TIL I was skipping the opening credits for the wrong reasons

I used to skip the opening credits on every anime I watched, thinking I was saving time. Then a friend pointed out I was missing key visual storytelling and music cues that set the mood for each episode. I checked my watch history and realized I had skipped the iconic Cowboy Bebop opening like 50 times. Has anyone else ever missed something important by skipping intros too quickly?

2 comments

2 Comments

michaelrodriguez18d ago

That's a good point, but Cowboy Bebop has one of those rare openings you actually shouldn't skip because it changes slightly over the course of the series. The main title card will swap in different text or visuals depending on what arc you're in, and the music syncs up with the episode's tone in subtle ways. You definitely missed some of that layered storytelling by hitting the skip button fifty times. Did you ever go back and watch those openings to see what you missed, or were you already too far into the show to bother?

elliots4918d ago

Yeah I actually did go back and watch them after someone pointed it out to me. The title card changes were subtle but cool once you knew what to look for. I noticed the music synced differently with the heavier episodes too, like the one about Spike's past. It made me wish I had paid attention the first time through, but I was too caught up in the story to care about the opening at first. Now I always watch the full intro on rewatches, it adds something to the atmosphere.