Intro to 5 OPs I Enjoyed Way More than the Series Themselves
Here are 5 OPs that I enjoyed way more than the series themselves. In each case, the series was something that I should have liked. Each series has the elements I look for. And since I like the OPs, you know that at least part of the show appealed to me! But in each case, I ended up liking the OP and, well, not really enjoying the series. In some cases, at all! Let’s just say none of these will show up in the Caw of Fame anytime soon. Or anytime at all!
Looking through this list, I think the common denominator is that each series disappointed me in a very, very big way. But to show that even within a show that disappointed me I can find something to celebrate, please let me present the 5 OPs that I enjoyed way more than the series themselves.
They’re listed in more or less ascending levels of disappointment. And did you know there’s actually a scale to measure disappointment? Science is cool!
One note: If you enjoyed these series, I think that’s great! You’ll notice I never said the series were bad. I only said I didn’t enjoy them.
5 OPs I Enjoyed Way More Than the Series Themselves
Number 5: How Not to Summon a Demon Lord Ω
Let’s start with an easy one. How Not to Summon a Demon Lord Ω should have been a ton of fun to watch. I loved the ecchi comedy in the first season. It completely embraced its core concept, to the point it went way over the top — in a way that was awesome to watch!
The second season, though, well… Take a look at 100 Word Anime’s reviews of season 1 and 2. Just look at the contrast between the two seasons! And speaking of contrast, the OP had such high energy and seemed like so much fun, that maybe it set too high of an expectation? Anyway, please do enjoy the OP:
Number 4: Guilty Crown
Damn, I wanted to like this series! It had an interesting world. It featured Ayase Shinomiya, a person with a disability. The Apocalypse virus had interesting properties and drove the story forward. Not only that, but sad to say, I’m still swayed by a pretty face. I mean, I took one look at Inori Yuzuriha and knew I’d have to watch the series. That shot of her walking in the OP, her movements so smooth and graceful, the flow of her gown accentuating her grace — that convinced me to buy the series.
Well, whoops. That turned out to be a lot less fun than I had hoped! The Traditional Catholic Weeb had a reaction that was really similar to mine. And I so wanted to like it! Sigh…
But, whatever else I think of the series, it gave us this OP that still inflames my imagination, even to this day. So, please enjoy:
Number 3: Fairy gone
This one’s going to contain a spoiler, so if you haven’t watched the series, you might just want to skip to the YouTube video. I’d skip the spoiler, but it’s a key reason I couldn’t enjoy the show.
Fairy gone is another one of those series that, on paper, looks like it’s perfect for me. It had a complex and layered political environment. It had an idealistic lead in Marlya Noel. Her relationship to her partner, Free Underbar, evolved into a true student/mentor relationship. No random romantic entanglements! I can’t tell you how refreshing that was! But…
There are a lot of ways to describe why it didn’t work for me. This post from A Girl & Her Anime captures a lot of those reasons. But for me, the worst offense is that Marlya did not end up with Veronica Thorn. I mean, come on! Wouldn’t a shot of them them riding off Free’s motorcycle, Veronica pressing herself against Marlya’s back as she drove them into the sun set — wouldn’t that have been the perfect ending? I could have forgiven most of the other offenses if I’d gotten that.
Oh, well, I can still enjoy its OP:
Number 2: ASSASSINS PRIDE
The world in ASSASSINS PRIDE got my hopes up. It was complex. It was bizarre. And it seemed to hold enormous potential to drive the story forward! But it did not do that. That was disappointing! Then I noticed that the character models exhibited a characteristic that I don’t see enough in anime: The twelve and thirteen year old young women looked like they could be plausibly twelve or thirteen years old. That’s a plus, right? Well, yeah, but to leverage that plus, the story would have had to do something interesting with them. And did it?
Let me direct you to a review on TakamakiJoker Anime Reviews. That review is a little more harsh than I would be, but it gives you a good idea of what I thought of the series. And honestly, I can’t dispute any point in that review! Well, except for its position on The Asterisk War. That’s still one of my all-time favorite series!
Despite how much ASSASSINS PRIDE disappointed me, I loved the OP. It had great movement and glimpses of curiosity-provoking expressions. I wish the rest of the series had followed suit! See what you think:
Number 1: DARLING in the FRANXX
I’ll be up front with you. My severe — and I mean severe — reaction to this show might be solely because of how high it raised my hopes. Not my expectations, but my hopes. A show can fall short of my expectations, and I might still like it. But if it dashes my hopes? It’s dead to me.
DARLING in the FRANXX is so dead to me that I have almost rewritten the back-half of the series as fanfic. As in, I actually deny the existence of those episodes. Because damn it, Zero Two deserved better. The plot deserved better.
Hell, Gurren Lagann deserved better. If you’re going to steal a plot…
Okay, okay. I’ll calm down. But you get the idea. This show should could have been among the greats. My list of greats, anyway! Maybe it’s on yours, and if so, cool! I’m glad you could enjoy it. Because that would mean you’re free of this burning, intense anger I feel whenever I think of this series! And talk about unpleasant!
Raving Otaku has a write-up that is much more coherent about the series than I have been. It even reminded me that the series wasn’t a total loss. If only it had just messed with my expectations and left my hopes alone…
I’ll leave you with an OP that summed up everything that might have been:
Closing Thoughts on 5 OPs I Enjoyed Way More than the Series Themselves
Did you enjoy any of these series? I’d love to know why! Maybe you can help me see them in another light! Or do you have examples of shows whose OPs you enjoyed but the series, not so much? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
Kiss of Death is a bop. Yeah others tell me the show is kind of a flop. Interesting list.
