Naruto #11

This opening theme is growing on me! Her voice is a bit noisy but I'm liking the song!

Baccano!!

Dear old blog! It's been a while. I can't believe we've actually deserted you for more than a month. Well, that kind of shows how good I can be at keeping promises. However, today I'm, finally, back, because I feel like writing. Yes! Baccano! is why I'm back!

In the past month and a half I watched three amusing Japanese dramas, and I'm completely absorbed by the fourth right now; I have read four books, or well four and a half. I have watched a Hayao Miyazaki movie and re-watched one. They are all stuff worth writing about, but Baccano! is the one that made me want to write! So, what's it about Baccano?

I don't exactly know. I don't know if it's the interesting plot, or the brilliant characters, or the classy soundtrack, or the fine art; I don't know. I guess it's the sum of all that.

Let’s see! My brother watched Baccano and he was fascinated, and he suggested that I watch it. Then lately, he'd ask me like twice a day, every day, when I'd start watching Baccano, and I'm like "Soon! Soon!". I knew Baccano is very bloody and I'm not very keen on bloody stuff. However, one day I was bored and I decided to watch it. Well, let's see, there was the first episode and there was my very first crush "Luck Gandor"! I don’t know if it was love at first sight, or love at first hear (I don't even think that's a valid expression). The deep dignified voice (which happens to be Gintama's Takasugi by the way) couldn't have been more perfect for a character like Luck Gandor.

The library scene! The freakin' library scene! <3 

There was Firo before that, but well, as nice and sweet as he is,he had ,like Carol said, a "hero" vibes, well, not my type, but I like him of course. Then there are a couple of idiots who happen to be actually funny "Isaac!!", "Miria!!".  Those two are the ones who made the balance, and lightened up the show. Then there's the freak, Ladd Russo, and the creepy Lua. Well, I disliked them but that is the point. They should be disliked. (Tell you a secret! I kind of well not liked, but not disliked Ladd Russo by the end of the anime. I gusess I was growing an affection to anything related to Baccano) Then, there' Jacuzzi! Yes! The one I assumed would be annoying because he's always crying, but I just thought he was sweet and cute. I liked him and his group, Nice, Nick, Donny, Jon they were all cool! There's the suspicious boy Czeslaw ,and Chane which I didn't like or dislike until later. Oh yes! Ennis! How can I forget Ennis?! Well, she's nice. And when we mention Ennis we remember Szilard.. and hold on a second! I didn't mention Maiza till now?! I absolutely liked the guy from the very first time I saw him. Well, oh yes, the Genoards, the girl was alright, and Dallas was…. My brother used a slang Arabic word to describe him, and I can't exactly translate it, and I hate to use another word, since the word my brother used was just perfect. Let's just say he's a blatant fool.

I miss them!! :D

Now, I'm done with the characters or I'm pretending to be, because I'm definitely not done. Here comes the cherry on top, Rail Tracer! I don't mean to spoil stuff in this post, so I will not talk much about that.

Rail Tracer!! 

I did say the plot was interesting, and that's true, but then many anime have interesting plots, ruined by boring hateful characters, and Baccano is by all means not one of them. Baccano starts with the end, and then moves between the years 1930, 1931 and 1932, except for this one episode which goes way back than that. The going back and forth makes things kind of confusing, but as you approach the end the confusion fades away. What's Baccano! Exactly about? Mafia wars and Immortality, that's Baccano in a nutshell.

Because the events of the anime take place in the 30s, some classy Jazz music was used for the opening and the soundtrack. I have to say that the music has definitely added a lot to my watching experience. It made me feel twice fascinated. When any anime gets very interesting, I start to skip the opening and get to business, but I couldn't get myself to skip Baccano's. It's BRILLIANT!!

To conclude, Baccano is a complete experience. It last only for 13 episodes, but I found myself missing it a lot when it was over, and I feel like I want more! Maybe that's why I decided to give Durarara! a second chance, since it's by the same manga-ka, and I get to see Isaac!! And Miriaa! Again! XD

Is it a coincidence that my favorite part in the music is the part that comes with Luck Gandor? XD 

Basically, I do like everyone, really, almost everyone; and I'm fascinated by some of them, but there's something about Luck .. It's the voice! It has to be!  

