How many times have you watched an anime and you couldn’t help but sing the intro? If you could download it to your music player, you would and blast it in traffic (I’ve done it before). I’m sure some of us have a Top 5 of intros that they could just listen to, so here is a list of my Top 5 anime intro songs.
5. Dragonball Z– Original American intro
I know, I know, nostalgia central but hear me out. This is nothing like the original Japanese opening but you have to admit, it was a damn catchy song. It was simply worded and the music was just intense. You can’t sit there and tell me that you didn’t sing this song when it came on Toonami. Admit it, this intro got you hype for no reason and you sang it like you were in actual rock band. You even air guitared the guitar riffs (don’t lie to me or yourself!).
4. Code Geass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ7zQbMxm28
Easily one of my favorite anime series of all time. The intro song and animation that goes along with it, highlights pretty much every character you will meet throughout the season while showing some great action shots. And just before you start wanting more of the song, its over. It’s one of those quick and to the point anime intro songs but enjoyable nonetheless.
3. Pokemon (original)
Another nostalgia song but it is one of the greats. Don’t sit there and act like you didn’t use air drums and start singing “I want to be…the very best” with your air microphone. I did it, and I know for sure you did it as well. The original Pokemon series was a national phenomenon and it’s been following us since 1996 (STILL mad Ash hasn’t aged in 20 years). If you really think about, this song was inspirational. It showed the determination of the main character “to be the very best” and the strength/need for friendship. Remember, you gotta Catch Em’ All!
2. Cowboy Bebop– Tank!
I love jazz and Cowboy Bebop was basically an anime that was jazz animated. Yoko and the Seatbelts are a Japanese Space jazz band (yeah never heard of space jazz either) that play most of the songs featured on the show. Tank! was one of those intro songs that you just wanted to play for yourself. I actually have the whole Cowboy Bebop OST on my ipod and I do randomly blast that around town. I would literally be in the car playing every single part as animated as I can. Overall, Tank! is a fun intro song to one of the greatest anime series in history. It draws you and the animation associated with it is fun and whimsical.
- Yu Yu Hakasho–Smile Bomb! (Hohoemi no Bakudan in Japanese)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dyb9yrBd68
Now this…this is my all time favorite intro. Seriously, I want/need this song on my ipod but I can never find the correct download of the version I want. Smile Bomb! is one of the songs to be the intro song for an ENTIRE series. Not like some anime where the intro changes to better fit what is going on in a story line. No, Smile Bomb! was used in all four seasons of Yu Yu Hakasho, just with different animations to represent what is going on story-wise. Once I find a decent file of both the original Japanese singer and the American version, it will be played weekly.
These are MY top 5 intro anime songs mainly because they are memorable and sound great outside of their respective shows. If you have a different top 5, please leave them in the comments! As always Nerd Out!