In this post I want to discuss the reasons why anime themes get exchanged and if it is always a good idea to change them. For examples we will take a look at some opening themes of still ongoing shows like Golden Time, Tokyo Ravens, Strike the Blood, Magi and Yowamushi Pedal.

By default a two cour anime will probably have two different opening and ending themes.
For the music, professional and popular bands, voice actors or cute songstresses are hired.
They support the anime with providing a song that already exists or make a new one.

The Opening Theme is the figurehead of an anime, it is the first thing the viewer experiences. Opening and also Ending themes consist of audio and video, animations from the anime or extra made animations that show the viewer what to expect in the first cour in a compressed, artistic format. The music tries to convey the atmosphere from an anime.

As I started to watch animes, I had the opinion that animes with 24 or more episodes, but one opening theme are lazy, especially when the song is not so good, only when there is a very good song, a change is regretable. For the viewer a changing Opening makes an anime fresher with new animations and music. At best the new theme is as good as the first one or even better.

Financial aspects play an important role in this regard, both music labels and anime studios make extra money with CD sales and will gain attention with the music played in an anime.

An anime profits from a popular band and a band profits from being part in an anime adaption since their songs reach the ears of the anime audience. Without anime I would have missed a number of great japanese artists. From electronic beats to romantic ballads, there is a wide range of genre’s that are used in anime, Higashi no Eden even had a western song.

Now lets listen to a few Songs of several 20 + episode animes and compare them.

Golden Time

 “Golden Time” by Yui Horie

The sweet and clear voice of Yui Horie make this a really romantic happy and enjoyable song.
The cozy and artistic animations focuses on the pretty main heroine in many cute scenes.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqU_JPwig_4

“The♡World’s♡End” by Yui Horie

Yui Horie performs a more dreamy song that gives off a distant, nearly lonely feeling, the noise over her singing is a bit distracting from her angelic voice, but it shows the personal conflitcs of the main heroine very well. A good opening change with a different mood.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN-nTIXLwEQ

Tokyo Ravens

“X-encounter” by Maon Kurosaki

Not a bad song for this one, dynamic song and also good animations.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVTwa-RDOKM
 

“~Outgrow~” by Gero

Well, that throws the first one out of the water, a very powerful song till the end, that’s the kind of song I prefer personally, the animations are really cool.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pje4GXgNNec
 

 Strike the Blood

“Strike the Blood” by Kishida Kyoudan & The Akeboshi Rockets

A great opening with it’s rough, energetic speed and the strong female voice, the song reminds me of Highschool of the dead, it is a bit similar and very fitting for an action orientated, shounen anime. It’s one of the songs where I set the volume to maximum, I love songs that make me feel like grabbing a guitar and jumping around like a wild monkey.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAFSVQkavKw
 

“Fight 4 Real” by ALTIMA

That song really is weird choice, that’s a case of bad change, the song doesn’t want to fit.
I’d rather listened to the old one for another dozen of episodes, at least the darker scenes in the animation have a good atmosphereThe fitting for the show.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l6Qar6gXmw
 

Magi

“ANNIVERSARY” by SID

Magi always has nice themes, not something I would get as CD but they are good. A soft male voice is good for a shounen show that has friendship, trust and adventures as main topic.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxxznc1yGOI
 

“Hikari (光-HIKARI-)” by ViViD

I would say that is as good as the previous one, the animations are a bit more interesting, I love the part at 1:19.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3q8Yzp6eGU
 

 Yowamushi Pedal

“Reclimb (リクライム)” by ROOKiEZ is PUNK’D

ROOKiEZ is PUNK’D is a great band and I like this song a lot, it fits very well to the beginning of the anime, where the shy Otaku Onoda lost his club, but found himself a decent hobby where he can grow both mentally and physically, make friends and challenges himself.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyk3dM6qUhU
 

“Yowamushi na Honoo (弱虫な炎)” by Dirty Old Men

I already thought that “Reclimb” was the perfect song for this show, but Dirty Old Men pumped their song with so much power and passion that it is a really great song for this bicycle sport anime . I ordered the single and an album of the band, sorry I can’t find the video in a decent quality.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wl8XaqEoCg

What do you think about the changing of Opening Themes?

Was there a time when you were really dissapointed or relieved by such a change?
Please tell me in the comments.