The List

Top 10 Anime Opening Songs of Winter 2021

Hey everyone, Jacki Jing here to countdown the best opening songs from the Winter 2021 anime season! Typically for The List we've limited the choices to just seven or eight entries but this season is ripe with toe-tapping bops. Also, rules are fake. Let's dive into the best OPs!

10. 2.43 SEIIN HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL CLUB, “MAHI” BY YAMA

Volleyball is just window dressing in this dramatic series about a boys sports team. Two childhood friends, Kimichika and Yuni, are reunited in high school when Kimichika moves back to town. He was the star of his previous school's volleyball team but returns carrying some serious baggage. Yama's opener has the punchiness that fits a sports-centric series but the use of horns helps it stand out. A little info about yama; they're a singer-songwriter that rose to prominence by covering popular songs on social media. They found success last summer with the track “Haru wo Tsugeru” trending on TikTok and Japan Hot 100 charts.

9. BOTTOM-TIER CHARACTER TOMOZAKI “JINSEI EASY?” BY DIALOGUE+

I'll admit, voice actress idol groups usually aren't my fav. The songs tend to have the same general pop- flavor and it takes extra effort to make them stand out. Dialogue+'s song “Jinsei Easy?” caught my attention by adding a layer of classic video game sound effects to the music and...I don't know I just think it's really cute! Video games play an important role in Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, given that Tomozaki's entire world revolves around them. He specializes in a game very similar to Super Smash Bros but outside the game world, life won't cut him any slack. Then he meets Hinami, a popular girl who found success by treating the real world like a game, and she's here to teach Tomozaki how to do it, too. Pro-tip from Lynzee: try being nice, respectful, and genuine!

8. MUSHOKU TENSEI: JOBLESS REINCARNATION “Tabibito no Uta” by Yuiko Ohara

This opener really sets the tone for the entire world of Jobless Reincarnation. The swelling sounds of the piano immediately give off that certain mysterious feeling to let viewers know 'this is a place where magic could happen.' The world of Jobless Reincarnation IS beautiful thanks to the amazing work of Studio Bind, and Yuiko Ohara's song pairs with it seamlessly. That kind of musical magic might be Ohara's specialty; she previously created songs for Little Witch Academia and Land of the Lustrous, two shows steeped in magical qualities.

7. HORIMIYA “IRO KOUSUI” BY YOH KAMIYAMA

On the surface, Horimiya seems like a pretty light romcom about two students. Hori is a popular and sociable girl that has a very responsible side to her as she maintains the house and looks after her little brother while her mom works. Miyamura looks like a bookish geek but actually has facial piercings and even tattoos hidden under his shirt. He's a good boy with a little bit of a dangerous side. Yoh Kamiyama's song highlights how Hori and Miyamura look different but actually have a lot in common, or as the lyrics put it, they wear “the same color of perfume.” Awww~

6. RE:ZERO SEASON 2 , “LONG SHOT” BY MAYU MAESHIMA

All of the Re:Zero opening themes have been intense and “Long Shot” is no exception. The song's title perfectly fits Subaru's situation: saving everyone and making it out alive is a long shot for sure when you're dealing with deadly witches, man-eating rabbits, clones, and a guy who hulks-out into a tiger. “Long Shot” is Mayu Maeshima's second single, but she's not a new singer. She was a vocalist for MYTH & ROID until 2017, the same group that performed the first ending and second opening for the first season of Re:Zero. You can also hear her in Overlord and The Saga of Tanya the Evil.

5. DR. STONE: Stone WARS “Rakuen” by Fujifabric

This opening is, in one word, smooooth. The three-piece band Fujifabric is no stranger to anime theme songs. The group has made slick arrangements for Boruto, Blue Spring Ride, Silver Spoon, tsuritama, and Space Brothers. The new theme song is paired with imagery of Dr. Stone's distinctive cast and the sun rising. Who will bring about the next era of humanity? The Kingdom of Science or Tsukasa and his Empire of Might?

4. SK8 THE INFINITY, “PARADISE” BY RUDE-A

Here's a song that gets you clapping along right away. It immediately sets the pace for the colorful skateboarding world of Langa and Reki. Reki is a high schooler and skateboarding enthusiast who spends his off time working at a skate shop and competing in high-octane races. He pulls the stoic Langa into his obsession after finding out he has skating experience—sorta (snowboarding, to be precise). Rude-a is a rapper hailing from Okinawa and his previous song “Life” was used as the first ending theme for the first season of Dr. Stone. Honestly, almost everything about this song works, but I think they went a little heavy on the auto-tune in some places.

3. LOG HORIZON: DESTRUCTION OF THE ROUND TABLE, “Different” by BAND-MAID

As the song says, “Let's Go It's Show Time!” This song just doesn't QUIT. The drums and the bass are insane from start to finish. Is it too over the top for a series about people getting isekai'd into a fantasy game world? …..NAH. The group bringing the energy to this song is BAND-MAID, an all-girl rock group that, as you might have guessed, wears maid outfits. They've been going strong since 2013 and previously rose to #11 on Japan's Billboard charts with their single “Glory.” “Different” is their first anime-related song, but the group has previously toured the world with stops in Seattle, the UK, and Mexico.

2. JUJUTSU KAISEN SEASON 2, “VIVID VICE” by Who-ya Extended

Honestly, I didn't think MAPPA was going to be able to top the first opening for Jujutsu Kaisen. Visually, it was one of the best opening sequences I'd seen in a long time. Then Shingo Yamashita laughed in my face and delivered yet another beautiful OP. The entire thing oozes style with each character getting his or her own highlight, even the villains. Also hi, is that Megumi charging into battle with an ELEPHANT? There's tons of moments like this to notice if, like me, you've watched this OP over and over again. The group behind the song, Who-ya Extended, is a bit of a mystery but they previously contributed a song to Psycho-Pass Season 3.

1. ATTACK ON TITAN THE FINAL SEASON, “MY WAR” by Shinsei Kamattechan

Now before you all get up in my mentions with “of course they picked Attack on Titan,” acknowledge that ONE this song is still giving me chills seven weeks later and TWO only Attack on Titan could deliver harrowing political commentary in less than two minutes. The title of the song translates to”My War” and combines the explosions of atomic bombs, missiles, and flamethrowers with a psychadelic color pattern that is, for lack of a better word, kind of disorienting in a way that holds your attention. It has more in common with clouds of poison than cotton candy despite the pastel colors. The visuals look more like real-world footage than something from the series itself, from goose-stepping soldiers to Nevada atomic test sites. The OP ends on what is presumably Black Rain falling onto the after images of the war's causalities. The final shot of Eren in his Titan form reminds me a lot of the closing shot in Hideaki Anno's Godzilla. Anyway, that's a lot of words to say that the Attack on Titan opening makes a BIG statement. Respect!