MUSIC DIRECTOR REACTS | Musical Analysis Attack on Titan Openings 1-7 

** Update ** Part of this video got blocked by RU-vid 10 MONTHS after it was uploaded. LOL. That is the missing part because there was no other way to keep it up without removing the chunk. The full video of this is on my Patreon if you want the missing segment. In case you skipped the part of the video where I gave a disclaimer that there is a LOT of rewinding and talking in this one....here is your notice 👀😂 ⏩Video Question: Which is your favorite opening and WHY?? For live content catch me on Twitch. www.twitch.tv/drumrolltony

The reason the last two sound different is because essentially the tone of the story changed drastically

“I don’t want to get spoiled for anything so I’m not looking” Opening 7: “allow me to introduce myself”

Opening 6 "My War" is very different and a lot of people didn't like it at first, but it freaking grows on you like you wouldn't believe. And it's just PERFECT for that part in the story and the imagery. It is by a different composer and the funny thing: all vocals in that song are done by the male vocalist.

opening 3 makes me feel patriotic for a nation that don't exists

25:48 "ok this is cool, this is almost a mystery.. almost like a crime show beginning" Well... Tony, you aint wrong there. Big.. big time crime

I am Japanese. I am glad you enjoy Japanese anime songs. The guys who made the 4th op are the members of two bands that became popular in Japan in the 90's, not anime at the time. They are legendary in Japan. X JAPAN and L'Arc~en~Ciel.

Opening 6 is PERFECT. At first, people hated it, but it's so perfect to season 4 part 1! There's s huge change in the story and this opening introduces this to us. Curiosity: Linked Horizon guy is an Epica fan hahaha there are Epica's versions of their songs for this anime. I think this is paradise, because I love Epica and Attack on Titan.

Finally someone who really appreciates opening 5! It's so underrated.

The band that did openings 1-3 & 5 is called "Linked Horizon." They also did ending 4. (Would love to hear your breakdown of the endings, btw) You can actually hear parts of opening 1-3 & ending 4 in opening 5. In a way, opening 5 is like a sendoff for Linked Horizon because that's the last song that they did for AoT. Opening 4 is a collab between Yoshiki (leader of "X Japan") & Hyde (leader of "L'Arc-en-Ciel"). Opening 6 is by a band called "Shinsei Kamattechan." They are known for their weird blend of multiple genre of music. They also did ending 3. Opening 7 is by a band called "SiM." They are primarily a heavy metal band with some mix of reggae and hip hop.

You should definitely react to the endings. I would really like to see you dissect ending 3 music in particular

"The composers deserve to win a lot of awards" you are absolutely right! These are literally masterpieces!

Opening 6 still gives me chills

Crazy that you have to give a "disclaimer" for wanting to rewind and analyze what you are watching, that is the best part of the video. Was super happy to see you react to this because I love how you actually break things down in your reactions, you don't just watch the video.

So glad to finally hear someone more knowledgeable and articulate in musical analysis, praise and breakdown why OP 5 is so awesome lol. The way they managed to incorporate or mirror so many phrases and segments from the first 3 OPs, while still remaining fresh and creative, blew me away the first few times I heard it. Still one of, if not my absolute, favorites out of the series. Also, as far as the different artists go: OPs 1 through 3 & 5 - Linked Horizon OP 4 - Yoshiki OP 6 - Shinsei Kamattechan OP 7 - SiM

Dear Lord, every time Red Swan (Opening 4) starts, I immediately tear up. One of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard.

I fucking love how the opening songs tell the whole story without having to watch the show. It’s storytelling in and of itself. First triumphant and hopeful for the first season, conveying the desire to fight for better times, then frantic and aggressive for the second and its themes of betrayal, followed by patriotism and chants that echo the last stretches of years of mysteries coming to an end. The fourth one is nostalgia and retrospection for how much has passed, with the fifth one being a cool send off, almost a coda, to the first part of the story. Then, just like the story itself, everything gets turned on its head, you get a sinister war declaration, feeling almost like the world is at war and everything is haunting and confusing, just to end with a rage filled bang that is both destructive and beautiful. Damn I love SNK lmao.

