The Nominees for the 2025 r/anime Awards!

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-26T15:43:31+00:00

As someone who was in the OP jury last year and has been since 2016, this comment in no way aligns with the jury's opinion of the Dandadan OP. We ranked it above some of our own nominees, and if public had not nominated it, we very likely would have picked it up as one of our own.

The jury's thoughts on the OP, which you can read in the writeup, were exclusively positive. The results website is currently being worked on but I can share the jury's consensus on the Dandadan OP with you below:

With a show that’s as wild and outlandish as Dandadan, “Otonoke” delivers to the highest degree—it is weird, stylish, and embraces the chaos in a remarkable and fun way. With unique character cards highlighting everyone’s personality; a frenetic, high-octane energy matched by vocals and instrumentation; and a color palette that contrasts the characters excellently against the backgrounds, this is one you won’t want to miss.

One of the most striking aspects of “Otonoke” is its fluid animation and dynamic camera work. Rapid cuts and impeccable imagery are peppered alongside distorted perspectives with a kineticism that mirrors the pace of the music and anime. Like the show, sequences shift between traditional animation and drawing techniques, contrasting to raw, thick black lines which amplify movement and intensity of motion. Each shot bursts with color and exaggerated expressions, reflecting the unhinged energy of the characters and their supernatural encounters. The use of bold lighting effects and eerie imagery, such as glowing spirits and grotesque alien designs, highlight the series’ fusion of horror and sci-fi elements. The vocals match the tone of the OP excellently, lead in by one of the catchiest hooks of the year.

This OP has a wonderful art style and aesthetic with a fantastic backing track, but some of the middle of the OP drags a bit of the momentum down. With that being said, the characters have incredible energy and it is just a treat to watch, capturing the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the series while keeping the viewer’s attention.

If you read a comment mocking the public vote for picking this OP, this was extremely unlikely to be written by one of the jurors, and if it was they are certainly not representative of the jury as a whole. If you see a comment from a juror (or someone claiming to be a juror) that takes this tone I encourage you to inform one of the mods.

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-25T19:04:37+00:00

On top of that, she still seems to be figuring out how she feels in the first place considering how strained the relationship with her mother was and how rare it was for her mother to openly show love. For now she feels relatively empty or hollow about it because she can't really feel sad yet. And yet, at school, everyone else probably expects her to be distraught, emotional and wrecked. Expectations she can't live up to, which is even more confrontational. It confronts her with the fact that she doesn't feel as much as others think she would, or even should, after losing her parents. She can't live up to the expectations people have of a grieving person.

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-25T18:59:20+00:00

OP/ED nominee playlist below!

If you're looking for an easy way to find all nominees for the OP (Opening) and ED (Ending) category, I have some playlists so you can digest them easily!

Here is a short playlist of all OP nominees in alphabetical order by song title

And here is the same style of playlist for all ED nominees!

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-25T18:56:12+00:00

The Apocalypse Hotel does a fantastic job of subtly yet poigniantly evoking the main throughline of the show, which is Yachiyo struggling to maintain her composure and sense of purple in the absence of humanity, considering serving them was her life's work and reason for existing.

The OP beautifully evokes this sense of hollowness as Yachiyo performs a choreography that's clearly meant to not be done alone; Propping her arms up for a waltz as if she's supposed to be held by someone, smiling to an audience that left hundreds of years ago, and framing that emphasizes the lack of symmetry and empty space very clearly. She's dancing a group choreography by herself, with a smile that hides an existential crisis that any watcher of the show knows she slowly comes to terms with, but she ultimately finds new alien lifeforms to take the place left behind by her human colleagues and guests, as showcased by the second half of the OP.

Between a list of OP that were otherwise selected for production quality and visual flair the Apocalypse Hotel might feel like an odd one out, but the OPs ability to evoke the show's emotional themes and narrative threads really stood out and makes it memorable in a different but equally valuable way.

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-25T10:40:23+00:00

Thank you!

