"Heartache" - #Compass 2.0: Sentou Setsuri Kaiseki System ED by Uchida Yuuma

Series: #Compass 2.0: Sentou Setsuri Kaiseki System (Spring 2025)

Title: "Heartache"

Artist: Uchida Yuuma

After watching the opening, I wasn't sure what this was about. Looking at the visuals of the ending, there are scenes in Tokyo, the train, performance on stage, and then a computer with a character going into an online game. I'm assuming, without looking at the anime's description, that this is about some kind of game. Anyway, the visuals are very bright and colourful, and we see a variety of hero-like characters.

As for the music, Uchida Yuuma has a very good voice. He sounds very good in this song. It's very upbeat, fairly quick, and has a very good pop sound to it. You often don't get very energetic ending themes in anime, but this one is. There's enough going on with the music that makes it sound unique and recognisable, which is an added bonus. This was a surprise. Watch and listen in the video here: 

The verdict? Good song, good singer, very upbeat and listenable. Would I listen to it more? Absolutely! I could easily listen to this several times.

Overall: 4.5

Do I want to see this based on what I saw? It actually made more sense than the opening, so it does look interesting. I could possibly see this as a maybe watch if I have time.

Patterns in Anime Theme Songs

 I've been busy going through every anime title season by season on MyAnimeList, and I'm nowhere near finished. I've done the 60s, 70s, and am now up to 1987. The 80s is where I'm getting to titles I've watched, includings ones I'd completely forgotten about. Keep in mind I haven't watched any of the openings or endings yet, I'm just listing them. But I've noticed a pattern.

There are a lot of children's choirs that sang theme songs from the 60s to the mid to late 70s. Catchier pop/rock music didn't really start coming until the 80s. Horie Mitsuko has been doing theme songs from the 60s up until today. She's still doing it! As I'm going through the 80s, I'm noticing artists I recognise and have even listened to while I lived in Japan. THE ALFEE's first theme songs were in 1987. I remember watching them on TV 10 to 20 years ago.

As I go into the 90s, I'll be happy to see a lot of music and artists I know well. Rock and pop are more common, and there are some great songs in the 90s, as well as the mid to late 80s. I feel that anime music peaked from the mid 90s to early 2010s. Ones I've heard lately are either rather bland or stand out. A lot today sound the same as others, and there are certain artists that are guilty of this. They're so generic. The music up to the early 2010s was unique and stood out from others. Maybe it's just that there are certain artists I don't care for recently? These are usually groups that have an alternative rock sound or singers with incredibly nasal voices. However, I think that recent music has some of the weirdest sounding theme songs.

It's going to be interesting going through all the music season by season, year by year. I'll be rating them and reviewing them, then ranking them at the end of each season and each year. Probably each decade, too. I'd like to do an average for each year, as well. I'm very curious to see how my opinion of each year's music changes. I'll be doing two different groups of reviews. First, I'll be reviewing the current season's music. At the same time, I'll be going all the way back to the 60s and move forward season by season. This way, we'll get both the old and the new at the same time, giving a larger variety.

"Hakudou" - #Compass 2.0: Sentou Setsuri Kaiseki System OP by Mizuki Nana

Series: #Compass 2.0: Sentou Setsuri Kaiseki System (Spring 2025)

Title: "Hakudou"

Artist: Mizuki Nana

Bright colours, interesting designs, and absolutely no idea what's going on. That's how I would describe the visuals of "Hakudou" by Mizuki Nana. It's not clear what this anime is about, but we're here for the music, right?

Being Mizuki Nana, I would expect her usual great vocals. It doesn't disappoint. She sounds great, as she is a veteran of anime music (and a seiyuu, as well). She has a strong voice throughout. The song itself is somewhat unusual sounding. It's not your standard pop song. There's even a bit of rapping. Instrumentally, you can hear some strong bass. It's very prominent. There's some electronic music, but it sounds like a band. I really enjoy the music in this one. Check out the video:

So, what is my verdict? I like Mizuki Nana. She has catchy music, and this is no exception. This song has an unusual sound to it, so it's unique. I'd listen to it a few times, I think.

