| When or where else are they going to list the credits of the people principally involved in working on it? That's standard before TV series of all kinds, not only anime. Just as credits are usually listed at the beginning and/or end of a film, often set to music or an artistic visual display with minimal to no dialogue. |
| For the same reason people say hello and goodbye, they're kinda like the anime equivalent of greetings and farewells. Most viewers enjoy watching them, to get their spirit up and down, and they can be reused multiple times, so less main content is required. |
| To -Credit the staff -Promote music -Being promoted by collaborating with famous musicians -Have the openings and endings serve as promotional material. Take in count that they are often used for the PVs. -Now we can add: going viral on social media. -Openings and endings, along with character songs and the whole soundtracks, make for good merchandise to sell later. No I never considered what you ask, but would be interesting to know about that. |
| title sequences are as old as film itself. you wanna give the audience the title, you wanna tell them who made it, and that's how credits started. so it's really not something that just popped into existence one day and then became the standard. it's never not been part of movies and TV shows. |
Yonahim_Zz said: I get this but it’s different from what I’m talking about , for example no openings have credits or just very few , and most of these credits are just displayed on black with some music at the end and that’s it But I’m talking about the songs and its own visuals and lyrics and animation and everything Series might not list credits there and only during the ending, but the point is that having some form of introductory segment, from what I'm aware, has always been done for most TV series of all kinds. Anime as TV series started in 1961 and one of the first and the one to really make it big was the original Astro Boy in 1963, which had an opening/introductory segment. So it's never really not been a thing in TV-aired anime to my knowledge. |
| To signal to the viewer that the anime is starting and closing. |
| I bet you ask why water is wet as well. |
| I don't care about why there are openings and endings. I simply enjoy watching it. Sometimes the openings and endings are more enjoyable than the actual shows themselves. |
| Here is my Pixiv account of my hentai drawings..... https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/104739065 Here is my blog.... https://theendofindustrialcivilization.blogspot.com/?m=1 |
| Animating a full minute worth of stuff is expensive. TV Slots are what, a little over twenty minutes per episode? What if I told you I can make one OP and one ED and then reuse those 3min of animation in every of my episodes? We'll save so much money on making these anime! And that's how uncle Tezuka sold it to the people paying for anime and people kept doing it like that ever since. |
| Even shows over here have at the very least some sort of opening. Japan just chooses to go all out with it. Pretty sure the longer openings are due to Japan having fewer commercials. As for why they're there in the first place, basically to hit a certain runtime. It's also why you'll see a recap at the beginning of some episodes. Ever notice that some episodes actually do start without an opening song? Just credits over the opening scene. It's because that episode has enough content without it. |
| Monkeys dance to music therefore music should be in everything. |
Reply to TransferUser
Animating a full minute worth of stuff is expensive. TV Slots are what, a little over twenty minutes per episode? What if I told you I can make one OP and one ED and then reuse those 3min of animation in every of my episodes? We'll save so much money on making these anime!
And that's how uncle Tezuka sold it to the people paying for anime and people kept doing it like that ever since.
And that's how uncle Tezuka sold it to the people paying for anime and people kept doing it like that ever since.
| @TransferUser 30 minutes, including commercial breaks. Yeah, it must be a way to fill the timeslot with recycled animation. |
| It's a really good way for music artists to get widespread exposure. Or to summarize the premise of the show to new viewers. |
  |
Yonahim_Zz said: As title says .. I’ve always wondered why everything has an openings and an endings? I mean why is it “ Music “ that starts everything ? Whether it’s a cartoon or live series or an anime or anything produced from any country on earth … how did this start ? Who came up with this idea and why ? Isn’t it kinda cool and weird that this worked on almost every project ever made? That they start and end with a song ? Don’t get me wrong ! I adore songs and I’m so happy we can listen to many many musics and songs just because a certain series exists But I never understood how it started and if anyone else ever thought it’s kinda weird ? Starting something with a song and ending it with a song and tadah you get an ep in between! I mean it’s not like it will be weird if an ep just started and ended without openings and endings , cause a lot of projects are like this Do you guys get what I mean ? Have it ever crossed your mind how did this start and why and when ? Japanese Anime is an industry. Like all industries it's all about making money, where part of this industry is a sub-industry in itself which involves even music to specifically be produced solely for the Anime sometimes, just like western prime-time sitcoms have done since their inception. It's particularly a hallmark for just general media entertainment produced for broadcasting. The more catchy the tunes/songs the more people will remember and think about the programing.... As a random example, I barely remember much about what happened in the Japanese Anime "Queen's Blade" when I watched it back in the very late 2000s, but the one thing that has completely stood out in my head even over a decade and a half later is the freaken OP beginning verse of the theme song that I can basically recite from memory... "kagatakure hikari yo mayoi o uchikeshite... yoake ga kuru no nara osorezzu ni kono doa o hirakou..."♪... lol |
ColourWheelMay 2, 3:52 PM
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Reply to Zarutaku
For the same reason people say hello and goodbye, they're kinda like the anime equivalent of greetings and farewells.
