In a year of terrific new and returning anime, 2022 gave fans some amazing OPs to get them hyped. While every new year brings with it a slew of incredible openings, 2022 was particularly strong.
It's arguable that an opening to an anime is just as important as, if not more important than, the show itself. First impressions are crucial to fans, and if a show doesn't grab them, it can lead to them seeking out the next series without giving the story a shot. This is why a good OP is crucial. With the right amount of eye-catching visuals tied together with a strong theme song, the tiniest anime could be the next big hit. There have been quite a lot of impressive OPs throughout 2022, and here are some of the very best.
Beast Tamer Explores the Importance of Found Family
Starting things off with a bit of a smaller anime on this list, Beast Tamer might have been the year's sleeper hit. The series follows a beast tamer named Rein who is kicked out of the Hero Party after they deem him unnecessary. When he attempts to become an adventurer on his own, he comes across a Cat Spirit named Kanade that joins him. The OP for this season of the series kicks into high gear with the song Change the World by MADKID blaring in the background as Rein fights alongside his party of Ultimate Species. It's a well-made tune accompanied well with its action visuals to get fans engaged in a high-stakes action fantasy series, but it's the underlying themes that make it even more impressive.
One of the key moments in the series' first opening is a sequence where Beast Tamer's Rein is fleeing from hands, likely tied to his dark past, that are attempting to pull him underwater. Members of the Hero Party that shunned and abandoned him flash over him as they drag him under with gloomy colors all around. However, things get brighter as he meets Kanade for the first time. From there, the visuals as well as the music get brighter and more hopeful. It's a stunning way of featuring the importance of found family. Rein is a character whose incredible powers were neglected by the Hero Party, but when he found Kanade and the others, they saw his potential. It's a glorious moment that teaches an important lesson that the friends you make on your journey can be more of a family to you than the ones society expects you to accept.
Pop Team Epic Season 2 Embraces Its Absurdity
Moving on to something a bit sillier, Pop Team Epic returned for a second season following its anime debut in 2018. The short-form series features a variety of sketches per episode that follow the main characters Popuko and Pipimi on surreal misadventures. To say that this new opening perfectly represents what the anime is about is putting it mildly because this cranks the show's abstract humor to 11. It starts simply enough by showing the main characters walking along when Popuko trips. Suddenly, another version of the two continue forward while the alternate Popuko and Pipimi remain in place. This happens again and again until there are multiple versions of the duo that form a spiral...and that's just the first 45 seconds.
The remaining moments of this opening are devoted to some of the most surreal animation in any anime. Not only is the spiral formed from the hundreds of Popuko and Pipimis something that messes with the eyes, but what lies inside is another version of the characters in a continuous walkcycle. However, their models are constantly breaking as they leave smears behind them, experience stretched limbs and even turn into squares for a brief period. It's an opening that is non-stop absurdity...which is a perfect encapsulation of what Pop Team Epic is. There's no need for any underlying themes. It just clues the audience in that the series they're about to see is overflowing with surrealism, and that's all it needs to be to prepare fans for the adventures of Popuko and Pipimi.
Spy x Family's First Opening Pays Homage to Classic Spy Movies
Spy x Family was one of the biggest hits for anime fans in 2022. Not only did Spy x Family give the internet some of the most meme-worthy moments, but it also focused on one of the most likable anime families to date: the Forgers. Of course, the family itself is a fabricated one so Loid Forger can get closer to his target to prevent a major conflict, but the love they have for each other became more real as the series progresses. Yor Forger proved herself talented at being both an assassin and a mom while Anya's adorable antics made her one of the most beloved characters this year. The love put into this series though is only accentuated by its first opening.
While the OP for season one's second part was also met with critical acclaim as it focused more on Anya and Yor, it was the first opening that stuck out the most for how visually creative it was. The simplistic design of the characters throughout most of it is an excellent homage to the style of classic spy movies like James Bond. There's no need to be overly detailed because the style gives fans the idea that this will be a spy story with a lovable cast. It also works in-universe because since it's centered on Anya Forger, this can be interpreted as her perspective on her situation as she imagines herself in the opening of her own spy movie. It's such a well-crafted opening with style and flair that drew in audiences for a ride that has already guaranteed it a second season and a movie.
Chainsaw Man's OP is a Cinephile's Dream
Out of all the anime openings this year, none have been as incredible as Chainsaw Man's. The show's debut in October was met with worldwide praise from fans as Chainsaw Man became one of the biggest shows of the Fall season with its over-the-top violence, likable characters and overall well-crafted story. However, it's the opening that drew a lot of attention following the first episode's premiere. The opening theme by Kenshi Yonezu was an earworm as it perfectly captured the adrenaline-fueled chaos of Chainsaw Man's world. It's also mirrored perfectly with imagery that highlights the show's violent nature and tongue-in-cheek humor.
However, the most impressive part of the opening was Chainsaw Man's clever homage to classic films. Many film lovers pointed out how the OP featured countless iconic scenes from movies of varying genres including The Big Lebowski, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Jacob's Ladder and even Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. The fact that an already amazing OP added so many clever references just gave it so much more personality than it already had, making it a standout among the competition. Chainsaw Man undoubtedly has the best opening of any anime this year, but it was a big competition with all the incredible works that fought hard for the title.
Sources: Crunchyroll Collection (1,2), Anicrad, MAPPA CHANNEL