The thing I find Important about OPs and EDs is how they make me feel about the show. For me a great OP makes me excited about the upcoming episode. I remember the OPs of the shows I grew up with – we’d really sing along in most likely poorly mimicked Japanese (CHAAA-LAAA HEAD CHA-LAAAA!!!). Like called-out-attacks, a good OP adds to the feeling of attachment to the anime. A great OP makes you feel so much love for anime, period.
A great ED, for me makes me feel wistful. I find it a bit difficult to explain. The ED, the combination of the music and the images from the show makes me feel sad that I’m leaving the anime’s world. It makes me thirst for the next episode. For me, the Tossho Daimos ED is going to be one of the most wistful ever.
In this post I look at [TRUST YOU], Gundam 00 S2’s latest ED. I think it’s a real good one.
Here’s the clip:
The song is okay, it’s still growing on me. However, the ED itself is wonderful. I mentioned a wistfulness to leave the anime world; yes, this ED makes me feel that. Another way EDs play with my feelings is the hope it inspires: I’m shown glimpses of redemption, good ends, shipping. This is a particular kind of fanservice that I haven’t really explored. They may end up being a tease, as one never knows how a show may take a tragic turn – but that’s exactly what makes me want to come back.
A good ED is so good that it makes me forget (not even forgive) things that I dislike or failed to appreciate in the show. It’s like a reset button that takes me back to what’s important: pulls me away from whatever latest thing that confounds me (and Gundam 00 is very capable of annoying me).
Pay good attention to the Gundams, lying broken in epic nature settings: crevasses, northern lights, an endless field of flowers. It’s a powerful image – given what Celestial Being is supposed to do, to end all conflict. To do just that, is to give up Gundams. Perhaps it is a fanciful foreshadowing of the final resting places of the mobile suits after they’ve completed their ultimate mission. The ‘graves’ of the Gundams make for excellent memorials. I wouldn’t mind making pilgrimages to them. Special mention goes to the young Setsuna facing the 00 Gundam, broken and kneeling, overrun with flowers. It makes me feel like Setsuna will find his innocence again.
These things may all be implausible or ridiculous. That’s not the point. The point of a good ED is wistful hope. It’s kistch, and expectedly so.
It’s still somewhat behind what I consider the ED that is the second most wistful ever (Ranma 1/2’s “Hill of the Raibow and the Sun”). And, of course, an ED that will always make me remember love:
“Runner” Minmei ver.
P.S. I really liked [PROTOTYPE] as well, I just don’t think it’s in the same class – even if it does have a better song (same with Season one’s [FRIENDS]).
P.P.S. Post links of your favorite EDs!
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I agree with the wistfulness of the new ending, and that endings in general should invoke that sort of feeling. Sadly, I can’t think of many that actually succeed in this, especially to the extent that both the animation and the music work together so well. Nodame Cantabile Paris-hen’s ending was very cute, and perhaps Planetes’ ending also captures that feeling a little… and then there’s Wolf’s Rain… but most of those only strike me in one category — either animation or music. I’m not sure yet how “high” on the scale 00’s new ending is as I’ll probably need to watch through it a few more times, but at the very least, it isn’t going to be one of those endings that I’ll systematically skip out on.
I rarely get into songs because… well, I don’t understand the lyrics. Usually what attract me would be how they catch on with me. And yes, the wistfulness has something to do with it, usually when they mingle the opening bars of the ED with the last few lines of episodes – a la Honey and Clover-style.
Among my favorites would be: Platonic Romance (Ranma 1/2), Clubhouse Sandwich (Genshiken 2), and Konna ni Chikaku de… (Nodame Cantabile).
I don’t know no Gundam so I cannot comment on that one ^^
I feel the ED embodies the melancholy of the characters in the story. War is not a happy thing.
@ Kiri
I agree with your take on Wolf’s Rain as well – as far as I enjoy watching the wolf run, the image itself doesn’t evoke a feeling of reluctance to leave that particular world. I’ve been watching Planetes and remember very little of the ED, so it didn’t quite evoke the wistfulness that we’ve been talking about.
@ biankita
I’m unfamiliar with the EDs you’ve mentioned – Ranma 1/2 has so many that I struggle to recall anything but the one I linked to.
@ M1sfit
You can say the same for [PROTOTYPE], and [FRIENDS], I’ll argue that these EDs are actually better at portraying/embodying the melancholy of the characters in the show.
