One of the biggest hooks for me in anime is the opening theme. I find that sets the tone, and gets me hyped up for the show. Sometimes, you have a great opening and a terrible show, or an incredibly dull opening and an incredible show. It doesn't define it, but I find that it does contribute to my enjoyment. I will be looking at the theme songs for each series I'm reviewing as I watch the episodes, and will include the first opening in full reviews.
This time, I'm looking at Rurouni Kenshin's first opening and ending. Keep in mind that this is for the 1996 TV series.
First up is the opening, "Sobakasu (Freckles)" by Judy & Mary. This is a very upbeat song that almost seems out of place with the theme of the show. But somehow it works with the tone of the show, which is often lighthearted. However, I'm not a huge fan of this style of music. It almost feels too childish, if you know what I mean. The animation shows the main characters effectively, and is fairly high quality, especially for 1996. Watch the opening below.
And now for the ending theme, "Tactics" by The Yellow Monkey. This is an upbeat rock song that feels more in line with the kind of show this is. I would definitely say that this works better than the opening, and I enjoy it quite a lot more. The imagery of the ending credits is a bit darker than the show is, but fits the song well. Below, you can watch the ending.
While the first theme songs are decent, the ending is the best so far. As I go through the series and others, I will be including any new openings and endings with the episode review. What do you think of these theme songs?
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