Interesting topic. I don’t remember any of the openings you chose, and I’m not currently somewhere I can watch them. I think I enjoyed Darling in the FranXX and Fairy Gone probably more than most, and that’s a little sad, considering none of them are particularly favourites of mine…
My own list would probably include Death Parade, too (like Eggsandwhich). Also, maybe:
Wonder Egg Priority (stunning opening, mediocre show)
Dragon Crisis (fun energy in the song, less of it in the show)
Elfen Lied (one of the best anime openings ever; not one of the best shows ever)
There are definitely more, but I can’t think of them now.
I’d forgotten all about Dragon Crisis! I’m glad you brought it up. I liked the OP so much I bought the song from iTunes.
I fondly remember Elfen Lied’s OP, too.
Just rewatching the Death Parade OP makes me wonder if I should give the show another try.
“There are definitely more, but I can’t think of them now.”
It almost feels like it would make a good series of posts! But I don’t want to wear out its welcome.
I agree with you about “Darling In The Franxx.” But the opening I alluded to over on twitter was Fire Force’s first OP “Inferno.” It was so good that even kind of deluded myself into thinking that I loved the show. And I DO like “Fire Force-” just the manga, though. The anime……it just takes SO MUCH LIFE out of me to watch. I don’t know what it is about watching the anime that makes me so sleepy or anxious, but……it’s just incredibly boring to watch. But ‘Inferno” by Ms Green Apple- GODLY. One of my favorite openings.
And you know, thinking about it; I like “Howling” from Flow x Granrodeo more than I liked “Seven Dealy Sins: Nanatsu No Taizai.” Don’t get me wrong: I LOVED that series- one of my favs, and I’m glad to review its continuation. But……that opening was just incredibly hype, you know?
One Punch Man’s full opening; “Strike Back-” opening 16 of Fairy Tail; ‘Touch Off” by Uverworld for season 1 of “The Promised Neverland-” all shows I still enjoy, but like the OP more. Huh…..more than I thought……
Great post, man- very fun and interesting thoughts!
Fire Force has had more than its share of OPs that I liked — including Inferno!
Sorry to hear you don’t like the anime. I’ve noticed a mini-trend: Folks who got into the Fire Force manga tended not to like the anime. I’m anime-only, and I’ve enjoyed it, for the most part — later episodes probably more than the earlier.
I would have include The Promised Neverland in this post, but, well… too soon, man. Too soon!
Glad you enjoyed the post!
I unironically enjoyed guilty crown, maybe it was because I watched it when I was new to anime but the opening is still one of the best to date. I think one opening I enjoyed more than the show was “Flyers” from death parade, I have nothing against death parade but it just didn’t hit for me whereas the OP was a total banger.
Flyers had great movement! I loved the dance moves. Made me wish I had watched the series! But like Demon Lord 2 and Deca-Dence, I couldn’t finish Death Parade. I kind of feel sad about that.
“Break The Blue” from Girly Air Force is in my anime playlist even though I dropped the show…
I’ll have to check that out! I didn’t even start that one. Sounds like I made a good choice!
Ugh. Guilty Crown. I wince every time I think of how the second half of that series poorly developed. It makes me want to spasm XD XD XD
On another musical note, you’ll love the first ending song too – “Departures” by EGOIST. I almost ranked it on my post about my favorite anime ED songs. Thanks for sharing!
I love the GIF you used in your post to illustrate your reaction.
That was a serious I really, really wanted to like. But man, it fight tooth and nail to be unlikeable!
That first OP is also a favorite of mine. I chose the second solely for the intensity of the shot of the MC pulling the artifact out of Inori.
I just wish both of them had showed that kind of intensity during the show!
Agreed, and thanks! It was the perfect reaction to this show’s atrocities indeed, credit to the original creator (Nostalgia Critic).
Seraph of the End. That first intro, or at least the bit with Kruul’s dance. Liked that. The anime, not so much.
I can’t believe I forgot Seraph of the End! It’s like the poster child for this idea!
I struggled to finish that anime. But I still play that OP everyone once and a while!
I didn’t even like the OP for Demon Lord 2… Maybe it reminded me of just how bad it was every time I sat down to watch another episode.
I would have picked Deca-Dence. The OP was a banger while the series was kind of meh!
Negative psychological associations are real!
In this case, I think I have a high tolerance because I dropped Infinity after three or four episodes. Instead, I went back watched the White Nova scene a few dozen times, and I was in a much better mindset!
I liked Deca-Dences’ OP, too. Come to think of it, I dropped it, too…
Man, what’s up with me?
I loved the Darling in the Franxx OP. My thoughts on the series and how it ended though are much like yours.
I’m glad you loved you! Like I said to Mattdoylemedia, I really wanted to!
I really hope my subconscious gives me a break over the fanfic idea. I’m trying to write novels, so I don’t have time for fanfic! But I’m really tempted, because I seriously like my ending better.
I wouldn’t say it’s on my list of greats but I did enjoy DARLING in the FRANXX. Great theme regardless.
I’m glad you could like it! I sure wanted to. But after that plot twist… I really think I’m a victim of my own hopes in this case.
That can happen! I was a victim of overhype with Gurren Lagaan, so totally get it.