As an otaku, nothing can be more paramount to watching anime than having a mesmerizing opening sequence. In the realm of anime, every series has a distinctive opening theme that appeals to viewers of all types and even helps rank an anime to the top. It allows viewers to grasp the intended direction of an anime’s story; in other words, a teaser.

There’s no denying that soundtracks are necessary to breathe life into an anime. Whether they are opening tracks or in-scene influencers. These almost one-minute teasers can work like magic to catch the eye of fans for many episodes to come and make it outshine other anime. The quality of the animation also boosts the reputation of an anime immensely. Since 2022 is coming to an end, what better way to celebrate anime than to re-visit all the mesmerizing opening sequences over the past years. Here are some of the fan favorites that have taken the world by storm.

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7 Gurenge - Demon Slayer

     Viz MediaCrunchyroll

“Gurenge” by LiSA is the first opening soundtrack of Demon Slayer season one. From the get-go, it attracts the audience with LiSA’s powerful vocals and soft lyrics. The song is an upbeat rock, that symbolizes that through hardship, one can get the confidence to become stronger. It’s almost like a sweet letter to fans. The animation is smooth. Each character gets their own spotlight to show their powers, while also adding to bits of comedic relief. Gurenge topped the charts as soon as it aired with episode one of Demon Slayer. Fans were quick to vibe to it, even making short videos to showcase their sword-swinging skills, or even their pets dressing up as Tanjiro or Nezuko.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

6 Departure - HunterxHunter

     FunimationFuji TVViz Media

The popular shonen anime, HunterxHunter is perhaps the only anime that has rocked every new arc with the same opening soundtrack. Although the animation changes to accommodate each new season, the lyrics and music stay the same, making it iconic. “Departure” by Masatoshi Ono primarily showcases the four main characters; Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika, as they embark on new journeys to become hunters. The opening song symbolizes freedom to explore and overcome enemies. It’s fun, catchy and attracts the viewers by foreshadowing different fighting sequences and what they can expect in the current arc.

5 Moonlight Legend - Sailor Moon

     CrunchyrollViz MediaAsahi TVToonamiCartoon NetworkFox KidsABC

While the Japanese version was popular, the English version of “Moonlight Densetsu” became more widely known due to its catchy lyrics. The intro to Sailor Moon shows how meeting Luna and Tuxedo Mask changed Usagi (Sailor Moon)’s life. All the sailor scouts are then introduced as warriors of justice, each showcasing their unique battle outfits and powers. As the lyrics say, ‘’fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight.’’ The animation perfectly depicts Usagi’s journey of fighting against Queen Beryl and her minions to save the world.

4 Gotta Catch’em All - Pokémon

     The Pokemon Company International

Anime lovers or not, everyone can admit to knowing the lyrics to this intro. “Gotta Catch’em All” by 50.Grind is a slogan for the Pokémon franchise. Although the song ranked 57 on the UK Singles Chart in 2001, it captured the hearts of millions around the globe. The catchy lyrics were sung by every Pokémon lover at the time, and even now by some. While multiple first-generation Pokémon dominates the intro, it primarily shows Ash Ketchum’s journey to become the best Pokémon trainer in the world.

3 Colors of the Heart - Blood+

     MBSTBSAdult SwimAnimax

Avid watchers of anime know exactly how Uverworld has dominated the world of anime opening themes. “Colors of the Heart” is no exception. It first appeared as the season three intro for Blood+. Being catchy and colorful, it caught the attention of fans worldwide. Each moment of the song is gracefully disguised by words of sadness, love, and resolve. Almost like a letter written to Saya Tonashi by her current self, telling her that although she is engulfed by the loss of loved ones, she can come out braver than before. She has many colors in her heart, each depicting a different loved one. The animation works like magic to showcase the beauty, anger, and resolve of Saya throughout her journey to defeat her twin sister.

2 Guren no Yumiya - Attack on Titan

     Muse CommunicationCrunchyroll

With the anime’s military theme, “Guren no Yumiya” by Linked Horizon is no less than a national anthem for the anime world. On the day of Attack on Titan’s first premiere, this song went instantly viral and became the most sung anime opening of the season. This iconic opening sequence riles up the audience within the first few seconds with the title surrounded by chains, symbolizing how the people within the walls are trapped by the fear of what lies beyond it. “Guren no Yumiya” does justice to the incoming death, sacrifice and slaughter of each incoming episode with multiple action scenes installed throughout. The lyrics work well to highlight the dark theme, as it speaks about how prayers will not save anyone, all they can do is fight for their freedom. It truly represents the anime and influences fans to feel like they are a part of the Corps as well.

1 The World - Death Note

     CrunchyrollViz MediaNippon TVYTVAdult Swim

There’s no anime lover that hasn’t heard of this iconic opening song from Death Note. “The World” by Nightmare is a record-breaking soundtrack that depicts the exact feelings of Light Yagami. With each note in the lyrics, fans are reminded of Light’s mission to change this world and become its new god. The animation adds to this intention by showing Light in a godly aura, surrounded by the death of his enemies. The lyrics state that while the darkness continues to spread, he pledges to revolutionize the world by cleansing all the evildoers. Someday he will achieve his ideal world, free from crime. At the same time, the lyrics state his intentions to kill anyone that gets in his way of becoming the new god. Fans can also see the intense battle between Light and L. Foreshadowing how it will go down between the two. To add to that, using different angles to show Light and L pining their sight against each other makes the intro more attractive to watch.