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Do you make a big deal about OPs/EDs?


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D. Sanders



Joined: 31 Jul 2008
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:09 am Reply with quote
How important do you find the openings and ending sequences of an anime to be? Such as when viewing a show on DVD, do you usually try to make it a point to watch them every time you view an episode, or might they be trivial enough for you to skip them and save an extra 2-4 minutes of your time?

While for me it usually depends on the series, I will often try to include them as part of the overall viewing experience. I like to think that the sequences are a way of "sandwiching" in an episode, with both the opening and ending being there to communicate the overall message of the show.

Also, if either the OP/ED sequences has a song that I really enjoy listening to, then I hardly think twice about skipping them!
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:31 am Reply with quote
There are plenty of other threads for me to list my favourite openings and closings. So I'll simply say that I only listen to the OP or ED multiple times if they are really good. Watching a mediocre OP or ED each and every time they feature seems pointless and masochistic to me.

As to their importance, it bugs me a lot that they take up so much time (2 and-a-half minutes total per episode, on average). And yet, what do they really offer in return?

What? Perhaps they offer:

Increased revenues from featuring a song from an up-and-coming band? Or is it the other way around, and the producers pay the artist?

A way to "ease" people in and out of an Anime?

A way to attract potential fans by offering the latest song by the show's beautiful and popular seiyuu as a drawcard?

Nothing, the producers are required by contract to credit the production staff, and the OP and the ED are just pretty music and visuals to fill the void that would otherwise exist?

An expression of the show's "artistic merit"?

Fanservice?

Or the one that I believe to be most likely: Anime has been doing it for decades, few if any people know why the practice started, and everyone just puts them in because that's the Way It's Done. Is that the reason?



I wouldn't mind hearing what others think (or know).


Last edited by dtm42 on Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:50 am; edited 1 time in total
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Xanas



Joined: 27 Aug 2007
Posts: 2058
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:12 am Reply with quote
Hmm, why OPs/EDs exist is a good question. I think the simplest answer is probably that it's "cheap time." It has a high fixed cost (since the animation in OP/ED can sometimes be higher quality than the show), but low marginal cost.

That said, I enjoy OPs/EDs usually myself. If I hate the song I will skip them, but if I like it I'll most likely want to watch through it every single episode, even if I'm watching several in a row. I tend to appreciate them enough to do that.
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TheVok



Joined: 09 Mar 2007
Posts: 613
Location: North York, Ontario, Canada
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:31 am Reply with quote
Anime certainly isn't the only type of TV programming with opening sequences and end credit sequences, but I suppose that due to the colourful nature of animation it has some of the most inherently eye-catching ....

If a show's on TV, I'll watch the opening theme if I really enjoy it; otherwise I'll flip around 'til the show actually starts.

I'm more likely to sit through end credits to get to the next-episode preview clip, if there is one (I find those aren't always televised).

On DVD, it's a whole other matter. A sequence has to be very strong to get me to watch it every time. But some sequences really are that strong and so I enjoy them coming up again and again. It's a combination of visual and audio content, not usually just one or the other, that hooks me.
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G-mofactor



Joined: 11 Jun 2008
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:43 am Reply with quote
In concerning anime for OPs/EDs.
I like watching the OPs EDs for the visuals and music as well.
Really, I like to see how some of the staff in a particular series do a good job in creating an OP or ED sequence to go with the selected songs.
To me, OP/ED are separate animation projects, and mostly has little to do with actual story of the anime series it's in.
Many people know that some anime's OP and ED has to do with series. Well that is kinda troubling, but I don't often see anime that gets spoiled by the OP/EDs.
So, looking in the issue of my point of interest in this matter (OP/ED to be separate project), the animation of the OP/ED sometimes or usually stray away from actual series animation itself. Doing a wonderful job in presenting the episode of series with OP sequence, and leaving with a good enough closing to remember the episode for the ED, I find that its a good way to show your skills in a small amount of time.
I take a good look at this example: I feel that the anime Real Bout High School was not as good as I thought it will be just like in the manga adaptation. However, I enjoyed the OP sequence.
Or
To make a closer look: I really enjoyed Last Exile for how stunning it is. I liked both the OP an ED credits for its visuals and songs. I remembered how the animation looked wonderful in OP sequence wishing to have more of it. So, when Trinity Blood came into television, I knew it looked familiar and soon find that the director was the same one who did the OP for Last Exile.
Well, OP/ED is helpful in bringing enjoyment in the series that the audience is watching, and also introduce animation quality that could lead to other anime titles.
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jsieczka



Joined: 19 Jul 2008
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Location: Rochester, NY
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:52 am Reply with quote
I really cannot say that I find them all that important. I will watch them when I first see the show, but after that it is kinda rare for me to watch them a second time. I don't really watch live TV all that much so most of what I watch is on DVR and I can skip the OP and turn it off before the ED. When watching a DVD the OP/ED get old very fast and I'm liking how Funimation is putting out DVDs where you can play a DVD through and only have the OP on the first episode and the ED on the last one.
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asimpson2006



Joined: 13 May 2008
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Location: USA
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:03 am Reply with quote
It really depends for me. I usually watch a OP or ED once and when I see it again I skip past it since I don't need to see it again. If I like it I may watch it.
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TheTheory



Joined: 23 Mar 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: Central PA
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:33 am Reply with quote
Generally I prefer to skip them. The main exceptions are when it is a song I really like (Nabari no Ou OP namely, although there was a Naruto OP that I really enjoyed, too).

