Matt's Top Ending Themes: An intro, then 51-45!

OK, I have threatened to do this for a while. I don't know how this is going to go, but here it goes anyway.

Since there are about a billion different anime theme countdowns on YouTube, I thought I'd do my own. Of course, my countdown - my rules.

Here are the rules I have set for myself. To qualify for the countdown, the song must fit one of the following rules:

#1 - Be from a series that I've seen at least part of, OR
#2 - Be a song I know that is from a series I haven't seen, OR
#3 - Be from an artist that I know from a series I haven't seen.

Also, the songs are subjected ranked based on three categories: How the song fits with the opening/ending animation, how good the song is as an opening/ending, and/or how good the song is on its own (in other words, would I listen to this song if it wasn't an anime theme?).

I've decided to do a top 50 endings, and probably a top 100 openings. This list is totally subjective. Some of these songs' orders are subject to change depending on my mood. It is hard to rank your favorite anything. The top of the list is pretty solid. The rest can be interchanged, and there are some songs just outside the top 50 that could easily be in the top 50 the next time I decide to punish myself by doing this.

With all that said, we'll get started now. Of course, there was a late addition to the list, so instead of bumping one out of the list, I just made it 51. This song is new to the countdown, so it could move up the next time I do this list. But for now, it comes in at number 51.

#51 - Don't Say "Lazy" by Yoko Hikasa with Aki Toyosaki, Satomi Satou & Minako Kotobuki.
Show: K-On! ( けいおん！)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xrN-eoilQc
Embed:


This is the ending theme from one of my favorite shows of the year. K-On! is a show about four high school girls looking to save their school's light music club. They join forces to see if they can keep K-On alive. The ending theme is sung by the voice actress for the bassist, Mio Akiyama (Yoko Hikasa). It contrasts the more upbeat opening theme sung by the fictional group's lead singer, Yui Hirasawa (Aki Toyosaki).

As of July 4, 2009, this series remains unlicensed in the United States. Here's hoping the next time I do a countdown like this, the show will be licensed.

OK, I probably won't do I show recap with every post, or this is going to get really long. I'll just link to the Anime News Network page on the show. Let's move on ...

#50: Feel Well by Megumi Hayashibara
Show: Slayers Premium ( スレイヤーズぷれみあむ)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iImN4krHAJk
Embed:


Slayers Premium was supposed to be the end of the animated Slayers series. Of course, that was prior to the release of Slayers Revolution and Evolution-R. One of my favorite songs my Megumi Hayashibara. I love this song. Moving on ...

#49 - Just Be Conscious by Megumi Hayashibara
Show: Slayers Return ( スレイヤーズ　ＲＥＴＵＲＮ)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bispDB0Y-Gk
Embed:


Man, I just love the Slayers and the music that goes with it. You'll notice that on this countdown. Here is the ending from the movie, Slayers Return. Another classic by Megumi! And the countdown rolls on with something non-Slayers!

#48 - Step by Step by Ziggy
Show: Case Closed (Detective Conan - 名探偵コナン)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUCtlAxTdR0
Embed:


Not only is this ending theme good, but if you pick up the FUNimation release, they did a pretty good English language cover of it. From Ziggy, this is the first of (currently) 33 ending themes for one of Japan's longest-running series, Detective Conan. Due to legal reasons, the show was renamed in the United States "Case Closed." Up next is another one of my favorites from another of my favorite artists - Yoko Takahashi!

#47 - Wing by Yoko Takahashi
Show: Ah! My Goddess ( ああっ女神さまっ)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgVsH0Sbwe0
Embed:


The second ending from the show, Ah! My Goddess, Wing is just a cool, upbeat song that goes really well with both the ending animation and the tone of the show. One of my favorites, for certain. Also, I had a hard time finding a version of this video that didn't have foreign language subtitles on it. But here it is! Moving on to #46 ...

#46 - Blue Velvet by Shizuka Kudou
Show: Dragonball GT ( ドラゴンボールGT)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INND4rkd8Qw
Embed:


For a show that turned out to be so ... mediocre, Dragonball GT sure had some good theme music. This is the third ending theme to the show, and it is very good. In fact, this show really didn't have a bad opening or ending theme. It was the stuff in between that didn't help the show last more than 64 episodes.

OK, one more song before we take a break. Maybe I'll get to some more tonight!

#45 - The Real Folk Blues by Seatbelts featuring Mai Yamane
Show: Cowboy Bebop ( カウボーイビバップ)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGAnQDj8ais
Embed:


A classic song to a classic anime, the first ending theme to Cowboy Bebop, The Real Folk Blues, is one of anime's most recongnizable ending themes. Many people would put this song into their top 10, and I certainly couldn't argue with that. It is an awesome song that really fits the tone of the show.

That is going to wrap up the first part of the countdown. Look forward to part 2 soon!