BONUS!
I realized later that Baccano had a 3-episode OVA, which happens to be almost as good as the anime. I got to see my favorite character, which is not Luck Gandor by the way (I have a crush on him but he's not my favorite, deal with it!), being cool as ever, so I was over thrilled. There was a new eccentric villain who has Gintama's Gintoki's voice so... I couldn't dislike him, It's a shame I didn't get to hear Luck Gandor's voice, but it was too good that I can forgive that. 

My Top Favorite 50 Anime Openings (V)

          So, here we are! Finally, the top 10! Since, they made it here, so I should have like him so much, and naturally it 'd be harder for me to rank them. So, let's just say, that I do like the ones from 15 - 1 better than the rest. :D

10)"Tougenkyou Alien (桃源郷エイリアン)" by serial TV drama - Gintama Opening theme no.9

            I like opening themes that truly expresses the anime, and this one doesn't just do that; it define Gintama! The crazy, comical atmosphere and all the characters, literally! The song is weird and good all the same! (The full version is awesome!) Also, Kamui and Abuto are looking so cool here! XD It's a very good opening theme. It was the first one, after Gintama's return and it was worthy of that!

9) "INNOCENT SORROW" by abingdon boys school - D.Gray-man Opening theme no. 1

             I have two things to say about this opening: the beginning (especially the part when the D.Gray-man logo appears) and the keyboard music that starts near the end ! 

8) "½" by Makoto Kawamoto - Rurouni Kenshin Opening no. 2

            New Kyoto!! You see the part when she starts saying "kawaribanko de PEDARU wo koide ...", you hear the beat that starts with it? and that flashing? and Shishio's folk? That's cool! And you see Hajime Saitou later there? Well, he's cool, and that has absolutely nothing to do with the opening! XD .....I Just love this opening so much! 

7) "Pray" by Tommy heavenly6 - Gintama Opening theme no. 1

I noticed that most of the time I prefer the first opening theme for anime. May be that has mostly to do with the memories, and the facts that it's what started it. Apart from the fact that the song here is so good and the chorus is awesome, I think that was the case with this opening. 

6) "the WORLD" by Nightmare - Death Note Opening theme no. 1

            Death Note might be one of my least favorite anime, but that opening theme is something different. The song is perfect. The animation is perfect. They go well together and it makes the anime feel so cool! It gives you those dark vibes!

5) "Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai" by BAAD - Slam Dunk Opening theme no. 1

             Dear old 90s! You were awesome! Another brilliant 90s anime with a brilliant opening theme that brings you these good irreplaceable memories! When I first heard the song, it was not exactly it. I heard the Arabic version, which has completely different lyrics, when I was watching Slam Dunk on Spacetoon (Arabic animation channel), and I got used to it. Much later, when I heard the Japanese version, it felt weird. The Arabic singers' voice was much tougher, so the Japanese felt thin and weird. However, later on when I got used to it, the Arabic version started to sound too rough :D. Naturally, my favorite part is the chorus, especially its start "Kimi ga suki da to sakebitai ... Ashita wo kaete miyou". My brother is rather specific here; he likes the "Ashita wo kaete miyou" the best XD

4) "Guren no Yumiya (紅蓮の弓矢)" by Linked Horizon - Shingeki no Kyojin Opening theme no.1

             This is one opening theme that I'd never skip whatever it is I've been dying to see; and you see the part with "Shikabane fumikoete  susumu ishi wo  warau buta yo", Brilliant!!

3) "Uragiri no Yuuyake (裏切りの夕焼け; Sunset of Betrayal)" by Theatre Brook - Durarara!! Opening theme no.1

            First I'd like to note that I dropped Durarara!! at episode 3. I'm not saying it's a bad anime, but it might be not exactly my type. I was thinking I might give it another try one day. Though I dropped it I couldn't forget about one perfectly awesome opening theme! The magnificent song, the way the characters are introduced, the colors, the animation... how can something be so good?!

