Forum - View topicOPs > EDs?
|
Goto page 1, 2 Next |
| Author | Message | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
DragonsRevenge
 Posts: 1150 |
|
|||
|
I tend to think most often than not, the anime opening music is usually better than the ending music. I wonder if it could be a matter of the person listening to the opening, since well, it starts the show off, and they usually shut it off during the closing credits. There are some examples of ending songs that are as good/better than the openers (Hoeseki- Petit Cossette, The endings to Saber Marionette, Unerasable Sin, That Door song from FMA), but most of the time, they're either not memorable (The Endings to the Slayers Series) or Downright Terrible (Be Your Girl- Elfen Lied, Motherland- I Will, from FMA)
Of course it's a matter of opinion, but that's just the way it seems to be. Agree? Disagree? |
||||
|
||||
Yoshball
 Posts: 99 Location: Portland, OR |
|
|||
|
I totally agree and I first thought about that after I watched the first series I ever bought, Escaflowne.
The OP was nice: I Cieli Di Escaflowne had vocals done by Maaya Sakamoto set to an orchestral piece that complimented the fantasy the setting in which Escaflowne is set. The ED was horrid: Mystic Eyes was a crappy 80's sounding pop song with horrible engrish and vocals. Ugh. I definitely think the show is putting their best foot forward with a good opening and the ending is a byproduct of media conglomerates trying to get a name out for some no name band. Or maybe they think the song is actually good but just happen to pick a song I don't like to put at the end. There have been a few series where OP = ED; Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo for examples. Though both have a "slow" song for their ending, they are well crafted and set a melancholy mood, which I like since the episode was then over 
|
||||
|
||||
marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
|
|||
|
I definitely find that usually I like OPs much better than EPs. While there are some exceptions (I like the first EP of Welcome to the NHK! much better than the OP), for the most part the OPs tend to be better. Of course, I also am more inclined to watch the OPs since I usually don't watch the credits unless it is a particularily good EP, so I might not get to know an EP as much as the OP (to go back to NHK!, I actually almost didn't listen to the EP, a fact that I am very horrified at now).
I also must agree about Mystic Eyes...it's easily my least favourite Escaflowne song. |
||||
|
||||
NGE1113
 Posts: 1081 Location: Alexandria, VA. |
|
|||
|
For the most part, I watch anime episodes in their entirety, so I'm listening to the OP and ED for my current title reguarly. It's true, I've found that OP's generally are better compared to their counterpart ED's. It's partially because of the person listening to it, true, but I also think that it's a necessity for studios and (particularly) broadcasters as well. I believe this is so since when the title airs on TV, a hook is needed to have the audience actually watch the show, and this is the purpose of the OP. A crappy opening, in my mind, runs the risk of having a viewer adopt a "meh" attitude about what the're watching, and move on to another channel.*
Off the top of my head, I really can't think of a show in which I liked the ED better than the OP. There are a couple of shows where I found both songs equal, such as Outlaw Star, and to a lesser extent, Infinite Ryvius. *By the way, does anyone know about the percentage of shows that use cold opens (cut straight to opening credits) nowadays? This, to me, also plays a factor in why an OP are generally received better than its corresponding ED. |
||||
|
||||
Joe anime
 Posts: 259 Location: Brooklyn,NY |
|
|||
|
OP theme's are liked alot more then ED theme's,most of the anime songs i have are OP theme's.BTW,i liked the Elfen Lied ED song"Be Your Girl".nice way to end an Elfen Lied episode.
|
||||
|
||||
|
Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6902 Location: Kazune City |
|
|||
In general, I have observed that OP's are more uptempo, catchy and flashy, whereas ED's tend to be slower and more relaxing (if not outright dull). Still, there are always exceptions to the rule, like Avenger, where both songs are pretty good fast numbers, and I'm finding that I like the ED more. |
||||
|
||||
Murasakisuishou
 Posts: 1469 Location: NE Ohio |
|
|||
|
It depends. I generally like OPs more than EDs, but there are a few things that stand out where it was the other way around for me. For example, NANA; I absolutely loved A Little Pain (and the animation that went with it). The newest ED, Kuroi Namida, is really good too. Also, The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi had (IMO) the best ending ever, whereas the OP was sort of meh. Bleach also has some very good EDs (Life is Like a Boat, Thank You!!, Houkiboshi, Life, Hanabi). Also, I loved the EDs for Shaman King, because they were so upbeat. Trust You is a really fun song, and the animation for Omokage was great. Some other good EDs I've heard are Believe in Heaven from Matantei Loki Ragnarok, Kagerou from xxxHOLiC, Mameshiba from Arjuna, and Lithium Flower from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (although all the GitS:SAC music rocks).