Overall: 4.0

Now, the question is, does it make me want to see the series? Not really. While the music is good, what I see in the video doesn't interest me much.

Let's do something crazy with anime music

 It's been a while since I've posted anything. I realised that I don't really want to do anime reviews. I did it 20-25 years ago and always had trouble keeping on doing it. I'm actually doing episode by episode reviews on MyAnimeList as I watch, so I don't think there's any point to posting in two places. However, I have a plan. And it's a crazy one.

One of the most memorable parts of anime is the music. In particular, the opening and ending themes. What I'm going to be doing is going through every opening and ending for the current season, reviewing and rating them. Each one will have a review on here, and I will be compiling lists that will be in a few categories: year (with season subsections), anime, and artist. The yearly one will be ordered by rating. The anime and artist lists will be ordered by year. So, I will start with the openings for spring 2025, while also starting with the very earliest years of anime (the 60s) and try to eventually catch up. The early years will be quick, as there aren't nearly as many titles back then as there are every season these days.

I will be reviewing everything, even if I haven't watched the anime. In fact, some of these may make me add the titles to my list of anime to watch. It's more than 500 titles at the moment, but will keep growing. Again, I review what I watch episode by episode on MyAnimeList. Add me as a friend if you want to keep up with what I'm watching.

At the end of each season, I'm going to compile a list of my top 50 openings and endings of the season, and post them in order from my favourite to least favourite. At the end of each year, I'll also be doing the same, but for a yearly ranking. But should I do rankings for each decade? I'm not sure.

The ratings will be as follows:

• 5 - I can listen to this multiple times without getting tired of it. I love it.
• 4 - I can listen to this a few times, and enjoy it quite a bit.
• 3 - I can listen to this once or twice, then I don't really need to listen to it, but I still like it.
• 2 - I can listen to it once, but I'm not fond of it.
• 1 - I really don't want to listen to it. It's not very good at all. I'd prefer to skip it.

I will also be doing half ratings if it doesn't completely fit one of these ratings.

So, I will be starting as soon as possible. I'll be going through the titles in alphabetic order, and will be including TV series, movies, OVA, ONA, and specials. So, let's get on it!

"Asu e no Brilliant Road" - Uchuu no Stellvia Opening Theme

 The opening theme of Uchuu no Stellvia (Stellvia of the Universe) is one of my favourites. "Asu e no Brilliant Road (Brilliant Road to Tomorrow)" by angela has one of those epic feelings. Angela, which is a band featuring Atsuko and Katsu, has performed a number of anime theme songs.

The song itself features Atsuko's very distinct voice and singing style. When you hear her, you know it's her. I find this song to be very enjoyable to listen to, and I've been listening to it for the last 20 years. This is from a time when anime theme songs had a lot of character, and this one does.

The animation during the opening features the main characters in various scenes from the first episode. There is also CGI animation of the Stellvia and the ships that they fly. It's colourful, clear, and looks good. But since they use a lot of animation from the episode, that may be a cost cutting measure. However, it does look nice.

Overall, I really like this opening, and I could listen to it over and over. I'm only on episode 5, so I'll be hearing it a lot. And you can watch it, too! Check out the video on YouTube. King Record doesn't allow embedding of videos, unfortunately.

How do you like this theme song? Let me know!

"Antanante." - Ranma 1/2 (2024) Ending Theme

 An ending theme that doesn't sound like a Ranma 1/2 ending them? Yes, but it's good.

The song, "Antanante." (meaning "You." in Japanese), is a slower sounding song than the opening theme, but is a fairly calming one. The singer, Riria, has done a small number of songs for anime. She has a really good voice. This song gives me a good feeling, but it doesn't sound like the typical Ranma 1/2 ending theme that we got with the original series. But that's not a bad thing. One thing I noticed about halfway through is an instrument that may be traditional Chinese. It's a string instrument, but I have no idea what it is. I know little about music, I just know what I like. And I like this.

The animation is fairly simple, showing Akane and Ranma in manga form, though animated, having one of their usual altercations. It's simple, but effective. But I'll let you take a look at it here:

What do you think of "Antanante."?

