It’s time for the seasonal OP/ED roundup! I want to hear about your favorite OPs and EDs for the season (alternatively, your least favorites!). If you are looking for a collection of them all for this season, you can find almost all of them at the link below:
Just a note that you can absolutely use this thread like you would any other general discussion thread. So, feel free to post questions/comments/recommendations like any other week.
As always, remember to be mindful of spoilers. If you want to know more about how to handle spoilers in this community, check the guide here (also linked in the sidebar).
I picked out a handful of my favorite OPs and EDs and grouped them by shows that I am watching vs. shows that I am not watching. I also threw in a couple random mentions at the end for fun. These are in no particular order.
From shows I am watching
- Rock Lady OP - Ready to Rock by BAND-MAID - This is really the standout OP for me this season. BAND-MAID really killed it with this song (and all the other contributions they have made to the show). Also, just a quick mention that the ED is fantastic as well.
- Too-Perfect Saint OP - Aitoka by Riria - A pleasantly upbeat song for a show that has had a surprisingly good adaptation.
- NinKoro OP - Yarenno? Endless by Kana Hanazawa - You wouldn’t know this was sung by the voice of Konoha in the show. The song is nothing like her character.
From shows I am not watching
- Aharen-san ED - Twilight by shallm - I loved shallm’s previous work for Torture Princess, and this is another great one in that same vein. This one will likely kick around on my playlist for a while like her previous song has.
- Witch’s Death ED - Hanasaku Michi de by Aoi Teshima - This one is haunting and somber, featuring lovely vocals.
- Boy-Girl Friendship OP - Shitsumon, Koitte Nandeshou ka? by HaKoniwalily & HoneyWorks - a lot of fun
- Fire Force ED - Urusiren by Umeda Cypher - This ED is just dripping with style.
- Food for the Soul ED - Miso Shiro to Butter by Reira Ushio - A lot of fun and very cute.
- Witch Watch OP - Watch me! by YOASOBI - Bright and smooth animation pairs well with another great song by YOASOBI.
Honorable Mentions
- Dynamic Visual Style - Shoushimin OP - Kaseijin by Yorushika - There were so many cool visual styles packed into this OP. It was a lot of fun to watch. The ED also does a great job of combining live-action and animation in an engaging way.
- Most Obviously Desperate to Start a TikTok Viral Dance - MIRU: Paths To My Future ED - Find a Way by MIYAVI - This was actually hotly contested with both the Ballpark ED and the ED for Himitsu no AiPri: Ring-hen. The latter of which starts with a whole live-action sequence of a dance.
- Biggest Difference Between OP and ED - Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers. Seriously, listen to the OP and then the ED. The two songs are so different from on another.
- Most Playable - Loser Ranger ED - Seigi by Rukurow note - I loved all the gaming styles through this ED. It felt like taking a stroll through an arcade.
The only ones I’ve seen are to the only series I’m watching this season - Apocalypse Hotel, which is of note for an oddly off-key OP.
The first time I heard it I just took it to be the OP as sung by an awkward and poorly skilled robot, endearingly trying to sing a song that’s more upbeat than she is, and I loved it. I still do and I still do.
So I started off the week finishing up Noein: Mou Hitori no Kimi e, which was excellent. It’s part political thriller and part coming of age story, played out against a backdrop of quantum mechanics and multiverse theory, and just very well done.
Then I watched both seasons of Getsuyoubi no Tawawa, which, in spite of its four minute episodes dominated by fanservice is actually pretty good.
Then, somehow, I ended up watching Eizouken ni wa Te wo Dasu na! for the third time, and enjoyed it all over again. (And just thinking about it, I now have Easy Breezy stuck in my head).
And at the moment, I’m watching Mekakucity Actors, which atarted off being all style and no substance, which is particularly disappointing in this case, since its style is just a retread of the Monogatari series. And I don’t just mean that it’s the same basic style - it’s the same sort of character designs against the same sort of backgrounds (and seems as if they could be literally the same backgrounds) doing the same stylized gestures and motions accompanied by the same sort of droning narration of the same sort of edgy pop philosophy. So basically the anime equivalent of reheated leftover cup ramen.
The first time I saw a character do this damned head tilt, I almost shut it off right then and there.
Thankfully, it does seem to be finally revealing some actual substance (seven episides in) though whether it ends up being enough to be satisfying or not remains to be seen.
My favourite OPs this season (of what I’m currently watching) are:
- SHOSHIMIN
- Witch Watch
I’m intrigued by the Apocalypse Hotel OP due to its way out of key singing and messy instrumental, which seem very fitting.
My favourite EDs are:
- Too Perfect Saint
- Catch Me At The Ballpark
Other than that, I finished Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun. Really fun anime. Love the character interactions. I never watched it before, but it felt very nostalgic. Probably because I started watching anime around that time. Shame about the ending, but other than that I had a blast.
Also just watched the 1st 3 eps of Rock Is A Lady’s Modesty. Similar to the manga, I can’t really get into it. I find the toxic dynamic between the 2 MCs not fun at all. Making playing together a competition is also weird, because that’s just not at all a good idea if you want to play in a band.
For an anime that tries to get the playing look right (good job on the drums, less so for guitar, which makes sense because smaller movements are hard with mocap), they really dropped the ball on how loud a drumkit is. No way you can play along to a song on a phone the way she was or talk over it in a soft voice. You’d be definitely be hearing that thing outside of the building (unless they installed soundproofed glass) or at least in the hallway (no way that door has proper soundproofing).
I like the premise (guitar playing girl thrust into high society has to deal with her passion not being accepted), but not the execution.
Weekly ranking roundup:
- Anime Corner - Full Results - Weekly Winner: To Be Hero X
- Reddit Karma - Weekly Winner: Apothecary Diaries
Credit to /u/Abysswatcherbel for making the chart for reddit karma and /u/Nooble5 for the Anime Trending chart.
Something finally topples Witch Watch from the top of the AC chart, and it came from all the way down in 12th place last week. I am curious to know how To Be Hero X would be placing on the reddit chart, but unfortunately the reddit mods have decided to not allow discussion of the show since it doesn’t meet their standards of anime enough to be on topic for the subreddit.
Weekly Winner: To Be Hero X
Favourite opening song: Inertia by Hiroyuki Sawano (To Be Hero X)
Runner-up: Plazma by Kenshi Yonezu (Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX)
Favourite ending song: I don’t care by Hoshimachi Suisei (Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX)
Runner-up: KONTINUUM by SennaRin (To Be Hero X)
My favourite songs this season are in fact not the OPs and EDs, but the insert songs:
- PARAGON by Hiroyuki Sawano (To Be Hero X)
- New Type of Hero by Chatterbox (To Be Hero X)
- JEOPARDY by Hiroyuki Sawano (To Be Hero X)
I picked up To Be Hero X over the past week. The plot is kinda basic and it relies on shock value heavily, but I have been enjoying it so much regardless. The drama and politics(?) is like a blend of One Punch Man and Oshi no Ko. Also, it doesn’t have a single soundtrack that I dislike. Each one of them is a banger.
