This will be my first year-end list of anime OP/ED themes which I thought were noteworthy for 2008. I began posting this list every season since Spring 2008. However, I’ll be including a couple of themes from series that aired from Winter 2007/2008. I simply compiled my seasonal list and re-ranked the songs altogether regardless of the season order (though it’s still noted).
So, this will cover the Winter 2007/2008 to Fall 2008 seasons. Please note that this list is pretty much subjective. It’s ranked into “Top 10” according to my preference, followed by randomly listed titles as “special mention.”
Onto the list!
~ Format :: [Season] – “Song title” by band/artist (OP#/ED# – anime series title)
- My Top 10 OP/ED themes for 2008:
1. [Spring] – “Changes” by Base Ball Bear (ED #1 – Toshokan Sensou)
– watch: anime ED – music video
– A very catchy song with a very nice lead and backing vocals. I love the intro and the chorus parts. I also love the guitar and drum parts. The link I found for the anime ED has a little dialogue from the anime because the song starts to play while the episode is not completely finished yet. The video is nothing special, just the band playing and acting a bit.
I had a hard time figuring out whether I liked “Crawl” or “Changes” more, but based on my N91’s ‘most played tracks’ – “Changes” had outranked “Crawl” since I added it to my playlist last spring , so I’ll go with that. ^_^
2. [Spring] – “Crawl” by Veltpunch (OP #1 – Nabari no Ou)
– watch: anime OP — music video
– It has a really nice and catchy melody. The vocals blend beautifully in the chorus. I think the guy’s voice has this soothing sort of feeling to it. Love the guitar and drum parts. The music video is a bit weird (and morbid) though.
3. [Summer] – “Fly Away” by THYME (OP #1 – Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora)
– watch/listen: anime OP — full song
– Awesome song. It has a really nice beat and melody. I love the guitar and drum parts and their female vocalist has a lovely voice to listen to. I’m totally digging this band ever since I heard their other song that was used as the OP theme for To-Love-Ru. No link for the music video, since it’s been removed.
4. [Spring] – “Kasumi” by 369 Miroku (OP #1 – Nijuu Mensou no Musume)
– watch: anime OP — music video
– The full song is a bit long, a little over 6 minutes. It’s a very nice ballad with a tinge of nostalgia. The guy has a nice and sincere voice, quite fitting for the song. I like the anime OP for the continuity element of it (not sure if those are the proper words), like when a couple of lines or rectangles are shown on close up and when the “camera” pans out, it turns out to be a diamond or a window. The music video is plain and simple, just the guy singing and walking forward while reminiscing about his lost love.
5. [Summer] – “Shut up and Explode” by Boom Boom Satellites (OP #1 – Xam’d: Lost Memories)
– watch/listen: anime OP — full song
– This song totally rocks! I’m not really into mecha anime, but this song so rocked that I even bothered to check out the first two episodes of Xam’d (while another factor was that it’s animated by BONES). The OP song fits nicely with the OP sequence too. I especially liked the intro part as the beat plays with boots tapping in the OP sequence. The song is a mix of electronic and punk rock. It’s a very catchy tune and it makes me tap my feet to the beat every time I listen to it. xD
6. [Spring] – “Nobody Knows” by Suga Shikao (OP #1 – xxxHolic Kei)
– watch: anime OP — music video
– I’ve become quite fond of Suga Shikao ever since hearing a bunch of his songs in Honey and Clover. I love his voice as well as his catchy and funky melodies. The OP sequence is typical of xxxHolic. I don’t know why, but the music video features jam – strawberry jam getting poured over the guitar, headphones, even the singer himself.
7. [Spring] – “Forever We Can Make It!” by THYME (OP #1 – To-Love-Ru)
– watch: anime OP — music video
– I didn’t watch this series, but I love the OP song. I think the song rocks. From the anime’s OP sequence, you’d have obviously seen how much fanservice is waiting for you when you actually watch the episode. Skin, boobies and pantsu shots galore. xD However, if I put the fanservice-y aspect of the OP aside, I’d say I like the unique comic-ish sort of style it has. The music video has the band jamming and posing about.
8. [Winter] – “Kuusou Rumba” by Kenji Ōtsuki featuring Ai Nonaka, Marina Inoue, Yū Kobayashi, Miyuki Sawashiro and Ryōko Shintani (OP #1 – Zoku Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei)
– watch/listen: anime OP — full song
– Nice song, reminiscent of the first season’s OP (which was also sung by Kenji Otsuki with the female seiyuus). Since it’s a SHAFT production, quite a few OP/ED song and animation sequence changes to follow were, of course, expected.
According to Wikipedia, for the first and second episodes, just like the first season, the opening animation consists of slides of text with the characters’ names and the production staff. This opening sequence features picture postcards sent from viewers. The second opening animation began use in the third episode and features Nozomu freefalling from the sky in a parody of Eureka Seven, alongside various still images of anatomical muscle and skeletal figures based on Kaitai Shinsho, and featured fake film deterioration effects that were exaggerated throughout the season.
9. [Winter] – “Koiji Romanesque”by Asuka Tanii, Asami Sanada, Miyuki Sawashiro, Yuko Goto and Miyu Matsuki. (ED #1 – Zoku Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei)
– watch/listen: anime ED — full song
– I like the song. The ED sequence had a goth/noir feel to it.
