Even though this is a very opinionated list I had to give myself some guidelines to make it easier on myself.
1) I am only going off of how much of the song is provided in the opening of each respective show
2) How much does the song and opening cinematic hype you up in general/for the upcoming show. (basically how much do I want to watch the show after I watch the opening)
3) Is the song decent on its own
4) One song per show. (some shows have multiple)
5) unless otherwise stated, I will go off of the version of the opening that shows all Rangers
6) I am solely going off of the intro and not now the song was used in the show.
These rules were mostly put in place because of the stylized difference between early Showa Sentai themes and Heisei era theme songs. I personally believe that style greatly changed over time and creators began to utilize themes better later in the life of Super Sentai. As such, I feel with this, every Sentai has an equal and fair chance. I also decided on top 15 for this list since there are so many good themes that deserve attention to me so I thought I would broaden the list beyond a traditional top 10. Without further ado, let's get to it!
15: Shuriken Sentai Ninninger
I should mention early that quality of the show does not change how I feel about the opening of that show. I don't really care that much for Ninninger. I would describe the whole show as just okay. Not bad, not good, just okay. The opening for the show is an entirely different story, though. while the editing and cinematic seem, much like the show, just okay with a few notable fun bits, the song is really good. The fast pace and stylization are really good at building hype. In all honestly the song is really good on it's own but, to me that is not enough to carry it. Ninninger will usually have a soft spot and I will think the theme is good for a while, but there is more to it than just the song. This theme can't be my favorite since the hype and magic that came from the opening I only really got once or twice. Before too long the intro didn't have the same effect. Now I can only really see it as a pretty good and fun theme. If this is somebody's favorite I can easily see why. It is one of the best parts of the show, to me.
14: Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive
The best way I can describe this theme song is a call to action. I feel like I am cheering on the GoGoFive the entire way through the song. The song is certainly good at building hype, but it is not great at it. After watching this theme I greatly enjoyed it and was ready to watch the show, but only just enough. Many themes have this effect on me where I am only kind of hyped and everything was just okay. The theme and song is good but what really drops it down to the bottom of this list and what was the key factor in separating similar themes, was Hype. The GoGoFive opening is generally good but does not hype me up as much as just about every theme ahead of it on the list. I still must praise it, though. despite it not hyping me up, the cinematic was very well done and the whole thing had a sense of urgency to it. A good theme but didn't quite stick the landing with me, personally.13: Tensou Sentai Goseiger
Goseiger is one that, if I was only judging the song, would be much higher on the list. I genuinely like the hopeful tone of the opening theme. When the chorus rings and we hear that "Tensou!" it brings a smile to my face. that being sad I am not a fan of the opening cinematic. Everything is lit up too much, some parts are a bit too mundane for how good the song is and the way it is formatted is just like every sentai before it. There is nothing, to me, that sets apart the cinematic save for the really good song. I am probably overthinking it but I'd rather just listen to the song instead of watch the opening. The song on it's own hypes me up enough for the show, which has earned it a spot on here, but I can't get into an opening when I don't want to watch the opening and only listen to it.12: Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger
Just about everything the GoGoFive opening does, Dekaranger does it better. Once again this theme feels like a call to action with some good editing. I really like the song and cinematic fine, but there are parts of the song that seem odd to me. Particularly during the count from 1 to 5 some of the word choices seem odd to me. I like the rest of the intro a lot, though. Once again, this is just personal taste and I can see this theme being somebody's favorite as well! I am just a weirdo who gets distracted by out of place things easily.11: Uchu Sentai Kyuranger
10: Engine Sentai Go-onger
From here I have mostly good things to say about all of the intros. Heck it probably didn't sound like it but I really had to think why I like certain ones more than the others. Go-Onger has a similar problem as Goseiger but nothing is as bad. This song is a kicking tune that really gets me in a fun mood. It stands on it's own very well. The cinematic is good, but again very basic at parts. Doing things by the numbers can be a good thing if you have enough uniqueness in parts to separate you from the flock. Go-Onger's opening song and use of fast editing does set it apart but, unfortunately there are other openings that I just like a bit more. I only mean a bit thought....this was a close one.9: Samurai Sentai Shinkenger
I enjoy the song from Shinkenger just as much as I do the opening theme from Go-Onger but I gotta say I like it just a bit better because of the opening cinematic. The song is paced in a way like it is telling a story and the cinematic follows suit. While the intro does do things by the numbers, introducing characters, villains and displaying action scenes, etc, the magic comes in how it does it. Dekaranger did this well too. Putting the right clip in the right spot will help enhance the opening. I can watch the opening of Shinkenger and know it is about a Samurai team, heavy action is involved and there will be a fair amount of drama between them. So why is this so low on the list? I'm not the biggest fan of the samurai ascetic. So despite this intro being objectively good, my personal tastes kick in. Very deserving of praise though8: Himitsu Sentai Gorenger
I can already see the comments calling me a heretic or blasphemer for not putting this higher on the list than number 8. Thing is, this list is not objective. This list is my personal favorites as I rank them. The Gorenger theme is still well deserving of praise and is, arguably, the most recognizable of the themes. The Gorenger theme is catchy, fun and very cool. If this was a purely objective list I can almost guarantee this would be higher.The thing is, this is not my favorite theme. I like it a lot, but I don't get as hyped as other shows. I do get a lot more enjoyment and Hype out of this than other themes. I do feel similarly to this one as the GoGoFive theme. The cinematic is fun, but is very simple. That simplicity can be argued to be part of its charm, however. Honestly there is no part of this opening I hate, heck it hardly has that much wrong with it. I simply feel that other themes were a bit catchier or built up hype for the show a lot better
