Anime OPED - week 8

[NotMiki]

This week there are songs, and video, and hopefully no broken links, but you never can tell these days.  Enjoy!

Openings
Planetes OP (Dive in the Sky) vs. Hunter x Hunter OP2 (Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku)
Ghost Sweeper Mikami OP (Ghost Sweeper) vs. Bartender OP (Bartender)
Witch Hunter Robin (Shell) vs. Heavy Metal L-Gaim OP1 (It's time for L-Gaim)
Dragonar OP2 (Starlight Serenade) vs. Digimon Tamers OP (The Biggest Dreamer)

Needless OP (Modern Strange Cowboy) vs. Tsukihime OP (The Sacred Moon)
Mnemosyne OP (Alsatia) vs. Beelzebub OP (Da Da Da)
Bamboo Blade OP (Bamboo Beat) vs. Utawarerumono - Musouka -
Big O Season 2 OP vs. Black Lagoon OP1 (Red Fraction)

Endings
Xam'd ED (Vacancy) vs. Gunbuster 2 ED (Stardust Tears)
Revolutionary Girl Utena ED1 (Truth) vs. Dragon Half ED (Watashi no Tamagoyaki)
The Twelve Kingdoms ED (Getsumei Fuuei) vs. Black Lagoon EP 15 ED (Don't Look Behind)
Dancougar  ED1 (Burning Love) vs. Paranoia Agent ED (Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme)

Results:

Openings
Ergo Proxy OP (Kiri):4 vs. Dirty Pair OP2 (Ru-Ru-Ru-Russian Roulette):3
YuGiOh! English OP:3 vs. Noir OP (Copellia no Hisugi):7
Xam'D OP (Shut Up and Explode):6 vs. Spice & Wolf S1 OP (Tabi no Tochū):3
The Big O OP:6 vs. Texhnoylyze OP (Guardian Angel):3

Bleach Op 6 (Alones):8 vs. Gundam Ms igLoo S1 OP (Sora no Tamoto):1
Haibane-Renmei OP (Free Bird):5 vs. Tatami Galaxy Op (Sound of a Stray Dog in the Rain):4
Kimagure Orange Road OP3 (Actress in the Mirror):3 vs. Dai-Guard OP (Rojiurano Uchuu Shounen):5
Bleach OP3 (Ichirin no Hana):4 vs. Azumanga Daioh OP (Soramimi Cake):6

Endings
Dangaioh ED (Kokoro no Honesty):5 vs. Spice & Wolf ED1 (Ringo Biyori ~The Wolf Whistling Song):4
Durarara!! ED (Trust Me):5 vs. Bleach ED1 (Life is Like a Boat):4
Naruto English ED1:3 vs. El Hazard english ED (Back in Love):4
InuYasha ED (Come):4 vs. Bleach ED26 (Song For...):5

[Cmdr_King]

Openings
Planetes OP (Dive in the Sky) vs. Hunter x Hunter OP2 (Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku)- Now THAT'S a classy way to use your OP visuals.
Ghost Sweeper Mikami OP (Ghost Sweeper) vs. Bartender OP (Bartender)- More visual interest at least.
Witch Hunter Robin (Shell) vs. Heavy Metal L-Gaim OP1 (It's time for L-Gaim)- L-Gaim has a great melody to it, but the singer is so damned canned.  WHR has that whole emotion thing going.
Dragonar OP2 (Starlight Serenade) vs. Digimon Tamers OP (The Biggest Dreamer)

Needless OP (Modern Strange Cowboy) vs. Tsukihime OP (The Sacred Moon)
Mnemosyne OP (Alsatia) vs. Beelzebub OP (Da Da Da)- cripes.
Bamboo Blade OP (Bamboo Beat) vs. Utawarerumono - Musouka - The chorus has a great hook.
Big O Season 2 OP vs. Black Lagoon OP1 (Red Fraction)- I guess?

