Tag Archives: Opening of the Week

Blog Updates

Blog Update: Opening of the Week, Possible Name Change, and More…

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Welcome, friends

Its been a little bit since I’ve done one of these updates, and there are a few things regarding the blog that I really wanted to address, so lets get started.

First, I want to talk about a series I do on my blog called Opening of the Week. I’m sure if you’ve been reading my blog for an extended period of time then you’ve probably at least seen a preview of one an Opening of the Week post before. I originally started writing it because I wanted to write about anime openings, but now, having gone through a ton of different openings, I do not feel as inspired to write them. Which is why, at least for the time being, I am going to retire the series. I might bring it back occasionally when I see an opening I really like, but other than that it will remain off of the blog.

Second, in August of last year, this blog had a completely different name. Originally titled That Guy Who Writes, I felt the name was too generic and I should change it. However, even after changing it again to its current name, I still feel like the blog is lacking a little personal flare. Just for the record though, if I do decide on a different name, I will give another update a few days before I do it, as I did the last time I changed my name. There is nothing set in stone yet, but if I do think of something else, then the name will likely be changed.

Lastly, I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you. I will be coming up on a year soon for this blog and it has definitely been a fun ride. Getting to talk to fellow bloggers, be apart of community projects, like book Arthifis started and that I got to contribute to, and just in general have a good time writing. It is a little weird to think there are people who actually enjoy reading the things I write, but maybe I need to stop thinking like that.

Keep being awesome, friends.

Happy

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: 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!

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: 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: The Girls Are Alright by Saya(A Place Further Than The Universe OP)

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A Place Further Than The Universe has been slowly becoming one of my favorite shows of the Year, even though its only been one season. It has a lot of charm, the characters are all likable, and the message it sends about following your own path in life is something that really resonates with me. Its opening has a similar element of cheery, exploratory spirit that permeates through the rest of the show. For today’s opening of the week, The Girls Are Alright by Saya.

As I said before, the show’s wonderfully adventurous spirit is largely reflected in its opening. The music consists of a J-Pop tune whose instrumentation is made up largely of classical instruments. What sounds like a wonderful string section carries most of the song to the end, giving it a calming, and yet at the same time exciting feeling. It also sprinkles in a bit of J-Pop magic for good measure.

Saya, the singer in the OP, does a fairly good job at selling her part of the song. Admittedly, I am not the biggest fan of her vocals overall, but the way she delivers the lyrics adds to the atmosphere and makes it that much more bright and cheerful.

The visuals are actually a key element to the opening, as they add a lot to the characters personalities, showing off a lot of their individual quirks, as well as hinting at their development through the story. Mari especially seems to be the focus at the beginning, as The opening shows her laying down, and then rolling over, flipping the camera over with her, as if to take those watching along for the journey.

Overall, It is probably going to remain one of my favorite openings of the year as well. I would encourage you to give it a listen and watch the show as well, which you can do on Crunchyroll. Not sponsored, just honestly the most convenient legal place to watch it.

How do you guys feel about this opening? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Anime/Manga, Opening of the Week

Opening of the Week: The Day by PornoGraffitti(My Hero Academia OP 1)

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Other than it’s impressive action scenes and title as one of Shonen’s rising stars, My Hero Academia has become fairly notable through its OPs, albeit mostly through memes. Many of these memes have featured fights between the second opening “Peace Sign,” which I have covered in this series, and “Sora no Utaeba,” the shows third opening. However, the one were covering today is the show’s first opening “The Day” by PornoGraffitti.

If you’ve read this series before, you know that I am a big fan of Rock in Openings. The fast pace and impactful sound of Rock makes a great backing to the usual action-packed visuals of Shonen openings. The Day is no exception, bringing an awesome rock ballad to sit behind a visually sufficient opening.

The great music can be attributed to PornoGraffitti, a band which has been active since 1994. They have contributed a fair amount of music to the anime world, including an opening for Bleach and one for Magi: Magic of the Labyrinth. While not necessarily unique in their J-Rock sound, Their lead singer Akihito Okano does have a kind of attention-grabbing presence behind the mike.

Overall, while not having the best visuals, the music more than makes up for it. This is definitely some of PornoGraffitti’s best work, and it feels like an opening that many will end up coming back to.

What do you guys think of The Day? Love it? Hate it? Let me know the comments below. Thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!