Who could ever forget the 90s? Those who were born in this decade were exposed to the first strings of anime and are still impacted by it today. Japanese entertainment was beginning to make its breakthrough into the US as well as other countries, streaming on platforms such as Toonami or Jetix.
While some of the big four, such as Naruto and One Piece, were being dubbed near the end of the 90s, some kids were first exposed to classics such as Sailor Moon, Cowboy Bebop and Akira. We're going back in time to choose ten of the best anime openings of the 90s.
10 HIS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES OPENING
The opening for His and Her Circumstances was "An Angel's Pinky Promise" and Fukuda Mai sang it. We are beginning this list with the famed romantic comedy and its unusual opening. Before directing Neon Genisis Evangelion, Hideki Anno worked on this anime.
His style is shown throughout the opening, which makes use of manga panels of the main characters and backgrounds of their neighborhood and school. Perhaps the most shoujo part of the opening is near the end where Yukino and Souichiro's pinkies are linked, and they fly into the blue sky, hinting at the name of the song and making it stand out from most romance openings.
9 INITIAL D FIRST STAGE OPENING
The opening for Initial D First Stage was "Around The World" and m.o.v.e sang it. During the 90s, a lot of anime had hip-hop or R&B themes to go with their openings, and Initial D First Stage was one of many. What else would get you pumped up to watch a drifting and racing anime?
The song does it's best to get you excited for the upcoming twenty-four minutes of racing your about to watch. Despite the sequences being nothing but the characters smiling and the tracks, there's no doubt the song will be stuck in your mind after listening to it once.
8 PHANTOM THIEF SAINT TAIL OPENING 1
The opening for Saint Tail was "Passing Through Time" and Yasuko Matsuyuki sang it. It's time to go back to a time where magical girl anime was booming -- as well as contained a lot of groovy openings. Although this anime was overlooked because of other popular anime such as Sailor Moon, Saint Tail took a different approach and was more of a phantom thief/magical girl hybrid.
The opening depicts Asuka Jr. chasing after the notorious phantom thief Saint Tail as well as the many tricks she uses to get away each time. You can't help but smile when you watch it.
7 ONE PIECE OPENING 1
The first opening for One Piece was "We Are" and Hiroshi Kitadani sang it. Though most overseas fans would recognize the One Piece Rap, We Are is the original opening for One Piece before 4Kids Entertainment Americanized the show. Talk about nostalgia for a show that has been running for over ten years.
Although the opening is similar to the 4Kids Entertainment version, beginning with a recounting of the pirate who hid the One Piece, the song is different from the rap. It's energetic and boisterous, just like the adventure you are about to go on when watching the show.
6 CARDCAPTOR SAKURA OPENING 3
The third opening for Cardcaptor Sakura was "Platnium" and Maaya Sakamoto sang it. Despite Catch You, Catch Me and Open The Door are both amazing openings, the final opening for Cardcaptor Sakura wins in terms of meaning and importance.
It is claimed as the fan-favorite, so much so they even brought back Maaya Sakamoto to sing the first opening for the sequel, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card. It's also played during the reunion between Sakura and Syaoran. It takes a darker turn from the poppy openings, depicting the seriousness of the situation during the final arc where Sakura must collect the final cards.
5 SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN OPENING
The opening for Serial Experiments Lain was "Duvet" and BOA sang it. Even if you watched and didn't understand a thing, you can understand how unique this opening theme is when you hear it. Compared to songs that are meant to pump you up for the show, Serial Experiments Lain takes a different approach by showing human nature through each shot.
Lain is walking through the streets during fall/winter before it cuts to her watching others through television screens. The combination of her expressionless face and song as she watches their actions is chilling, preparing you for a unique ride into the anime.
4 SAILOR MOON OPENING
The opening for Sailor Moon was "Legend of the Moonlight" and DALI sang it. Yes, we're talking about the Japanese version, not the English version. This one is a classic. It shows everything from Usagi before she became Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and all of the Sailor Soldiers.
The opening isn't even changed during the series as it progresses along with the story. There is also a rock version for when the rest of the cast arrives as well as when Usagi discovers she is Princess Serenity. Anime openings that evolve with the story are rare nowadays, making Sailor Moon's opening a memorable one.
3 TRIGUN OPENING
The opening for Trigun was "H.T." by Tsuneo Imahori. This is probably the most badass anime opening without a single lyric in history. In fact, if the song were to have any words in it, it would most likely lessen the badass effect.
It first depicts a gun before switching to Vash walking through the night, his trench coat flowing behind it. It then shows him running through a hallway with a sandwich in his mouth as he dodges bullets coming in through the windows. Need there be any more explaining about how fantastic this opening is? We don't think so.
2 COWBOY BEBOP OPENING
The opening for Cowboy Bebop was "Tank", which was written by Yoko Kanno and sung by The Seatbelts. Akin to Trigun, Cowboy Bebop's opening theme shows more than tells you what ride you are about to go on as soon as you witness the opening.
With a jazzy song and sequence that recalls classics like James Bond, it's a perfect fit and catchy tune that will stick in your mind once you hear it. Overseas fans also love it and deem Cowboy Bebop's opening as one of the best ones ever created, mostly for its Western inspiration and snazzy tune.
1 NEON GENESIS EVANGELION OPENING
Does this truly need an introduction? The opening for Neon Genesis Evangelion was "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" by Yoko Takahashi. Here it is -- the most sung song in karaoke until Haruhi Suzumiya's opening dethroned it. What more could this opening have?
If you watch it close enough, you can see blatant spoilers the further you get into the series, although it may seem like gibberish at first. The lyrics and sacred sound are infectious, Yoko Takahashi's voice is beautiful, and the song makes a mark in your mind long after you finish the series. Because of this, Neon Genesis Evangelion is the best opening of the 90s.