2) "Again" by YUI - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Opening theme no. 1

             Yui's voice sounds young, but it's kind of captivating, and in this specific song, she's brilliant! Again is the only Fullmetal Alchemist: brotherhood that grabbed my attention and like. I suppose it's the only one, because it was the first one,and nothing can possibly match something so good as this. I don't need to stress on how well the song and the animation go together. 

1) "Kiss of Monochrome" by SID - Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) Opening theme no. 1 Version 2

             Here's an opening theme that I liked to watch even more the anime itself! XD Black Butler is a fine anime, but not the best. I enjoyed watching it but I don't think I'd place it in my top 15, don't know about 20. However, that opening theme is something different! I looked forward to watching it, even more than the anime. The song itself is brillaint! One of my all time favorites, indeed! The splendid chorus, and the guitar right before it starts! Amazing!! 

          And that was all! My top favorite 50 anime Opening! I have a couple of honorary mentions. I know that this means that they were so close to getting into the 50 but they didn't make it. However, that's not the case here. It's just that I've forgot about them and realized it after finishing the list. I did't feel like messing it up so I decided to just mention them later. So, they could have been anywhere on the list.

*We Go! by Hiroshi Kitadani - One Piece Opening theme no. 15

          I don't know how I could forget about it. However, here it is! Kicking off to the new world! :D

*We Are Remix by TVXQ - One Piece Opening no. 10

          I usually don't like remixes, but this one was so good, and I absolutely loved the video for this opening. It brought back memories, and everyone one looked so cool in it! :D

-"zero" by Ikuta Aiko - Glass no kamen (2005) Opening 2 

          It's a good combination: song and animation. I like how everything is connected.

For the complete list of my top 50 anime openings, Click here!

My Top Favorite 50 Anime Openings (IV)

        Min'na! Konnichiwa! We're coming close to the end. Today I'll be listing another 10 opening themes from my top favorite 50, the ones from 20-11, and here we go!

20) "Ichirin no Hana" by High and Mighty Color - Bleach Opening theme no. 3

        Why is it ranked this high? Trust me I don't know. I like how it starts and ends. The animation is sometimes in sync with the song and sometimes not. The song itself is fine, not the best, but fine.

19) "Tooi Nioi (遠い匂い)" by YO-KING - Gintama Opening theme no. 2

        It feels so much like Gintama! The laid back atmosphere, and the relaxed singer's voice, it's just so good! It makes me feel kind of nostalgic too! :)

18) "Doubt & Trust" by access - D.Gray-man Opening theme no. 3

         This is one weird opening theme that I absolutely like, back then when I watched the anime. It was the opening theme at the peak of the anime, with many new characters showing up and I liked all of them. The song goes well with the animation, and it's kind of cool!

17) "Dream of Life" by Shohei Itou (伊藤祥平) - Bakuman 2 Opening theme

          Ok! How this came to be here, I don't know, but it completely deserves it. I didn't like it that much when I was watching Bakuman. It was my least favorite between Blue bird and 23:40. Lately, I noticed It's the most popular one and I was surprised, so I decided to watch it again and I was surprised by at myself! How comed I didn't like something so cool! The song, the animation, everything about it is so good! It has the essence of Bakuman!

16) "Fight Together" by Namie Amuro - One Piece Opening theme no. 14

          This one gives me the same feelings I get it from One Day, and especially that now we Know what has been waiting for us. However, it feels a little more hopeful with the crew seeming more active and cheerful here. The part that flashes back to Luffy's moments with each member of the crew is just so…!!! <3 <3 I cannot express it in words. A good opening theme with a nice song for sure!

15) "Jiyuu no Tsubasa (自由の翼)" by Linked Horizon - Shingeki no Kyojin Opening theme no. 2

           The problem is I liked the first one so much, so it took me time to get used to it. Later on, I could actually say that the song in this opening theme is possibly better than the first, even if the video is not as good. It's good, but I like the other one better. Bottom line, it's GOOD!

