Winter 2K19 Favorite OP

2019 has kicked off with a bang. Being an optimist, I hope the general superior quality of 2018 anime bleeds into this year as well. And present season of Winter has not disappointed with productions like Promised Neverland, Dororo, Kaguya sama & Rising of the Shield Hero. Dark horses like Quintessential Quintuplets & Domestic Girlfriend creeped up onto us, stirring all kinds of conversation for community to disagree upon. Finally, fan favorite gems like Mob Psycho 200, Kakegurui XxX & Boogiepop have blessed us with that good quality content they are known for.

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But I am here for anime openings, more specifically, some of them which didn’t let me skip them.

Some of them captivated me with storytelling, some had stunning visuals, others had a rocking track to back the visuals. But just like a regular human being, I dropped majority of anime and cared about five series alone. And the season has gone far enough for me to get a hang of what the shows I'm watching have to offer.

So strap on to accompany me on this mini journey, where I pick two OPs from this Winter 2019 & one OP out of season, because its how I like doing my stuff.

OUT OF SEASON ANIME OPENING: MY TEEN ROMANTIC COMEDY SNAFU SEASON 2: HARUMODOKI by YANAGI

I don’t have much to say about this song except that it has the perfect pop feel I expect from a teen romance anime. It had characters interesting enough for me to concentrate, it has visuals, 2 of them, to draw enough meaning for me to write a light novel about, and two best girls that can rival Bunny Girl Senpai any day of the week.

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  Same Lyric, Different Scene

I came across this anime last year, and I was attached to it as soon as I watched the first episode. Hachiman’s antics, Yuigahama’s bubbly personality, and Yukino’s attitude kept it fresh up until the end. For somebody skipped it, thinking it was another teen romance high school anime, go back and watch it! Its more than that.

Now, going back to OP, the singer has the vulnerable vocals, which clearly have cavities due to sour experiences in her life, but she has filled it with ray of hope. Maybe I am reading too much into the song, but it is one of the best pick up songs that have come out of anime. Pairing them with visuals and how the season 2 goes, you can’t help but appreciate the singer who produced this phenomenal moody piece.

And you’re just lying if you don’t want to listen to Senpai Gone Love It. [YouTube Source: Triple-Q]

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  Senpai will notice when I bust a cap in his A$$

WINTER 2K19 FAVOITE OPs

For my favorite OP, it got to have visuals which go with the track. I don’t care if it doesn’t match the theme of the show, they have to pair up perfectly with the visuals. And for this season, a lot of them are phenomenal. But I give extra points for playback quality. If I can play the song in my car, or while cooking, or while jacking off, it will end up on this list.

According to above scale, Promised Neverland never fit the criteria. The track is way too EDGY with blaring saxophone that I can’t listen to it without bowing down to it. Don’t get me wrong, the show needs this kind of OP, the one that can make a statement as soon as you play it, but it wont be ranking on this list today fam.

Going back to OreGairu OP 2, if that was best kind of pop sound, Q-Qiuntuplets lands very low on the same spectrum, so it got knocked out pretty early. As much as I love MYTH&ROID, and believe me I love them, their BoogiePop OP was not up to par with something like ReZero OP2 or Overlord OP 3. And Mob Psycho’s 99.9 is better than 99, fight me.

In the end, it was a very close call between Shield Hero and Dororo. And the crown went to…

2. DORORO: KAEN BY QUEEN BEE:

If you don’t know, I love rap music. Unironically. I also love J-Rock. And by that sense, Shield Hero’s Rise by MADKID fits the bill perfectly. I will also confess that I hate the rap vocals in Dororo’s OP.

And yet, where as Rise is a nice romp, and a nice track in general to rock to, Dororo’s atmospheric tune takes the cake.

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I just have a feeling that I will replace RISE in coming seasons, but I doubt I’ll find another tune like Dororo’s Kaen anytime soon. The scream which is heard right in the beginning says volume about the dark setting of the anime. The piano was born to marry the echoing vocals of the singers. And the gradual build up to the high pitched singing, are you FRIGGIN kidding me? It sounds so orgasmic that I want to close my eyes and… do… stuff. String instruments, which I can only guess are traditionally Japanese take over and throws you directly into the ultra hype bassline that you wished lasted for eternity.

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GIVE ME FIRE? OH, I’D SET IT ON FIRE, BOI DON’T TEST ME!

Mappa has been the studio that has been replacing MadHouse’s presence for a long time. And with this show, with how much love was poured into it, I am full on fanboy of their property. Dororo was definitely a long time coming for mature anime which doesn’t mind going against the grain. With Osamu Tezuka’s writing guiding the way, and talent appointed at both Mappa and Tezuka Productions, this series was hand crafted for perfection.

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What this series has done is that propel itself into one of my favorite mature and bold anime, along side Black Lagoon, A Silent Voice & Clannad After Story [The latter two are more emotionally breaking but mature nonetheless].

COMPETING AGAINST AN ISEAKI, A HISTORICAL ACTION, A GAMBLING GIG & AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A BUTCHER HOUSE IS ANOTHER HIGHSCHOOL ROMANCE COMEDY, AND GODDAMNIT, I LOVE IT!

1.  Kaguya Sama-Love is War: Love Dramatic by Masayuki Suzuhi ft. Iraha Rikka

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  Cat Ears!!!!

Oh, Kaguya Sama, how you stole my heart. It was love at first look. I knew I had a fetish for orchestral tracks when I tasted the blood with BRADIO’s FLYERS. But the jazz is too strong with this one. If there is one song, I’d sell my kidney to watch it live, its this one.

Again, I can’t stress hard enough how much I love this song. But I guess I should explain why I love this so much it beat Naofumi Crybaby & Baraka in Sengoku period.

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  Is the order an Assassin? & a Hair Stylist?

First: the characters. Two: the animation. Three: the Song.

Since this story revolves all around characters, A1 Pictures was able to focus solely on their expressions, roles and their psyche throughout this 1:30 minutes of animation. From the moment it kicks off, you can see the relationship that Kaguya and Miyuki. The way they confront each other in the first shot, how Kaguya pauses where she is supposed to , but Miyuki goes a little further in her face, reflecting the preparation Kaguya does anytime she has to confront Miyuki. EXHIBIT NO. 1: the umbrella sharing between them.

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This is me literally writing about the first scene, and I have so much to break down. If you’d like me to break down the whole OP, scene by scene, let me know on my Twitter.

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  How cute!

But right now, the song that got paired with animation sequence, it was a failsafe way to hook a romance comedy junkie like me. It is my nomination for BEST anime for Winter 2019.

The love A1 has poured into this anime, and the voice actors’ ability to go from goofy to serious in a matter of seconds sells the show itself.

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Unlike Dororo’s OP, I don’t have too much to say on this one, because this one IS AN EXPERIENCE. If for any chance you skipped over this gem, go back and watch it, even if it is for this OP.

And that will be IT for my favorite OPs for WINTER 2K19. I never claimed to watch all anime OPs, that is why I do One OP out of season, to keep everything fair. If you’re disappointed with my selection, let me know your favorites in comments or on my Twitter: @rishabh_SSW
Opinionhooman OUT.