Endings
Xam'd ED (Vacancy) vs. Gunbuster 2 ED (Stardust Tears)
Revolutionary Girl Utena ED1 (Truth) vs. Dragon Half ED (Watashi no Tamagoyaki)- Utena is nice but I wish it had more emotion.  Dragon Half is just the right amount of stylistic suck.
The Twelve Kingdoms ED (Getsumei Fuuei) vs. Black Lagoon EP 15 ED (Don't Look Behind)- I started from the end... and even doing that, just having some energy is enough to win here.  Goddammit EDs.
Dancougar  ED1 (Burning Love) vs. Paranoia Agent ED (Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme)- Well that was underwhelming.  Leaning Paranoia Agent because jesus not even the SRW version of Burning Love is good.

[Glen Veil]

Openings
Planetes OP (Dive in the Sky) vs. Hunter x Hunter OP2 (Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku)- Meh
Ghost Sweeper Mikami OP (Ghost Sweeper) vs. Bartender OP (Bartender) - apathy
Witch Hunter Robin (Shell) vs. Heavy Metal L-Gaim OP1 (It's time for L-Gaim)
Dragonar OP2 (Starlight Serenade) vs. Digimon Tamers OP (The Biggest Dreamer) - neither really does anything for me, so giving this to Dragonar for the amusing flashing eyes at the start at least.

Needless OP (Modern Strange Cowboy) vs. Tsukihime OP (The Sacred Moon)- Needless op just feels like generic boringness.
Mnemosyne OP (Alsatia) vs. Beelzebub OP (Da Da Da) is amusing despite the "wut" factor.
Bamboo Blade OP (Bamboo Beat) vs. Utawarerumono - Musouka - close but what Cmdr said
Big O Season 2 OP vs. Black Lagoon OP1 (Red Fraction) Big O is not my type of music going against Black Lagoon, which if it isn't obvious from like half of the characters I avatar is like my favorite anime, yeah.

Endings
Xam'd ED (Vacancy) vs. Gunbuster 2 ED (Stardust Tears)- *punts the fake gunbuster series*
Revolutionary Girl Utena ED1 (Truth) vs. Dragon Half ED (Watashi no Tamagoyaki) - see Beezebub reasoning
The Twelve Kingdoms ED (Getsumei Fuuei) vs. Black Lagoon EP 15 ED (World of Midnight) - Black Lagoon ending is about 20 times better when put into context with the ending to the arc it coincides with.  The lyrics and general tone  to the song totally fit with the twins life.  Other Ed also has pretty much nothing going on visually so that makes this easy for me.
Dancougar  ED1 (Burning Love) vs. Paranoia Agent ED (Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme)-whatever

[Fudozukushi]

Openings
Planetes OP (Dive in the Sky) vs. Hunter x Hunter OP2 (Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku)
Ghost Sweeper Mikami OP (Ghost Sweeper) vs. Bartender OP (Bartender)
Witch Hunter Robin (Shell) vs. Heavy Metal L-Gaim OP1 (It's time for L-Gaim)
Dragonar OP2 (Starlight Serenade) vs. Digimon Tamers OP (The Biggest Dreamer)

Needless OP (Modern Strange Cowboy) vs. Tsukihime OP (The Sacred Moon)
Mnemosyne OP (Alsatia) vs. Beelzebub OP (Da Da Da)
Bamboo Blade OP (Bamboo Beat) vs. Utawarerumono - Musouka -
Big O Season 2 OP vs. Black Lagoon OP1 (Red Fraction)

Endings
Xam'd ED (Vacancy) vs. Gunbuster 2 ED (Stardust Tears)
Revolutionary Girl Utena ED1 (Truth) vs. Dragon Half ED (Watashi no Tamagoyaki)
The Twelve Kingdoms ED (Getsumei Fuuei) vs. Black Lagoon EP 15 ED (Don't Look Behind)
Dancougar  ED1 (Burning Love) vs. Paranoia Agent ED (Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme)

[NotMiki]

