One of the coolest aspects of anime is that it provides us with cool openings, as some of them are even sung by Kpop artists. Opening songs are responsible for introducing us to the main aspects of the anime arcs creatively. Most of the time, it hypes us and makes us eager to watch further episodes. Sometimes there are many easter eggs hidden in the opening theme songs. Sometimes it shows us images that turn out to be a “prank”, for instance, the opening of Jujutsu Kaisen’s First Season (if you know, you know). There are also openings that cannot be skipped no matter what. Regardless, anime openings can be considered one of the great aspects when it comes to anime.
These openings often trap the emotions we feel when we first watch the anime within the songs that can be felt years later when the songs are listened to again. For instance, the song “Sign” by Flow is enough to make any Naruto fan tear up. However, the most loved songs are perhaps those that are sung by one’s favorite artist. J-pop and J-rock have always given us cool openings, but with the rise in K-pop, there are more K-pop artists singing openings for upcoming anime. However, this hasn’t really been something new as there have been a few K-pop artists that have sung songs for anime before. In this article, we will be looking into ten artists that have sung songs for anime openings.
“We Are” And “Share the World” By TVXQ (One Piece)
One Piece is one of the most famous anime that is watched by almost every anime watcher out there. It is one of the longest-running anime. Thus, it has many Episodes. It tells us the story of a boy named Monkey D. Luffy, who accidentally eats a fruit that grants him a body made of rubber. Not only this, but he also has the goal of traveling and finding the treasure called One Piece. With this, he wishes to be the King of the Pirates and works his way towards becoming so. Like any shounen protagonist, Luffy faces many challenges and comes across many friends and foes throughout his journey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRaoYuRKBaA
The K-pop group TVXQ has provided three songs for the anime. This group consists of two members named U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. They are managed under SM Entertainment and have been a part of the 2nd Generation of K-Pop groups for more than 17 years. TVXQ has been famous in Japan too since its debut but is known as Tohoshinki in Japan. They have sung the most famous as well as most loved opening for the anime, which is opening 1. Since this is the first opening, it can definitely give its listeners a wave of nostalgia.
“Change” By J-min (Hanasakeru Seishounen)
Hanasakeru Seishounen is an interesting anime from the romance genre. It tells us the story of a young girl named Kajika Louisa Kugami Burnsworth. Being the only daughter, Kajika was sent to a remote island to be raised as “Maria” after the death of her mother. When she returned, she was given the task of choosing a husband for herself. However, the candidates selected by her father do not know that they are the candidates as well as are equally intellectual and charming. Kajika then tries to discover who can be the perfect partner for herself.
Singer, as well as Musical Actress, Oh Jimin, or J-Min, first sang the song “Change” for the opening of this anime. J-Min first debuted in Japan before debuting again in South Korea as a Kpop Artist J-Min was managed by SM Entertainment, one of the most famous Labels in South Korea. Her opening song perfectly captures the romantic as well as dramatic vibes of the anime. The opening was not only appreciated by her fans but also by the people who were not a part of her fandom. She was highly praised for her soothing vocals by the anime viewers.
“Hakanaku Tsuyoku” By Younha (Kiba)
The anime Kiba introduces us to not only an interesting story but also an intriguing character. In the anime, Zed is taken through a dimensional shift in his quest to find some meaning and purpose in life. This shift causes him to land in a war-torn dystopian world. Not only this, but he gains powers to control monsters known as “Spirits”. Along with his powers, he then tries to learn more about what exactly happened to him as well as continue his quest to find out his purpose in life.
The second opening of the anime was sung by the Kpop artist Younha. Like J-min, she debuted in Japan and a year later in South Korea. She is very popular in Japan and has been nicknamed “Oricon Comet” because of her success. She has also provided her vocals for soundtracks for the anime Bleach. This soundtrack named “Houkiboshi” was instantly a hit in Japan. She has also been a very active artist in recent times and has also collaborated on a song called “Winter Flower” featuring RM of BTS.
“Masayume Chasing” By BoA (Fairy Tail)
A great thing about anime with many episodes is that by Opening 3 we are already attached to the characters, and by Opening 15, we consider these characters to be a part of our “anime family”. Fairy Tail is one such anime that has many Episodes wherein the characters grow on you. It tells us the story of a world full of magic and mythical creatures. In this world, Natsu Dragneel is on a quest to look for his adoptive father. Natsu, along with his friends, come across many situations that make them form many bonds with each other as well as others.
The Queen of K-pop BoA, or Kwon Bo-ah, has sung the chilling as well as emotional opening 15, Masayume Chasing. The lyric to the song is something that not only acknowledges the feeling of being lost but also encourages one to move forward on the lost path. The song seems to reflect the conflicts as well as relate to the main characters of its respective story arc.
“Brand New Days” By Apink (Rilu Rilu Fairilu)
Rilu Rilu Fairilu is an anime that is overall cute. It focuses on a magical fairyland with many fairy-like creatures living there. Each of these fairies is born from Fairilu seeds and represents flowers or insects and so on. The anime has three seasons with interesting stories. The main character, Lip, is a new flower fairilu. It focuses on her journey of learning the things around her as well as the friends she makes. Not only this, but it also introduces us to their relationship with the human world as they try to mature as fairies.
