Welcome back to another edition of my Anime Playlist — your short guide into some of the best anime openings, endings, and original soundtracks! Contrary to popular belief, the news of my untimely demise has been greatly exaggerated.
Jokes aside, it’s been nearly three months since I last posted anything, so I have some catching up to do. As much as I’d like to be able to say I was busy or had some other external factor inhibiting my ability to post content, the real story is far less interesting.
I took some time off – sort of.
Many of our regulars here know I tend to take my time with a lot of my content, which can result in some odd gaps here and there. And when I do actually put something up, many will note I have preference for longer introspection as opposed to shorter pieces or op-eds – something that runs counter to Medium’s formatting to an extent.
Given the circumstances, what does this all mean? Nothing much, really. While I have no intention of changing my writing style, I do have room to improve my workflow. After the two-week break I had planned turned into two months, I looked at my old playlists and realized I was essentially writing two different articles at once – my anime impressions and the playlist itself.
Moving forward, I’ll be separating these posts into their own subjects with the anime playlist coming first and the final impressions at a later date (name to be decided). Though this playlist will be shorter than most might be expecting, hopefully, this provides more clarity and in turn, more content.
And who knows? Infinite possibilities.
Notes:
As always, only shows that actually ran during their respective seasons are considered for these lists. Because Netflix distributes their shows differently, I don’t include them until they are legally available in North America.
Even though Attack on Titan officially started airing in December of 2020, I’m counting it as a Winter 2021 entry, as the majority of its season ran at that time.
While I was researching this piece, I noticed a lot of these don’t have “official” openings/endings available. To mitigate any future “dead” links, I substituted the actual artist’s music videos as needed.
Song: Paradise
Artist: Rude-α
Anime: SK8 the Infinity
Making both their second anisong contribution and another bombastic entry on my seasonal playlists, Rude-α returns with their first major opening for an anime. Trading the hot sands and abundant vegetation of Dr. Stone for the cool tricks and mean streets of SK8 the Infinity, Paradise is a rebellious banger of an opening befitting its subject. Opening with a mad tour of the area beneath the colorful backdrop of the city, Rude-α’s rhythmic vocals and beats complements the flashy visuals and character introductions. Day or night, SK8’s main theme runs wild, easily making it one of the best new openings of the season – and a potential contender for the year.
Song: Hashire! with Yamasaki Seiya (Kyūso Nekokami)
Artist: Polysics
Anime: Cells at Work! Code Black
From the get go, Cells at Work! Code Black distances itself from its main counterpart in more ways than one, starting with its rock fueled opening. In contrast to the more playful opening of Cells at Work! season 2 performed by the main cast, Polysics (Sgt. Frog, Moyashimon) was given the role of contributing the spin off’s main theme. With its heart pumping drum and guitar work mixed with a dash of pop sounds and abstract visuals (notably, the band’s official music video), Hashire! with Yamasaki Seiya is another solid opening for the franchise.
Song: Minikui Ikimono (Ugly Creature)
Artist: CHiCO with HoneyWorks
Anime: Otherside Picnic
Originally a Japanese vocaloid orchestra, HoneyWorks began a partnership with singer CHiCO, having contributed anime themes since 2014 (Gintama, Haikyu!! To The Top). Showing no signs of slowing down, Minikui Ikimono (Ugly Creature) is a high flying burst of rock energy mixing everyday scenery with the surreal world of Otherside Picnic. Despite being heavily inspired by creepypasta and folk tales, CHiCO with HoneyWorks’s uplifting new single takes cues from the show’s adventure elements by focusing on its main heroines. Though the song title may say otherwise, Otherside Picnic’s opening is a marvelous beast in an unusually packed playlist (as you’ll see further down).
Song: VIVID VICE
Artist: Who-ya Extended
Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen
A fairly recent artist following their previous excellent Psycho-Pass 3 contributions, Who-ya Extended makes their second major anime as the lead opening in the second half of Jujutsu Kaisen. In contrast to a lot of the rock inspired songs I’ve featured previously, VIVID VICE is a softer spoken, but impactful tune, briefly teasing JJK’s “melancholy” (for lack of a better term) while maintaining a somewhat optimistic sound. Much like the group’s previous work, it’s a unique contrast that mixes traditional rock elements with a few modern touches, making for an exciting entry for this up and coming Shonen.
Song: My War
Artist: Shinsei Kamattechan
Anime: Attack on Titan: The Final Season
Taking over opening duties since their last contribution on Attack on Titan as the anime’s second ending, My War by Shinsei Kamattechan marks yet another shift in the franchise’s long running history. Abandoning much of the metal infused symphonies of previous openings and one melodic inspired ballad, the rock band’s latest work takes the series into even darker territory as the show dismantles old foundations and sets the stage for a bloody ultimatum. With its chilling vocals, heavy classical cues, and militaristic imagery, My War marks the beginning of the end after four seasons worth of buildup.
