My favorite Anime Openings & Endings 2025

Ach ja, you know the drill. Another year, another giant batch of openings and endings for me to swoon over. This time, there are no changes to the formula, so instead, I recommend Sakuga Blog’s Breakdown of who actually works on them and why they look the way they do since recent years.

Overall, I think it was a good year, though looking at my notes, it seems to be a lot more lopsided towards OPs than EDs again. Not that I am one to complain. So like always, these are my favorite Anime Openings and Endings of 2025.

Anime Jukebox 2025

The Anime Jukebox returns this year, so here is a list of all the songs I really liked:

• Medalist OP – “BOW AND ARROW” by Kenshi Yonezu
• Cat’s♥Eye ED – “CAT’S EYE” by Ado
• Your Forma ED – “Neo-Luddite” by 9Lana
• Beyblade X ED3 – “Stay Gold” by Jax Jones, Ado
• To Be Hero X OP – “INERTIA” by SawanoHiroyuki​[nZk]:Rei
• To Be Hero X ED – “KONTINUUM” by SennaRin
• Witch Watch ED1 – “Find your magic” by Aooo
• Flower and Asura ED – “Rourou” by Satou.
• Dandadan Season 2 OP – “On The Way” by AiNA THE END
• Dandadan Season 2 ED – “Doukashiteru” by WurtS
• Digimon Beatbreak OP – “Mad Pulse” by MADKID
• City The Animation OP – “Hello” by Riho Furui
• Yaiba: Samurai Legend ED1 – “pineapple tart” by otoha
• The Summer Hikaru Died OP – “Saikai” by Vaundy
• The Summer Hikaru Died ED – “Anata wa Kaibutsu” by TOOBOE
• Kowloon Generic Romance OP – “Summertime Ghost” by Wednesday Campanella
• Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray OP – “Koeru” by [Alexandros]
• Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray ED – “∞” by Tomoyo Takayanagi
• Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective OP – “SCOPE” by Aimer
• This Monster Wants to Eat Me OP – “Sacrifice” by Yoshino
• The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 OP1 – “Hyakka Ryouran” by Lilas Ikuta
• Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX OP – “Plazma” by Kenshi Yonezu
• Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Arc OP – “IRIS OUT” by Kenshi Yonezu
• New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt ED – “Reckless” by m-flo, Adee A.

Openings

Before I properly start with the honorable mentions, I will take this opportunity to once again praise Orb, simply on the technicality that it aired in this year. As expected, it continued with the idea of adjusting the visuals, instead of changing to a completely new opening and the hindsight makes the earlier versions all the more better.

Starting with the Rom, the Com and the everything inbetween, some of this years sequels make a strong comeback: My Dress-Up Darling has a really cool motif with the different kinds of fabrics in the background going on, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You keeps running with its joke of an ever-expanding cast and Call of the Night brings back The Vibe™. For the new series, the opening for The Shiunji Family Children probably does a better job at characterizing its cast than the actual series and Watanare really shouldn’t be my kind of thing, but is also way too catchy for what should be a forgettable LN adaptation. If you want some good ol' youthful romance feelings, The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity got you covered in spades, Blue Box’s second opening keeps the #TeamHina delusions alive and Kowloon Generic Romance hits you with the idealized nostalgia, that is its version of the Kowloon Walled City.

For the shounen agenda, we are so back. One Piece, in its greed of biblical proportion, gets three new OPs, at least Gachiakuta’s OP isn’t all just trash and after the first one was rather disappointing, Sakamoto Days still got it with someone like Tetsuro Araki at the helm. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has fun with its classic comic book aesthetic, Yaiba: Samurai Legend is just plain fun and the new one for Dandadan is, you guessed it, actually a bit of everything. Not sure if Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray actually belongs here, but what is sport if not peak shounen and lastly, there is the special OP for episode 14 of Witch Watch, which is so vague in its iconography, that I am not sure if it is riffing on something specific or simply channels the broadest imagery one comes up with when thinking about battle series.

Then we have a plethora of just creative and pretty ones. Household names like Yamada and Ishitani blessed us with Anne Shirley and Witch Watch respectively, Science Saru goes even harder with their use of colors in Sanda, Sorairo Utility and Ruri Rocks are way more stylish and technically impressive than one would guess from anime about cute girls and what also rocks are the girls in Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty. For sheer animation behemoths, we have Takopi’s Original Sin, which deceitfully portrays the story from the perspective of the titular character, CITY The Animation is just a delight on all fronts, Zenshu gets to be fully self-indulgent in its own animation and I May Be a Guild Receptionist makes me wish the anime would be a lot more like the OP. And when we are already on the topic of light novel adaptations I don’t quite care about, Secrets of the Silent Witch makes its magic and world truly look magical, The Water Magician fills its characters full with life and Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle portrays its female cast of characters with all the nuance of its own internal narration. To Be Hero X has all the sauce with its different animation styles and the new Shoshimin: How to Become Ordinary cleverly uses its multi-medial approach to never show the main characters on the same layer, while Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective and This Monster Wants to Eat Me both have a lot more energy than their actual series. Lastly, From Bureaucrat to Villainess might be the dream of all people who wrongly believe that the OP should look like the actual anime at its best and The Summer Hikaru Died is… I ran out of ways to describe the openings… they are all just very good, trust me… and how could I forget See You Tomorrow at the Food Court’s two idiots recording their silly little dance for a TikTok, which probably only gets like three likes (I am two of them)?

