The OP/ED of an anime is discussed nearly as often as the anime itself. Do you watch the whole thing? Do you skip? How does the animation compare to the actual show? What does the opening give away and what does it hide? How many characters are seen leaping into the air for no reason? The list is indefinite. 

 

As such, I find OPs/EDs very interesting, so it’s a delight to be able to run down the ones nominated for Anime Awards this year. Let’s check ‘em out and let me know your favorites in the comments whether they’re on this list or not!
 

OPENING: “Chikichiki Banban” by QUEENDOM — Ya Boy Kongming!

 

 

Ah, an OP that delights in the simple things like a ceaselessly catchy hook and content that’s mostly just the characters dancing. It also perfectly reflects the fun vibe of the show itself, an undersung hit from the Spring 2022 season that more people need to check out. 

 

OPENING: “Naked Hero” by Vaundy — Ranking of Kings (Cour 2)

 

 

“Naked Hero” is an OP that does a good job of showing the balance of a series. In this case, the one between the simple, heartwarming relationship of our best boy Bojji and Kage, and the expanding cast of characters and deepening plot threads that they’re a part of.

 

OPENING: “This Fffire” by Franz Ferdinand — Cyberpunk Edgerunners

 

 

Attaching a Franz Ferdinand song to the Cyberpunk Edgerunners OP seems like a case of “I don’t know. Fingers crossed, I guess,” but it totally works here. Existing on a palette of pure vibes, “This Fffire” manages to do a lot with a little, catching us in a mood that makes it hard to skip.

 

OPENING: “Mixed Nuts” by Official HIGE DANdism — SPY x FAMILY

 

 

Combining a range of aesthetics such as the French New Wave films and spy thrillers that SPY x FAMILY’s creators are so obviously fond of with a jazzy beat that alters pace and intensity with character focus is an inspired choice. “Mixed Nuts” is the rare OP that is equally fun to watch and listen to.

 

OPENING: “The Rumbling” by SiM — Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2 

 

 

“The Rumbling” contains a lot of what you’d expect from one of the most popular anime of the last decade. Its intent on pure spectacle is obvious, but it blends that with a moody focus on various characters that relies on a viewer’s history with the series for its potency. 

 

OPENING: “Zankyosanka” by Aimer — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc

 

 

“Zankyosanka” is the kind of OP that a series earns over time, less focused on establishing a kind of vibe or getting you settled into a world. Instead, it’s all about characters you know and love just kinda doin’ stuff. That can be a great premise, too, especially for something as eagerly awaited as the Entertainment District Arc.

 

ENDING: “Akuma no Ko” by Ai Higuchi — Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2 

 

 

If “The Rumbling” was fast-paced grandeur, then “Akuma no Ko” is its antithesis, an ED built around simultaneous loneliness and promises of something better. It’s fitting for Attack on Titan’s final stages where the themes of immense loss and anxiety about what the future holds are downright inescapable. 

 

ENDING: “Koi no yukue” by Akari Akase — My Dress-Up Darling

 

 

The ED for My Dress-Up Darling revels in simplicity, reducing the characters down to their most undetailed and cartoonish forms. That said, the fact that it’s so cute reflects our own attachment to them — they hang out on the sides of the screen like margins of a fan’s sketchpad. 

 

ENDING: “My Heart Has Surrendered” by Airi Suzuki — Kaguya-sama: Love Is War -Ultra Romantic-

 

 

Building an entire Kaguya-sama: Love Is War -Ultra Romantic- ED about Miyuki having a daydream about Paul Verheoven’s Starship Troopers adaptation feels like it was tailor-made specifically for me and I appreciate it. There are few series that can match this anime’s sheer personality and this ED is one of the best examples of it.

 

ENDING: “Comedy” by Gen Hoshino — SPY x FAMILY

 

 

Anya is a breakout character in a show where every lead is immediately lovable and this ED focusing on her and the world around her is amazingly fun. It purely captures SPY x FAMILY’s warmth, a sense of comfort that is homegrown from the innocent perspective of someone like Anya. 

 

ENDING: “Koshaberibiyori” by FantasticYouth — Komi Can’t Communicate (2nd series)

 

 

A story told in two parts, “Koshaberibiyori” starts with late afternoon classroom serenity evolving into depressing isolation. The next finds the same amount of people in the room but, following the story of the characters, they are now interacting and bonding before they leave. It’s thoughtful and calm, the characters marked by a lack of detail because we as an audience already understand them.

 

ENDING: “Yofukashino Uta” by Creepy Nuts — Call of the Night

 

 

With a thumping beat that radiates pure cool, the Call of the Night ED starts with a series of static images that permeate the screen with color. Eventually, we get clips of vampire protagonist Nazuna Nanakusa showing off the personality that’s made her a favorite among fans, but that’s just an addition to a song that had me scrambling for my Spotify account. 

 

What’s your favorite OP or ED of 2022? Did it receive a spot on this list? Let us know in the comments!

 

 

---

 

Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter! His book, Monster Kids: How Pokemon Taught A Generation To Catch Them All, is available wherever books are sold.