You stopped right in the middle of "sasagayo, sasagayo" twice and I have never been so offended haha! Great analysis, I really enjoyed reaction!

You might have noticed but Opening 1, 2, 3 and 5 are done by the same band, while opening 4, 6 and 7 are done each by a different band. This would explain the difference in the mix and arrangement in these songs.

Ok let's be honest The Rumbling truly hit hard when Aot came back in january

28:50 i will never not laugh at him nonchalantly saying "cool" after one of the hardest drops in anime history

Attack on titan’s openings are the best! You should also react to the endings, they’re really beautiful

Your musical analysis is EXACTLY how people watching the show and how the progression actually was in writing also. What we got used to was flipped up side down. "The last two really really really felt different to me" was what everyone said to EVERYTHING in the show and it was GLORIOUS!!! It was intentional. Now we are all waiting for the last piece of the story to be animated. And the hype is real.

A thing that I REALLY love about the 5th opening is how they show snippets of the first 3 openings of AOT and mix them soooo beautifully, that is purely insane

Op 6 slaps, especially after reading the lyrics translation. That "this is my last war" whisper gives me chills every time. Also the singer screaming "My War!" and the choir responding with "Monster!"

If you read the lyrics to each song and go back and read the 5th OP you listened too, it's a combination of all the OPs before it and it's just incredible

People hate people that rewind and miss things (crazy I know) you do it perfectly nothing wrong. I think rewinding back to relisten is amazing shows you are trying to understand what you just heard :D Easily my fav music reactor for AOT !

Opening 4 is underappreciated because many watching didn't realise the openings depend on the TONE of the season.

This was so entertaining I ended watching the whole thing! Being a huge fan of this show it’s so interesting to see you’re reaction to this. You probably wanna watch the show now lol 😂

Seeing a professional in the music industry talk about attack on titan music and praising is is SO COOL to me! I hope to catch your thoughts on the show as you keep watching!

23:55 is by far my favorite part of the 5th opening. They reference so many other songs which is why the chords are changing every phrase😂 1st phrase: main theme from op 1 2nd phrase: some of the opening part of op 2 3rd phrase (shinzo): third op reference which they also reference through the lyrics being the same 4th phrase: referenced op 4 chorus rhythm and progression 5th phrase: reference Akatsuki no requiem(the 4th ed) through the rhythm and by sharing the same lyric "requiem" There's a couple more phrases after that which I can't exactly tell whether there trying to reference but the fact they were able to make 5 callbacks that quickly and still be enjoyable to listen to is crazy😂 the references also hold greater meaning since everything comes full circle at this point in the story so the opening tried to embody every op in the past

the full version of "The Rumbling" is worth checking out, great song

The shift in tone of the openings makes so much sense with each arc of the story. So well done

countless times have I watched both these openings and peoples reactions to them, but I just love these kind of breakdowns of the music. Makes me appreciate the music 10x more, super fun and interesting. Good job man! :D

if you liked the 4th opening, the softer one, please listen to the full version it adds alot of emotions to the overall feeling of the song (especially the guitar solo)

Opening 4 (Red swan) Is just perfect, the complete version really hits hard.

Out of context I can see why Red Swan confuses some people. But it perfectly captures, nostalgia. Wanting to go back to a simpler happier time. On a side note I LOVE my war. Loved it the first moment I heard it. When you first see if, you're confused, uncomfortable for reasons you don't fully understand yet. But you know something horrible with war will happen. It sets the tone so perfectly.

Man this took me on a nostalgia trip. Been watching this show for almost 10 years and it's finally coming to an end next year. The music in this show is on another level suwano is an absolute musical unit.

2nd was like Military March 3rd was Sasageyo is National Anthem

The OST for this show is honestly super wild too. While watching, you feel exactly the emotion that they want you to feel at every second. Definitely worth watching/listening to.

This was incredible. As a huge fan of the anime, this was a treat to watch. Ive heard these themes a thousand times, and you made made me heard them in a new light

The openings changing in feel very much reflects the show changing. Dont worry even if you focused on everything you saw in those openings you still wont see the twists coming.