Song: Tabibito no Uta (The Traveler’s Song) & Mezame no Uta (Awakening Song)
Artist: Yuiko Ōhara
Anime: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
A veteran anisong contributor, Yuiko Ōhara (Little Witch Academia, Land of the Lustrous) performs both the opening and ending themes for Mushoku Tensei. Though the series has drawn its fair share of praise and controversy – a story for another day perhaps? – Ohara is in her natural element as her full musical talent is on display. With a sweeping melody and soothing orchestra, both openings tell the story of a young adventurer arriving in an unfamiliar world. Whereas The Traveler’s Song is utilized in the first half by emphasizing the sense of discovery and fantasy, Awakening Song marks the shift in the journey as the story moves into the next arc. It’s an interesting contrast that stands out further in Awakening Song as Ohara transitions from melodic to determined, highlighted further with the second opening’s usage of piano and guitar pieces.
Song: Iro Kousui (Color Perfume)
Artist: Yoh Kamiyama
Anime: Horimiya
A singer-songwriter and producer since 2014, Yoh Kamiyama (Drifting Dragons) made his own debut in 2018 as a solo artist. Best known for his work as a vocaloid producer and his own Jpop infused songs, Iro Kousui (Color Perfume) is a colorful, yet mellow jingle for much of its runtime. Playing with more subdued melodies and lyrics, Kamiyama’s latest single matches the bright contrasts of Horimiya while hinting at the complex nature of this coming-of-age story. Despite being a little outside my musical comfort zone, I can’t help but be taken in by this unique fragrance.
Song: Identity
Artist: Kiro Akiyama
Anime: The Promised Neverland (Season 2)
Even though The Promised Neverland certainly fell through this season – something I will likely briefly touch upon at a later date – the same cannot be said about its musical score. An active artist since 2017, singer-songwriter Kiro Akiyama follows through with the series’ second opening. In contrast to the more hip-hop inspired opening by UVERworld, Identity skews heavier towards rock and Jpop sounds along with the opening’s contrasting colors. For a show that lost all sense of its “identity” – pun very much intended – it’s a bit ironic that its opening manages to convey the sense of urgency and survival in what should have been a follow up to one of the best anime of 2019.
Song: Shirushi (Mark)
Artist: Sayaka Sasaki
Anime: Kemono Jihen
An underlooked gem this season, Kemono Jihen took me by surprise as an unexpected supernatural series reminiscent of some of my favorite titles growing up. Though this may be the first time you’ve heard of this anime – it’s exclusively on Funimation – its ending theme artist is a name you might be more familiar with. An artist who caught her break in 2009, Sayaka Sasaki (Garo The Animation, Nichijou) performs the paranormal Shonen’s ending theme. Compared to a lot of similar series, Shirushi (Mark) takes a much more symphonic approach with its rock inspired composition. Complementing Sasaki’s high energy vocals, this four-and-a-half-minute song hits just about every mark for this playlist, including one of the best uses of an ending theme in the show’s final episode.
Song: give it back
Artist: Cö shu Nie
Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen
On the subject of unorthodox ending themes for Shonen, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Jujutsu Kaisen’s second ending. An artist that I’ve yet to feature until now, Cö shu Nie (Tokyo Ghoul:re, The Promised Neverland) is a rock band best known for their unique approach to J-rock.
(Editor’s note: *shudders* no, we don’t talk about that anime!)
A nostalgic yet somber melody, give it back is a softer based tune that places the emphasis on Yuji Itadori and his growing band of comrades. For an action-based title and a rock-based group of artists, neither is utilized, trading them for peaceful landscapes and a distant sense of departure. As my fellow colleague TheMamaLuigi recorded in his own thoughts, it’s a bittersweet ending that captures the show’s larger themes within the framework of filmed memories.
Honorable Mentions:
Song: Shock
Artist: Yuko Ando
Anime: Attack on Titan: The Final Season
I couldn’t decide at first if I liked this or give it back more. Pretty close though!
Song: Winds of Transylvania
Artist: Lovebites
Anime: Vlad Love
I’ve never watched a single episode of Vlad Love – our own Doctorkev had some thoughts – but I do know power metal, and this one is a banger!
Completed Playlist:
- Paradise – Rude-α (SK8 the Infinity) [Best OP]
- Minikui Ikimono (Ugly Creature) – CHiCO with HoneyWorks (Otherside Picnic)
- VIVID VICE – Who-ya Extended (Jujutsu Kaisen)
- My War – Shinsei Kamattechan (Attack on Titan: The Final Season)
- Tabibito no Uta (The Traveler’s Song) – Yuiko Ōhara (Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation)
- Mezame no Uta (Awakening Song) – Yuiko Ōhara (Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation)
- Iro Kousui (Color Perfume) – Yoh Kamiyama (Horimiya)
- Identity – Kiro Akiyama (The Promised Neverland Season 2)
- Shirushi (Mark) – Sayaka Sasaki (Kemono Jihen)
- give it back – Cö shu Nie (Jujutsu Kaisen) [Best ED]
Bonus: - Shock – Yuko Ando (Attack on Titan: The Final Season)
- Winds of Transylvania – Lovebites (Vlad Love)
- Life is Cider – Anemoneria (Wonder Egg Priority)
Credits:
Dark Aether is a writer/contributor for TAY and AniTAY. You can check his previous writings on TAY2, Medium, or follow him on Twitter @TheGrimAether. Not Dead Yet.
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