Openings
Planetes OP (Dive in the Sky) vs. Hunter x Hunter OP2 (Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku) - Crooning Japanese falsetto?  Rockin'.  Don't deny it.
Ghost Sweeper Mikami OP (Ghost Sweeper) vs. Bartender OP (Bartender)
Witch Hunter Robin (Shell) vs. Heavy Metal L-Gaim OP1 (It's time for L-Gaim) - I'd forgotten just how well put-together that video is.
Dragonar OP2 (Starlight Serenade) vs. Digimon Tamers OP (The Biggest Dreamer)

Needless OP (Modern Strange Cowboy) vs. Tsukihime OP (The Sacred Moon)
Mnemosyne OP (Alsatia) vs. Beelzebub OP (Da Da Da) - entertaining little matchup here.
Bamboo Blade OP (Bamboo Beat) vs. Utawarerumono - Musouka -
Big O Season 2 OP vs. Black Lagoon OP1 (Red Fraction)

Endings
Xam'd ED (Vacancy) vs. Gunbuster 2 ED (Stardust Tears) - my condolences to Kevin on his inevitable loss.
Revolutionary Girl Utena ED1 (Truth) vs. Dragon Half ED (Watashi no Tamagoyaki) "why is there a duck," you ask?  Why is there a Dragon Half?
The Twelve Kingdoms ED (Getsumei Fuuei) vs. Black Lagoon EP 15 ED (Don't Look Behind)
Dancougar  ED1 (Burning Love) vs. Paranoia Agent ED (Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme)

[Hunter Sopko]

Openings
Planetes OP (Dive in the Sky) vs. Hunter x Hunter OP2 (Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku) - Tough call honestly. Both similar vocal styles, but Planetes is much more epic, and Mikio Sakai is awesome.
Ghost Sweeper Mikami OP (Ghost Sweeper) vs. Bartender OP (Bartender) - Classic cheese pulls a win
Witch Hunter Robin (Shell) vs. Heavy Metal L-Gaim OP1 (It's time for L-Gaim) - Not so much this time... though I don't really like either one, Shell is at least a good song.
Dragonar OP2 (Starlight Serenade) vs. Digimon Tamers OP (The Biggest Dreamer) - Standard, classic mecha OP vs. the dangers of raising an army of evil, psychic children clones.

Needless OP (Modern Strange Cowboy) vs. Tsukihime OP (The Sacred Moon) - Fun Cheese + Parody song/OP
Mnemosyne OP (Alsatia) vs. Beelzebub OP (Da Da Da) - Coinflip. I approve of the silliness and the song grew on me.
Bamboo Blade OP (Bamboo Beat) vs. Utawarerumono - Musouka - Gratuitous Kirino good! Not enough Dan or Saturn-kun. Both are pretty standard OPs, but I've always liked Underwater Ray Romano's for some reason.
Big O Season 2 OP vs. Black Lagoon OP1 (Red Fraction)

Endings
Xam'd ED (Vacancy) vs. Gunbuster 2 ED (Stardust Tears) - Hate. Life.
Revolutionary Girl Utena ED1 (Truth) vs. Dragon Half ED (Watashi no Tamagoyaki) - Easy call. Never been a huge fan of the latter.
The Twelve Kingdoms ED (Getsumei Fuuei) vs. Black Lagoon EP 15 ED (Don't Look Behind)
Dancougar  ED1 (Burning Love) vs. Paranoia Agent ED (Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme) - Apathy. More BURNING in the second round... to think of all the good EDs that got booted in the first round...
 

