Are anime openings getting worse or more boring?

I don‘t watch a lot of anime anymore. Not that interested anymore, maybe I just grew out of it.

But ever so often I like to look up which opening is trending. Today I looked up what were so the most popular songs of 2025 on youtube. And gonna be honest. Most top ones I just did not like. They felt so generic and bland.

Maybe its just because I get older or I do not have the attachment to the songs as I did not watxh the anime. But I kinda feel like 5 years ago was more variaty.

That does not mean there no good ones. Jjk 4th opening is probably my favourite of the show or things like the Ranking of kings openings.

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Commentaires

gelatinousTurtle2026-01-28 16:12

I mean, there's bound to be more variety if you look beyond what's trending. Snowballing is a real thing when it comes to popularity contests like that.

BlooregardQKazoo2026-01-28 16:13

It's you. People change and their tastes change, and they attribute their personal changes to the world they interact with. This presumably has been going on for all of human history.

And yes, watching the anime makes a huge difference. [This Zenshu OP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjjIIunw2YM) came out last year and I wouldn't be surprised if you find it boring, yet it makes me emotional because I loved the show so much and got so attached to it.

solidpeyo2026-01-28 17:33

I forgot how good the Zenchu OP was

BlooregardQKazoo2026-01-28 18:30

Yeah, even though I thought of it as an example I had forgotten just how much I loved it.

Sythrin2026-01-28 18:26

Fair. Thats what I thought. But before making conlcusions I wanted to ask the question.
And yeah. That song is not particular interesting for me.

BlooregardQKazoo2026-01-28 18:33

I think it is interesting that you refer to it as a song, since the visuals in OPs are just as important as the music. If you don't connect to visuals in OPs that could also influence things.

Sythrin2026-01-28 18:34

I do enjoy the visuals. But the song is for me more important. Some older songs I have in my playlist and listen it along to my non-japanese playlist.

Mr-Dumbest2026-01-28 16:15

Neither I would say.

Just that nostalgia plays a huge part into liking the opening.

You enjoying the season a lot could make you like the opening more.

Looking at them blindly I would say its just a lottery if the opening will have a type of song you like.

Jade_the_dragon2026-01-28 16:15

Some. My favs are all three of the different intros of 'Mob Psycho'. Also the fourth intro of 'Shangri-La Frontiers' the intro's name is 'Frontiers' by 'Awich'. Also a weird one, the intro of 'My Gift LVL 9999 unlimited gacha:' The name of the intro is '閃より雷や、更りや高き' by '丁' (Yeah, no translation....) But those are just my opinions. :3 But yeah, I agree. It just spoils the entire Anime by showing you characters and events and places that don't come on screen till late seasons or haven't even been introduced yet.

Sythrin2026-01-28 18:27

yeah mob has without a doubt a great OP. But Mob op 3 is already 3 years old at least.
Shangria-La, I could not get into, sadly.

Jade_the_dragon2026-01-28 22:03

Fair enough. Hope you find something.

RyaReisender2026-01-28 16:17

There are some pretty big musical artists right now that I think also have a good variety in styles. What style are you missing?

These are my favorite openings from the past 4 years:

2022 - Uncle from Another World, Arifureta (OP2), Pop Team Epic (OP2)

2023 - Hell's Paradise, The Dangers In My Heart

2024 - Dungeon Meshi (OP1+OP2), Kaiju No.8, Dan Da Dan, Tower of God (S2-OP2), Orb, The Dangers In My Heart (OP2), Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture

2025 - Honey Lemon Soda, To Be Hero X, Kaiju No.8 (OP2)

Going by this 2024 was one of the best years (highest amount of openings I love).

Of course that's just my music taste. I for example love Sawano, so him working on many many openings and OSTs the past few years of course makes it great for me. But you can easily make a case in point that Sawano's tracks all sound the same.

Xbox360isthegoat2026-01-28 16:25

I agree with all of these

Sythrin2026-01-28 18:29

I miss a bit the more metallic, rocky kind of songs.
The last good one I heard was "Hunting Soul" from Dandadan.

Or the songs from "Man with a mission". I loved those.