14) "Sobakasu" by Judy & Mary - Rurouni Kenshin Opening theme no. 1

          You might be taken aback by the singer's childish voice, but this song is so good and this opening theme is really one of the best. Actually, anything that has to do with Rurouni Kenshin is just perfect! XD

13) "Velonica" by Aqua Timez - Bleach Opening theme no. 9

           My favorite Bleach opening theme, indeed. I love the song, and I like how the animation goes with it. I like seeing the groups showing one after another, ending finally by Aizen when the song starts to change. They go very well together. I was addicted to this song for a long while. Aqua timez are that good after all. :D

12) "DONTEN (曇天)" by DOES - Gintama Opening theme no. 5

           Does are awesome! And this opening them is just so cool! Another Gintama opening theme with serious atmosphere, and the first to be so. The song goes perfectly well with the animation and its pace. Cool is the perfect word to describe it! Even Hasegawa is looking cool here!! XD

11) "We Are! (ウィーアー!)" by Hiroshi Kitadani - One Piece Opening theme no. 1

         Well, this one is a classic! It's the first and the best One Piece opening. I don’t know if this is the best song, and I definitely know that this is not the best animation, but watching it and listening to the song ,sure brings back some of my best memories. I'm pretty sure We Are! hold a special place in the hearts of all One Piece fans. 

          That's it for today. Now, all that's left is the top ten! Can't wait!! XD See you tomorrow and the final post! 

For the top favorite opening themes from 50 - 11, Click here!

My Top Favorite 50 Anime Openings (III)

           Konnichiwa Mina-san! Here are today's 10 anime opening themes of my top favorite 50. Like I said before, don't mind the order! It's not exactly accurate. I'm not good with ranking things that I like. 

30) "Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis (残酷な天使のテーゼ, A Cruel Angel's Thesis)" by Yoko Takahashi - Neon Genesis Evangelion Opening theme

         I never watched the anime, and I don't like Mecha, but I have seen in too many lists and I absolutely liked the song! I'll quote my brother in this "It feels Abba-ish." It's a 90s anime, and the anime in that decade had some really good songs for themes. So, here, it's the song and only the song.

29) "Kimi no Matsu Sekai (君の待つ世界)" by LAGOON - Magic Kaito 1412 Opening theme

         

          I don't know but something about the way it starts is so attractive. The anime is new and I don’t even know if it will be good to the end, but I like the song and the animation in the opening theme pretty much.

28) "Silky heart" by Yui Horie - Toradora Opening theme no. 2

          The singer's voice is not the best thing about the opening for sure. However, the song is good and it goes well with the animation. It's a good opening theme and well fitting for the anime. 

27) "Departure! -Opening Tokubetsu-hen-" by Ono Masatoshi - Hunter X Hunter (2011) Opening theme

           Different versions of Departure were used for all the opening themes of Hunter X Hunter (2011). However, it never grabbed my attention until the Chimera ant arc. I liked it best in its last version, in the Chairman's election arc: first, because there's more Killua and he's my favorite and second because the song and the animation are so much in sync.

26)  "*~Asterisk" by Orange Range - Bleach Opening no. 1

   

            Bleach's first opening, and that's what makes it special to me. I kind of like the animation. The song feels normal, but it's good to listen to while watching the animation. It's a good opening all in all.

25) "ft." by FUNKIST - Fairy Tail Opening no. 3

          The song for this opening theme is kind of different from other anime songs, but it feels so much like fairy tail. It was the opening for Heaven's tower arc, and it was generally good. 

24) "Wonderland (ワンダーランド)" by FLiP - Gintama Opening no. 11

            Thorny!! The song might seem weird or noisy, but I like the song, the singer's voice and more than that I like how it's featuring the Shinsengumi's top 3! <3  It was the opening for the arc Thorny (Baragaki). The full version of the song is very good!

23) "Blue Bird" by Kobukuro - Bakuman Opening theme no. 1

          The first Bakuman opening! <3  It has a lovely song and decent animation. There's a part in the song, in which I like the singer's voice very much. I think you can guess which part. 

22) "One Day" by The Rootless - One Piece Opening theme no. 13 

         Here's a sigh! That's how I feel when I watch this opening. I instantly go back to the time of the disbanding and Marineford. It feels sad and lonely, which was the case back then. Why I like it is because it's very expressive. I watch it and all the feels come back. Also, it features all the present figures in Marineford, which is kind of cool. Bottom-line, It's a very good combination: song and animation. 

