Kara Dennison
July 17, 2024 
We never skip anime openings. No, not even with the little button that lets you. We want to dance along, sing along, and see all the cool animation that comes with a new weekly adventure. And the new summer anime season is full of some good ones. Some are beautiful, some are danceable… and some just scratch our brain in a way we can’t quite describe.
From the weird to the vintage to the… weirdly vintage?… here are three summer anime openings you’ll never catch us skipping.
No Longer Allowed in Another World – “Shura Nikki”
This season’s anti-isekai, No Longer Allowed in Another World, brings retro style to the summer season. Our protagonist, strongly implied to be legendary Japanese author Osamu Dazai, has found himself transported to another world by Truck-kun while trying to commit a lover’s suicide. Now he’s trying to find his lover and complete their final dramatic act… but these dang cat girls and elf girls just won’t leave him alone.
Utaite Kashitaro Ito performs opening theme “Shura Nikki,” a song that sounds both vintage and compellingly fantasy-anime at the same time. Combined with the stylish intro, it’s a must-watch.
The Ossan Newbie Adventurer – “Arano ni Sake yo Bokensha-tachi”
It’s always nice to hear familiar voices in anime openings… and this is one for you anime geezers out there. The Ossan Newbie Adventurer follows Rick Gladiatol as he takes up adventuring in his thirties. And its theme song, “Arano ni Sake yo Bokensha-tachi,” has an appropriately old-school sound to it. Like, really old school. Like, even the singer sounds familiar… wait, it’s the Xabungle guy!
The voice of Akira Kushida will be unmistakable to fans of vintage mecha anime, classic tokusatsu and Metal Hero series, and (possibly most of all) Kinnikuman. Bringing Kushida on board for this series just feels right in so many ways, and it’s giving a lot of us flashbacks to some of our early favorite series.
My Deer Friend Nokotan – “Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan”
Surely you knew you weren’t escaping from a summer anime opening list without seeing this! My Deer Friend Nokotan is possibly this season’s weirdest show (at least intentionally), all about a delinquent-turned-honor-student and her new classmate: literally a deer. Between the chaotic energy and the obviously CG-animated deer, this one’s a wild ride.
And so is the opening, as performed by the cast. A blend of anime dances, battle scenes, deer senbei, and… Dark Souls memes?… this is one for the ages. And yes, we do indeed dance along.
Stay on top of the summer season—catch up with our questions (so far) about Suicide Squad ISEKAI!
