Let's kick things off with one of my earliest favorite anime series: Digimon Adventure. In the Digimon vs. Pokemon debate, I always sided with Digimon. The story is better. The characters are more interesting. The animation was better. It came
first--or so I thought. (In truth, Pokemon really did come before Digimon, which I discovered about 10 seconds ago) It always held a very special place in my heart. As such, it is fitting that I be so attached to Butterfly, the Japanese opening. The animation isn't spectacular, but it's a cut above other shows that came out at the time. It's the music that really gets me on this one. It's also considered to be a good theme song by the general anime fandom. Not only is it a fun, catchy song, it fits the show perfectly.
Any theme song from Fullmetal Alchemist, really. "Ready Steady Go" is my favorite, but they're all quite good. Brotherhood themes actually don't appeal to me that much. They're fine, but I don't especially remember any of them. "Ready Steady Go" is my favorite song, but Rewrite's probably my favorite animation, for the cool camera moves at the beginning.
Now to what is considered one of the best anime theme songs of all time: Cowboy Bebop's "Tank". It's one of the most unique openings ever, both musically and visually. Jazz and anime theme song don't often go together, but I can't imagine Bebop opening with anything else. Yoko Kanno is a famous anime composer, and it shows. Her soundtrack for the entire show, let alone the opening theme, is fabulous. Bebop is a must-see for any good anime fan, though it's a bit adult. I first saw it when I was 15, and waited a year before finishing it. Once you get to it, though, you'll never forget "Tank". 3, 2, 1, let's go.
To follow up Bebop, the closest thing you'll ever hear to "Tank" is "Gun's and Roses" from Baccano!. Baccano! is one of my new all-time favorite anime series, and I will review it soon. The jazzy opening theme actually fits the time period, unlike Bebop; Baccano! is set in America in the 1920s. The reason the two are compared is not only the fact that they're both jazz, but because they share the same exact bass line for the first 4 measures. I realized this when I would break into "Tank" every time I tried to hum "Gun's and Roses". Excellent music, great animation, and a handy character guide, all in one theme song!
Eureka Seven is a great series, but the first two openings didn't do much for me. "Taiyou no Mannaka E" and "Sakura", however, make up for them. "Taiyou..." isn't as strong as other themes musically, but it's very unique. Instead of the usual shiny mishmash of characters cut to music, it's a single scene. I'm not sure I'm describing it very well, but when you see it, you'll get it. The animation also fits the music very well. "Sakura" is stunning and a joy to listen to, but there are parts that don't fit the pacing of the music. "Taiyou..." is catchy at first, but tires after a while. "Sakura" was a slow starter for me, but once I heard it a few times, I loved it. I still love it. Both do a beautiful job of depicting Eureka and Renton's relationship, especially when Renton tries to shield Eureka from The End in "Taiyou...". "Sakura" gets the pairing right at the beginning, when they're holding hands and look at Nirvash. But my favorite part of "Sakura" is actually Anemone and Dominic, and the split-second image of Renton reluctantly holding a gun, which captures his feelings so perfectly.
Also from Gurren Lagann is a rarity, a favorite ending theme. I don't like ending themes. They're usually really boring. "Minna no Peace" is one of my favorite themes of anything, opening or ending. The song is catchy and fun, and the animation is cool to watch. I can't find it on youtube anywhere on its own, though, so you'll have to check out a full episode to see it. Sorry about that.
Minna no Peace - Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Last Episode and Some random other fandom version that at least gives you and idea of it
Soul Eater is known for its unique animation, and no part of the show is more unique than it's opening theme. "Resonance" is, without a doubt, my favorite opening theme animation. The camera moves over the city at night, and then around the street during the day are beautiful. It takes full advantage of what animation can do cinematically. No other opening theme does this so well. Not to mention the music is awesome."I Wanna Be" is an interesting ending theme. It's not the standard slow-boring-music ending theme fodder, and the animation isn't the standard spend-as-little-money-and-effort-as-possible. Both are far above the average ending theme, and even better than some opening themes I've seen. In fact, all the Soul Eater ending themes are very good, compared to the average, and are worth a look.
Resonance - Soul Eater (in HD!)
I Wanna Be - Soul Eater (sorry, spanish subs)
"LAST TRAIN - Atarashii Asa" not only is a good theme, but the episodes it's paired with are good, too! Musically, it's currently my favorite opening theme. Animation's not bad, and it pairs up very well with the music. I love the shot of Carly in her car and Red Daemon's flies by. Mostly I just love singing it really loud. The heavy beat really pumps you up before the episode starts, and certainly fits a show about riding motorcycles.
Close to You - Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds (in 1080p AND with English subs!)
LAST TRAIN ~ Atarashii Asa - Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds
Other songs worth mentioning include: Sakura Kiss - Ouran High School Host Club, Bouken Desho Desho? - The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Obsession - .hack//sign. All of them very good themes, I just thought of them too late, and this post was long enough.
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