21) "Giniro no Sora (銀色の空)" by redballoon - Gintama Opening no. 3

          The opening for the Benizakura arc, that's how I'll always see it. :D It's a happy song, that's how it feels to me and my favorite part is when we see Sakamoto and his ship. Seeing him, makes me feel happy and anyone who watched Gintama would know why. XD

That's it for today, and the order is completely messed up (I know I keep stressing on that too much, it's just that I'm feeling guilty -_-). See you next post! ^_^ 

For the Opening themes from 50 - 21, Click here!

My Top Favorite 50 Anime Openings (II)

            So,  here comes the next 10 Opening themes from my favorite 50. I know I said last time, I'll try to list them in order of my favoritism, but I don't think I'm doing very well with that, and I think I completely forgot about some, so let's just say these are among my favorite 50 and that's it.

40) "For Fruits Basket" by Ritsuko Okazaki – Fruits Basket Opening theme

           A very nice and soothing song. It always felt good to listen to. It went well with the animation, and it was very expressive. It made watching the anime more enjoyable.

39) "Gekidou" by UVERworld – D.Gray-man Opening theme no. 4

            When I first watched this opening theme, I hated it with a passion. Why? Because, I liked the one before it very much, and because it sounded weird. However, later on I realized I was wrong, like I've been wrong many times, and placing it here is kind of a proper apology.

38) "Dream Star" by the generous – Skip Beat! Opening theme no. 1

           As I said before, Skip beat! was my first shoujo anime, so Dream Star is the first Opening theme for a Shoujo anime, and it was good! When Iever I watch it, I remember the good old days. Besides, it's very expressive, and suits the anime.

37) "Light Infection" by Prague – Gintama Opening theme no. 8

The bit with the cat-looking dogs in the end is not part of the Opening, 

it's just that the video accelerated in the last part.

              I watched Gintama twice, and  I liked this opening theme the second time, not the first. It's another opening theme with a serious atmosphere. It reminds me mostly of Red Spider arc, which was a relatively dark arc compared to other Gintama arc.

36) "Parallel Hearts" by FictionJunction – Pandora Hearts Opening theme

The Opening ends at minute 1:34

         The superb violin performance and the singer's brilliant voice are mainly what make this opening theme very likable. Actually, the music in Pandora Hearts are one of the best things about it.

35) "Towa no Kizuna" by Daisy x Daisy feat. Another Infinity – Fairy Tail Opening theme no. 9

            Fairy Tail has many Opening themes, but only few of them grabbed my attention and that was one of them. The song is good and it goes well with the animation. It was a good opening them for the Tenrou island arc.

34) "BLUE" by ViViD – Bleach Opening theme no. 14

           I like this opening mainly because of the animation! It's just so good, the colors, the art and everything. It goes so well with the song! It makes a relatively boring arc seem so cool! Definitely one of the best Bleach openings!

33) "Kasanaru Kage (かさなる影)" by Hearts Grow – Gintama Opening theme no. 4

         Another Gintama Opening, but with a comical theme this time. The first thing that comes to miind with it is the Yagyu Kyubei arc, one of the funniest arcs in Gintama. It might not be that special, but I like it , and I like the synchronization between the song and the animation.

32) "Kokoro no Chizu (ココロのちず)" by BOYSTYLE – One Piece Opening theme no. 5

         
            That's one good One Piece Opening. The animation goes very well with the song, and the animation is not ridiculously goofy. It's kind of cool. Besides it's the opening for Water 7 arc! :D

31) "23:40 (23時40分) feat. Base Ball Bear" by Hyadain – Bakuman 3 Opening theme no. 2

             Why I like this opening theme is mostly because of emotional reasons. It was the last Bakuman Opening theme and I was starting to feel the loss. Besides, the electric guitar in the beginning is so awesome! Listening to it gives me the feels. I miss Bakuman so much! T_T Honestly, I wanted to place it higher. but let it be here for now, and like I said in the beginning, this is not an exactly ordered list.

             That's it for today! See you tomorrow and another 10 anime opening themes. ^_^

For the Opening themes from 50 - 41 , Click here!

