Winter 2024 is coming to an end, so it's time to reflect on what I think are the 10 best anime openings. After a long time, I realized that this season is much stronger than Fall 2023 in terms of opening numbers, so making this list is proving much more difficult.
As stated previously for other seasons, this list will focus on the entire opening, including animation, music, layout, color design, replay value, transitions, etc. —not just one thing or another. So without further ado, here are the 10 best anime openings of the Winter 2024 anime season.
*Note:
1. If the video takes too long to load, click the series title next to each issue to load the opening.
2. The creator's name with a hyperlink connected to their personal X (Twitter) account.
OP Director: ?
Storyboard OP: ?
Animation director OP: ?
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“Danger Danger” by FZMZ feat. icy
Shangri-La Frontier makes it into the top 10 openings of the Fall 2023 list and it's back again with a metal banger from FZMZ, this time featuring icy. There are a lot of great elements in this opening that support the soundtrack, which I think is the best part. However, the initial liquid, red background representing the credits derails the momentum a bit—one of the reasons it's not higher on the list.
The use of aspect ratio is always appreciated and just gives the whole thing a more cinematic feel to it. That being said, what this opening lacks in creative transitions it makes up for in the theme song and visuals in each animated sequence.
The chorus is absolutely infectious and the sword sound effect @1:12 is a great bit of fun for the song to match its visuals—I always love it when the intro interacts with song. This would have been higher on the list but the awkwardness of the quick cuts to where the credits were shown threw things up a bit and there was no real flow to the storyboard in This is unlike the other pieces on this list. Still, this is a great opening.
The above sequence is animated by Shunsuke Aoki, who also did the main animation work for the number one opening on this list. If you've watched any of the big-name WIT Studio anime, you've seen Aoki's animation at some point, whether it's Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga, or Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song. He also acreated animation sequence below from the latest Spy x Family/Street Fighter collaboration.
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OP Director: Takahiro Majima
OP Storyboard: Yuuki Ogawa
OP animation director: Youko Kikuchi
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Theme song: “Shura ni Otoshite” by sajou no hana
Ishura has received much criticism and praise for the series itself up to this point. But one thing is certain: the introduction is not part of the previous argument. This song has a lot of simplicity in the verses and bridge of the title track. When the chorus hits, everything is an adrenaline rush in the action and character performances.
The opening was definitely influenced by Ogawa's storyboards, especially when we compare it to his work on the opening for Higurashi: When They Cry Gou. That's not a bad thing. We can look below to see how similar photos of Ishura (right) stack up against his work on Higurashi (left). Ogawa's visually impressive storyboard work is rooted in symbolism that is further enhanced with great color design which seems to be an ongoing theme in his recent works. This time he gets a boost thanks to Majima's direction and Kikuchi's animation direction.
The title track's bridge makes no sense to me, even visually, until the final climax of the chorus' build-up. So for that reason. it was placed a little lower than I originally thought it would be when I first watched it. However, the action is fantastic with seamless transitions between all the characters.
Having Kikuchi as animation director for the opening, whose AD work spanned the 1990s on projects such as Vlad Love, Arc the Lad, and Aika was certainly one of the reasons this opening became a hit. the ninth best opening of the season.
OP director:Takayuki Hamana
OP's script: Takayuki Hamana
OP animation director: Hiroya Iijima
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Theme song: “Soumonka” by Sokoninaru
In what I consider the biggest surprise of Winter 2024, The Witch and the Beast not only delivers one of the best series of the season but also one of the best openings and possibly the song best topic. With highly detailed background art and an interesting plot thanks to Hamana's nearly five decades of experience, this opening deserves to be on this list—I might even rate it too low.
However, some rather simple decisions were used in this film such as the low panning shot when the two main characters Ashaf and Guideau walk through fire (0:20 – 0:24), which is a technique jutsu that we have all seen in many anime openings. Hamana almost did this exact thing in the opening of Sorcous Stabber Orphen: Chaos in Urbanrama as well. The flame transition at 0:55 is similar to the transition Himana uses in Sorcous Stabber Orphen: Battle of Kimluck . So he definitely applied some of the techniques he liked to The Witch and the Beast.
I would say that one very underrated aspect of this opening that didn't grab my attention at first was its ability to focus the viewer's attention on different parts of the screen and then move from that point onwards. Take the sequence above (0:24-0:26) for example and see how the bubbles form then shift into the spotlight on Guideau.
It happens quickly, but it happens to Ashaf's eye and the crow's eye from 0:34-0:35. The same crow then flies away with a flock leading to a moonscape at 0:39 that transitions to a dark sky in the center of the buildings surrounding that location at 0:40 just before the chorus hits, so the fluidity of the storyboard is admirable compared to Shangri-La Frontier and that's why it's ranked first on this list.
It does a great job of capturing the dark fantasy theme of the series with beautiful backgrounds and also providing a complete feel to it. even if someone hasn't started watching yet. There are no rainbows and happy smiles everywhere to fool viewers into thinking what the movie is about—nope. It's a dark opening with a grim theme because that's what The Witch and the Beast is. This opening tells a story by leaving a trail of visually appealing breadcrumbs.
OP director: Maki Kodaira
OP storyboard: Maki Kodaira
OP Animation director: Youichi Takada
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Theme song: “Your Key” by JO1
I would say there's nothing completely enthralling about this opening, nor is there anything negative about it, but it's certainly one of the best openings of the season. The colors pop as soon as the opening ceremony begins. JO1's style fits surprisingly well with the fantasy theme of the series. It amplifies the series' sense of adventure with a refrain of “sha-la-la-la-la” that sticks in your head after a few viewings.
I will also say that the opening will revolve around how it presents the characters by how they stand still in their own respective settings. Opening directors like Toshinori Watanabe (Edens Zero) and Nobutaka Yoda (Dr. Stone) also tend to do this with their openings. That's fine as long as the artwork isn't flat. Luckily for this opening, the art is sharp, the action looks great, and the transitions are well done.
The action in the chorus contains some of my favorite animation on this entire list. I can't get enough of watching it, especially the fireball. It's full of transitions and consistency that ends with an explosive impact frame at minute 1:04, which I'd like to give credit to the animators if anyone can find them. Some people might say the music doesn't match the tone of the action, but to me it was amazing. I think this is another great introduction to add to the Seven Deadly Sins catalog.
OP Director: Kagetsu Aizawa
OP's storyboard: Kagetsu Aizawa
OP animation director: Yousuke Okuda
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Theme song: “HIBANA” by MindaRyn
Sengoku Youko isn't one of the most popular anime this season, but it certainly delivers one of the best openings. Aizawa's excellent transition work and storyboarding show why he's a veteran who's been working in the industry since the late '80s.
The imagery from the end of the verse leading up to the bridge and throughout the entire chorus is a myriad of clever transitions, frames and animations, making the film a strong step up from its predecessor. Here is his introduction to Oreshura and Yurikuma Arashi.
Although the quick cuts at the beginning surprised me, it's a style that anyone can find from Aizawa in his previous openings, and this time it's filled with expression. symbol and transition. The artwork still makes a deep impression with its elegant details and raw emotions poured into it. On top of that, a solid combination with some sakuga is also shown.
Aizawa wastes no time in making sure every sequence has a proper transition to the next sequence without reusing certain elements all the while playing along to the “HIBANA” theme song of MindaRyn.
The mpact frames look extremely impressive. The vibrant color design matches the mood of the theme song at any time. The bridge stands out both in song and image. The chorus is extremely exaggerated. And the entire animation team that worked on this opening deserves flowers.
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