Summary
With returning fan favorites likeOshi no Ko, new hits likeThe Elusive Samurai, and breakout shows likeMy Deer Friend Nokotan,the Summer 2024 anime season is shaping upto be a strong showing. There are a lot of great shows for fans of all kinds of genres, and while not every show is a winner, it shouldn’t take much work to find something fun to watch this season.
Like every season, the new flood of shows also comes with a bunch of new openings to obsess over as well. Checking out the openings is one of the most exciting parts of a new season’s debut, so here are the best openings among the shows that debuted in Summer 2024.
10Okaerinasai by Sora Tokino
My Wife Has No Emotion
My Wife Has No Emotionis a romance anime centered around a romance story between the main character and his robot partner. Considering that, it seems appropriate that its opening is sung by long-running VTuber Sora Tokino.
“Okaerinasai” is a classic 80s-synth-pop-inspired song with a catchy chorus and an addictive melody that never gets boring. While the visuals are a little boring, the song is more than enough to get viewers in the mood for the latest episode.
9Faceless by ASCA
Bye Bye, Earth
Bye Bye, Earthis the anime adaptation of a novel written by Tow Ubukata, who has written for series likeFafner in the AzureandPsycho-Pass 2and3. It follows a human girl living in a world full of beastmen, who journeys the world in search of people like her.
It’s a rather melancholy story, which perfectly matches the tone of “Faceless,” a soulful ballad powered by ASCA’s strong vocals. While it isn’t the most unique opening, it certainly has a decent amount of emotion behind its performance.
8No Complete by Liyuu
Quality Assurance In Another World
Quality Assurance in Another Worldtakes place in a video game world and follows the adventures of a debugger logging odd bugs in the game’s system. This concept is mirrored well in the opening “No Complete,” which is an electropop tune performed by singer and voice actress Liyuu, known for playing theLove Live!character Keke Tang.
Brimming with all types of electronic, video-gamey sounds, “No Complete” is an incredibly catchy and poppy tune, with a chorus that is sure to worm into anyone’s head. While it does leave some things to be desired visually, it’s still a great opening foran isekai series taking place in virtual reality.
7Arano ni Sake yo Bokensha-tachi by Akira Kushida
The Ossan Newbie Adventurer
As an anime about an old man getting into adventuring past his prime, it’s only fitting thatThe Ossan Newbie Adventurergets an opening sung by Akira Kushida, a veteran singer in Japanese pop culture. Having sung songs for plenty of classic and recent tokusatsu shows, Kushida has also sung for series likeDragon Ball Super,Toriko, and more.
“Arano ni Sake yo Bokensha-tachi” evokes elements of classic anime and tokusatsu themes, with Kushida’s rugged yet heroic voice booming over anthemic piano and drums. While it isn’t necessarily a very rocking song, it’ll still be enough to get fans of the series hyped for every episode.
6Shikairo Days by Megumi Han, Saki Fujita, Rui Tanabe, & Fuka Izumi
My Deer Friend Nokotan
My Deer Friend Nokotanimmediately burst out of the gateas the most meme-worthy anime of the season, and its anime opening, sung by the four members of the Deer Club, is certainly no exception. From its hypnotic chanting of the Japanese title, “Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan,” to its relentlessly silly atmosphere, the opening quickly caught fire, becoming a big hit among anime fans.
While the song itself isn’t all that special, it is made up in full by the opening’s visuals, which are full of visual gags, references, and more. WhileMy Deer Friend Nokotanisn’t the most-watched show this season, most anime fans have heard this opening.
5Sweet Memory by Eve
Shoshimin: How To Become Ordinary
Based on a novel series by the creator of Hyouka, Shoshimin follows Jogoro Kobato, a teen with a talent for deduction who tries to become an ordinary person. The anime is accompanied by an incredibly uplifting pop song called “Sweet Memory,” performed by the popular singer Eve.
The song starts light, with Eve’s vocals and gentle instrumental carrying the main melody until it bursts into a much more energetic and dynamic chorus. Combined with beautiful visuals and imagery, this is one of the more enticing anime openings of the season.
4Gimi Gimi by Fairouz Ai, Yuina Ito, Hina Yomiya, Hitomi Ueda, & Ai Kayano
Mayonaka Punch
“Gimi Gimi” is full of energy and hectic from beginning to end, being a dancy pop banger that never lets the energy drop. It’s a song that perfectly mirrors the energy and spirit of the show it introduces, making it a perfect pairing.
3Black Box by LiSA
Nier: Automata Ver 1.1a Part 2
The second part of theNier: Automataanime adaptation aired this year,covering the second half of the critically acclaimed video game’s story. The anime comes with a brand-new opening courtesy of LiSA, who is renowned for her work on anime openings.
Her contribution forNier: Automata, “Black Box,” showcases more of her incredible singing, accompanied by soft piano and plaintive guitar melodies. When it hits the chorus, however, the energy starts to really kick in, with LiSA putting in one of her best performances to date.
2Plan A by Dish
The Elusive Samurai
The Elusive Samuraihas gotten a lot of attentionfor its incredible animation and artwork, and its opening is no different. “Plan A” by Dish is a fun song, an energetic rock song that homages traditional Japanese music.
The song alone doesn’t make the opening, however; the visuals also play a huge part in making this opening sequence stand out, with the show’s fantastic animation and flashy use of color being demonstrated in full. Together, this makes for one of the best openings of the season.
1Fatal by GEMN
Oshi no Ko Season 2
Oshi no Komade huge waves last year with its first opening, “Idol,“becoming so popular that it broke into the global Billboard charts. Fans of the series waited with bated breath to see how the series would follow up, and while it may not have eclipsed its predecessor, “Fatal” certainly does not disappoint.
“Fatal” is performed by GEMN, a duo formed between popular singers Tatsuya Kitani and Kento Nakajima. The song is a more straightforward J-pop song, but with incredibly catchy melodies, a danceable instrumental backing, and an incredible burst of energy in the chorus, there’s no doubt “Fatal” is the opening of the season.
