Anime openings provide fans with some of the most electric moments in the medium. It sets the tone of the show and primes viewers for the anime. They are catchy, memorable, and easy to digest. Most anime opening themes are a quick and punchy way to reinforce the mood and feel of the show before it even starts, and the 2000s is a decade full of modern classics.

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A good number of the anime that influence the medium today came from the 2000s. Due to the abundance of great titles from this period, fans are spoiled rotten with amazing anime openings. Songs that elicit strong emotions are paired with incredible visuals. This decade is notable for containing some of the most dynamic, iconic, important, and impressive anime openings to date.

10 Celebrating Acceptance With "Ano Hi Time Machine" By Long Shot Party (Natsume's Book Of Friends Season 2)

Natsume and Nyanko walking in a street with yokai

The opening for Natsume's Book of Friends Season 2 kicks off with cheerful brass instruments and the chirps of a wah-wah pedal. It's extremely upbeat and funky given the mundanity of the visuals. The opening shows how empty the countryside Natsume lives in is. This highlights Natsume's natural sense of isolation, but this changes he reflects on the people he's met and his unique bond with his grandmother.

Before long, Natsume fully accepts his situation. The chorus of "Ano hi Time Machine" plays once more, revealing that the town is full of yokai. The town is now lively and vibrant, finally matching the song. By accepting who he is, viewers get to see that Natsume is not alone.

9 The Limitless Style Of "*Asterisk" By Orange Range (Bleach)

Ichigo, Rukia, and the crew from Bleach

Some fans may believe other Bleach openings represent the story better, but none of them carry the effortless cool of the show's first opening, "*Asterisk." The opening is a punchy rap played over light post-rock guitar strings and spacey electronic instrumentation. When the drums kick in, it brings a bouncy four-on-the-floor beat that begs to be danced to.

The arrangement fits the opening's visual aesthetic nicely with its loud, street, stylish, and color-oriented focus. The title card is instantly followed by Ichigo and Rukia parallel to each other in Pepsi colors. The visuals are on beat and full of attitude. No other opening makes Bleach feel this cool.

8 "Sorairo Days" By Shoko Nakagawa Is Exciting & Infectious (Gurren Lagann)

Gurren Lagann and its later forms from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

A show full of larger-than-life robots needs an opening that is just as excessive. Shoko Nakagawa's "Sorairo Days" is just that. From the start, the song blares with guitars on overdrive. The rest of the band follows with a frenetic pace and a thumping drum beat. Shoko's sweet voice establishes the melody across explosive instrumentation.

Once the chorus soars and swells, Gurren Lagann transforms with it, showing off its monstrous later forms. Every note sounds impassioned and sincere, making it seem as if the song and the show understand each other on an emotional level. This excitement and grandness break through to the viewers.

7 "Battlecry" By Nujabes Fuses The Old With The New (Samurai Champloo)

Mugen from Samurai Champloo

Legendary producer Nujabes blesses the anime community with "Battlecry," a slick lo-fi hip hop track with subtle jazz undertones. The track has this understated and relaxed air to it but maintains a level of cool that is second to none.

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The visuals demonstrate some contrasting ideas and aesthetics. The character designs use thick lines and shadows to establish a comic-like style, but the backdrop uses imagery from the famous Japanese painter Ito Jakuchu. Mixed with the hip-hop beat, the final product is this undeniable blend of traditional and modern and viewers understand that Samurai Champloo will not be a typical samurai anime.

6 Delicate Emotions Bleed Through Seira Kagami's "Never" (Kaiba)

Warp holding onto love in Kaiba

Director Masaaki Yuasa presents the aesthetic of Kaiba as soon as the opening starts. The shapes are soft, the colors are flat and pastel, and the designs are minimalist, mimicking something like 1950s Osamu Tezuka meets Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince. The outcome is unbelievably beautiful. Every frame of the opening looks interesting and delicate.