"Iinazukkyun" - Ranma 1/2 (2024) Opening

 The opening theme of Ranma 1/2 (2024 version) is called "Iinazukkyun" by ano. Translated, it means "Fiancee". I was wondering what kind of song we would be getting, and I wasn't disappointed.

The song immediately brings me back to the original series with the Chinese sound of the first opening theme. But we are quickly brought into a very upbeat song with the singer, ano, using a cute voice, but singing quite quickly. It's a fun theme song to listen to. I looked into ano, and found that she has sung a few anime theme songs, but is mostly a soloist, model, actress, and lyricist who was part of the idol group You'll Melt More! a few years ago.

Visually, the opening is colourful, clean, and animated well. You get to see all of the main characters, as well as some supporting characters. They're all well represented in the opening, so you know who's going to show up in the series. It is quite visually pleasing.

I really enjoyed the opening them. Check it out here:

What do you think of "Iinazukkyun"?

"Teenage Blue" - Ao no Hako (Blue Box) Ending Theme

 "Teenage Blue" by eve is the ending theme of Blue Box (Ao no Hako). Along with the opening, we see a theme here! They all contain the word "blue." I'm still wondering what this means.

The opening theme is an easy listening pop song with good vocals and an interesting instrumental sound. It's hard for me to describe it in text, as I'm not good at talking about music. I just know what I like. And I like this song, as it fits the kind of show this is. It's just a feel-good song.

The animation in the ending credits is fairly simple. It's mainly the characters, including stills and action scenes. The three main sports are featured here. A neat aspect of this is when we see Chinatsu, Hina, and Taiki in consecutive stills, the words "Ao," "no," and "Hako" appear along side them. But a lot of character shots are shown. The animation fits the music well.

Check out the video here:

What do you think of the ending?

"Same Blue" - Blue Box (Ao no Hako) Opening Theme

 Now that Blue Box (Ao no Hako) has aired its first episode, we have a great look at the beautifully done opening credits.

The song, "Same Blue" by Official HIGE DANdism, is a very pleasing song to the ears, and it fits the genre of anime. Great voice, very nice music, and it just has a feel good feeling to it. I'm sure it'll grow on me as the series progresses.

The artwork is excellent. It's very detailed, especially the backgrounds. The characters look great, the animation is very good, and it all looks very crisp. We get to see the main characters with a lot of sports action and some that give hints to possible romance. Very well done.

Check out the opening here:

What do you think of the opening theme?

"Haru (Sunny)" - Sousou no Frieren 2nd Opening Theme

 On episode 17 of Sousou no Frieren, the opening theme changed. The new one is called "Haru" or "Sunny" by Yorushika. This song has a very different feel from the first opening, and definitely not like YOASOBI's style.

Musically, this song is a happy sounding one. It's a feel good song that gets you in the mood for the episode, and it really suits the series. This series is a fairly happy and positive story, and the song reflects it well. Yorushika has a great voice. "Yuusha" tends to stand out a lot more, though. While "Haru" is a good song and works well as an opening, I feel like it's in the shadow of "Yuusha".

The animation is done quite well, and we get to see a good number of characters that have not been introduced yet, and are definitely from the second half of the season (at the time of writing this, a second season has been announced). There are some action scenes, but it mostly focused on characters. It's as colourful as the first opening, so I guess it is sunny.

Here, you can watch the opening credits:

What do you think of the second opening of Sousou no Frieren?

"Anytime Anywhere" - Sousou no Frieren Ending Theme

 The ending theme of Sousou no Frieren is "Anytime Anywhere" by milet. But there are two versions. The first version is for episode 1 through 16, while the second version starts at episode 17. They are from the same song, but as far as I understand, they are different parts of the song.

The song itself gives a feeling of melancholy. The singer, milet, has a very distinct voice that's easy to recognise. She has good range, and her voice gets quite high towards the end. I enjoy this song, as it is very calming, and matches the series very well. 

The animation is interesting, as it appears to be stop motion, though that may just be the effect. It's like paper dolls. The background imagery looks like paintings, and is quite beautiful to look at. I find it matches the music.

Here is version 1:

And here is version 2:

Which do you prefer?