For the last category, we have what I can only assume to be high-effort shitposts. My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In for Me! is a montage of memes, games and various pop culture references, which is way more fun dissecting than the actual story and Nukitashi the Animation (NSFW!) simply didn’t give a singular fuck and gave this sex comedy not just a banger song, but also animation that is way too clever and technically impressive than it has any right be. Unlimited Dildo Works is a crazy image, which I still have not properly processed.

And that’s all the honorable mentions and just general good quality openings I think this year has to offer. Without further ado, here are my best of the best of 2025.

One Piece Opening 26 – “ANGEL & DEVIL” by GRe4N BOYZ

I am not beating the One Piece allegations, am I? But why should I, if this series continues to give us peak for like the third year in a row? One thing the change in broadcasting enabled, is the ability to create a sequence for a smaller aspect of the story, in this case the story of Bonney and Kuma. The opening seconds are already filled with so much greatness: A series of first person shots showing a young Bonney reaching out for the sun before having to be confined in the church due to her illness, Sabaody Archipelago eventually being consumed by the flames of the Pacifistas and lastly falling into the water and being picked up by the strawhats. Luffy being a representation of the sun and reflected in her eye as Kuma doing the Nika dance is just the cherry on top of why she is such an integral part of the Egghead arc.

After some quick introduction of our main and supporting cast, it goes back to Bonney by letting her view the memories Kuma left behind: Her mother, Bonney slowly growing up and the letters that never reached her, only to be interrupted by the person that is the reason for her and her father’s suffering. Even the action climax kinda plays into the idea of the past by once again referencing the Nika dance, Kizaru and Sentomaru’s clashes giving a peak into their shared history with Kuma and Bonney and even Dragon gets to play a good father for once, by showing that he always had his son on his mind, as seen by him holding Luffy’s very first Wanted poster. Cap it all off with some more wholesome memories of Kuma and Bonney together, as well as Bonney in the present being finally able to relax on board the Thousand Sunny and I am more than happy what this OP achieves, while also not overstaying its welcome.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Opening 1 – “Hyakka Ryouran” by Lilas Ikuta

I kinda forgot to mention the second opening, huh? Anyway, while I like the mask and butterfly motif of that one, I think the first OP simply does a phenomenal job of making me realize what any of it means every few episodes, while also feeling coherent in the design language of the series as a whole. I mean, I can’t for the life of me identify flowers and their respective meaning, but everything else just seems right and a natural element of the world, despite being clearly constructed and abstracted. The beginning makes it really clear that light and reflections play a big part in this arc and Maomao always pointing to the final piece of a puzzle or its solutions are nice touches. The same can be said about the poisoned food she has no problems getting a taste of and the POV shots, which just feel so perfectly inline of her character as both an outside observer and unwilling main actor.

Where it really gets me, are the allusions to the individual mysteries. The poisoned hand upholding a white lily and the painting barely obscuring an already introduced character are so on the nose, that it is almost funny. Then there is the Former Emperor framed around blooming flowers and inside the belly of the Empress Dowager, which is straight up devious, once you know the context of that shot, and lastly, the barrage of doors, which will make a comeback at the very end of the OP. This all leads up to the montage of the consorts and envoy being framed as if mirroring oneself, with Maomao only realizing at the very end what is going on and the specifics of this resolution being so loaded, that honestly writing anything more will just spoil half the arc. We end on a compilation of items, which are key to certain scenes (absolutely hollering at the frog… if you know, you know) and the second coming of the doors, this time giving a clearer picture of why they might be so confusing, specifically for Jinshi and the current Emperor.

Overall, it is simply a great opening that has a lot of fun in framing its own mysteries in visually pleasing ways, while combining it with the solid character drama that accompanies the rest of the series.

Apocalypse Hotel Opening – “skirt” by aiko

The very thought of Yachiyo feeling lonely breaks my heart into a million pieces. Why is she dancing alone? Why does she look so sad, when the lights leave the foyer of the hotel? Why am I internally screaming uncontrollably every time this OP comes up?

