Best Anime Openings of 2023

With over 654 million views, Idol is the most-watched anime opening of 2023 and one of the most-listened anime songs ever made. YOASOBI composed a track that captures the entertainment industry world depicted in Oshi no Ko with brutal precision: brilliant, seductive, and dark at the same time. The opening sequence of the anime set to Idol — accompanying a first episode that runs 87 minutes — is one of the most discussed moments in recent anime history. A song that transcended its series to become a global cultural phenomenon.

With over 204 million views, Yuusha is the second most-watched opening of 2023 and one of the most important anime songs in recent memory. The same duo that composed Idol delivered something completely different here: a track that captures Frieren's melancholic epic with instrumentation that builds unhurried, vocals that carry the weight of centuries, and a climax that lands alongside the series' most powerful moments. That YOASOBI occupies the top two spots with songs in entirely different registers says everything about their versatility.

King Gnu's SPECIALZ for the second half of the Shibuya Incident arc was one of the year's most celebrated moments. The band's signature blend of progressive rock and sophisticated pop produced an opening that escalated in intensity exactly as the arc itself did. Over 183 million views back up what fans already knew: this is one of the best openings in the entire JJK franchise.

Jujutsu Kaisen pulled off the rare feat of placing two openings in the top 4 of the same year. Ao no Sumika by Tatsuya Kitani opened Season 2 with a more melodic and emotional approach than SPECIALZ, perfectly calibrated for the nostalgic tone of Gojo's flashback arc. 121 million views for a song many fans consider the most beautiful in the entire series.

Frieren also claimed the fifth spot with Haru by Yorushika. The indie group, beloved for their poetic lyricism and ability to build atmospheric soundscapes, delivered a delicate, luminous song that evoked springtime and the passage of time with remarkable simplicity. 78 million views for one of the year's quieter masterpieces.

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto's autumn debut came with a standout opening: Hana ni Natte by MAISONdes featuring flower. The song paired soft J-Pop production with a gentle vocal that perfectly captured Maomao's introverted nature. 70 million views that foreshadowed the franchise's continued success in Season 2.

Ado, one of J-Pop's most recognizable voices, stamped her personality on Spy x Family with Kura Kura. The track has all the energy and vocal unpredictability that defines the artist, a natural fit for the show's chaotic humor. With nearly 35 million views, it confirmed that Spy x Family consistently nails its musical choices.

Survive Said The Prophet — a Japanese band with deep Western rock influences — delivered W●RK for Hell's Paradise. The opening is visceral and dark, matching the show's brutal aesthetic with dense production and distorted guitars that set it apart from the more conventional J-Pop entries on this list. 30 million views for a track that divided and captivated in equal measure.

Yorushika earns a second spot with Shayou for My Love Story with Yamada-kun. A song that captures teenage vulnerability with the kind of musical honesty that's genuinely hard to fake. The delicate arrangements and n-buna's ethereal vocals build an atmosphere that walks alongside the series' awkward, genuine romance. 25 million well-earned views.

Shangri-La Frontier was one of autumn's biggest surprises, and its opening by Mukai Taichi helped drive that impact. BROKEN GAMES is a gaming anthem: relentless pace, lyrics about breaking through limits, production that puts you in combat mode before the first frame. 20 million views for a series that arrived to stay.

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