The title theme for a movie or TV series is a kind of musical passport by which you can recognize the work of art. In anime, openings and endings are separate parts of the artwork that can also be used to recognize anime and recall emotions. Still, they can often be seen simply as a separate subgenre to which as much attention is paid as to the anime itself.
The characteristics of almost all openings are strong vocals and almost always live instruments, often with an orchestra. Usually, you may have heard the music and admire it but not know that this music is related to anime.
Music That Gets Under Your Skin
The undisputed genius of anime is Hayao Miyazaki. His anime is beautiful because it is perfectly drawn and has a unique atmosphere that creates the right “home mood.” These movies make you want to smile, and it doesn’t matter if you understand why Princess Mononoke is an anti-war movie or not.
If we go back to the music, one of the greatest creations, not even the opener, but the music that sets the tone for the entire work of genius is the Merry go round of life waltz from Howl’s Moving Castle. This melody can bring a tear to the eye of even the most staunch and serious viewers. It is a song that is listened to when happy and when sad. To this music, people cry and laugh, and to this music, thousands of couples worldwide get married and make it melody “theirs.”
Development of the Genre and Growth Openings Popularity
An Anime opening is a song no more than 2 minutes long, because of the specifics of television production, should make the viewer stop, not change the channel, settle in their head, and remind them in the future that “here” there is such a cool series, and it should be watched again. The lion’s share of anime are heroic stories, no matter where. It can be a love drama, mecha, samurai story, fantasy, or a cooking theme. Almost everywhere, the protagonist prevails, pushes the gas pedal 110%, and does his thing from the very last strength.
The more the series became, the more the winning formula for opening was developed. The techniques used by the directors began to be repeated. Eventually, they formed an average opening image with heroic music and a video sequence showing the main villains and heroes. At the same time, the popularity of openings reached such a level at the turn of the century that the music from the series could be heard anywhere. For example, the title theme of Sailor Moon was absorbed into the genetic code of millions of children who grew up in the 90s.
Diversity of Genres and Experimentation With Styles
In general, the openings that received awards shared many similarities in their structure. A good opener should match the style and mood of the anime the viewer will be watching. It is essential to realize that an excellent musical opening does not equal popular and famous. For example, the opening for one of the best anime series in history, Samurai Champloo by Shinichirō Watanabe, can hardly be called classic or easy to sing along to. Nevertheless, it’s impossible to imagine a better fit for this series. The same could be said for Cowboy Bebop. Yoko Kanno’s music is brilliant, and Shinichirō Watanabe’s direction is genius, but you can’t sing along because there are almost no words, and that’s rare.
At the same time, one of the most philosophical anime, Genesis Evangelion, has a popular but very controversial opening to match the series’ mood. The music promises the viewer fun adventures with robots, but the anime plunges into melancholy and reflection on fundamental life problems.
The Modern Era of Openings and World Popularity
The recipe for popular openings is essentially known, but creating a really catchy work is not for everyone. You need great vocals, lively music, and the mood of the anime itself, and preferably a simple motive.
Let’s take Mappa Studio, which created the cult anime of recent years: Attack of the Titans, Sorcery Battle, Hell’s Paradise, Chainsaw Man, and Dororo. Each of the openings to these anime falls perfectly into the series’ mood. Shinzou wo Sasageyo (“Dedicate your Heart”) from Attack of the Titans showed how influential openings can be and how they can unite people worldwide. Every fan of the anime and the series will put a fist to their chest when they hear this song. This tune proved how epic and, at the same time, simple and memorable an opening can be. Mappa Studios follows the same principle in its other title projects. It should be noted that its competitors from Ufotable Studios, who created Demon Slayer, use the same principle.
A popular singer with a recognizable voice
A prominent pre-chord (mostly hushed for a future drop in the chorus)
Straightforward, strong, and loud chorus
A dynamic video sequence
If you watch the openings to Chainsaw Man, Sorcery Battle, Hell’s Paradis, and Attack of the Titans, you’ll notice that each one matches the above list.
Conclusion
Let’s compare today’s top anime projects with 20-30 years ago. We will notice that from blues, jazz, and hip-hop mixed with power metal and heroics, anime openings increasingly use music that can be listened to in isolation from the series. It’s a way to win on several fronts and gain more popularity. Anime openings are a recognized and separate piece of art that is more than a soundtrack or a business card. It is another cultural layer of the genre that is popular even among those who have never watched anime. If you are interested in writing anime articles yourself, you can use a paper writing service to get help writing about the history of anime and the development of its popularity.