[TRUST YOU] takes on the larger theme of the war, and the possible future of it ending. The wistfulness and melancholy is evoked by the passing of the Gundams.
@ ghostlightning
Heh, Daimos. I prefer Voltes V’s ED because it can be sung with bombast. Which I do.
I still think Anna ni Issho Datta no ni is the best Gundam ED, because it’s actually singable (neato violin too)! And that’s saying a lot, when it’s from a SEED, which I’m inclined to dislike. Beyond the Time deserves a mention too. WE BELONG TO EARTH
I don’t really pay much attention to EDs, because it’s either I don’t like the song or the visuals. That being said, here’s mine…
– Changes (Library War ED) – I like repeated animation of the main character running through a field of flowers. The show usually ends with me wanting to do just that. Such an emotional high.
– Waltz (Honey & Clover ED1) – This is THE wistful ED for me. Isn’t it a waltz?
– Sagittarius (Nodame Cantabile ED2) – Nodame is more of a comedy than a drama, but this song always makes me tear up when it plays just before each episode ends (which is director Kenichi Kasai’s signature touch).
– 1/3 Junjou no Kanjou (Rurouni Kenshin ED6) – Because it’s from one of my top favorite J-rock bands, and one of the first EDs I’ve genuinely loved.
– Mosaic Kakera (Code Geass ED2) – I don’t really know. I just like this song even if I think it doesn’t fit the entire show. Better than Ali Project, at any rate!
– Odoru Akachan Ningen (Welcome to the NHK ED1) – This is one ED I always watch. Instead of relaxing the viewer, it makes them pumped up, hohoho.
@ schneider
I’ll out-sing you re the Voltes V ed.
I’m sure that I have that song from SEED, though having seen SEED I can’t appreciate the effect of the ED.
Waltz is a great track, and the Ferris Wheel is a wistful theme. It is my favorite ED from Honey and Clover. I listen to the OSTs while driving, especially on a Sunday morning.
Am I the only one which read, at a first glance:
“TRUST YOU: Gundam 00 Gives Me an Erectile dysfunction”
^_^;
Oh there are so many I love.
I have to say I do like Anna ni Issho Datta no ni.
For Kenshin I always like Kimi ni fureru dake de it was just so catchy.
I really liked Daybreak’s Bell for Gundam 00, almost reminded me of a Bond style theme, which given they are a covert organization is quite apt I guess.
I like Broken Wings from Trinity Blood hell I like the entire soundtrack for that show. Moody and atmospheric, most befitting of a show about Vampires.
I’ve loved just about every OP and ED for InuYasha XD Gah so many more I just can’t list them all.
@ Sakura
Kaioshin made me listen to a few of Inuyasha EDs and I must say they’re pretty good.
Daybreak’s Bell should get credit to getting me into Gundam, because it got me all excited about Gundam 00 which is the first Gundam show I really connected with.
For me its waltz as well from honey and clover. Much like your thesis, the lyrics also speak of being wistfu about the ecounter between someone you lovel. Its also so much fun to sing in Karaoke.
This is FYI only ,If you want to try singing it, the Kum Young Karaoke code (which is the standard Karaoke machine for Timezones and World of Fun arcades in the Metro Manila area) is 42318
Also quite offtopic, also in youtube there is a movement for Filipino fansubbers to dub the Japanese songs into Filipino. I read they did a Daybreak’s Bell filipino version. But the one I really liked was the opening from Ouran Sakura Kiss translated and then sang into Filipino..
@ maakusutipen
Whoa Daybreak’s Bell. I gotta find that one!
The first anime song I genuiely enjoyed was Gundam Seed’s first ending. It was the time when I was getting into anime seriously, so during the first series I watched I admit that I was kinda annoyed by the japanese language and especially the songs which I skipped. But that ending was so awesome and fit the show perfectly.
Another ending which had a great impact was Ruroken’s 1/3 Junjou no Kanjou. Actually I loved the show when it aired on greek tv, although I couldn’t watch it regularly since it was airing at 21:00 and most of the times I missed it due to cram school or swimming. Usually I would watch the last 5 minutes and the ending. So when I watched Kenshin in its entirety it all came back to me. Of course it helped that the song is so awesome. Everytime I feel down I play it and my mood changes.
Thanks for sharing. I was surprised how popular that SEED ED is when I hosted a anison karaoke event at my house. For me it was the Voltes V music, way back in ’79-’80 (yeah I’m 32, and I started young.
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