Opening 18: "Hard Knock Days"

Galaxy 9000

A new opening will debut for the anime on April 5th, performed by the EXILE Tribe band.

Credit for finding this goes to sandman and ANN.

It seems the next opening song is called "Head Knock Days".
source: 2ch

This year's 18th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine is announcing on Monday that the all-male group Generations from EXILE Tribe will perform the new opening theme song for the One Piece television anime. The song "Hard Knock Days" will begin playing in the anime on April 5. Generations from EXILE Tribe is a seven-member unit that formed in 2011 under the Exile spinoff umbrella unit EXILE Tribe. They already performed the theme songs for the Japanese live-action Sugarless series and the Japanese release of the American live-action series Arrow, among other projects.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-03-26/generations-from-exile-tribe-performs-one-piece-new-theme-song/.86390

Mr. Luffy

I figured, if anything, the anime appearance of

! Corazon would be enough of a landmark event to usher in a new opening and I was right.

This would make it the first opening in a very long time that replaced another opening that was made solely for the same arc. Though I think that's more of a testament on how crazy-long the Dressrosa arc will ultimately be compared to earlier arcs.

Just glad we no longer get that pointless Blackbeard nonsense in the opening now.

basTchet

I'm just very happy to know it's gonna be EXILE who's next in charge :'DD

Kurloz

Not feeling the autotune techno boyband sound

senjuitama

This is pleasant news

Madara

Exile was it the Band which song played at street fighter intro or something?
what it was called next door
great

MasterKingJC

I knew it. They wouldn't give an new visual and a new site banner if they weren't planning on a new opening.

I'm excited. I'm sure all of us have grown sick of Wake Up.

Devil G.

So Wake Up won't run for as long as We Go did, that's a relief.

Crossword

I'm not really a fan of the heavy autotune either. From a (very) small sampling of their discography it sounds like we might be in for a more sedate song like Hands Up!.

Now hopefully the opening itself breaks away from the "Straw Hats messing around on the Sunny and staring out at sea with occasional arc-relevant bits here and there" cliches that have been running rampant since the timeskip.

Black Leg

Hopefully they won't have any new hideous outfits this time.

dropper

@Galaxy:

A new opening will debut for the anime on April 5th, performed by the EXILE Tribe band.

I'm happy your predictions were wrong 58 episodes of Wake Up and I think everyone has had enough, assuming the manga finishes the arc soon at least we can expect this one to have a shorter run.

Galaxy 9000

@dropper:

I'm happy your predictions were wrong 58 episodes of Wake Up and I think everyone has had enough, assuming the manga finishes the arc soon at least we can expect this one to have a shorter run.

I'm glad too.

Just seemed to be the most logical conclusion at the time due to the change in the animation, but I won't complain about this.

! I wonder how much of the flashback will be present in the opening animation.

Elektrik Dynomite

@Galaxy:

! I wonder how much of the flashback will be present in the opening animation.

I'm betting if the song has a bridge section, like most do, that'll be the content of it. Similar to the Law scene in Hands Up, or Blackbeard in Wake Up

Jinbe10

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Really happy!

Magi

Great news, I like wake up, but it's getting annoying.

I just hope that it won't be too happy-go-lucky.

Heavenly Demon

I'm hoping for a more somber opening that includes some Corazon and Law flashback imagery.

basTchet

Ah, and I just realize it now, it's not exile tribe but generation from exile tribe, huh? Aw I thought it would be Atsushi who sings But anyway I'm pretty sure it's going to be another catchy tunes, I hope it turns out well. And more importantly, it's finally a new OP song, lol.

Halfmetal-lich

@Crossword:

I'm not really a fan of the heavy autotune either. From a (very) small sampling of their discography it sounds like we might be in for a more sedate song like Hands Up!.

Now hopefully the opening itself breaks away from the "Straw Hats messing around on the Sunny and staring out at sea with occasional arc-relevant bits here and there" cliches that have been running rampant since the timeskip.

My friend we can only hope.

But thank god for a new opening, been too long.

goty

Well, speaking of autotune, it can't be worse than the Parasyte opening, can it?