Never seen such a thorough analytics of music, you did a great job in breaking down these masterpieces!!!!! And if you like these openings, then you should also react to ending themes of this anime, they are also masterpieces!

This was great. You pointed out things I had never noticed and now I can listen to the songs with a new appreciation. Great video.

Just found your channel with this! What I love is that, unlike other music reactions, you aren’t just “wow this sounds great”, but you actually get into WHY it sounds good and what it’s doing on a technical level to evoke the feelings it does. As someone who’s always been interested in music academically, but never had the passion or pursue it artistically, this is just the kinda niche I was hoping for!

Please do the ENDINGS as well!

Oh, holy crap, I thought you were only gonna do OSTs, this is an awesome surprise!!!

The opening themes change with the state of the anime as it progresses. It’s so incredible. The last opening just spells out disaster so perfectly. This anime is absolutely perfect all the way throughout. And the appreciation for the openings go along with it as you watch it

Most of the youtubers just listen to intros as a formality they have to do to gain views but this man litterally destroyed it , he made me realise somethings that I didn't, even after listening to this songs like 10-20 times.

I was really hoping to get a reaction to the actual animation and cinematography as well, but as soon as he said he doesn't wanna pay attention so it doesn't get ruined, I immediately realized it was a great idea to skip that part, because I have no doubt in my mind that with his knowledge of music and general understanding of pretty much everything that's happening, he would've figured out nearly the entire plot from watching the openings alone 😂

Really great listening to you mostly because you analyze the music! That’s so great!! I also recommend you to listen to each individual song’s full version because what you listened to were the opening versions cut especially for the anime episodes, so you get only 1.3 minutes of great stuff. Some songs have amazing sequences that are only in the full versions. I’d also really enjoy your analysis on full versions too, but of course if you would be inclined to do them! I’ve seen people suggesting the endings and I totally support that (endings too have a full version). Anyway, thanks again man!

Absolutely wonderful video! Very interesting how you explain the musical elements that are happening in the moment. I was hyperfocussed on the video the entire 33 minutes. Loved it. Keep up the great work, you definitely deserved my sub

I've watched a lot of reactions on the AOT openings and it was really nice to get a new perspective from you. I really enjoyed your reaction and am looking forward to watching more of your videos.

Opening 1 is such a massive hit that it kinda overshadowed Opening 2 which is such an amazing song and i'm glad people are liking it! it makes you patriotic to a country that doesn't exist lol Opening 3 is an absolute cult classic, masterpiece what can i say more? it's a spine chilling song that i will never get tired of hearing it. Opening 5 has a special place in my heart, it's kinda a farewell song but i wont say much more i think you need to watch the show to appreciate it more! it's a remix of all Linked Horizon songs op 1,2,3 and ending 4 that's called Requiem der Morgenröte which itself has has kinda a part from op 3! Amazing analysis, SHINZOU SASAGEYO!

dude i love the way you analyze the music and even though ive listened to these songs countless times, there were many things you pointed out that i just thought were so interesting. im glad you enjoyed them as much as we did and hopefully you can check out the endings in the future !!

Hi from Japan. I am a fan of AOT and enjoyed your professional analysis. Thank you.

So glad I stumbled on your video. I used to play euphonium in band and love musical breakdowns and descriptions to interpret music differently. Thanks for making this awesome video and taking the time to do this

Really enjoy hearing your analysis, even though I don't understand much about the composition of music i love hearing an expert talk about and your enthusiasm for the songs. I just love the show and the music definitely plays a big impact on that. My favorites are probably op 3, 7 and 4.

Yo that was an amazing analysis, I could honestly listen to like an hours long version of this. Thanks for taking all the time!

This is awesome stuff, lots of reactions are just the video playing, but I love the analysis stuff where you actually go into what you hear!

I would watch you reacting to AOT episodes as well. All my followed reactors are almost caught up with the latest season so I also want another awesome reactor to watch reacting to AOT XD

19:51 I'm not a music expert but i'm indeed a huge fan of this show and i can tell you that the opening versions of the songs cut the best parts. In the first opening, "Guren no Yumiya", just right after where the opening version ends, there's an organ solo.

