Fan Proves Every Anime Opening is Kind of Exactly the Same [Video]

The world can be divided into three basic groups: hardcore anime fans, casual anime fans, and people who really hate anime but think they know everything about it anyway. Anime ignoramuses accuse the material of being "all the same," which, paradoxically, is something that hardcores have observed too, although in a more nuanced way. That argument is put forth in a new anime montage created by Derek Lieu that exposes hilariously how many anime conventions are practically cut-and-paste from one series opening to another. But like our own occasional grief-giving to superhero comics, we whine because we love, and I think you'll be hard-pressed to find a fan-made video that demonstrates as much affection for anime as this.Almost as striking as the work it contains Lieu's montage itself, which is compiled and edited from 93 different anime series including Neon Genesis Evangelion, Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z, Fullmetal Alchemist, Berserk, and Cowboy Bepop. It's absolutely top notch and plays much like a true anime series intro. You can see the video and the list of source material below:

It's always amused me the repeated imagery that exist in anime opening credit sequences. This video doesn't cover them all, but it has a lot of the big ones. Interesting thing I learned, if a character is running it's overwhelmingly to the left of the screen.

Sourced anime:

009-1

Ah! My Goddess

Ai Yori Aoshi

Angelic Layer

Asu no Yoichi

Azumanga Daioh

Berserk

Big O

Black Lagoon

Bleach

Blood+

Blue Dragon

Burst Angel

Cardcaptor Sakura

Chrono Crusade

City Hunter

Clannad

Claymore

Cobra

Code Geass

Cowboy Bebop

D. Gray Man

Death Note

Devil May Cry

Diebuster

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball Z

H2O Footprints in the Sand

Eureka Seven

FateStay Night

Full Metal Panic!

Full Metal Panic Fumoffu

Full Metal Panic The 2nd Raid

Fullmetal Alchemist

Fushigi Yuugi

GaoGaiGar

Genshiken

Ghost Stories

Girls Bravo

Gokusen

Golgo 13

Gosyusho sama Ninomiya-kun

GTO

Gundam 00

Gundam Wing

Gurren Lagann

Hajime no Ippo

Hellsing

Hikaru no Go

Ikki Tousen

Ikki Tousen Dragon Destiny

Inu Yasha

K-On!

Kanokon

Kare Kano

Kaze no Stigma

Last Exile

Love Hina

Love Hina Again

Mahoromatic

Mai Hime

Mai Otome

Martian Successor Nadesico

Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Midori Days

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water

Nana

Nanatsuiro Drops

Neon Genesis Evangelion

One Piece

Planetes

Rahxephon

Ranma 1/2

Read or Die OAV

Ruin Explorer

Sailor Moon

Samurai Deeper Kyo

School Days

School Rumble

Shakugan no Shana

Strawberry Panic

Strike Witches

Tenchi Muyo Universe

Third - the Girl with the Blue Eye

To Aru Majutsu no Index

Toward the Terra

True Tears

Tsukihime

Utawarerumono

Welcome to the NHK

Wolf's Rain

X-Men

Yu Yu Hakusho

[Via Topless Robot]