I totally agree about FMA, though; it seemed that the good OPs were accompanied by sucky EDs, and vice versa. Although I probably hated Motherland so much just because it's my dearest wish to see Winry fall face-first into a meat grinder. And I pitied Den for having to endure that humiliation. |
||||
|
||||
|
DragonsRevenge
Posts: 1150 |
|
|||
|
Ok, Motherland isnt terrible. It's got a nice vocal melody. I just cant stand the pop beat. I Will is just awful on all counts though. The animated sequence just totally contrasts with the pace of the song, and the song itself is just crappy "beats and clicks," which is the number one reason why I absolutely hate current pop music with every fiber of my being.
|
||||
|
||||
|
BuckFutter
Posts: 8 Location: Hong Kong |
|
|||
|
Samurai Champloo is probably another example where "ED > OP".
Battlecry was horrendous, in my opinion. Beats were melancholy, there was a failed effort in trying to make meaningful lyrics, and worst of all, it gave a sense of "wannabe-ism." Song of the Seasons, however, was a magnificent success. A catchy melody paired with a unique mix of instrumentations: Minmi has really done a good job. |
||||
|
||||
|
san-san
Posts: 26 Location: Far Reaches of Space |
|
|||
|
I disagree and it is mainly due to Inuyasha.
Back in ma newbie days when I watched this show and liked it (which I might add was only due to the fact I liked Fukai Mori the ending theme) I was I dunno "trained" to enjoy the endings more than the opening because I hated the very pop sounds of the opening themes *Change the World, One Day One Dream come to mind*.....I can't say it's always that way but most of the time op=ed for me. Or op<ed>op: Gravity Wolf's Rain Half Pain- Witch Hunter Robin Fly me to the Moon - NGE (okay....i deeply abhor this series and it was probably due to the 80's-ish, cheesy opening....i hate the op more than the series.......the only way i can tolerate the song is in speed mode as used in AMV Hell 3 *'twas-teh-funneh*) Eureka 7- Fly Away, Tip Tap Tips Ouran High School Host Club - I'm blanking out on the title Last edited by san-san on Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:34 pm; edited 3 times in total |
||||
|
||||
|
NGE1113
Posts: 1081 Location: Alexandria, VA. |
|
|||
How in the world did I forget about this song  ? Well, as an addendum to my earlier post, I would say that I prefer the ED for TMoSH over the OP, which is an extremely rare (if not unprecedented) thing for me to say.
|
||||
|
||||
kolibri
 Posts: 712 Location: Vancouver |
|
|||
Ending theme is Shissou by LAST ALLIANCE. Although I generally agree with the most of the crowd with OPs being better, I have to say Ouran is one of the few exceptions for me. As much as I love Sakura Kiss, I just adore Shissou - something about the fast melancholic melody that just hits the sweet spot for me. In fact I can't really think of another series where I'd like the ED more. |
||||
|
||||
aya_honda
 Posts: 920 Location: Around here |
|
|||
Like you said, usually, but not always. Most of the times the openings are better polished for the sake of the viewer who must be attracted into watching that particular anime. But nevertheless, I find myself mostly attracted by the endings rather than the openings. I think that usually I watch the openings only in the beginning (if they are really good I might watch them even more times) while I keep playing the endings and there are some anime which have quite good endings which made me listen to them more often than the endings. For example, I enjoy more the ending from Black Lagoon Don't look behind than the opening Red Fraction. I think that Don't look behind was the major reason for which I bought the soundtrack. Besides the fact that it's greatly created, it also has a perfect ending in drums, which is a powerful combination of classic and modern. Scrapped Princess is another example which comes into my mind when I listened more the ending Daichi no la-li-la (I think that it's like that; terribly sorry if I spelled it wrongly  ) I was attracted by the combination of happy song with a slightly melancholic tone (a paradox, I admit, but very true). Another example that comes into my mind would be X/1999 where I enjoy more Secret Sorrow that I forgot the name of the song from the opening. The ending of Ergo Proxy, Kanon... and many other examples come into my mind. So I will rather go with the endings actually.
|
||||
|
||||
|
DragonsRevenge
Posts: 1150 |
|
|||
|
Man, not many people like LIttle Wing it seems. I love it. I love that guitar solo. That's one of the better themes. I never saw the big deal of Fly me to the moon, I always liked CAT better. The Samurai Shamploo ending is better, but that's not saying much for me, since that's not my prefered style of music.
|
||||
|
||||
EVA fiend
 Posts: 314 Location: Somewhere in the UK. |
|
|||
|
The majority of the time, I prefer OP themes to ED themes; OP themes are generally 'catchier' to try & draw your attention to the anime, & a lot of the time they help convey the overall mood of the series. Lacklustre themes can be quite off putting IMO, e.g., can't stand the OP to Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora as it conveys a vapid & shallow tone for the series (which in hindsight it is; certainly not the second coming of Kannazuki no Miko like some people I talk to on another forum have been sayng).
There are exceptions of course; don't like the OP to Shakugan no Shana at all (very generic pop sounding - horrible), but I do like the ED theme a lot (in a word, it's 'powerful'). Same is also true for the OP & ED themes to Blue Gender as well; the OP is just a regular pop tune, but the ED theme is a very beautiful ballad IMO. |
||||
|
||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group