Great reaction, thank you for adding so much!

I really loved your review. It's always nice to see a producer's angle in these reactions. I enjoyed the breakdown, and detailed explanations of every little thing going on in the background. I love your content, man. I just subscribed and I hope to see more of this.

I'm glad you decided to watch it in your free time. I always feel like reactors just get so many comments telling them to react that they feel almost obligated to post reaction videos. Not that they don't enjoy it. But still, watching it in your free time is a great choice. The music is by far my favourite of any show I've ever watched!

Opening 3 is international anime anthem

It’s so nostalgic to fully listen to the early OPs so many years later

i really really like how you go back and analyze some parts in the openings. it makes me hear things i didnt hear before you pointed them out.

I like how openings 1 and 5 have pretty much the same leitmotiff and the general idea, but in opening 1 you feel like you are under a siege feeling hopeless and opening 5 feels like you are rushing upon your enemy assured in victory.

🇧🇷That sort of video makes me love the music even more. A totally different point of view, an dense analysis... Maestry in presentation. Congratulations from Brazil 🇧🇷

This is my first video I've seen from you and I'm so glad I started with this one. You're so chill and looks like these opening are the best to teach (I'm not a musician, so Idk much) and you explain so well! And now I'm get to appreciate AoT opening more because of you! And retain your chill energy when you explain! That's so cool! Like I kinda just focused on the singer and not much the music, but looking back on it, this is more than an opening/music, this is a full on composition.

I’m so glad you started watching! Keep up all the great work by the way. Much love

You must hear the full versions of Openings 1, 2, 3, then Ending 4 and after Opening 5 , because they are sung by one group and have succession in each subsequent song

So the 4th OP was performed by Hyde, who is/was the vocalist for L'arc~en~ciel but had done several colabs & solo stuff. He has been an amazing singer for so long and has done his fair share of anime opening & ending songs. I highly suggest checking out more of his work!

Never heard all these tracks back to back before. But definitely shows how much thought went into the feel and mood in these tracks. They follow the vibe of the show so perfectly. Great stuff

i love your videos so much man, and this is my favorite show. i love hearing what you’ve got to say about these songs and i’m glad you like them!!

Watching your face change the second Revo (Linked Horizon, OP1-3 and 5) goes from bombastic blood-rushing anthems to soft, building "take the floor out under you" sound is amazing. Wish you'd check out his work with Bravely Default's OST or Sound Horizon!

The thing about opening 5 is how it combines not just music from opening 1, 2 and 3(a lil bit of ending from S3p1) but also the visuals...if you rewatch those openings, there are very similiar shots used in opening 5 to those in previous ones, so op 5 feels like the pay off for the deaths and hard work from previous seasons because the characters finally got to the goal they have been fighting so hard to get to....and also its the last time we had Linked Horizon, the band that created these openings except for op 4 and last 2 to create opening for AoT...its not my top favourite but it fits the tone of that perticular season the best probably

I really appreciate how much effort there is to bind music to the progress of the story, lyrics too. I feel like there is 100 people involved in 1 song, so many tones to isolate. It's art, not just openings, soundtrack in the show give me exact image of the TV show. Beautiful

Man, I enjoyed every second of this video which I did not expect before clicking on the video. So damn good. Thanks a lot 💛🙏 I'm loving that you're loving the show. Got so damn hyped in OP3 and goosebumps in OP5

This felt much shorter than 33 min. The stops and rewinds are no problem at all, I think most people appreciate it when you go back and relisten + analyze their favorite parts of the song. Looking forward to your endings reaction.

The first 5 openings were made when Wit Studio were creating the show. 4 of the 5 ops were sung by the same band, Linked Horizon. For the final season, it was given to Studio Mappa because Aot production is really insane and not viable for Wit anymore. There is also a massive tone shift with op 6 onward. That is another reason they are very different.

The full version of opening 6 is probably the most unique one for me. Glad you enjoyed these openings for this legendary anime!

