Into an Anime, Out Like an Otaku

Anime intro and outro sequences — couldn't live without them, right? Anime openings get you pumped for the excited episode you've been yearning to watch. One can rock on to HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR's Ichirin no Hana (from BLEACH) or tone down to I Am by Hitomi (from Inuyasha). Or how about the lovely intros done by Megumi Hayashibara? With those jazzy lyrics, the foot tapping beat, and the sizzling vocals, who could resist? When it comes to introduction sequences, we've all got our favorites. My own include Riraito by Asian Kung Fu Generation (featured in Full Metal Alchemist), Barairo no Sekai ("Rose — Colored World", in GetBackers) preformed by the ever popular Pierro, and I'll lastly settle for Flow's Days (from Eureka Seven).

The Welcoming Intros

In my opinion, good intro sequences can be broken into two catagories: the kickbutt ones, usually found on more popular shows, mostly because the artists are a little more recognized by the anime community; and then we have the catchy ones — the ones that give you a pretty damn good idea about what the show is.

Kickbutt Intros — Great examples: Full Metal Alchemist intros. Take Ready, Steady, Go, for example. Everyone has at least heard the song about five times, if not more. If you sing along with the lyrics, scream everytime L'Arc~En~Ciel is mentioned, or simply play it over and over on repeat, you pretty much love the song. It's a safe bet. Same for the BLEACH intros, especially Ichirin no Hana (The Lone Flower). That's probably one of the best intro sequences I've heard in a long time. These songs are the ones that make these bands better known due to the popularity of the anime. When a band is selected for a show with such calibur as Inuyasha, it's is sure to rake in a few album sales. Nami Tamaki got her start by doing intros to Gundam SEED. She really got her breakthrough because of her song, Believe.

Catchy Intros — You've got some of your favorites tucked away somewhere on your MP3 player. They might not be from the best anime out there, but somehow they wormed their way into your otaku heart. A great example of an anime with this type of song: Black Cat. The intro song, Daia no Hana (Diamond Flower), was preformed by Yorico. She's got an interesting take on the song, but you really can't tell because the music is too great. Another anime series with a share of catchy intros is probably Naruto. I love Haruka Kanata (Far Away Distance) by Asian Kung Fu Generation. It matches Naruto's personality and great animation. Another song to follow this would be by Flow's GO!!! It's a easy-going song that flows (no pun intended), and has a great foot tapping beat. Seeing as how I have been playing guitar and drums for a few years, I can even play it. Go ahead, give it a try.

Those Outros

Outros leave you with a reflection of the show. It could be the struggle between powers for good and evil, the endless high-jinks, or even the deep wounds of time that is slowly running out. These songs are often more reserved and personal. It doesn't matter if the lyrics don't make sense to you. You can figure out by the melody of the music, the tone of the vocalist's voice, and the animation that goes with the song. If you tune these songs out, do you really get that lasting impression on your memory? These songs can be broken down into three types.

Reflectional — Outros that fall into this genre are often the ones that start the water works if you are emotional like that. Do As Infinity does a beautiful job portraying the message of an anime through their music. Fukai Mori (Deep Forest) is one of their songs that leave an impression upon my heart. It tells a story of an internal struggle with the memories of the past using a mix of a guitar solo and Tomiko Van's strong vocals. Other songs that would fall into this catagory include Motherland by Crystal Kay (FMA), Shinjitsu no Uta (Song of Truth) by Do As Infinity (Inuyasha), and Sayonara, Solitia (Farewell) by Chiba Saeko (Chrno Crusade).

Inspirational — The good bunch of anime outros fall under this catagory. Kesenai Tsumi (Inerasable Sin) by Nana Kitade for Full Metal Alchemist is one of my favorites. The music is fun and catchy and Nana's voice is super cute; the lyrics are of something that inspire me to keep trying when I'm about to give up. Nakushita Kotoba (Forgotten Words) by No Regret Life (Naruto) is both inspirational and reflectional in my opinion. The animation depicts Naruto and Sakura sitting back to back; Sakura is crying and small stars are falling into water. It's like a blessing in motion with sombering at the same time.

Fun Fun! Whee! — Viva~Rock (Naruto) made very little sense but the band ORANGE RANGE still did a great job. It's goofy, silly, and frankly pointless by content. Tatta Hitotsu No (Only One) by Mikuni Shimokawa is cute. Mikuni's voice is soft, carrying well and it relating slightly to Dragon Drive. When I hear Dragon Drive, I see dragons roaming a great plain, munching on grass and having a blast. The beat of Tatta Hitotsu No successfully captures this image as a mirror with a country melody. Namida no Hurricane (Hurricane of Tears) is just a blast from Bon-Bon-Blanco. GetBacker really has nothing to do with what the songs suggests, in my opinion. It's got a tropical beat and the vocals are really well done but the lyrics make no sense. Still, it's a great song to get you going on your feet.

These are some of anime songs that I simply adore. If you don't really listen to the music, please, take a moment to enjoy the song. The artists work hard at what they do and it wouldn't hurt for you to simply nod your head and listen for a minute and thirty seconds. After all, you don't know what you're missing.

If there is a topic you would like me to write about, I'll be glad to do it. Just remember, Kanon's writing has nothing to do with the animation companies, music companies, or anything else. Peace out my people and see you next time!