"Yuusha (Brave)" - Sousou no Frieren Opening Theme 1

 YOASOBI is incredible! I've been hooked on them since hearing this theme song for Sousou no Frieren. This is "Yuusha" or "Brave" in English. And what a way to start an episode.

YOASOBI is a duo made up of Ayase, who composes and produces the music, and Ikura, who does the vocals. They have a unique sound that is difficult to classify into a genre. Very poppy, but also electronic. They have a band for live performances, as well. This song is amazing. I absolutely love hearing it, and look forward to hearing it at the beginning of each episode. It's the opening theme for episodes 1 to 16. This catchy song is replaced by another one in episode 17.

The animation is colourful, though with an interesting filter over top making it look like pastel colours in many cases. Great introduction to the main characters, as well as Frieren's old company and one of the main villains early on. It's an attractive opening both visually and musically. I love it!

Check out the opening here:

What do you think of "Yuusha"? 

"Wonderful Life" - Planetes Ending Theme

 The ending theme of Planetes is "Wonderful Life" by Sakai Mikio. The opening was also sung by the same singer. Very similar to the opening, it gives you a very comfortable feeling, and is happy and optimistic.

Overall, the song is a good ending theme. Not my favourite, but I can listen to it without skipping it, as it has grown on me. I can sometimes be pretty particular with opening and ending theme songs, but this one passes the test, I'd say.

The animation is mainly Hachirota through various stages of his life running or riding his bicycle or motorcycle, usually having something to do with space launches. It's a good backdrop to the credits. What I find interesting is that even though this is decades in the future, the cars and motorcycles look the same as they do today.

Here is the creditless ending theme:

What do you think of this ending theme?

"Dive in the Sky" - Planetes Opening Theme Song

 The opening theme song of Planetes is "Dive in the Sky" by Sakai Mikio. While it isn't my favourite opening theme of an anime, it did grow on me.

The song itself is a medium tempo song that sets the feeling for the series quite well. I do enjoy hearing it now, though I'm more of a fan of uptempo anime music. I hadn't heard of Sakai before Planetes, but he sounds like a good singer.

The animation is quite interesting to me. I have a degree in astronomy, and space travel is of particular interest. You see the characters being introduced by name over a backdrop of historical space launches. If you pause long enough, you can read some facts about the space missions. Minor characters are also seen in the opening credits, though not named.

Overall, I enjoyed this opening theme. It's calming, yet gives a feeling of hope. Watch it right here:

What do you think of this opening theme? Let me know!

"Jama wa Sasenai" - Slayers Next Ending Theme

 The ending theme of Slayers Next, "Jama wa Sasenai" by Okui Masami is a classic to me. I've heard it so many times, it's one of those songs I can play again and again in my head. The singer, Okui Masami, is a fairly prolific anime theme song singer, as she's done several for Slayers along with Hayashibara Megumi (sometimes together), and is also well known for the Utena opening. But looking at this song, we have another upbeat song, which is typical of Slayers.

"Jama wa Sasenai" has a pop rock sound, and Okui's voice is very good. I really like how she sounds, so much that I have a couple of her CDs. The background features the main characters, still images sliding across the screen. Nothing really special about it, but it's a good backdrop. Overall, this is up there as one of my favourite anime ending themes.

Here's the ending sequence. Sorry about the intro to the video, as this was the best quality video I could find.

Let me know what you think of this song!

"Give a Reason" - Slayers Next Music

 The opening theme of Slayers Next is a song I have heard hundreds of times, and it never gets old. "Give a Reason" is sung by the voice of Lina Inverse, Hayashibara Megumi (I use Japanese order for names on this blog). She's probably my favourite voice actress, so you can probably guess how much I like this song. It's one of my favourites of hers, actually. The entire Slayers series of TV series, movies, and OAV series is full of great music by her.

This song has a very upbeat pop sound that gives you a lot of energy. It really sets the tone for Slayers Next. This is arguably my favourite Slayers TV opening. The animation is very characteristic of Slayers and features all the main characters, antagonists, and Xellos, whatever he is. Great opening for a fun show! Watch it below:

What do you think of this opening? Let me know in the comments!

The Music of Rurouni Kenshin: Opening and Ending #1

 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?