7: Gosei Sentai Dairanger
I will go out and say that I am not that into Dairanger, mostly because the first subtitled version I got was piss poor and made me question the writing. I have another, popular, version to watch but hey that's neither here nor there. Feelings of the show aside This theme is awesome. I immediately raised an eyebrow and moved focused when I heard the shout at the beginning and saw the dragon in the sun. The whole song is super stylized with Chinese influences and it fits the cinematic very well. While the song is not as much of a rock beat as I would prefer, the unique style is very well appreciated. Once again I have to botch this one to personal preference. This is a very well made opening and song. The style chosen is just not my favorite.6: Choujuu Sentai Liveman
Most of the song and theme for Liveman is very by the numbers and very basic. There are a few things it does so well that I just have to love it. Firstly, dialogue before the song starts, if done right, add a lot to the opening. The opening dialogue in Liveman does wonders to help set a tone and get me hyped. The song is a super upbeat, ready-for-anything beat. the cinematic is pretty well edited but the insanely strong start and catchy strong really elevates this song as one of my personal favorites. 5: ChÅjin Sentai Jetman
Much like Liveman, most of the theme for Jetman is very by the books. While Jetman doesn't have a super good lead in to the intro, like Liveman, it does have a song that is just as good and arguably better. Also while the style is pretty by the numbers, the action scenes in the intro stick out a lot more to me. It really was a toss up but I find myself appreciating consistency a tad more than one awesome part of a song. Even with that, there are openings I just like only a tad more.4: Juken Sentai Gekiranger
This theme is another great example of a properly used opening dialogue. the Buildup it offers is amazing. the whole song in the opening is fun and kicking the whole way. Couple that with a great cinematic and you have a VERY close contender for my favorite. The biggest advantage this song has is how well the song matches the imagery in the cinematic of the opening. I watch this and am always hyped to watch some kung-fu fun. I can't say anything really bad about it other than the eastern pop style is just not my favorite. It is till a rocking tune and the opening is very well done.3: Ressha Sentai Toqger
This song is way too awesome. The hype for this show goes from 0-60 as soon as you hear the first "Go for it!". The song mellows out a tad for the remainder but it never is too mellow. The whole song is very upbeat and very well edited. It builds hype fast and keeps it there fast. I will admit that it is easy to see people not liking how mellow it can get and just not getting into the song as much as I do. I have a huge soft spot for this show and opening I can't quite get over. Everything about the show exceeded my expectations and the theme song is no exception. I had to take the opening on its own merits and ask myself which one I like better, though. When I thought about it, I still really like the opening theme but there were 2 in particular that I like more.2: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger
Gokaiger as a whole holds a special place in people's hearts for a variety of good reasons. The opening is one thing that is clearly meant to be appreciated and remembered. The whole opening is edited wonderfully. The whole opening feels adventurous in every aspect the whole way through. The song does not rock as hard as others, but it doesn't need to. The opening for this show prepares you for a journey. When you get down to the nitty gritty, that is the best thing an opening of any show can do. I really enjoy this theme, and it is very deserving of a high spot on any list like this one.1: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters (1st opening song)
I LOVE THIS SONG. I do have to stress that I am only talking about the first opening used. "Buster's Ready Go!" is a much better song, to me, than "Morphin! Moving! Bustership!". In both cases, the editing of the cinematic is in top form. Everything is fast paced but synced very well to the songs. In the end it really is the song that moves this to a number 1 spot. The cinematic is very well done and shows some really well placed action and character bits, but it would lose a lot of effectiveness if not matched with the song it was paired with. I really love this song and every time I hear the song or see the intro, I am hyped to watch the show. With a fantastic track that doesn't get old to me, a great cinematic and an overall fun and exciting theme, this opening was the clear pick for my favorite.Honorable Mention: Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger vs. Keisatsu Sentai Patoranger
After the first few episodes of the newest Sentai, I really enjoyed the sound design all around for this show. The theme song is no exception. The opening does what few openings have done by teasing story elements and almost telling a story within itself. The song, while not my favorite is very catchy. Under normal circumstances this would have easy made the top 15 or maybe top 10 of my favorites. Unfortunately I could not add it to this list for a few reasons. Primarily, though, it is because the show is still in production and the opening will undoubtedly change at some point to reflect any changes as many other Sentai have. It just didn't seem right to not consider all of the openings in case there is one that is better than the first opening. This was all opinion-based. I'm sure everyone has separate opinions than I, but these are just the openings that I see as the best. My personal favorites. It is a statement to how good all of the openings are that I had to make this a top 15, though. I really couldn't narrow it to top 10 and almost even made it a top 20! The openings are a great part of Sentai and one any fan can appreciate.
Watching all of the openings again was a real blast. This was pretty close to being a two part thing but after the last retrospective and a desire to write about Pacific Rim, I just couldn't dot it. At the end of the day I hope the creators of Super Sentai keep putting out some quality openings for these great shows. I'm the Kaiju Kidd signing off.
No comments:
Post a Comment