Most viewers enjoy watching them, to get their spirit up and down, and they can be reused multiple times, so less main content is required.
Most viewers enjoy watching them, to get their spirit up and down, and they can be reused multiple times, so less main content is required.
| @Zarutaku I think most people prefer or watch openings over endings instead of both. It's kinda obvious since opening are at the start while endings at the end. So once the endings starts, people stop the video and/or watch post-credits scenes. The only time the ending is rarely not skipped is when the episode is still ongoing and the ending music starts. Doesn't help people who play AMQ tend to play only openings since they are not too many for a show unlike a ending which some has 7 or 8 even if its a 1-cour. |
| BANZAI NIPPON. Nippon is the Land of freedom. Nippon is the Land of Peace. Nippon is the Land of Justice and Prosperity. In Nippon, we trust. We love Nippon, we love Anime. Anime love us, Nippon love us. 日本 I believe in freedom of expression. |
| I only listen to openings like most people. I avoid endings cuz AMQ and songs tend to be inferior to the opening. And they exist cuz music is cool. |
| BANZAI NIPPON. Nippon is the Land of freedom. Nippon is the Land of Peace. Nippon is the Land of Justice and Prosperity. In Nippon, we trust. We love Nippon, we love Anime. Anime love us, Nippon love us. 日本 I believe in freedom of expression. |
| It's a legitimate question, I'd be also interested in knowing why OPs/EDs play such a big role in anime. I don't think the answer is exactly obvious, as many here seem to think. When I got into anime I did find the concept of OPs and EDs strange and kind of refreshing. Yes, Western TV also have openings, but they usually don't draw attention to themselves with big-name singers composing a song specifically for the show. Many are licensed tracks or just instrumental. And they often don't have endings, instead just rolling credits over black. As far as I know, anime is the exception rather than the norm for having OPs and EDs that have so much effort put into them. |
| I learned that from an eastern-european anime event lecture more than half a decade ago: Having 3 minutes that you only have to animate once to pad time (And that would later help you by being funded by the music industry) is pretty nice. |
Reply to ToumaTachibana
@Zarutaku I think most people prefer or watch openings over endings instead of both. It's kinda obvious since opening are at the start while endings at the end. So once the endings starts, people stop the video and/or watch post-credits scenes. The only time the ending is rarely not skipped is when the episode is still ongoing and the ending music starts. Doesn't help people who play AMQ tend to play only openings since they are not too many for a show unlike a ending which some has 7 or 8 even if its a 1-cour.
Nurguburu said: Doesn't help people who play AMQ tend to play only openings since they are not too many for a show unlike a ending which some has 7 or 8 even if its a 1-cour. What kinds of AMQ rooms are you even into? I'm lucky if the ones I find choose to not include inserts. |
Reply to perseii
It's a legitimate question, I'd be also interested in knowing why OPs/EDs play such a big role in anime.
I don't think the answer is exactly obvious, as many here seem to think. When I got into anime I did find the concept of OPs and EDs strange and kind of refreshing.
Yes, Western TV also have openings, but they usually don't draw attention to themselves with big-name singers composing a song specifically for the show. Many are licensed tracks or just instrumental. And they often don't have endings, instead just rolling credits over black.
As far as I know, anime is the exception rather than the norm for having OPs and EDs that have so much effort put into them.
I don't think the answer is exactly obvious, as many here seem to think. When I got into anime I did find the concept of OPs and EDs strange and kind of refreshing.
Yes, Western TV also have openings, but they usually don't draw attention to themselves with big-name singers composing a song specifically for the show. Many are licensed tracks or just instrumental. And they often don't have endings, instead just rolling credits over black.
As far as I know, anime is the exception rather than the norm for having OPs and EDs that have so much effort put into them.
