One of them is the Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan ED. Evan Call’s composition there is magical.
I’ve never seen anyone mention it, so I’ll say the ending for Kyokai no Kanata (Beyond the Boundary). It’s so good, and the way they lead into it at the end of the episode is great. Unfortunately you don’t see that part in the linked video.
https://animethemes.moe/anime/kyoukai_no_kanata/ED-NCBD1080
Recently, the ending for How Raeliana Ended Up in the Duke’s Mansion. Again, the way they lead into it every episode is great. And the one episode where they changed the song got me super emotional unexpectedly.
https://animethemes.moe/anime/kanojo_ga_koushaku_tei_ni_itta_riyuu/ED1
Alternate song (pretty big spoilers in this one): https://animethemes.moe/anime/kanojo_ga_koushaku_tei_ni_itta_riyuu/ED2
Honorable mention: All of the Eureka Seven OP/EDs. I wouldn’t quite say they’re underrated, but since the show is almost 20 years old now I’m guessing a lot of people haven’t seen them.
Kyoukai no Kanata ED drops even more powerfully in the film version.
Paranoia Agent’s OP and ED are creepy and really good. Probably not underrated but I don’t know anyone else IRL who’s seen it.
I also really like Haibane Renmei’s ED.
Susumu Hirasawa also did the OP and ED to Kon’s Paprika and I haven’t managed to find clips of him performing any of Paranoia Agent live, his live shows look like a trip with him performing with a laser controller
Synchronicity! Months later, I’m listening to a video essay about Paranoia Agent, as I search Lemmy for any actual discussions about Haibane Renmei!
I hope anime discussions (in general) become more popular in Lemmy. It’s hard to start topics as someone who mostly watches old stuff but it’s nice to know there are people interested in these around here!
I’ve been tempted to post an Old Anime Discussion thread. I don’t keep up with what’s new, because I like to watch an entire series at once before starting another one, so I mainly stick to older shows. I super don’t watch new episodes weekly unlike most anime fans.
I miss the other website, where I could read through years of discussions about shows like Shinsekai Yori and Mushishi. The more time passes, the more I feel like breaking the strike and posting there again.
Not really sure what qualifies as underrated/overrated,… BUT in terms of things I can find on YouTube and general sense of amount of discussion I’ve seen,… I think the OPs get more attention than the EDs of these series when I’ve tended to like the EDs better
Seisenshi Dunbine’s ED because power ballads are fun
Gundam IBO S1’s ED feels James Bondy with the swung feel and the strings (incidentally Aria the Origination’s OP Spirale, also great, kinda feels James Bondy to me but more for the chromaticism,… ANYWAYS)
and yeah, this was a stacked season (with competition like Bocchi the Rock) but I think my favorite ED of that season was Do It Yourself’s ED because of its ultimate comf (kinda gives me the same feel as Nichijou’s first ED)
Seisenshi Dunbine’s ED because power ballads are fun
If you haven’t seen it, check out L-Gaim’s OP 1st OP as well. Same singer, great power ballad vibe.
Edit: oh, hey, and 0083’s “Men of Destiny”, too!
Honestly, MIO / MIQ should have been the fifth (sixth?) Knight Saber.
I love the opening song of Ergo Proxy. And the opening sequence, by the time, was on par with the new Trigun’s one.
I wouldn’t call paranoid Android underrated. It is a very popular song off the widely praised OK Computer Radiohead album.
Paranoid Android was the ED. The OP was Kiri.
Ah, my bad. I got it mixed up!
One I never see mentioned anywhere is the ED for Asterisk War. Mediocre show but you get to hear Maaya Sakamoto sing in English.
Underrated or good? Because I have no idea how people on large perceive or rate ops/eds.
I don’t believe I’ve seen much discussion of the ED for Tonari no Seki Kun (https://youtu.be/oIKB7i6fcmk), and it is amazing.
Cowboy Bebopesque
Big brassy 1950s style jazz. Love it.
Serial experiments Lain ED is one of the most underrated ones. Even its lyrics hit deep. Kinda addicted to this song for a few weeks now.
You should check out the rest of the album. Bôa Twilight iirc.
The ending of Asobi Asobase. Actually, scratch that, the whole anime is underrated as hell!
The ending of Konosuba S1, both OPs and EDs of Kumodesu, specially the EDs. And that Naruto ending retelling Obito’s life too.
Just off the top of my head.
Oh, and I linked the anime version of all those songs, but you REALLY have to hear all of Kumodesu’s ED1 for the full experience.
Asobi Asobased
Asobi Asobase OP: What the girls think they are Asobi Asobase ED: What they really are
Anyway, I agree with you. The KonoSuba EDs in general are too underrated. Like hell, everyone remembers the iconic Kimi to mita sekai from the first OP (“fantastic dreamer”) and the opening beat from the second OP (“Tomorrow”), but they seem to forget the calm EDs.
Yeah, the second ED is very good too, and even the ED of the Megumin anime was that kind of ED that really grew on me, but, for me at least, the first ED was that kind of ED that just couldn’t be surpassed, like Clannad’s dango ending!
I love how Asobi Asobase flips the “hype OP/calm ED” trope around, and it fits like a glove. Every episode starts calm and normal like the OP, but then it slowly slips further into pure insanity and by the time the episode ends, the ED fits the mood perfectly haha.
Blame Hanako for that slip into insanity 😂
I really like Ancient Magus’ Bride OP1. Junna just belts that song and when it comes back at the end of the first half of the season, it fits so well
In/Spectre Season 2’s OP, Yotogibanashi, doesn’t get nearly enough attention, much like the show itself.
Absolutely. It’s a shame the first season’s pacing was such a mess, I’d imagine many people who dropped it or decided to skip the second season due to it would have enjoyed it immensely more than the first one.
People who didn’t like the first season’s pacing probably have had their attention spans whittled down to nothing. I loved the first season. Iwanaga is such a great protagonist and I loved the themes explored in her battles against the main antagonist and in her attempts to solve the other cases.
@Kryomaani @Ghostc1212 I actually enjoyed season one and then got bored in the first ep of s2. Does it get better?
Season 2 does get better. Episode 1 is mostly for recap purposes. The low budget for season 2 does really show during one of the arcs but if you can ignore it, then the story is great. Season 2 isn’t like season 1, where there’s one overarching antagonist. Instead, Iwanaga goes around solving different cases over a few multi-episode arcs. The format is basically the same though, and there’s still lots of talking.
I haven’t seen much recent anime, but as a connoisseur of funk I give my accolades to:
- Rosario Vampire s2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHojVhh6k40
- Space Dandy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZzSxLdLVp4
- Burst Angel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PAbRpzoEX8
