Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and its sequel (Kai) are the best horror themed anything (anime, real life, whatever) that I’ve ever seen. They do the creepiness, the gore, the horror all very well, but what I think makes it stand out from everything else, is how they develop their characters and make you feel like you’re part of their crowd. When they suffer, you suffer with them. When they vainly try to break out from the horror they’re in, you’re pulling for them as if you’re in the same nightmare. When you get past the guro fanboys cries for bloodlust (and actually its reputation for gore is exaggerated, as it’s not a bloodfest by any means. Rather, Higurashi’s terror is created by what it chooses to not show), Higurashi’s greatness comes from how it treats its characters. This is illustrated perfectly in the OP for the Kai, the second season (or the answer arc).

The song’s called Naraku no Hana by Eiko Shimamiya, and it starts off with a somber tone with Rika in the forefront, and a seemingly new character in the background, while interspersing shots of the rest of the gang standing by their lonesome within the static bursts. It’s pretty straightforward symbolism. Without giving the story away, Kai is Rika’s story and the OP makes that clear. What really gets me about the song is at the :40 mark, the song picks up and we see Rika running, stumbling desperately across the water, reaching out for a helping hand that never comes. We see images of Rena, swaying disconsolately, tears in her eyes, quick images of the torture machines, and a young, crying Takano. I get chills everytime I see it. And the lyrics just fit perfectly (Hauu~ translation):

Come let us forget about the future
Ending up stained in blood again
If the soft wind coils up
That is probably a sign

Break free. Break free.
From your heart-wrenching fate
You are not a flower in hell
Don’t blossom in such a place
Don’t blossom there. Don’t blossom there.
Don’t get entangled
Fragments of time flutter without a sound

And while the sad parts are heart-wrenching, Kai is really also a story of hope and friendship and we see that in the end, with the gang together, crossing the bridge, Rika flashing a smile and later in the season, waving to Hanyuu to come join them.

It helps that it’s a great song, but I think this is a great example of what an OP can be when the music, the lyrics and the imagery come together really well to tell a story of its own.

I’ve decided to rate songs on chillworthiness (does it give you chills?) and on a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this a 10 in chillworthy.

This is bound to make it back in a favorites post at some point in the future, but I really like the new ED. It’s called Trust You by Yuna Ito. The song’s got a simultaneously somber, yet hopeful sound, which fits the show really well (plus no engrish!). And the producers do another great job of picking out really beautiful and poignant scenes to include with it.

I’ve been thinking about doing a post about my favorite 5 or so OPs and EDs, but then I thought, why limit it to 5? It changes as new shows come out, and as I check out older shows I’ve missed out on. So I figured I’d just make it an ongoing series.

Anime OPs and EDs are pretty unique. No one anticipates checking out the latest opening of the new season of 24. The same thought and effort just doesn’t go into picking songs on “regular” TV, that they do for anime.

I think OPs should have one goal: Basically, set the mood. If it’s an action show, it should pump you up. If it’s a psychological thriller, it should get you thinking. If it’s a comedy, it should pick you up and put you in the mood to laugh and have fun.

I don’t really know what EDs are supposed to do. Ideally, it should get you thinking or reflecting on the awesome episode you just watched (Gundam 00’s second ED, and Haruhi’s ED come to mind), or maybe cause you to forget that you just watched a crappy episode. But it seems like too many shows end with a slow song, playing over an uninteresting static or barely animated montage of images. It’s like they realize it’s their one shot at fitting in as many Ken Burns effects as possible. I don’t know, maybe it’s supposed to put you to sleep. Clearly, if you’re a musician, you want that opening slot.

So the songs I end up picking are by no means a be-all, end-all list of what’s good. It’s just a subjective review of what I like, based on my pretty general criteria above. So onwards we commence.

I love the Tales of the Abyss OP. It’s a song called Karma by Bump of Chicken (odd name, but whatever). There’s an instrumental version that’s played in the OP in the game, but it’s the lyrics and vocals that give it an extra bit of shine.

It helps that Karma is really a great song, but I like how they kick it off with the opening camera pan over Luke and Baticul, and the way they introduce the images of Asch and Luke, then show the rest of the heroes kicking ass. To digress for a second, I assume Baticul was based off of Minas Tirith, which may have been the coolest looking city ever. Then you get a little montage of scenes from the upcoming episode, before going to the bridge, which is my favorite part of the song. I think the lyrics, sound and the visuals just match up perfectly. I always get chills when the song eases out as Luke walks out into Tear’s garden and then goes back into overdrive, dropping us into the inevitable battle between Luke and Asch. The ending where they’re sort of just cycling through the bad guys loses its punch a little, but it doesn’t take away from the quality of the whole. It’s animated well, it pumps you up, and gives you some hints of what’s to come.

If I were to grade it, I’d give it 4.5 stars out of 5.