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Opening – “IRIS OUT” by Kenshi Yonezu

Does this count? I mean, a separate sequence with a dedicated song? Sure, this is an opening! I am impressed by how much functional weight this OP pulls in such a short time. It closes the gap between the end of season one and the proper start of the Reze arc, while also giving everyone, for whom this is their first exposure to Chainsaw Man, a quick rundown of the most important characters and the kind of world this is. It is also just hilarious how Denji and Aki need to literally drag Power out of the apartment, as she tries to cling herself to everything she can, which plays nicely into the contrast with Makima’s seemingly perfect and almost performative morning routine. Another nice detail is that we never actually see Makima’s face for the entirety of the OP, but always know what see is looking at, which again goes neatly into how there is never a single moment where it feels like Makima is not watching. There are eyes and eye-shaped elements everywhere for those with the… well, eyes to see, though Makima stepping on a giant one right before the start of the chorus also works as a double entendre with the reference to the film technique of an iris out.

There are also just a lot of references to events that happen way after the scope of the movie: The DDR machine, the different kinds of chains in the background and most importantly the line of humans linking their hands together while Denji, Aki and Power (and Beam, now that I take a closer look) dance in the middle of it all. Superimposed on that is Denji being awestruck by Makima and in a later rendition by a montage of every female character in the series (and Angel)… it could also be every character that ever tried to kill him, but as the movie points out, one is just a subset of the other for what Denji is concerned and as his little daydream on the streetcar shows, not even in his imagination can he escape that fate. Lastly, it is absolute cinema. The horse carousel turning into The Horse in Motion is basically a given, considering how often the first season itself already used this motif, but it once again hammers home how Makima uses film as just another vehicle to manipulate and ensnare Denji, hypnotizing him in a way to pull his cord and unleash Chainsaw Man on her behalf.

Endings

For the endings, we obviously have to start with the dancing, partying and generally all the good time. For what it is worth, Catch Me at the Ballpark! and A Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof is the equivalent of jingling a keychain and flashing lights in front of my eyes and I am not afraid to admit that. Also, Matsuken Samba in From Bureaucrat to Villainess? Hell yeah! Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX gives us a moment of just Machu and Nyaan hanging, out that is otherwise so amiss in the actual series, New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is the perfect contrast to the utter chaos of their normal escapades and the cast of Dandadan takes a break to enjoy being normal students for a minute and a half. The cast of CITY The Animation actually takes a backseat in the ED and it gets hijacked instead by all the animal and mascot characters. Lastly, Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc technically falls under the label of dance ED, though I am quite confident that it has a bit more of a dramatic and serious angle to it, than the rest here.

Next up, I want to shine some light upon all the more “simple” EDs. Sanda gives a glimpse into a world that children should be experiencing, instead of being sheltered from the little wonders of daily life. Meanwhile, Yaiba: Samurai Legend is probably the best execution of giving little bits of characterization through what is essentially just a slide show of in-universe social media images. The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You is just very pretty to look at, Ruri Rocks is low-key magical and Medalist is so wholesome.

For the more narratively dense entries, Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray is the microcosm of a girl that was born not to run, but does so anyways, because she is able to, To Be Hero X makes it a point on how different X is to all the other heroes in the Top 10 and Solo Leveling continues its run of making me question what could possibly happen in the story to justify these avant-garde sequences. Lazarus arguably does a better job telling its own story in these 90 seconds than its full 13 episodes and The Summer Hikaru Died only truly hits once you can place it along its timeline.

Lastly, the only reason why Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle is not in the main section, is because I feel like I simply don’t know enough about the source material to properly write about it. Not sure how meta the inclusion of an ambiguous mystery girl is in the year 2025, but considering how much this ED does for my perception of Chitose as a character, the one guy I consider so obnoxious, that I didn’t continue the light novels he is in, it absolutely deserves a main spot on the list.

And with that, we go to the one and only ED I have much to write about… sometimes, things just (not) happen a certain way.

One Piece Ending 21 – “The 1” by muque

I’m gonna be honest, this one gets a special shout out simply for being such a good companion piece to the opening and hitting you out of nowhere with an emotional gut punch that is hard to recover from. After everything Bonney had to go through, Kuma is there, finally being able to stand still after years of being forced to metaphorically run forward and the way it is revealed by her being able to go after him is simply *chef’s kiss*.

There are another two shots I really like: The first one is Kuma dissolving underwater inside a whale carcass, while Vegapunk succumbs to his own emotions and humanity, representing the moment the last bits of Kuma’s personality were erased to fully turn him into a weapon. The second one is a direct consequence of the first. With Bonney’s illness cured, the Sapphire Scale falls from her face and refracts all the memories she has from her father… man, One Piece is so good.

And that’s about it. I hope it was not too obvious that I ran out of steam writing this post almost immediately, but I still had fun with it and as long as I compile all theses OPs and EDs in the sheer hope someone will watch them, than I consider it a job well done. Until next year ^^.