Top 5 Anime Openings for Rock Lovers

5. 「THE WORLD」 by NIGHTMARE – Death Note Season 1 & What’s up, People?! by MAXIMUM the Hormone – Death Note Season 2

I put these together and put them at the bottom of the list partially because they’re so well known, but truly, I’ve yet to find an anime that has both openings become so iconic to the anime. Truly, the intros to both seasons are fantastic and truly encapsulate every viewer’s “Death Note” experience.

Seriously, everybody who’s viewed Death Note can remember these two songs. They broke the anime sphere in 2006, and truly became synonymous with “Death Note” itself.

“What’s Up, People?!” is truly awesome to blast when you just don’t wanna give a f*ck anymore, you know?

2. 『Monokuro no Kiss』 / Monochrome Kiss by Sid – Black Butler Season 1

The hit in this opening when we start seeing Sebastian’s demon-powers as he protects and fights alongside Ciel is the perfect drop. As someone who watched so much of Black Butler in middle school (too much, if I’m honest) none of the intros hit like this one did.

It also helped me sit down and learn a lot of vocabulary for Japanese, fun fact! I highly recommend that method if you want to simply sit down and learn vocab.

But honestly, can we acknowledge yet how awful the Season 1’s animation was…? No? Too early?

Also, why is it so hard to find the intro on Youtube? What’s goin’ on there?

3. CORE PRIDE by UVERworld – Blue Exorcist Season 1

Blue Exorcist was a staple of many anime fans’ middle school years. You follow Rin Okumura, who discovers that his flashy exorcist father isn’t his real father. If you thought you had daddy issues, Rin’s doesn’t compare, because dad is quite literally the devil.

Rin isn’t the only child though; his twin brother, Yuuji, may also hold a bit of that power, no?

Regardless, after the death of their adopted dad and Rin’s demon-power awakening, the twins enroll at an Exorcist Academy to train to get rid of the demons that plague the world and took their father away. But a secret plan initiated by the academy shows that something isn’t quite right with their methods…

The intro hits every time I hear it, and is the epitome or the early-2010’s rock anime intros!

2. Yoru wa Nemureru kai? / Can you sleep at night? by flumpool – Ajin Season 1

While it was heavily criticized for being one of the first anime to utilize 3D animation all the way back in 2014, the story of Ajin is, in my opinion, fantastic. If you can’t stand the animation, I highly recommend reading the manga, Ajin: Demi Human.

In this world, there are a few beings called “Ajin” — used with the characters “亜”, meaning “inferior” or “Sub”, “and “人”, meaning “human” or “person”. Quite literally, it translates to “Inferior person”.

Ajin are beings that for some reason or another (which is explored in the anime), they cannot die. No matter how many times you shoot them, burn them, they overdose, or try to end their own lives. Kei, our high-school protagonist, learns this about himself when he gets hit by a truck in front of a large crowd and comes back to life before their very eyes. His friends quickly turn on him, trying to turn him in for a cash reward, and with nowhere left to turn, he’s forced to run away.

If you thought that was the end, oh no — what we then learn is that Ajin are actually being experimented on by governments all around to world, and a few who have escaped are plotting a terroristic rebellion against the world. Who does Kei choose? The very government that wishes to imprison him for life, or the Ajin just like him, who don’t care how many they kill in the process while seeking revenge?

Regardless, the intro slaps.

1. THE HERO!! ~Ikareru Ken ni Honō o Tsukeru~ // The Hero!! Set Fire to the Furious Fist by JAM Project – One Punch Man Season 1

This list wouldn’t be complete without the iconic “ONE PUUUUUUUNCH!” shout in the beginning of this intro.

I have to be honest, I didn’t skip this intro a single time because I wanted to hear that shout every time. One Punch Man skyrocketed into popularity in the mid-2010’s, with famous internet personalities like Jacksepticeye even mentioning how much he enjoyed season 1.

However, unfortunately, the following season of One Punch Man had less support. After J.C Staff got involved, it feels as though the quality, fight scenes, and highs of the series just didn’t match its predecessor.

Honorable Mentions:

Stand Proud – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Season 3 Part 1

So iconic, many people know this intro despite never seeing JJBA! It didn’t make the list simply because there are so many Jojo’s seasons, one of them is likely to be rock-inspired.

Kaikai Kitan / Cycle of Mystery – Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1

Jujutsu Kaisen became a classic as soon as it aired! The only reason it didn’t make the list is because the vocals don’t quite go as hard, but the instrumental is peak-rock!

Let Me Hear – Parasyte: The Maxim

This series didn’t quite make the list, simply because many people find the overly tuned vocals to be annoying, despite how much the intro slaps overall.

Song of the Dead – Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

It didn’t make the list because it feels like they could’ve gone a little more grunge or gritty in the intro, but it makes sense if you’ve seen the series; after all, despite being a Zombie anime, Zom 100 is quite comedic!

Conclusion

There are tons of rock anime intros, as it became much more popular in the late 90’s up through the 2010’s to use J-rock bands. Since then, we’ve seen a wave of new music in Japan, now inspired by Kpop in intros like Death Parade, the Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Intros, Oshi no Ko, and even the Buddy Daddies intro.

What do you all think? What are some awesome intros we missed? Let us know in the comments below!

Stay tuned, as we might do a more niche list for rock lovers later on!

Check out our other toplists here on LAN:
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Top 10 Most Iconic Tsundere Characters Of All Time Ranked
Top 5 Greatest Scenes From Attack On Titan