The Greatest Anime Opening Ever Tournament

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Damn! Now THIS is an actual good round!

Same as Shadow.

[gunswordfist]

You Wa Shock and Guyver! The greatest round in the history of mankind!

1. You Wa Shock
2. You Wa Shock
3. You Wa Shock
4. You Wa Shock

[gunswordfist]

The Guyver
AAAAAAAAAAAH-SHE!
Top Of Tokyo 2 - Whoa, this was actually good - an OP featuring Spanish rap and live action images. It was cool.
Gatchaman - Classic and catchy! I loved it. I want to get around to watching this show.

[Inkwolf]

1. "Gatchaman Song" (Scientific Ninja Team Gatchaman)  - I spent days finding sheet music for my trumpet for this. The best anime song ever.
2. "Bio Booster Armor Guyver" (Guyver)  - Pretty impressive and action-packed for an oldie.
3. "Top Of Tokyo" (Tokyo Tribe 2) It was impressive and original.
4. "You Wa Shock/Ai wo Torimodose" (Fist of the North Star) - It felt classic. Not bad. Sorry, I know you guys love it, but never having watched the show, all I'm going on is a single watching of the OP, without any fandom or nostalgia tacked on.

[VLordGTZ]

Same as Spark

[LumRanmaYasha]

Wow, we are just breezing through these matches now aren't we? 

Results:

1. "You Wa Shock/Ai wo Torimodose" (Fist of the North Star) - 23
2. "Top Of Tokyo" (Tokyo Tribe 2) - 9
3. "Bio Booster Armor Guyver" (Guyver) - 17
4. "Gatchaman Song" (Scientific Ninja Team Gatchaman) - 21

"You wa Shock" and "Gatchaman Song" move on to round 2.

Round 1: Match 52

1. "Love (Loyalty)" (Excel Saga) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5dMVj2e870
2. "Aoki Flamme" (Pumpkin Scissors) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNZjHKQ-sUQ
3. "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki Theme" (Tenchi Muyo!) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSf8tO7QIDc
4. "Saikou Everyday!" (Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsYrrOLxpSw

My Picks:

"Love (Loyalty)" - A perfect opening for Excel Saga, including the manga.
"Aoki Flamme" - Awesome. I'm just now reminded that I put this show on hold at episode 4....6 years ago. I need to finish it sometime.
"Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki Theme" - This isn't the version that I wanted. That version was up on Youtube for years now but has apparently been blocked for US viewers now. Why now I dunno but I'm not pleased. Oh well.
"Saikou Everyday" - The animation is great in this one. Especially when Infernape comes out and Kyogre, Groudon, and Lugia's clash. I love how they incorporated every legendary Pokemon from the first 4 gens in the opening.

[gunswordfist]

Nostalgia? I first saw FotNS a few years ago. Fandom? I feel in love with the show from watching it on US DVDs that didn't have the Japanese opening in it at all. The first time I saw it was on youtube as well and I hearted it from that experience alone.

[The Shadow Gentleman]

Same as CX.

4. "You Wa Shock/Ai wo Torimodose" (Fist of the North Star) - It felt classic. Not bad. Sorry, I know you guys love it, but never having watched the show, all I'm going on is a single watching of the OP, without any fandom or nostalgia tacked on.

I don't want to sound rude, but this is actually the first time I've watched that opening (though I have been meaning to read/watch FOTNS for quite some time now). If fact, I haven't seen a decent number of the shows who's openings have been nominated.

Speaking of which, where's the best place to start FOTNS, the anime or manga? I'm leaning towards manga.

[Inkwolf]

Okay, I apologize.  I meant no offense to anyone.  It's just an extreme difference in taste, then. To me, it was a pretty good song, with nothing unusual in the visuals, and too much of the main character doing bad-ass posing. I made the (bad) assumption that all the enthusiasm must be due to love of the show. So, what is it that you guys like about it so much?


1. "Love (Loyalty)" (Excel Saga)
2. "Aoki Flamme" (Pumpkin Scissors)
3. "Saikou Everyday!" (Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl)
4. "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki Theme"

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

The song is excellent and the animation isn't just the main character doing bad-ass things. It also shows the people that he's struggling to defend. It's one of the greatest and most iconic anime themes ever.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Personally, I've only watched one episode of FOTNS and read 1 volume of the manga, so I don't have much attachment to the series. I like the opening just because I think it has a kickass song and great scenes (and my favorite scene does not even involve Kenshiro, but the poor villagers that are walking through the sandstorm). I also haven't watched Gatchaman, but that opening is still one of my favorites just because of how awesome it is. 

[gunswordfist]

The song is excellent and the animation isn't just the main character doing bad-ass things. It also shows the people that he's struggling to defend. It's one of the greatest and most iconic anime themes ever.

This. In fact, I don't remember Kenshiro just posing at any part of You Waa Shock.

[Spark Of Spirit]

It's the opening most other shows should strive to imitate. You learn the plot, see the desperate situation the good guys are in, you meet the bad guys, and you meet the hero who can turn it all around. All to a killer classic anime theme.

The show itself is a bit lopsided, very episodic and formulaic, but the opening has always been one of the best to me. It's a testament to how well it works that people still refer to it today.

[VLordGTZ]

Same as CX

[LumRanmaYasha]

Results:

1. "Love (Loyalty)" (Excel Saga) - 16
2. "Aoki Flamme" (Pumpkin Scissors) - 12
3. "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki Theme" (Tenchi Muyo!) - 7
4. "Saikou Everyday!" (Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl) - 5

"Love (Loyalty)" and "Aoki Flamme" move on to round 2.

Here it is folks! Yes, it's the FINAL MATCH OF ROUND 1!!! 

Round 1: Match 53

1. "Miss Mystery" (Detective Conan) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTabi7PXr7o
2. "Kimi ga Inai Mirai" (InuYasha: The Final Act) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E515S9UskE0
3. "Share the World!" (One Piece) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIPp1Zhg2gU
4. "Give a Reason" (Slayers NEXT) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMjZWD16RdU

My Picks:

"Kimi ga Inai Mirai" - A great opening for the final parts of the series. I love the scenes with InuYasha standing on a cliff next to the sunset, the group attacking in tandem, Byakuya's appearance, and Sesshomaru using the Bakusaiga. 
"Give a Reason" - A classic Slayers opening. I love how they tease Gaav's demon dragon form in the opening, alongside other easter eggs.
"Share the World" - I've always liked this one. Music is pretty kickass and the scene where Luffy is fighting the Blue Gori in Impel Down and then reaches out to Ace is well animated.
"Miss Mystery" - Cool Conan opening. I love how in the scene near the beginning where the titles of previous cases surround Conan the first one he swats away is "The Moonlight Sonata Murder Case."