From the basic beats in the first seasons to the military based theme. Then when all hell is about to be released rumbling. You have that metal voice combined with some beautiful singing which matches the show. The world is about to end and yet some are still fighting to protect it.

These openings are the most intense and cinematic I’ve ever seen

I finished both manga and anime of AOT and this opening still gives me chills

These type of reactions just feel so much more realistic and intriguing to hear

Boko nu sei Is my favorite one of all them. Very unique from the rest and the drum line is intoxicating. Also loving your content man! I consider myself a music nerd but I don’t know a lot of the terminology so I’m glad you’re using them. You make great content keep it up

Great reaction!! Keep doing what u doing

You make me hear the sound that usually skipped in my ear 😂

I love the way you laugh at the sudden changes from the beginning to the hardcore rock parts! It's so ridiculous but it sounds so good 🤣

Little Taiwanese fan here. Been following your anime music reactions since the AOT suite. Just wanna let you know that all these pauses and analysis are THE REASON I've been repeatedly come back to your videos. Not going to pretend that I understand everything you said/observed, yet through your reactions and share of thoughts, I can finally struggle to find the proper way to express my longtime admiration to AOT's music. While most AOT music reactions on YT are raw and emotional, professionals like you are hard to come by. Of course, reactions from Joey (Lucky Boy) Nato, Knox Hill or, particularly, Alex Moukala, are also very helpful. Yet, for an extreme complex show like AOT, with so many exceptional artists around it, I feel like it's never enough to learn from every detail of it. Followings are some selfish requests. Please ignore them if impossible in schedule or simply because you find the idea immature. :) Like you mentioned in this video (if I comprehend it correctly. English is not my mother tongue.): Many of the melody phrases have been used repeatedly in the show, in slightly different manner/arrangement. Now, one of the most iconic AOT song/ost has drawn a lot of attention ever since the latest anime episode. The name of the song is 《ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn》, and it's the very first song/ost you reacted to in the AOT suite. To my acknowledgement, there are at least three official arrangement version of the song, the 《ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn》, the 《ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn＜WMId＞》, which version is what you heard in the suite, and the latest 《ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn＜TFSv＞》. What bothers me is that the latest version of 《ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn》, the ＜TFSv＞ one, shocked me in a way I can't find the proper expression. Yet the vibe and emotion it brings is totally different from its two predecessors, even though the main phrase is nearly the same! From the plot point of view, I understand what affect my subjective emotions on it, yet, there are definitely some composing geniuses behind the version. I've always been wondering if someone professional enough, like you sir, would like to react to version, and compare that with either of its two predecessors. The problem is that, right now the official 《ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn》on YT uses a lot of season 4 images in its video. It's hard to react to it without being spoiled. So, if this comment can stay in memory, or you also find similar shock that many of us encountered after watching S4 Ep28 (#87), can you help analyzing what composing differences caused the total different vibe of a nearly identical song? I hope I convey myself properly without any impoliteness. Thanks again for making these reaction videos!

I'd highly suggest listening to the full version of The rumbling. It goes places.

holy instant subscribe. love hearing this. brings me back to my wind ensemble days but in my favorite genre now!!

Great job man! I love when people give feedback and explanations in their reactions. You dont know how many times ive seen people just sit blankly and go "yeah this is good" lol

The second opening has a mix of japanese and german in the vocals which before hearing it for the first time i wouldn't have thought they would work together so well (some of the other openings also have german but this one stands out the most to me)

The full song for opening 4 is called Red Swan and it definitely used the little bit of building and guitar later than what is shown in the anime.

I just wanna cry I LOVE THESE SO MUCH. So many emotions of a million things that happen in the show. It’s truly amazing. So beautiful.💜😌

I’ve heard these openings so many times but that 3rd one gave me chills bro. It’s so good 🔥🥶

Quite refreshing hearing a fellow percussionist's perspectives on these openings! Im glad you mentioned the micro vs. macro feel at 17:15, that macro feel just hits different (and helps keep you in time)! Also yes, 100% creep by radiohead vibe during opening 4. Very underrated opening imo!