10.1. [Fall] – “Nagareboshi” by ROUND TABLE featuring Nino (ED#1 – Yozakura Quartet)
– watch/listen: full song
– It’s a tie for #10! Another song that is very nice and easy to listen to. I really like the melody. The anime series didn’t quite meet my expectations, but it has one of the best BGM/insert songs around!
10.2. [Fall] – “Tokyo et Paris” by Emiri Miyamoto x Solita (ED#1 – Nodame Cantabile Paris-hen)
– watch: anime ED — music video
– The other song that rounds up the tie for my #10 song. Very nice and easy to listen to. Love the beat, love the melody, love the violin parts, love the fact that it was based on Ravel’s “Boléro.” Um, so basically, I simply love everything about it. xD
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SPECIAL MENTION: (just click on the song title to watch & listen to the anime OP/ED)
– in random order –
- “Katahiza no Yogore” by Last Alliance (ED #1 – Real Drive)
- “Ai wa Kurayami no Naka de” by ZARD (OP #22 – Detective Conan)
- “Atashi no Machi, Ashita no Machi” by Hitomi Takahashi (OP #1 – Toshokan Sensou)
- “Swinging” by Muramasa (OP #1 – The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk)
- “Kaze ga Nanika wo Iou to Shiteru” by Saori Hayami (ED #1 – Wagaya no Oinari-sama)
- “Crossing Days” by Ryoko Shintani (ED #1 – Kurenai)
- “Karma” by Bump of Chicken (OP#1 – Tales of the Abyss)
- “Aoi Hana” by Color Bottle (OP#1 – Casshern Sins)
- “Ame ga Furu” by Sakamoto Maaya (ED#1 – Linebarrels of Iron)
- “Aru ga Mama” by Anamu & Maki (ED #2 – Nabari no Ou)
- “Sora” by Hearts Grow (OP #1 – Birdy the Mighty Decode)
- “Guilty Pleasure” by BECCA (OP #1 – Ultraviolet: Code 044)
- “Vacancy” by Kylee (ED #1 Xam’d: Lost Memories)
- “CHU-BURA” by Kelun (OP #8 – Bleach) – I included this because I think it’s still this series’ OP song as the summer season started. I don’t watch this series though, but I like some of its OP/ED themes.
- “Feeling” by AciD FLavoR (OP #1 – Hakushaku to Yousei)
- “Lost in Blue” by Nightmare (OP #1 – Mouryou no Hako)
- “Naked Love” by Nightmare (ED #1 – Mouryou no Hako)
- “Kiss of Monochrome” by SID (OP #1 – Kuroshitsuji)
- “I’m ALIVE!” by BECCA (ED #1 Kuro shitsuji)
- “Vanilla Salt” by Horie Yui (ED #1 – Toradora!)
- “Papermoon by Tommy Heavenly6 (OP#2 – Soul Eater)
- “PSI-missing” by Mami Kawada (OP#1 – To Aru Majutsu no Index)
- “JUST TUNE” by savage genius (OP#1 – Yozakura Quartet)
- “Bouken Suisei” by Enomoto Kurumi (ED#1 – Tales of the Abyss)
- “Gekidou” by UVERworld (OP#4- D.Gray Man) – I included this because it was this series’ OP song as the fall 2008 season started. I don’t watch this series, though.
- “Regret” by Hoshimura Mai (ED#7 – D.Gray Man) – Spring 2008, same reason.
- “Hitohira no Hanabira” by Stereo Pony (ED#17 – Bleach) – I included this ED song for the same reason as the previous one.
- “MYSTERIOUS” by Naifu (OP#24 – Detective Conan) – Same reason. Only difference is I do watch this series.
- “Go Your Own Way” by Shizukusa Yumi (ED#31 – Detective Conan) – Ditto. ^^
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**credit: photo taken from this site.
Most of the songs are from anime I’ve seen (or at least seen 1 episode of within the 2008 season or heard the OP/ED song somewhere, or recommended by someone), so I might’ve missed some good songs from series I don’t usually watch.
~ Which anime OP/ED songs this 2008 season made your “favorites” list?
Oh wow, what an extensive list! Thank you for mentioning these works 🙂 Some of the OP/ED were new to me, and I was pleasantly surprised.
From your top 10 list my favorites are:
“Fly Away”
“Shut up and Explode”
“Forever We Can Make It!”
“Koiji Romanesque”
“Tokyo et Paris”
I also posted my favorite OP/ED and music of the year 🙂
[…] Undercover: Best OP/ED Themes […]
@ Kitsune: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed my list. Yours was more extensive! Some on your list were new to me too. ^_^
Not bad list, I like most of it, and it even helped me little bit. I think, you forgot couple good songs, its:
Hakaba Kitarou – OP
Soul Eater – ED 3
Kurozuka – OP
By the way, this is my Top15 – http://azsubs.wordpress.com/?p=701&preview=true
@ slicKrox: Thanks! Soul Eater ED3 is pretty catchy. I wasn’t able to see your top 15 though, the link you gave doesn’t lead to your list…
Ooh, Changes is a great song. Yea, Baseball Bear rocks this track.
hazy sorry for such a long delay. Here is my top 10, actually it this top 10 made all AnimeZona forum.
http://www.animezona.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3178
@ Keine: Totally! Another Base Ball Bear track that I love is their [OP from Ookiku Furikabutte]. ^_^
@ slicKrox: No problem! ^_^ I found Spice and Wolf’s season 1 ED to be really adorable.