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Whenever I want to stream a new series these days, more often than not, the intro sequence is animated. Some of these are really good and I thought I could talk about the top 5 animated intro sequences in series I've watched off-late.
Animated Intro Sequences: 1. iZombie (2015-2019)
Animation - 7/10
Music - 9/10
Story - 9/10
Detail - 7/10
One of the best intros on this list, iZombie is basically what feels like a live-action adaptation of an actual comic book. Even the scene transitions have comic transition effects with some scenes that crystallize into a static comic animation for a few moments.
The whole plot of the series is laid into just a few comic pages with an absolutely amazing and highly relevant title track. It feels like a tiny self-contained episode that would probably do really well on its own if posted in IG stories or Facebook reels.
The series is really entertaining for the first couple of seasons, with great plots for each episode, along with good consistency and continuity.
2. Rutherford Falls (April 2021)
Animation - 8/10
Music - 8/10
Story - 8/10
Detail - 8/10
Rutherford Falls is a really subtle intro with Easter eggs that are yet to be unearthed by loyal fans. The cute little clip shows the growth of the small town without focusing on the involuntary sacrifices made by the indigenous people on the sidelines.
In this case, it's not animation for the sake of animation with the intro clip showing the quintessential nature of Rutherford Falls. The title track is really in tune with the message of the small-town life.
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3. Only Murders in The Building (August 2021)
Animation - 8/10
Music - 9/10
Story - 5/10
Detail - 7/10
The Only Murders in The Building intro is allegorical with my favorite being silhouettes that were used to effectively represent the three main characters in the story. The series goes super heavy on visual metaphors ( Spoiler Alert - the bouncing back metaphor sees all three actually bouncing back!).
It is also interesting to see how the animators have used the balance of light and shadows to give the series a hint of suspense and mystery.
4. Marvel Studios What If... (August 2021)
Animation - 9/10
Music - 9/10
Story - 9/10
Detail - 8/10
It wouldn't be a movie/series list without a Marvel entry - don't you think? Jeffery Wright's voice transforms the Marvel Studios What If... intro into something profound and insightful.
The Watcher is a Father Time kind of character who oversees all of time and space across various realities and takes us through alternate versions of the history we currently have come to know.
Without the unique timbre and tone of Wright's voice, the feel of the animated intro would have been completely different. But the part where the animation depicts various realities as being viewed through a diamond prism is how a physicist would explain it.
Then again there is the theory of us living in a simulation and so on goes the rabbit hole.
5. Atypical (August 2017-July 2021)
Animation - 9/10
Music - 9/10
Story - 9/10
Detail - 9/10
The Season 1 intro focuses more on the actual art of drawing and how the sketches took form.
The other seasons focus on simple animations that tell a micro-story or highlight a character trait.
The most meaningful of all the animated intros in this list, Atypical takes us on a tour of the lead character Sam's mind. On the autism spectrum, Sam Gardner uses art to make sense of the world around him, drawing to analogize real-life scenarios and solve problems doing so.
The fact that they show pencil touching paper is so satisfying, with the creation process happening before your very eyes. In the digital age, you rarely get a chance to put pen to paper and this straightforward portrayal of a person drawing is calming. Anyone who has seen or heard about Bob Ross' painting videos will attest to this.
Beyond this, there's the mental landscape of Sam Gardner that you get to see in the intro which changes with every season. This a good depiction of sublimation and the meditative process of creating something with your bare hands.
Simple animation that is metaphorical yet easy to digest is what makes this intro special and memorable.