Psychosis

Excellent!
I've been anticipating a new opening for a while since it's been the 15th anniversary for over a year.

Zoro Kun

I'm relieved that they finally think of a new opening, i like one piece theme most of the time but wake up wasn't the best of them and i grew up tired of it after 2 months of it's airing, hope the song will be good, from what i've heard Exile Tribe is not that bad.

cpuguy18

finally a new opening

Jabberwok

Wake Up was easily in my five least favorite openings from the very beginning. Glad to see it leaving and here's hoping the next one is better.

Kisoto

This is such a nice Easter present! I'm already super excited for this week's episode and adding a new opening just after will be worth the wait. Here's hoping we get a lot of great shots and excellent music!

Requim

I have no idea why Wake Up! is so disliked here. I like it. Sure it got a bit boring/annoying after such a long time, but to be honest I think that OP have a lot of weaker openings. Crazy Rainbow for example.

KaizokuJinbei

the name is a little weird. Is there a way ti listen to it?

Kurloz

@Requim:

Crazy Rainbow for example.

Screw you buddy I liked Crazy Rainbow
In all seriousness no opening will ever be worse than Kaze Wo

MetaMario

@Kurloz:

Screw you buddy I liked Crazy Rainbow
In all seriousness no opening will ever be worse than Kaze Wo

Kaze Wo kinda grew on me, but it will forever be hilarious how much it clashed horribly with the arc's theme of breaking into a secure prison where people get poisoned, dunked in boiling water, subject to freezing cold and blistering heat, and of course, the looming threat of execution.

….what happened to the ending themes? I miss those.

Kurloz

After sampling every popular song of Generation's on youtube I have to say I'm not fond of any of them, no pep

Hope this OP is different

Clifford

@Requim:

I have no idea why Wake Up! is so disliked here. I like it. Sure it got a bit boring/annoying after such a long time, but to be honest I think that OP have a lot of weaker openings. Crazy Rainbow for example.

This is just my opinoin, but I hate it, and my reasons are:

~Visuals in the opening have nothing to do with anything
~Overused and cliche "Strawhats having fun on their ship" theme
~Irrelevant, time wasting, Black Beard scene
~Happy cheery song, when every Dressrosa episode is anything but happy and cheery
~Song is just bad

Mr. Luffy

Though Corazon is a given, I'm also thinking the new opening will showcase Bartolomeo and Cavendish more. That and more of the Doflamingo Family.

@Clifford:

~Overused and cliche "Strawhats having fun on their ship" theme

I'm thinking this is a deliberate choice by Toei in the new openings for the sake of drawing in new TV viewers. An opening like that briefly acquaints a newcomer to the Strawhats and gives a gist on what it's about.

It might be a mandatory inclusion from here on out.

MasterKingJC

Since this is being performed by a boy band, I hope this is more like Share the World than something like the We Are Remix.

Zoro Kun

The opening i liked the least is the we are remix, i admit Kaze wo ain't my top favorite but those both are better than the AAA one.
I think i disliked more some endings back when they were existing in one piece, i remember they disappeared during Enies Lobby or a bit after that, the last ending was the worst song ever.

zachri

I love wake up like you hear that shit a- SHININ RUNNIN FOREVER

But srsls
Name of song implies it's gonna be badass but emotional potentially touching opening 13-14 epicness
Also potentially full of flashback material
And tears.

G1Ravage

Awesome news! Looking forward to Saturday.

Kurloz

@Zoro:

the last ending was the worst song ever.

You must not have listened to very many songs then

thaihoa91

"Hard Knock Days" is a rock music, I guess -> https://one-piece.com/news/detail/20150330_2145

senjuitama

The openings are too long for them not to put irrelevant stuff like the straw hats having fun, one piece openings are alot longer than the usual show

Atuin

I like the Straw Hats having fun in the openings. You get plenty of action inside the anime episodes.

goty

@senjuitama:

The openings are too long for them not to put irrelevant stuff like the straw hats having fun, one piece openings are alot longer than the usual show

Well, they are one minute longer (the time usually spent on endings).
But yeah, it's harder to fill up time, so i guess they need those "calm" sequences usually reserved for ending animations. 2:30 minutes of action could get tiresome, and especially too expensive as well. A good direction is essential.