RyaReisender2026-01-28 19:33

How about coldrain:

- [Bastard!! OP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMT_Drx7AI0) (2022)

- [Bastard!! OP2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6yl3NAC9u0) (2023)

- [Ninja Kamui OP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M7bsSqAK4o) (2024)

One OK Rock also got into the anime business, though they are just rock and not metal:

- [Beyblade X OP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-k8FdB-SU8) (2023)

Also what about the Demon Slayer openings? Man With A Mission did [Opening 4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWBCIRhly4U) (2023) and My First Story did [Opening 5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRrZr6k7ZSU) (2024).

Sythrin2026-01-28 19:38

The bastard ones (especially the first 1) are pretty good.
The other 2 sadly not my taste.

Being honest. The other demon slayer openeings, the older ones I liked more.
Probably my favourite "man with a mission" song is, "[Raise your Flag](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPjeNtf_ZTs)"

TheMatterDoor2026-01-28 16:19

While I'm lukewarm on the show overall, season one of Hell's Paradise had a great opening. Both the song and the sequence were really good.

Sythrin2026-01-28 18:29

Yeah it has. I liked it too. But personally I kinda think that is more the exception and becomes less. There are still good ones, like mentioned.
Just less.

Dumey2026-01-28 16:22

Obviously what kind of music you find engaging is going to be highly subjective, but I think I'd disagree that anime openings are getting worse. If anything, as anime has gotten more mainstream, more Japanese artists are getting global recognition and becoming household names. People recognize names like Yaosobi, Creepy Nuts, Kenshi Yonezu, Zutomayo, and many more. An even outside of those more mainstream names we get some absolute amazing ones here or there like my favorite OP of the last couple years from Orb, whom I had never heard anything by that band (Sakanaction) before.

I do think it's important to remember that we get so much more anime in general, that it may be easy to find 5 or 6 shows a season with unremarkable OPs. But that doesn't mean we're getting less quality ones overall. There are definitely still multiple bangers every single season it feels like.

timpkmn892026-01-28 16:25

>Today I looked up what were so the most popular songs of 2025 on youtube

Why not look for things you like instead of what's popular?

Sythrin2026-01-28 18:33

Because I don't watch animes anymore realy.
And I was interested in hearing what is popular right now. Seeing if something catches me.

Xbox360isthegoat2026-01-28 16:26

This might piss people off but JJK season two I never liked JJK

Xbox360isthegoat2026-01-28 16:31

I am taking about where own blue is

Local_Pickle_47172026-01-28 16:43

It'll probably piss people off, but I think despite it's masterfully directed OPs, the song selections have been only so-so.

paulrenzo2026-01-28 16:28

Probably a you thing.

At least, thats my case. My favorite types of OPs are ones that are super over the top with the song to match (ex. OP for Super Robot Wars: the Inspectors). Those types of OPs are not very common nowadays.

Local_Pickle_47172026-01-28 16:43

The music is certainly worse. Visuals like always depend, but I rate music over them. Japanese music just isn't where it was in the 00s-mid 10s. I used to find as many good songs per season or so in the past that I do now over an entire year.

Fine_Tension28762026-01-28 16:44

When I watch anime, I don't have patience i only watch the intro once and then it's over never again. I skip it all and start watching the show as soon as possible and then i cry cause it felt like the show lasted 5min 🥲

solidpeyo2026-01-28 17:29

You are telling me that you didn't like this

https://youtu.be/PaXXwyA9aYE?si=-iVWP3DYiMJU1AJT

Or this

https://youtu.be/jQnIPTsWyC4?si=NHvHZdVUdnhiTM9b

And there are a lot more OP in 2025 that are just as great.

Sythrin2026-01-28 18:24

The first one is not bad. But nothing that would be stuck for me in my head.
But the second one feels very familiar to other songs I have heard. But I cannot put my finger on it. If I find out which song it reminds me of, I will write it.

solidpeyo2026-01-28 18:25

The second anime is meant to feel oldschool maybe that is why it feels familiar to you

BuddyRedSkull2026-01-28 18:12

Old.

Ahikikoken2026-01-29 13:14

Idk, I still rlly enjoy a lot of the newer opening anime :3
Likeeee jjk ending and intro
Or Vinland Saga opening
Or atot
Hmmmm idk I don't think ur correcttt