after he left the army he went to the river to pan for gold, and Asirpa is shown hunting in the woods, where we first meet her in the show.

If you are expecting the typical fair for Man with a mission, then you will probably be thoroughly surprised. Winding Road is a bit different, but it a good way. You should definitely check it out.

What do you guys think of Golden Kamuy’s OP? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Anime/Manga, Opening of the Week

Opening of the Week: Shout by Hiroyuki Sawano(Re:Creators Opening 2)

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I’ve already covered Re:Creators first opening, so if you want to see that you can check it out here. For its second opening, though, I wanted to cover it because it has a lot of similarities to the first, as well as some differences. For this week’s Opening of the Week: Shout

Note: this is not the actual version, but this cover is a pretty good representative of the opening’s sound.

Unfortunately, since I am not familiar with the show, I do not have a good reference point as to where the opening changes in the show. However, one thing that is easy to tell about this opening is that it comes in at a time of much more intense point in the show. Shout, like its predecessor gravitywall, has an electronic-rock instrumentation, but Shout seems to be much more intense.

The music’s faster tempo also implies a faster pace in the story, as I would guess that many of the story beats would start lining up around the halfway point of the show.

The animation of the opening is fairly average. Nothing about it stands out in any particular way, with the exception of what seems to be some fairly detailed foreshadowing scenes. Other than that, they do their job as opening scenes.

Overall, the music is just as quality as the gravitywall, and imply a much darker tone in the show’s second half, a show that I would love to watch soon.

What do you guys think of Re:Creators’ second OP? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Anime/Manga, Opening of the Week

Opening of the Week: Odd Future by Uverworld(My Hero Academia OP 4)

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For as much as My Hero Academia’s first episode was disappointing, its fourth, and presumably, first, of the third season, opening was absolutely worth the wait. I think many like myself were wondering just how good the third opening was going to be. Trying to follow up on the show’s first three OPs would an undertaking for anyone, but luckily frequent anime opening contributors Uverworld were able to deliver some great material.

I’ll admit, the first time I heard Odd Future I was somewhat underwhelmed. The music did not seem to meet the level of hype that you would expect to what is presumably going to an extremely important season for the series’ story. However, after every listen now I find more and more to like about the music.

I think my favorite part is the combination of acoustic guitar and electronic production behind the band. The acoustic guitar allows it to build, and then the drop of the electronic production allows for a satisfying conclusion to the music. Another great part of the music lies in the lead vocalist, Takuya. While generally speaking I would agree that autotune is annoying, I would actually say that the parts that do have it on his voice only add to the intensity of the song, fitting the mold of the electronic production.

Unfortunately, the visuals this time around this time around do not really add a lot to the opening. A lot them are there simply to fill space, and the ones that do have some significance are mainly just their as foreshadowing for later on.

Overall, the opening is much more worth listening to than watching. The music is just as hype as the others with its fast pace acoustic guitar and electronic production, but the visuals really are not up to par, as well animated as they may be. Definitely, check it out.

What do you guys think of My Hero Academia’s newest OP? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Anime/Manga, Opening of the Week

Opening of the Week: Trigger by Yuuki Ozaki(Terror in Resonance OP)

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Since I haven’t had a lot of time to work on posts this week, I sort of picked this last minute, so there isn’t a long explanation as to why I chose this opening other than its an opening I really like and that its from a show that I happen to like a lot as well.

If there is one thing that people can’t say about Terror in Resonance, and you can say a lot about it, is that the show’s music is bad. If that’s what you believe, then I suggest giving the soundtrack another listen in its entirety.

The Opening especially gives you a really good first look at what all it is your getting yourself when watching the show. In fact, if you know what you’re looking for, it actually gives you a spoiler to the show’s ending.

Musically, the opening gives you a sort of eerily chilled out vibe that matches the tone of the show to a tea. It is not the kind of J-Pop or J-Rock that you would normally expect for anime openings, and end hitting a lot harder because of it. A lot of the music’s power actually comes from the vocalist Yuuki Ozaki, as he knows exactly when to be more expressive and when to be chillingly monotone.

Overall, Its a great addition to any anime related playlist, and if you have the time, you should really listen to the soundtrack. And before you ask, yes I am recommending the soundtrack to you twice, because it is that good.

What do you guys think of Terror in Resonance’s OP? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Anime/Manga, Opening of the Week

Opening of the Week: Flyers by BRADIO

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Death Parade’s opening has always been a bit odd to me. While its visuals seem to greatly represent the themes of the show and the ongoing relationship between the two main characters, Decim and Kurokami, musically it never really seemed to make much sense. Its bombastic and energetic horns matched with the vocals of Takaaki Shingyoji made for a song much more fitting of a show like Baccano or Durarara. I say all this to articulate that honestly, I do not care that much because this opening is awesome!

Rock and Disco is another combination of genres that sounds really good when you first hear it, and even better after each successive listen. Bradio really does a good job hear selling the idea of this opening as part of the show. The music, despite its contrast to the subject matter of Death Parade, really brings out the sillier side of the characters in the show.

The opening prominently features Decim and Kurokami going about a day at Quindecim, where literal life and death decisions are made, and yet, in the beginning, the two are shown just relaxing over a drink. The opening continues and we see the rest of the quirky cast, including Nona, Clavis, and Ginti all going crazy, including Ginti just straight up ripping his shirt off(more than likely because he’s made at Decim).

Overall, I do not think I could have Death Parades opening any other way. While many of the other characters do not get as developed as I would like, this bombastic opening will always leave me appreciating what we got.

Also, the band totally did a shot for shot remake of the opening and it’s actually hilarious:

What do you guys think of Death Parade’s OP? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Anime/Manga, Opening of the Week

Opening of the Week: Shonen Heart by Home Made Kazoku(Eureka Seven OP 2)

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Arguably one of the best shows to come out of the mid-2000’s, Eureka Seven provided a story that managed to strike an effective balance between its several romantic plotlines and its Mecha action. Not only that, the show also gave me what is probably one of my favorite rap songs in anime aside from the first opening of Naruto Shippuden.

Actually, I should talk about that opening on one of these posts.

Anyway, check it out:

The song, “Shonen Heart” by Home Made Kazoku, is a deliciously infectious rap song who’s greatest strength lies in its production. The song opens with a wonderfully surprising Saxophone, playing for about the first 15 seconds before we hear the vocalist Kazoku. Kazoku’s flow, on top of this saxophone driven beat, fits perfectly, and really makes me want to sing along to words that I definitely don’t know.

The lyrics overall seem to match the feel of the song and of the part of the show that they are referencing. After getting to know each other, Renton and Eureka both realize that they want to move forward. Renton wants to find out more about his father, while Eureka wants to find out more about herself. The two, looking for answers, are reflected in the lyrics, as Kazoku talks about “just getting started” and “wanting to make that dream come true.”

In terms of visuals, there’s not a lot to really mention. The best thing I can say is that they do reflect the overall feel of the show, but aside from that they are nothing too special.

Overall, the opening comes together nicely and works well to create a feeling of excitement before every episode.

What do you guys think of this Opening? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support me, or you just want to show some appreciation for a specific post, then you can buy me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!