Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. We’re still celebrating 2023 by taking a look at the best openings. Ah~ music, what would the world be with you? A pretty dull place if you ask me. I love anime openings. Whenever new anime comes out it’s the one thing I look forward to seeing the most. Even if it’s an anime I don’t watch or is crappy I can always enjoy listening to the opening. As I’ve said numerous times openings play an important role in an anime. They get you excited for the episode you’re about to watch and throughout 2023 we got some great openings but these 11 were by far the best. I’m Nitsuj and these are the top 11 openings of 2023.
#11. Dai Daisuki na Kimi e from 100 Girlfriends who Really Love Me
https://youtu.be/HotICVmwIf8?si=sIpY53sX1zN2WRqo
https://youtu.be/s1DbLFm-i2U?si=LpzJcn8dG0ywPQNI (full)
I always love it when voice actors sing the opening song. It adds a personal touch to the anime. The melody of this song is catchy, cute, sweet and energetic. The VAs all have great voices here and work well with each other. You can tell which girl is singing and each lyric matches up with that particular character. It’s an opening that made me feel all warm inside whenever I hear it.
#10. Kien Romance from Otaku Elf
https://youtu.be/wlTMXFbPfKw?si=PoifRarLSLkJxAqJ (full music video)
The opening slaps more than it should. I love the traditional sounds mixed in with the playful tune the song has going on. It perfectly encapsulates this series. It’s funny, nostalgic, refreshing, and a fun watch. It’s a very addicting song to listen to and really caught me off guard when I first heard it. I wasn’t expecting to like the song as much as this. Definitely give it a listen to at work, it’ll make the work a lot easier.
#9. Trickster from High Card
https://youtu.be/mv5tkDEp9Uc?si=SWzHMixiM-hpuQtL (full music video)
One of the most underrated anime of 2023 had one of the most underrated openings of 2023. I’ve talked about this opening during my review of the anime but I must reinstate just how good and catchy this song is. The transition from English to Japanese and vice-versa is masterful and the lyrics go perfectly with the anime. Just like the anime this is an opening that definitely deserves way more attention than it’s given. Take a chance and give it a listen. You won’t regret it.
#8. River from Vinland Saga S2 Op 1
https://youtu.be/V-uTOWL8X0w?si=4TShY52xW04jQS5P (full music video)
The openings of Vinland Saga have always done a great job of reflecting the emotions of the characters in the story. We went from hard rock songs that reflect the anger and rage of the characters to a sad and sober song about a man who is lost and feels like he’s drowning in a river of his past sins. The opening has amazing animation and visuals that match up perfectly with the song and I like how it’s all sung in English. It’s an opening that has your full attention from the first note and doesn’t let you go until the final note. Such beauty. Such powerful. Such regret. This opening really set the tone for season 2.
#7. Work from Hell’s Paradise
https://youtu.be/dYzgZVhiqmU?si=2KNfUBYXNvE3qWJj (full music video)
One of the best openings from the spring line-up. For a series as dark and crazy as this it’s actually impressive that they have a song that tries to inspire peace, control, and determination. Like even when things around them have gone crazy this singer continues to remain peaceful and in control never missing a beat. It’s a good metaphor for life. No matter how dark and crazy things get, as long as we have the determination to keep pressing on and remain at peace with ourselves we’ll pull through.
#6. Ao No Sumika by Jujutsu Kaisen S2 Op 1
https://youtu.be/zuoVd2QNxJo?si=4VXFg8jK8gAmYNqe (full music video)
It was tough deciding between this opening and the second one, but I ultimately decided this one because I felt it captured the feelings of Gojo perfectly. It’s a heartbreaking song about friends growing apart from one another. Not out of hate but because of different views on life and at the end you’re stuck with regret and sadness. Was there something you could have said or done differently to avoid this? It’s a question that runs through your head constantly and gives you all sorts of scenarios you felt you could have done but ultimately it’s too late. Despite Gojo and Geto’s different views the two will always treasure the times and friendship they had with each other. Here’s hoping you do the same.
#5. Yuusha from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
https://youtu.be/OIBODIPC_8Y?si=mK49Z8KD929QKq6P (full music video)
Once again Yoasobi is killing it. The song feels like it was sung from Frieren’s perspective. It starts off robotic and emotionless but as it goes on you can hear the emotion and passion in the singer’s voice as she sings about her feelings for the hero she once traveled with and how much she misses him. Still, despite him not being there she will continue living and finding her place in the world that he fought so hard to protect. Surprisingly, this song received some backlash from fans who said it sounded too happy, to which I say: y’all need to shut up and let the studios and artists do their job. First off, the melody doesn’t sound happy, but rather someone asking and searching for answers in my opinion. Second, if you read the lyrics you would see this song is anything but happy. I may not be the biggest fan of Yoasobi but even I know a good and tragic song when I hear it that perfectly goes with the anime I’m watching.
#4. Kizuna no Kiseki from Kimetsu no Yaiba S3
https://youtu.be/Jb6Zlg30rgk?si=DCdFi8CZ3jcyC5ED (full music video)
Once again Kimestu no Yaiba delivers on another great opening for their anime. The song does a good job of blending old Japanese music with modern Japanese rock to give us a unique sound that inspires you to never give up and keep pushing forward. I also like how we have both a male and female singer in this song symbolizes the two hashiras we meet this season who have both endured hardship but thanks to their interactions with others have overcome them and come out stronger than before. Just when I think the openings to this anime can’t get any better they always find a way to impress me and leave me speechless.
#3. Song of the Dead from Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
https://youtu.be/zJRZ9ybACB4?si=ctyUt4mZR5unS_rr (full music video)
This song is just the embodiment of fun and enjoying life to the fullest. It’s a song that encourages anyone who is stressed out from working all the time to just get up, go out, and have fun. Do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Laugh until you cry, smile until your cheeks hurt, and play until you’re exhausted. Do yourself a favor and listen to this song to have a good time.
#2. Kurae! Telepathy from Tomo-chan is a Girl
https://youtu.be/KfFpQzuCkSo?si=XIkejfNsSHug0c9q (full music video)
I discovered Maharajan this past year and this song was one of the reasons why I became such a fan of him. It perfectly captures the feelings of not just the main character but everyone who’s ever been in love with someone but your feelings just never get across to them no matter how much you try. It’s a fun song that feels like a 90s anime opening. Catchy and fun but also carrying a deep meaning that’s wholesome and everyone can relate them. This was an opening that perfectly fits with the anime.
And number one. . .
#1. Idol from Oshi no Ko
https://youtu.be/ZRtdQ81jPUQ?si=DS9sD4QKdE60fTIV (full music video)
I mean what else could I choose? This song was just brilliant. On the surface this sounds and feels like a modern idol song but the more you analyze it the more you peel away at the lyrics and what the song is really all about. An idol who smiles on the outside for you but is hiding her pain on the inside and forced to maintain this image and keep you at a distance because of the pedestal society has placed them on. As fans we forget that idols (whether they be real or vtubers) are humans too. They can love and hate, but at the end of the day I like to believe that they truly love their fans and their fans truly love them. No matter how much hate we throw at them.
And that’s my list. What was your favorite opening from 2023? Let me know in the comments below. Tune in next week when we talk about the top 11 endings. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.