I feel like a number of the kids cartoons I watched had them, too... I currently have Duck Tales' theme song running through my head thanks to thinking about this thread (Duck Tales... woo ooo!).

But yeah, mostly I find them skip-worthy. Too long and too little time in any given day to bother.
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cool3865



Joined: 31 Aug 2006
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Location: Austin, TX
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:08 am Reply with quote
i will watch them once and thats it. IMO i dont think there is a reason to watch them (unless you wanna learn how to do a certain dance). there are certain times where i will watch either the OP or the ED, (OP for Telepathy Girl Ran and the Ending for Dominion Tank Police dub)
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Alestal



Joined: 22 Apr 2005
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:31 am Reply with quote
Depends on how good the songs are, since the anime I watch generally have good openings I listen to it while go get prepared to watch the episode a (water bottle from the kitchen or something).

I almost never watch the ending of a series, even if its a good song, I just want to be over with it and see no point in waiting.

But openings and endings are like a preview for the show and set the mood for the show (like Welcome to the NHK's).
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abynormal



Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Posts: 427
Location: Louisiana
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:43 am Reply with quote
It all goes back to marketing. Tie a popular band in with the OP / ED and you draw in fans of that band, while fans of the show check out the band's new single. Everybody wins. That's why most OPs and EDs change every ten episodes or so; to draw in fresh crowds.

Anyway, I do think a good OP/ED is important, because that's part of the show as well as the regular program. Also, the OP is often bookended by the show itself, so you sometimes have no choice but to sit through it, so it better be entertaining to watch. The ED has less importance to me, but it's nice to have something good to listen to while you wait for the next episode preview.
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caseclosedfan414



Joined: 11 Nov 2005
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:51 am Reply with quote
I used to make a big deal about them, and be sure to always watch them in every episode of every anime I would watch. That was when I first got into anime like 4-5 years ago. Nowadays, I still make sure I watch each opening and ending theme at least once (by "each", I mean the different ones that come up throughout the different seasons of the show or the sparatic new ones that come up due to a particularly special episode). Aside from that, I only repeatedly watch an opening or ending theme if I like the song and/or visuals. Otherwise, I'll just skip it.
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zanarkand princess



Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Posts: 1484
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:11 am Reply with quote
Usually I watch them a few times but by the fourth episode I don't bother unless I love the song. I only watch ed credits if I really like the song or the animation is particularly good (death note for and basilisk) for example. If I really love the song then I will watch it over and over and it's a good way to introduce you to a new group sometimes. Like if everybody skipped the eureka seven end credits would halcali have so many fans in america? I do it with american animation too I think someone said they had the duck tales song in their head well I couldn't get the goof troop theme song out of my head for a while.
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G-mofactor



Joined: 11 Jun 2008
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Location: Atlantis to Interzone
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:17 pm Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
Or the one that I believe to be most likely: Anime has been doing it for decades, few if any people know why the practice started, and everyone just puts them in because that's the Way It's Done. Is that the reason?

As far as I could remember in the Animation class in college, it was dated as far back as Astroboy or Kimba. Well, I couldn't really remember the titles were, but it was something to draw in children other than the spectacular colors or no color animation. In other words, enjoying the music, and find it fun to hear and sing along to improve the fandum of the series and then becomes popular.
Recognizable songs that can click in to your mind to remember the anime.
Although, many Japanese animation over forty years ago were political in some degree or less, its the support that is given what matters.
For example, today people say that the band Halcali's song is stuck in their mind for some unknown reason and then feel the urge to watch Eureka Seven. So, just like that, people helps the market by buying the CD soundtracks, DVDs, etc.
Although, the role of Japanese animation has change since 40 years ago.
It feels customary to have either the OP or ED, or both in an anime, considering the years it has been since Japanese animation have come in existence.
I don't think it is mandatory to every anime, unless it provides better experience in watching the series. Moreover, having other reasons to benefit the collaborators of the anime, staff, market, etc.
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zanarkand princess



Joined: 27 Oct 2007
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:18 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
For example, today people say that the band Halcali's song is stuck in their mind for some unknown reason and then feel the urge to watch Eureka Seven.

Hey that was my example Wink

Some shows like tsukihime have an instrumental piece at the beginning but It was actually not so bad.
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