Speaking of which, what would be the long opening with the best direction all around? My vote goes to Share the World, with Fight Together coming close.

@zachri:

But srsls
Name of song implies it's gonna be badass but emotional potentially touching opening 13-14 epicness

Indeed, this name is a good change of pace after "Hands up!", "Wake up!" and "Smile, be Happy!!"

MasterKingJC

Comments and details from some of the Generations members about the opening
http://onepiecepodcast.com/2015/03/29/one-piece-opening-18-hard-knock-days-details-and-comments/

Kishido

Finally… Haven't liked Opening 17. Most likely cuz of the silly interaction inbetween

goty

@MasterKingJC:

Comments and details from some of the Generations members about the opening
http://onepiecepodcast.com/2015/03/29/one-piece-opening-18-hard-knock-days-details-and-comments/

"The song is called “Hard Knock Days,” we haven’t tried doing anything with a rock-style sound like this but I do think that we made a song that’s different from what GENERATIONS has done in the past, until now."

So they're acknowledging it's gonna be different from their other songs we've been sampling. Good news.

Miss Saturday

I'm not a fan of the current opening, but I wish they'd hold off on a new one. At least until the end of the arc and the beginning of a new one.

My OCD demands one new opening per arc; two if it's an especially long arc. And this current one got tweaked around already, what else new would they even add? This arc is long, but not varied.. Still the same everybody vs. Doflamingo scenario.

Eitarou

@Miss:

I'm not a fan of the current opening, but I wish they'd hold off on a new one. At least until the end of the arc and the beginning of a new one.

My OCD demands one new opening per arc; two if it's an especially long arc. And this current one got tweaked around already, what else new would they even add? This arc is long, but not varied.. Still the same everybody vs. Doflamingo scenario.

Uh, more screentime for the Doflamingo family and the side characters. Sabo (and the other Revolutionaries, I guess.) doing stuff. Law's past. Etc, etc…

Magi

@Miss:

I'm not a fan of the current opening, but I wish they'd hold off on a new one. At least until the end of the arc and the beginning of a new one.

My OCD demands one new opening per arc; two if it's an especially long arc. And this current one got tweaked around already, what else new would they even add? This arc is long, but not varied.. Still the same everybody vs. Doflamingo scenario.

Don't most anime typically get 2 openings/endings a season? They often change them regularly after around 12 episodes (or around 20+ episodes for long running anime).

From what I've seen, Toei gets pretty stingy with new openings and keeps them around for long periods of time or they'd simply never change the original at all so One Piece has never really gotten the same treatment other anime would typically get regarding the openings.

Miss Saturday

@Eitarou:

Uh, more screentime for the Doflamingo family and the side characters. Sabo (and the other Revolutionaries, I guess.) doing stuff. Law's past. Etc, etc…

All stuff that's already in this opening. Minus the flashback, which would be like.. 4 seconds? I dunno.
What I'm getting at is there's really not much content to go off to make a new opening. Hell, half the main protagonists haven't even been around for a long time now. So it'll be, uh.. interesting to see what they choose to do.

@Magi:

Don't most anime typically get 2 openings/endings a season? They often change them regularly after around 12 episodes (or around 20+ episodes for long running anime).

I wouldn't know; I don't really watch much anime now a days. The last stuff I saw was FMA: Brotherhood, which DID get new openings every 20 or so episodes. But that series lasted 63 episodes, so.

Nex 0

@Miss:

two if it's an especially long arc.

I mean, this is the longest arc in the series…

Zoro Kun

@Kurloz:

You must not have listened to very many songs then

LOL seriously?

If you think this music is great then your music taste must be re evaluate, well for all i care anyway.

RamistaR

@Zoro:

LOL seriously?

If you think this music is great then your music taste must be re evaluate, well for all i care anyway.

There is a gap between "great song" and "worst song ever".