2021 has had some banger anime openings. It can be hard to keep track of them all because of how many awesome anime are coupled with all of them. There are literally hours of openings to go through so it might prove difficult to get through all of 2021's great anime openings. To help narrow it down, here are some good songs to start with. These are some of the best anime openings of the year.
"Akeboshi" by LiSA (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 2)
Ufotable may be planning to use LiSA for as many Demon Slayer songs as they can. They've already used her for the OP and ED of Season 1, the main theme of the movie, and the OP and ED of the anime arc based on the movie. Nobody's complaining though.
Akeboshi, the latest masterpiece to come from LiSA's differs somewhat from Season 1's "Gurenge." Where that song was about a call to action, this one emphasizes a harsh reality and the efforts to persevere. It starts off intense and moves into something more invigorating to reflect the protagonists' struggles.
"Boku no Sensou" by Shinsei Kamattechan (Attack on Titan Final Season)
Attack on Titan fans may have been unsure of what to think of this opening at first. Linked Horizon had been the anime's go-to for openings and they seemed like a tough act to follow. Luckily, Shinsei Kamattechan delivered nicely with this opening and it's on par with its predecessors.
"Boku no Sensou" is a good opening, but it's also very different from the others. Where songs like "Shinzo wo Sasageyo!" and "Jiyuu no Tsubasa" were about proudly taking up the fight, "Boku no Sensou" cautions listeners about how horrific and morally ambiguous war is, something rather fitting for the fourth season.
"No. 1" by DISH// (My Hero Academia Season 5)
My Hero Academia Season 5 actually has two big hits for openings. However, one of them has a few million more streams than the other on Spotify. While "Merry-Go-Round" by MAN WITH A MISSION is an awesome song in its own right, "No. 1" by DISH wins between the two of them.
MHA is well-known for its upbeat, high-energy openings, and "No. 1" is no exception. Nothing quite compares to the exhilaration of watching Class 1-A charge into battle to the chorus of this song. It's the perfect way to get fans pumped up for the "Joint Training Arc."
"Cry Baby" by Official HIGE DANdism (Tokyo Revengers)
If it's about times streamed on Spotify, "Cry Baby" beats any anime 2021 anime opening by a wide margin at over 96 million streams. To compare, the TV version of "Boku no Sensou" only has 52 million. Apparently, there's just something about Tokyo Revengers' theme that resonates with listeners better. It could be the more grounded meaning behind the lyrics. "Boku no Sensou" has some truth to it, but there's something about the way "Cry Baby" describes fighting in the rain that seems to hit closer to home and thus feel more real. Or maybe it's just a really cool opening.
