While some anime ease their audience into their plot, others prefer to hit them with a speeding truck disguised as an opening scene. The best anime with the most shocking opening scenes lull their viewers into a false sense of security with a few seconds of comfort before the devastating reality reveals itself.
Some of the most bizarre and intriguing anime opening scenes make sure to subvert the expectations of their viewers, while also building sky-high stakes for the series. Whether it’s with mind-bending action, a chilling sequence, or a downright emotional attack, these anime never back down from shocking their audience before they have even completed the first 5 minutes of the anime.
Assassination Classroom Destroys the Notion of Innocent School Children
Assassination Classroom opens with a view inside Class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High School, where students are sitting under sharp light, making the room look like a morgue. Soon enough, a strange creature, who turns out to be their teacher, enters the room, and instead of a respectful greeting, the students simultaneously pull out guns and begin shooting at their supposed teacher. The strange target then proceeds to dodge each and every bullet while taking attendance.
The opening of Assassination Classroom sets a morbid tone, and the view of seemingly innocent students shooting at a teacher who looks like a neon green yellow is instantly intriguing. This serious opening both sets the mood for the overarching story, even as most individual episodes go on to be heartwarming comedies.
Banana Fish Instills a Sense of Dread With Its Opening Scene
The opening scene of Banana Fish drops its viewers into an arid region patrolled by soldiers. A group of soldiers discusses a secret drug called ‘Banana Fish,’ when one of their own comrades shoots them down. This flashback sets the dark tone for the rest of the series, where violence, crime, and abuse are dominant themes.
The opening scene is a mere trailer for the brutality that lies ahead for the audience. It is a sequence that instantly awakens the senses of viewers, and gets them ready to go on the journey of a lifetime.
Kill la Kill Throws in Vivid Colors and Animation For an Impactful Beginning
Kill la Kill’s opening scene is a sensory overload in the best way possible. The anime begins with a student getting flung around Honnouji Academy for stealing a Goku uniform. The scene immediately makes it clear that the academy has a hierarchy of students, that fear consumes nearly all of them, and that it’s law here that might makes right.
Kill la Kill creates a perfect introduction to its wild art style and vivid color palette with its opening scene. From the exaggerated expressions and movements to the chaotic animation, every element proves that the series isn’t just another average high school anime. The sheer intensity of the opening scene immediately captures fans’ attention.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica’s Opening Scene Leaves the Audience With Many Questions
Puella Magi Madoka Magica begins with a dream sequence that feels more like a nightmare. The anime presents a near-apocalyptic scene with bizarre creatures, all-around destruction, and an exhausting battle between a magical girl and a witch. Even though viewers have no idea what is going on in the opening scene, it still feels ominous and dark.
As soon as Puella Magi Madoka Magica delivers its opening scene, fans are left with a ton of questions about what is happening. Even though the two factions of the battle are unclear, the high stakes are immediately established. Only once the viewers have finished the series do they realize how grave the opening actually was.
Attack on Titan’s Iconic Opening Scene Is Still Revered
Attack on Titan’s legendary opening scene will be engraved in history as one of the most shocking in the world of anime. The series opens with a view of humans looking up at a colossal wall, behind which an enormous steaming titan emerges. AOT destroys the sense of normalcy before it has even been established.
As soon as the titan makes its debut in the opening scene of AOT, the audience realizes that something catastrophic has already begun with zero warning. The desperate citizens trying to fruitlessly run away creates a sense of urgency that is carried through the entire anime. Years after its release, AOT still has one of the most shocking opening scenes in the history of anime.
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