[Bardiche]

Openings
Planetes OP (Dive in the Sky) vs. Hunter x Hunter OP2 (Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku) - I don't like either of them!
Ghost Sweeper Mikami OP (Ghost Sweeper) vs. Bartender OP (Bartender)
Witch Hunter Robin (Shell) vs. Heavy Metal L-Gaim OP1 (It's time for L-Gaim)
Dragonar OP2 (Starlight Serenade) vs. Digimon Tamers OP (The Biggest Dreamer)

Needless OP (Modern Strange Cowboy) vs. Tsukihime OP (The Sacred Moon)
Mnemosyne OP (Alsatia) vs. Beelzebub OP (Da Da Da)
Bamboo Blade OP (Bamboo Beat) vs. Utawarerumono - Musouka -
Big O Season 2 OP vs. Black Lagoon OP1 (Red Fraction)

Endings
Xam'd ED (Vacancy) vs. Gunbuster 2 ED (Stardust Tears)
Revolutionary Girl Utena ED1 (Truth) vs. Dragon Half ED (Watashi no Tamagoyaki)
The Twelve Kingdoms ED (Getsumei Fuuei) vs. Black Lagoon EP 15 ED (Don't Look Behind)
Dancougar  ED1 (Burning Love) vs. Paranoia Agent ED (Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme)

[SnowFire]

Planetes OP (Dive in the Sky) vs. Hunter x Hunter OP2 (Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku)
The visuals for Hunter x Hunter are pretty cool.  Shame about the song.  (Also shameless space exploration fanboyism, sure.)
Ghost Sweeper Mikami OP (Ghost Sweeper) vs. Bartender OP (Bartender)
Catchy enough.
Witch Hunter Robin (Shell) vs. Heavy Metal L-Gaim OP1 (It's time for L-Gaim)
L-Gaim would defeat the below two, at least, with its surfing robots.
Dragonar OP2 (Starlight Serenade) vs. Digimon Tamers OP (The Biggest Dreamer)
Apathy.

Needless OP (Modern Strange Cowboy) vs. Tsukihime OP (The Sacred Moon)
Don't really like the art style of Needless that much or the overly flagrant breast fetish going on there.
Mnemosyne OP (Alsatia) vs. Beelzebub OP (Da Da Da)
...what. Uh.  Da da da is more amusing at least, but what.
Bamboo Blade OP (Bamboo Beat) vs. Utawarerumono - Musouka -
Apathy.
Big O Season 2 OP vs. Black Lagoon OP1 (Red Fraction)
I don't like Red Fraction very much.

Endings
Xam'd ED (Vacancy) vs. Gunbuster 2 ED (Stardust Tears)
Yup.
Revolutionary Girl Utena ED1 (Truth) vs. Dragon Half ED (Watashi no Tamagoyaki)
Utena's ED wasn't that great.
The Twelve Kingdoms ED (Getsumei Fuuei) vs. Black Lagoon EP 15 ED (Don't Look Behind)
I guess there's some plot significance here for Lagoon judging from the YouTube comments, but it doesn't really translate, not having seen the series.  I like the tune on 12 Kingdoms even if the visuals are nothing special.
Dancougar  ED1 (Burning Love) vs. Paranoia Agent ED (Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme)
nothing special >> terrorist sleeping gas attack

[Talaysen]

Openings
Planetes OP (Dive in the Sky) vs. Hunter x Hunter OP2 (Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku)
Ghost Sweeper Mikami OP (Ghost Sweeper) vs. Bartender OP (Bartender)
Witch Hunter Robin (Shell) vs. Heavy Metal L-Gaim OP1 (It's time for L-Gaim)
Dragonar OP2 (Starlight Serenade) vs. Digimon Tamers OP (The Biggest Dreamer)

Needless OP (Modern Strange Cowboy) vs. Tsukihime OP (The Sacred Moon)
Mnemosyne OP (Alsatia) vs. Beelzebub OP (Da Da Da)
Bamboo Blade OP (Bamboo Beat) vs. Utawarerumono - Musouka -
Big O Season 2 OP vs. Black Lagoon OP1 (Red Fraction)

Endings
Xam'd ED (Vacancy) vs. Gunbuster 2 ED (Stardust Tears)
Revolutionary Girl Utena ED1 (Truth) vs. Dragon Half ED (Watashi no Tamagoyaki)
The Twelve Kingdoms ED (Getsumei Fuuei) vs. Black Lagoon EP 15 ED (Don't Look Behind)
Dancougar  ED1 (Burning Love) vs. Paranoia Agent ED (Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme)

