Timeless in Their Cheesiness
Ah, the early days of anime dubbing. While nowadays the English adaptations often give the original the respect it deserves, there was a time where censorship and Americanisation turned out some real duds. However, even as we look back on them years later, we can’t help but have a soft spot for how nostalgic and surprisingly decent some of the English dubs’ original opening songs were!
#5: “Medabots†(1999-2000)
Robots shooting the crap out of each other is awesome enough, but when you add this track to it, you can bet that every kid nearly blew a gasket. Granted, we don’t exactly see Medabee ever engaging in anything as fast-pace as the opening, but then again we don’t really need too. The song is practically non-stop in its awesomeness, continually building and building until it symphonically explodes. Kind of amazing, since the majority of the time all the song is listing different types of words with “meda†in the beginning…Â
#4: “Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters†(2000-04)
There are so many aspects that make this opening such a winner, to the point where you’re left wondering how a show about a children’s card game got itself a song that wasn’t only engrossing but layered. First, you’ve got the spooky intro, unfurling before like something out ancient Egypt itself…right before the remix kicks in. Thunderous percussion, an epic choir, all the elements ended coming together to create something almost colossal in scope. However, let’s be honest, we all remember this track for one thing and one thing only. Bring it on home Yugi.Â
#3: “Beyblade†(2001)
You will believe a game of spinning tops is the most awe-inspiring sport to ever be conceived, especially when it’s got a song like this to back it up. There’s no filter with this one, only plenty of guitar shredding and a singer who is so into it that he’s honestly kind of scaring us. Every collision, every launch, every spin – the song hypes it all up like it’s the greatest event in the world, and we’ll be damned if it didn’t succeed. The premise may be ridiculous, but the sheer amount of fun this song manages to deliver is just too infectious to ignore.Â
#2: “Shaman King†(2001-02)
Kind of ironic, isn’t it? An anime that’s infamous for having one of the most ludicrous dubs in the medium also got one of the best original openings. From the very first note, listeners are practically overwhelmed by the hard rock style, all the while the melodic vocals provide an almost mystical tone. We can’t believe we’re saying this, but the Shaman King English Dub Opening might be one of the most shounen things we have ever experienced. The pace, the style and the execution blend together so well that it pains us to think how the rest of the show was slammed through the censor machine!
#1: “Pokémon†(1997-)
The one. The only. The best. While its seemingly endless amount of sequel series still manage to snag their own original songs, as far as we’re concerned, they’re all just pale imitations of this instant nostalgia bomb. Quite possibly the only song to hit the mainstream, everyone who grew up watching Ash’s Indigo League adventures can attest to singing along to this at least once. Don’t deny it. The lyrics bury themselves into your head like a Diglett. The tune is fun, light-hearted and so whimsical that it’s impossible not to smile. Much like Ash himself, this track is somewhat timeless.
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Hilariously Bad Anime Dubs.
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