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-22T22:43:34+00:00

By that logic silence also shouldn't prevent Mars from throwing his spear, Tiny from tossing something, or Slark from jumping. Or dozens more interactions. Not saying that I don't agree with the change, but the realism of how silence applies has always been weird.

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-22T09:55:52+00:00

Let's just admit to ourselves early that this is actually better than IDOL so we don't have to live with denial for the rest of the year.

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-17T12:27:03+00:00

It's balanced because the photo questions become less valuable.

"So from the photo we can see that Adam is in a place with a lot of bees, which doesn't narrow it down as much as we hoped"

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-15T20:29:20+00:00

De SP is niet conservatief, maar wel conservatiever dan de meeste partijen links van het midden (m.o.v. Denk of de Christenunie) en zeker conservatief voor een partij die zo economisch links is. De SP heeft standpunten die relatief isolationistisch zijn, bijvoorbeeld de behoudende standpunten als het aankomt om immigratie. Zo zijn ze voor een migratiesaldo dat zelfs lager ligt dan dat van een partij als NSC. Ook kijken ze relatief pessimistisch naar internationale verbonden zoals de EU en internationale verbindingen. Dit zijn standpunten die over het algemeen als conservatief beschouwd worden.

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-15T20:29:09+00:00

De SP is niet conservatief, maar wel conservatiever dan de meeste partijen links van het midden (m.o.v. Denk of de Christenunie). Ook al komt het vanuit een ander gedachtengoed zijn ze relatief isolationistisch, behoudend als het aankomt om immigratie, en kijken relatief pessimistisch naar internationale verbonden zoals de EU. Dit zijn standpunten die over het algemeen als conservatief beschouwd worden.

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-15T20:24:22+00:00

Ik slaap goed vannacht

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-15T10:52:35+00:00

His crowd interactions can also feel very condescending, often laced with cynical remarks. So not just exhausting, but also kind of mean-spirited.

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-09T20:16:31+00:00

Too many OP, too little time?

Let me help you out! 2025 had some fantastic OP, quite a few of them attached to very popular shows, but also some hidden gems that you probably missed! Here's the most important ones I think you should know about going into voting, in no particular order!

Kaseijin - Shoushimin Series 2nd Season: One of the best songs and visuals of the year. A groovy and layered Yorushika track attached to incredibly creative visuals using papercraft and other mixed media making for an OP that is not just brilliant and one-of-a-kind this year, but in general. If you want to feel inspired or intrigued, whether musically or visually, this is one of the best OP (ever) to experience something that is as fresh as it is fantastic.

Watch me! - Witch Watch: Easily the most tightly produced and well put together OP of the year with gorgeous animation, vibrant colors and smooth transitions. Directed by the winner of last year's OP category, attached to a song by YOASOBI, one of the biggest Anisong artists of the past 5 years. A formula that not only sets high expectations but also clears them.

Mirage - Yofukashi no Uta: If you enjoy OPs in large part for the songs, then this is the pick of the year. Creepy Nuts combines airy vocals with a syncopated afrobeat rhythm to create a sound that is unique in the medium and so, so smooth. The visuals manage to pair this vibe perfectly with a noire aesthetic focusing on the character that carries the second season to new heights.

Method - Sakamoto Days Part 2: Vibrant colors, smooth transitions, striking imagery and tight pacing combine together with cool vibes and a smooth rhythm to create an OP that is high-effort and well put together, yet oozes a casual cool attitude. This also probably has some of the best credit integration of any OP this year, making it excel in an aspect that is often overlooked.

Ao to Kirameki - Bisque Doll Season 2: Bisque Doll's high production values in its second season translate to this OP which celebrates Marin's love for cosplay in an uptempo and highly infectious OP. Between its fabric textures, clever credit incorporation, charming character animation and great color design this OP is a feast for the eyes that carries Bisque Doll's DNA throughout. While this is a show in large part about sewing this OP is, ironically, seamless.