[Sierra]

Openings
Planetes OP (Dive in the Sky) vs. Hunter x Hunter OP2 (Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku): Planetes opener is pretty much perfect. Within the first five seconds you know everything the show is about. The protagonist spends his life looking to the stars so the OP proceeds through the results of generations of people doing the same. The reverence for space exploration is palpable. I don't even like the music that much and I'd vote it over most everything else here.
Ghost Sweeper Mikami OP (Ghost Sweeper) vs. Bartender OP (Bartender): I guess? It is exactly what it says it is, for what that's worth. Mikami has huge eyes that are huge, mildly disturbing there.
Witch Hunter Robin (Shell) vs. Heavy Metal L-Gaim OP1 (It's time for L-Gaim): I'm trying not to hold against it my personal dislike for the show and Amon's unattainable goth Marty Stuness. Still, it's not mecha.
Dragonar OP2 (Starlight Serenade) vs. Digimon Tamers OP (The Biggest Dreamer): Something Else vs. OK-caliber.

Needless OP (Modern Strange Cowboy) vs. Tsukihime OP (The Sacred Moon): Tsukihime is a personal favorite. So pretty.
Mnemosyne OP (Alsatia) vs. Beelzebub OP (Da Da Da): That is some impressive subtitle fail in the Mnemosyne video. That aside, the music is stupidly melodramatic and this makes me smile. Also does not contain lightning baby.
Bamboo Blade OP (Bamboo Beat) vs. Utawarerumono - Musouka -: I guess? Two okayish OPs here. Only thing I'd hold against Bamboo Blade is that the kid with the round face doesn't fit with everyone else visually, but still, swordgirls.
Big O Season 2 OP vs. Black Lagoon OP1 (Red Fraction): Big O season 2 opener gets some style from the music, but I just don't dig the clipshow approach.

Endings
Xam'd ED (Vacancy) vs. Gunbuster 2 ED (Stardust Tears): I guess?
Revolutionary Girl Utena ED1 (Truth) vs. Dragon Half ED (Watashi no Tamagoyaki): I love Utena and all, but that is some proper Beethoven abuse right there.
The Twelve Kingdoms ED (Getsumei Fuuei) vs. Black Lagoon EP 15 ED (Don't Look Behind): Sure.
Dancougar  ED1 (Burning Love) vs. Paranoia Agent ED (Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme): Sayonara, Maromi.

[Twilkitri]

Openings
Planetes OP (Dive in the Sky) vs. Hunter x Hunter OP2 (Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku)
Ghost Sweeper Mikami OP (Ghost Sweeper) vs. Bartender OP (Bartender)
Witch Hunter Robin (Shell) vs. Heavy Metal L-Gaim OP1 (It's time for L-Gaim)
Dragonar OP2 (Starlight Serenade) vs. Digimon Tamers OP (The Biggest Dreamer)

Needless OP (Modern Strange Cowboy) vs. Tsukihime OP (The Sacred Moon)
Mnemosyne OP (Alsatia) vs. Beelzebub OP (Da Da Da)
Bamboo Blade OP (Bamboo Beat) vs. Utawarerumono - Musouka -
Big O Season 2 OP vs. Black Lagoon OP1 (Red Fraction)

Endings
Xam'd ED (Vacancy) vs. Gunbuster 2 ED (Stardust Tears)
Revolutionary Girl Utena ED1 (Truth) vs. Dragon Half ED (Watashi no Tamagoyaki)
The Twelve Kingdoms ED (Getsumei Fuuei) vs. Black Lagoon EP 15 ED (Don't Look Behind)
Dancougar  ED1 (Burning Love) vs. Paranoia Agent ED (Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme)

[NotMiki]

This is your 24 hour warning.  No, I don't care that you'll be too absorbed in the Bruins/Canucks game you all will be watching to vote.  There's plenty of time in the next day to watch the game, recover from the emotional high(me,hopefully)/low(all you Canadians, with any luck), and vote after.