My Top Favorite 50 Anime Openings (I)

           As I said once before, listing is one of my favorite thing, and one of the things I'm worst at! However, that never stopped me! I'll be practicing my hobby now and for the next two weeks. I'll start listing my favorite 50 anime opening themes, 10 themes per day. I couldn't make them less than 50, can't decide which ones to sacrifice. Then, they will be followed by my top 50 anime ending songs. I'll try as much as I can to make them in order of my favoritism, but this is going to be so hard.
Today's 10 are:

50)  "Yasashisa no Riyuu (優しさの理由)" by ChouCho - Hyouka Opening theme no. 1

       Hyouka is one of my favorite anime, that's why I thought here should be one of its two opening themes here, and I liked that one, so here it is. :D

49) "My Secret" by Saaya Mizuno (水野佐彩) - Kaichou wa Maid-sama Opening theme

         I didn't realize I liked that opening theme until once ,after I had finished Kaichou wa maid-sama for a good time, I wanted to re-watch an episode. As the episode started and the theme played, I thought "That theme was good!". It reminds me of when I used to watch it, good times.. :)

48) "Promise" by Candy - Glass no Kamen Opening theme no. 1

       I like the song, and that's all there is to it. I don't even know why I like it. The video is not tha good either. The other opening had a better video.

47) "D-tecnolife" by UVERworld - Bleach Opening theme no. 2

           The song is not my favorite, not bad though. It's the first opening that introduces Soul Society, and I liked that arc, that's why I like that opening theme.

46) "Kimi ni Todoke (きみにとどけ)" by Tanizawa Tomofumi - Kimi ni Todoke Opening theme no.1

         A sweet, soothing song, with simple animation. It's simply likable, and perfectly suits the anime.

45) "Share the World" by TVXQ - One Piece Opening theme no. 11

      The Song is weird, but it goes well with the animation. I like the theme all in all. The opening theme introduces loads of new characters, and besides it's the opening to one of my favorite arcs: Sabaody Archipelago.

44) "Hana no Iro (ハナノイロ)" by nano.RIPE - Hanasako no Iroha Opening theme no. 1

            The singers voice felt weird and still feels weird, but the song sounds fine so I don't mind . I like it and I like how it goes with the animation. The theme, generally, suits the anime and feels good to watch.

43) ”Haato wo miga kukkyanai” by Tokio - Tobe Isami Opening theme

        That one has a long story. See! I don't remember that I ever watched this anime, bt I remember the song very well. When Summar a couple of months ago showed me the Arabic version for the opening theme, asking me If I remember the anime, I was like "No! I don't remember it, but somehow the tune of the song sounds familiar." I was pretty sure I didn't hear the Arabic version but I heard the song  and I know it very well. I went searching for the Japanese version, and when I heard I knew that was the one I remember. Why I know the Japanese version, not the Arabic? and why I don't even remember the anime when I'm pretty sure I know the theme song? That remains a mystery to me. My assumption is that they used to show it on Egyptian TV a million years ago and they kept the Japanese version of the theme song, something they did sometimes, and I watched then but I can't remember, which, I still insist, is weird. What supports the assumption is that I remember a teeny-tiny part of the animation, the one with the girl and the too many photos. Anyway I chose the theme to be in my top 50 since I can still remember it, though I don't remember the anime. I must've liked it so much, and I still like it now.

42)  "ALONES" by Aqua Timez - Bleach Opening theme no. 6

            That was the first time I hear Aqua Timez, and with Kon singing in the video, the song felt weird and comical, but not comical in the same time. It was supposed to be an opening for a dark theme and it implied that, except for singing Kon. Bleach always did weird things with their opening and ending themes. However, I liked it, it became one of my favorite Bleach openings, and I like the song.

41) "Sakura Mitsu Tsuki" by SPYAIR - Gintama Opening theme no. 13

            I am not sure, if I should place it this late in the list since it's so good, but there'll be loads of Gintama opening themes in the list, and It wouldn't be right if I didn't place one in today's 10 and that was it. It was the opening for the brilliant "Courtesan of a Nation", one of my favorite Gintama arcs. It has some serious atmosphere, which is rare in Gintama opening themes, It's nice though, and the song is so good.


           Those were today's 10 Opening themes; and I kind of failed -_- I couldn't exactly order them, however let them be that way. See you tomorrow and another 10 Opening themes.