Apink has provided their vocals for the theme song “Brand New Days”. The K-Pop group, formed under IST Entertainment, consists of Park Chorong, Yoon Bomi, Jeong Eunji, Son Naeun, Kim Namjoo, and Oh Hayoung. The theme song matches the colorful vibes of the anime very well.
“Breaking Dawn” By Jaejoong Kim (Noblesse)
Noblesse introduces us to an interesting story. The main character Rai, short for Cadis Etrama Di Raizel, has been asleep for the last 820 years. He wakes up and finds that the world has technologically changed while he is asleep. Rai decides to adapt to this new world and meets many quirky people as well as his loyal butler, Frankenstein. However, although everything is new for Rai, he also faces new problems. Together with his new acquaintances, he fights against these problems. We are also taken into Rai’s past, which gives his character more depth.
Kim Jaejoong sang the opening for the anime adaptation of this manhwa. He is a former member of the previously mentioned K-pop group, TVXQ. Currently, he has been working as a solo artist and is not only a singer but also an actor and director. “Breaking Dawn” is an opening that introduces us to the characters really well. Jaejoong has also sung other openings as well as have been a part of the One Piece openings mentioned above.
“Neverland” By F.T. Island (Ozuma)
Ozuma is an anime that introduces us to a dystopian sci-fi world set in the future. In this world, we are introduced to the character Sam who is looking for Ozuma, the enemy of his brother. Since the planet is covered in sand because of some activities going on on the Sun, Sam faces many difficulties as he, along with the friends he makes, slowly unravels the mystery behind everything.
The opening for the anime was sung by the K-rock band called F.T Island. This band was formed in 2007 under FNC Entertainment. It currently consists of Lee Honggi, Lee Jaejin, Choi Minhwan, and Song Seunghyun. The song, along with the visuals, make a pretty good anime opening. The opening is sung in the English language.
“TOP” By Stray Kids (Tower of God)
Tower of God is one of the most read Webtoons. It tells us an interesting story of a Tower which has many dangers. However, climbing the tower can give one many rewards. We are introduced to the main protagonist, Bam, who climbs the tower not for any rewards but to find the person he cherishes the most, a girl named Rachel. While climbing the tower, he comes across many friends as well as foes who disguise themselves as friends. In this “survive or get killed” tower, Bam discovers that he has much more to do than just climb the tower and find Rachel.
This Webtoon has been adapted into an anime with one Season so far. The opening for the Season called “TOP” is sung by the K-pop group Stray Kids. The group consists of 8 members, formerly 9, consisting of Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. Woojin was the ninth member of the group but left due to some scandal. Stray Kids come from JYP Entertainment which is one of the widely sought entertainment for budding Kpop Artists. They have released many hit songs with their own unique style. Their song for the opening perfectly implies the excitement, as well as the tension Tower of God gives its audience.
“Forget Me Not” By ENHYPEN (Re-Main)
Re-Main is a new water sports anime that came out in 2021. Sports anime is definitely a genre that can inspire us in many ways. The story of Re-Main introduces us to a character named Kiyomizu Minato, who had to quit playing water polo because of an accident. However, he decides to take up the sport again in high school and start from scratch. He then joins the water polo team and makes new friends. Together they overcome many challenges.
ENHYPEN is a group from Belift Lab in collaboration with Hybe labels. They recently came forward in the k-pop scene and have also gained rapid popularity. ENHYPEN has been consistently good with every comeback. They consist of 7 members, namely, Heeseung, Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki. The opening to the anime is a perfect summer song that embraces hope and welcomes the idea of overcoming fears and accepting new changes. It perfectly fits with the theme of the anime. The lyric to the song perfectly blends in with Minato’s background and his courage to give the sport as well as himself another chance.
“Everlasting Shine” By Tomorrow X Together (Black Clover)
Black Clover is an anime that never misses with its opening themes. They have consistently been picking out good openings right from the first Episode. Black Clover is an anime that slowly grows on you with each Episode. It tells us the story of Asta and Yuno, who were abandoned in front of an orphanage. Living in a fantasy world full of magic, Yuno possesses powerful magic, while on the other hand, Asta doesn’t have a single “drop of magic”. Calling themselves each others’ rivals, they compete with each other in many ways to see who ends up being the Magic King of the Clover kingdom. Together they make many friends and foes as well as encounter many dangers.
The 12th opening of the anime, Everlasting Shine, was sung by the K-pop group Tomorrow X Together. Also known as TXT, the group consists of 5 members, namely Choi Soobin, Choi Yeonjun, Choi Beomgyu, Kang Taehyun, and Huening Kai. They are managed under Hybe Labels. TXT has gained rapid popularity for the songs they sing and have gained a lot of fans since their first debut. Everlasting Shine is definitely a song that goes well with the visuals the MV provides. It perfectly captures the visuals of the recurring characters as well as shows us how far Asta and Yuno have come together towards the end.
Also Read: Top 20 Anime Openings of All Time