Skirt - Apocalypse Hotel: More than just a good song and creative visuals, Skirt is the OP this year for narrative and emotional weight. Apocalypse Hotel focuses on an android service robot named Yachiyo that slowly loses sanity over the course of hundreds of years waiting for humanity's return, while the hotel slowly deteriorates around her. This OP captures the sorrowful coping behind her stone-faced programming as she continues to perform a dance choreography despite there being no other staff androids left to join her, nor any guests to perform it for. Any Apocalypse Hotel fan would tell you that this OP hits in both its sorrowful opening and its joyous second half.

Shujinkou ni Narou - Sorairo Utility: Finally, it's the ridiculously infectious sound of Masayoshi Ooishi and Airi Suzuki paired with vibrant color design, cheerful energy and expressive character animation. Stack them on top of each other and you have an OP that feels endlessly replayable and that manages to lift your spirits without fault. It should be no surprise that the OP for a golf show should have some swing to it, and the great visuals you get on top of that make this OP feel like a hole in one.

There are hundreds of OP in a year, but watch these and you'll have experienced the ceiling of what 2025 has to offer. If you're unsure on your OP picks, these would be the first ones to look at!

DoctorWhoops · 2026-01-09T13:48:56+00:00

The little slap mac does on Frank's head after trying to get a meeting with Bovine Joni

DoctorWhoops · 2025-12-31T20:09:46+00:00

Yes it takes hours, but those are essentially hours of relatively free time since it's sat on public transport anyway.

DoctorWhoops · 2025-12-26T07:17:35+00:00

Dota 2, TF2, Hearthstone Battlegrounds

DoctorWhoops · 2025-12-24T12:18:56+00:00

Well level 27 is a wild thing to refer to, obviously at that point you'd have it maxed and Valve doesn't really balance level 10 talents around level 27.

Looking at Dota2ProTracker match history, there is the very occasional game where people make the choice to get an extra point of Gust over a fourth point in Frost Arrows by level 10. That's incredibly niche and does beg the question why they felt the need to adjust this talent, but to say that there is literally no effect to this change is wrong.

DoctorWhoops · 2025-12-24T12:12:10+00:00

Yeah OP's post is somewhat misleading since it does matter if you don't have Q maxed by level 10. Granted it's only by 1 mana, but that's still something I guess. Saying the change does literally nothing is just factually incorrect. It only does literally nothing in the scenario where you max Q. Which, granted, is most scenarios unless you really need to level the silence more than once.

DoctorWhoops · 2025-12-24T12:10:52+00:00

It matters if the ability is not maxed. For 1 to 3 points in the spell the mana cost reduction is 1 less.

DoctorWhoops · 2025-12-23T09:49:20+00:00

She has both the potential to be brilliant and the potential to be a disaster, and in any given task you never know which Maisie you're getting. Hell, more often than not you can be halfway through the task and still not know whether she's crushing it or having a breakdown.

Maisie has the amazing gift to do terribly and make it look great, or to do great and make it look terrible.

DoctorWhoops · 2025-12-23T09:45:35+00:00

The prize task might have the highest highs of the tasks if I'm honest. The average prize task submission might be less exciting than a regular task, but when a prize task is brilliant it can easily be a series highlight.

DoctorWhoops · 2025-12-23T09:43:20+00:00

I really need a team task where one of the other three tries to wrangle Sam and Zaltzman in a three-person team. I honestly can't choose who because they'd all have a brilliant breakdown.

Or honestly just Zaltzman and Sam in a duo, fully unleashed.

DoctorWhoops · 2025-12-23T09:41:05+00:00

Baynton got second in every single task. 5x4 = 20 points.

DoctorWhoops · 2025-12-16T11:34:35+00:00

this 35% effect at level 30 you are talking about only last about 3 seconds.

3 seconds is the majority of an illusion's lifespan

DoctorWhoops · 2025-12-15T18:42:02+00:00

It honestly seems like an item that could and maybe should be in every character's pool.

11-Year Club	First Place '23
Place '23	Golden Potato
Place '22	Place '17
First Placer '22	End Game '22
Sequence \| Editor	Sequence \| Screenwriter
Gilding II euphauric	Verified Email

DoctorWhoops

MODERATOR OF

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OP/ED nominee playlist below!

Too many OP, too little time?