40 - 31
40. Danganronpa OP - "Never Say Never"
I can probably do almost the entire rap without even listening to the music. That's how much I've listened/sang along to this song. Despite Danganronpa being one of the first anime I ever saw, its opening is the kind that has longevity - years later, and I still love it to death. In fact, being so acquainted with it may even be part of what helps it make these lists years later.
39. Gankutsuou ED - "You Won't See Me Coming"
TV Version (I should probably put a seizure warning or something on this) | Full Version
Yeah, you know that seizure warning I put? That's because this ending is flashy as all get-out. There is so much animation, so much gorgeousness going on, it's practically a visual orgasm. Or an LSD trip. Or... something like that. The music is fantastic, too, the line "You Won't See Me Coming" fitting very well for the Count of Monte Cristo. It's a completely fantastic ending for a completely fantastic anime.
38. Monster OP - "Grain"
What I love about this opening is how much it really makes you feel the show. You feel the depression and anxiety weighing down on Tenma's shoulders, you feel the tension ramping up, you feel the danger lurking around at every corner, you feel the urgency of the need to kill Johan, but most of all, you feel just as lost and confused as the characters do about what would really be the right way of going about fixing what's going on. I'm still in the middle of watching this anime, but I'm loving the opening every step of the way.
37. Psycho-Pass 2 OP - "Enigmatic Feeling"
Last year I debated about putting this opening on the list, but ended up putting Psycho-Pass's first opening instead. Well, not this year. After re-watching them all, I ended up liking the glitchy, grainy feeling of this opening the most. I think the amazing visuals greatly reflects the danger, gore, and police aspects of the show. THe lyrics are great, too, if you bother to look them up.
36. Ranpo Kitan ED - "Mikazuki"
Last year, I barely discovered this ending in time to put it as an honourable mention. Well, this year I'm making sure it gets its rightful place. There are two things that make this ending so amazing: One, the music. It has a dark, yet catchy tune, with very strong and memorable lyrics, which make it so much better. The second is the amount of symbolism in it. It may not mean a lot to someone who hasn't seen the show, but there is such strong symbolism in it, making it one of my favorite endings that I have ever seen.
35. Casshern Sins OP - "Aoi Hana"
You know an anime's going to be really sad and existentialist when the first line of its opening "Hey, for what reason were we born?" Seriously, though, the lyrics of this song reflects the desperate despair of this show so much. Yeah, there isn't a whole lot of animation in it, but that's what this anime needs - a slow-paced opening for a slow-paced anime. That doesn't mean the visuals aren't striking - every frame that it does have reflects both the inner thoughts of Casshern as well as the gorgeous, yet desolate landscape he wanders.
34. Subete ga F ni Naru: The Perfect Insider OP - "Talking"
On America's Got Talent, there are plenty of people who use screens and other animation to add to their dances, in the process creating a visual masterpiece. This opening reminds me of that. Of course, they used real rotoscoped dancers to make this opening, and that was a brilliant move. It adds so much more realism to the opening, and makes even the animated parts feel real, which adds heavily to the show's intellectual tone. Not only that, but the song and its lyrics give off the endearing, yet awkward vibe a mathematic super-nerd who doesn't quite know proper social cues might give off (similar to the show itself). Overall, this opening not only has brilliant visuals and music, but represents its anime incredibly well.
33. Free! OP - "Rage On"
"It's summer, and I want to go swimming, goshdangit!" I think it's impossible to watch this opening without having those thoughts. The way it shows swimming, just makes it look so much fun and makes you want to go out swimming right now. Like, I'm seriously considering planning a swimming trip as we speak. It's true that the visuals and music are great, but the fact that it installs such a great desire to go swimming is why it's so high on my list.
32. Space Dandy OP - "Viva Namida"
I seriously don't give Space Dandy the love it deserves. I should probably go buy a T-shirt of it or something. It's so colourful and so funky, and the opening is no exception. It's so carefree and so fun, it's hard to find a fault in this opening. Well, at least I can start giving Space Dandy love by putting the opening here on my list.
31. Trigun OP - "H.T."
Arkada once said this was the song that led to the invention of air guitar, and I completely agree with him. If I'm driving somewhere, and this song comes on, I will take my hands off the wheel just so I can properly play air guitar. It's that much fun.