However, the real power comes from Seira Kagami's voice. She cries and wanes almost immediately after "Never" begins with its rubbery three-note loop and atmospheric arrangement. Every note she sings carries the loneliness embedded in Kaiba. It stresses the value of genuine connections in an ephemeral and absurd existence.

5 "The World" By Nightmare Is Endlessly Dramatic & Intense (Death Note)

Light Yagami from Death Note

Death Note's opening lets viewers understand how Light Yagami views himself. In his mind, he is a divine arbiter of justice who stands above the rest of humanity. He is constantly referencing Christian imagery while standing atop the skyscrapers in Tokyo. It's completely over-the-top and borderline pretentious, but it perfectly captures the monstrous mind of Light Yagami.

"The World" by Nightmare perfectly suits Light's ego. The song is incredibly dramatic and moody. The delivery of the lyrics comes off as theatrical, but the bassline pulls the song forward with intensity. Light does not view himself as someone who can be stopped, and the opening makes that very clear.

4 Cyberpunk Is Taken To The Next Level With Origa's "Rise" (Ghost In The Shell: S.A.C. 2nd Gig)

Public Security Section 9 from Ghost in the Shell SAC 2nd Gig

Anime music will never again have a duo quite like Origa and Yoko Kanno. "Rise" is an electronic and operatic masterpiece that starts with railing guitar sounds and cascading synths. Origa enters the song with her eclectic lilting voice accompanied by jazz drums. She and the drums share the spotlight for the verses, as the opening's visuals introduce each member of Section 9.

However, the drums give way to the chorus. Origa's dramatic voice is given all the room to soar, falter, swell, and cry. This intuitive composition almost makes this one of Yoko Kanno's best songs. Viewers are treated to the intrigue within Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd Gig's cyberpunk world while the melodies rise and fall.

3 "Again" By Yui Sets The New Standard For Shonen Anime Openings (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

The Elrics in front of their burning house in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has one of the best openings in the medium. Yui's "Again" builds from a hushed and breathy vocal delivery that slowly grows in intensity. The instruments are light, with the only prominent sounds being muted acoustic guitars and occasional electric guitar notes. While this plays out, the opening introduces the main characters, their past, and foreshadows future events.

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Halfway through the opening, Yui picks up the pace and sings with an erratic pace, effectively demonstrating the danger and stakes the Elric brothers have to deal with. When the chorus explodes, Edward Elric is finally in the thick of the struggle. It is an incredibly powerful way to prepare the audience for the show.

2 "Puzzle" By Round Table Mocks The Show With Its Sweetness (Welcome To The N.H.K.)

Misaki from Welcome to the NHK

Welcome to the N.H.K. is a miserable show. It follows a shut-in who is tormented by his own paranoia and somehow finds himself in increasingly more absurd and depressing situations. "Puzzle" by Round Table is the opposite of that. It is a jangly pop song with sugar-sweet melodies, fluttering violin lines, and a muted acoustic guitar that tickles the ears.

The opening doesn't try to completely hide the show's true nature. It shows Satou in a depressed stupor, but it also misdirects. Most of the other visuals involve Misaki looking cute, fashionable faceless women, and some slight fanservice by the end. The opening is a symphony of cheerful music and imagery that works to mislead the audience.

1 "Tabi No Tochuu" By Kiyoura Natsumi Is Elegant But Foreboding (Spice & Wolf)

Holo and Lawrence from Spice & Wolf

Spice & Wolf's opening could be seen as a soft piano ballad showcasing Lawrence and Holo's journey. From two isolated individuals to partners in a journey, the opening presents the growth of their relationship. However, there is a subtle undercurrent of menace running underneath it all.

The chorus for Kiyoura Natsumi's "Tabi no Tochuu" descends with each final note in the bar. The duet begins, but pained delivery eventually breaks through as the opening shows the wolves that eventually threaten Lawrence. Holo struggles with the rift between her and Lawrence. In just 90 seconds, viewers are fed the central drama of the whole show.