perseii said: It's a legitimate question, I'd be also interested in knowing why OPs/EDs play such a big role in anime. I once asked people on /a/ how to explain the concept of an OP/ED to normies, and people told me to kill myself. |
| Why is there openings and endings? Why aren't there beginnings and closes? BE/CL instead of OP/ED? |
 |
| That's not just an anime thing. That's just TV in general. |
| If I had to choose between One Piece and a girlfriend...I think I'll go with One Piece |
| I guess it can hype you up for the episode to come and let you mellow out to a nice chill ending. It probably also helps with reaching more people, a lot of individuals will see the opening song and get hyped to actually watch the enemy. Big business at work I think. 🤔 |
 |
| Many anime become iconic simply because of their OPs and Ed's, they are A Signature Identity of an anime.They Setting the Tone of the anime and show the viewers what to expect going forward |
| It's probably that the pionieers of anime in post-war Japan took heavy inspiration from Disney's and Warner Bros' cartoons, which already had a large focus on being very musical-like. This evolved into having ops/eds with their own songs starting from the 1960s and then moved from "traditional" performances by male singers or kids' choirs in the 80s. |
| Because releasing the songs makes a lot of money. And the animators get to flex and be creative with something that isn't just recreating manga panels |
Reply to Yonahim_Zz
@Retro8bit @@thewiru @@perseii @colourWheel @MelodyOfMemory @FanofAction @TransferUser @CaptainKenshiro @Zarutaku @zckfox
Thanks guys , I appreciate all your answers and politeness
Some people made me think I’m stupid for asking this question while they actually didn’t get my point the way I hoped they would get it
( some random flowers for nice people)
Thanks guys , I appreciate all your answers and politeness
Some people made me think I’m stupid for asking this question while they actually didn’t get my point the way I hoped they would get it
( some random flowers for nice people)
| @Yonahim_Zz Some people get heated up by some questions alright. You're welcome, hope that helped. |
| I'm going to take a historical take on this question. Openings and endings are not tied to anime only, they are part of a broader tradition. From the rhythmic chants of shamans calling on spirits, to the formal “Once upon a time…” of fairy tales, and the epic invocations of the Odyssey, humans have always framed stories with recognizable beginnings and conclusions. These frames help set the tone, guide emotionally, and prepare us for delving into the story — much like anime openings are often dynamic to introduce themes and characters, while endings often deal with nostalgic vibes and make the series memorable. Even in café storytelling (I see you - random Genshin's Liyue NPC), or public squares, the storyteller creates a mood or a rhythm — sometimes with music or gesture — to invite the listeners into a world of tales and signal when they are exiting it. Generics are born out of cinema and TV invention during the last century, but the opening and ending theme are still present behind it. They just added a multimedia layer where you can get cool animated pictures with music. |
   There is only one truth in this world かわいいは正義 Also, robots are your friends ✿❀(*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟ⋆˚✿˖° Check our anime affinity, Senpai! Fellow cute girl lovers FR accepted. Watch NGNL, ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ you bastard~~desu Yuri is life. Now, break a sweat. ★May the stars shine upon you.★ |
| @Yonahim_Zz I'll admit, I did that thing where I was answering the title more so the actual post, so I don't feel like I really gave that good of an answer looking back on it. I hate doing that, but I guess I was feeling lazy. Honestly, never really fully looked into why they use music or when it started, but I figure it's similar to why commercials use jingles. Music of any kind can impact how you feel about something, for better or for worse. In both cases the intention is to get you hooked into something. Shows want to set the mood to get you to keep watching, just like jingles want you to consume the product associated with them. That's pretty much why music is used in media in general. Get you hyped, for lack of a better term. |
FanofActionMay 3, 9:09 AM
| Because music good. Serious answer: Probably partly due to tradition, and then there's all the other considerations that other people have cited. The reasons range from mood-setting for the audience to having long-standing mutually-beneficial relationships with record companies. And even padding time, lol. Though, there certainly are some anime works that don't use opening themes and/or ending themes. I like them but I won't say they're obligatory. |
| Avatar character is Gabriel from Gabriel DropOut. |
 I can't pinpoint nor do an extensive research on this but from my understanding it's mostly used on animated shows to associate thematic soundtracks and repetitive nature of the opening to the series. the western market on animation heavily relies on repetitiveness, aren't willing to change it for fear of losing branding. japan kinda followed suit with the format of an opening and an ending theme to display accreditation and characters but since they were limited with the amount of episodes and instability of shows continuing and the relentless pursuit of newer adaptations after another, they were forced to make different openings and endings. And i think the innovation comes from the audience's reception to it. certain opening shows garnered many cultural followings that affected sales. musicians gained more from these collaborations. they can use the opening songs repeatedly on conventions, commercials, marketing pursuits. And with each new major arc of the series, the setting is different, other characters get introduced so they make a new one to signify such change. it was a working entertainment strategy that benefitted the franchise and omitting one wouldn't have been.  its just a theory game theory but with the meddling of streaming services taking some financial/business part of shows nowadays. more creative and mature openings are being made (Great Pretender and Edgerunners). I gotta give it to anime tho, they literally don't have to do it with how some non-anime shows is just straight up text from a black background. sometimes its even faster, like they really don't give a flying fuck who made it, japan does and its what i can respect them for.  |
Reply to Yonahim_Zz
@Retro8bit @@thewiru @@perseii @colourWheel @MelodyOfMemory @FanofAction @TransferUser @CaptainKenshiro @Zarutaku @zckfox
Thanks guys , I appreciate all your answers and politeness
Some people made me think I’m stupid for asking this question while they actually didn’t get my point the way I hoped they would get it
( some random flowers for nice people)
Thanks guys , I appreciate all your answers and politeness
Some people made me think I’m stupid for asking this question while they actually didn’t get my point the way I hoped they would get it
( some random flowers for nice people)
| @Yonahim_Zz Of course! In my eyes there is no such thing as a dumb question. Anything can be discussed and analyzed when viewed from the right perspective. 🙂 |
|
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