The 1960s Graphic Designer Who Inspired Your Favorite Anime OPs

When it comes to title sequences, anime OPs are in a league of their own. We're spoiled with hundreds of lavishly produced openings that perfectly represent their associated shows through music and animation. If the author had to pick a favorite style of anime OP, the jazzy ones that evoke the slick elegance of the 1960s would be the choice.

SPY x FAMILY's "Mixed Nuts," Cowboy Bebop's "Tank," Great Pretender's "G.P.," and many others have used a specific style of stark geometric shapes, saturated flat colors, and moving text that instantly brings to mind mid-century chic. But where did that aesthetic come from, and how did it become so iconic?

Let's talk about Saul Bass.

Before Saul Bass, movie credits used to be pretty bare bones. They would often just be projected on the curtain before the film started, and nobody would pay them attention. But Bass, with his graphic design background, saw an opportunity for artistic expression in opening title sequences and created a striking one for the 1955 film The Man with the Golden Arm. Harsh white lines stretched across a black background, eventually transforming into a claw-like arm to represent the main character's heroin addiction. His poster for the film was just as impactful, with its color-blocked segments standing out against the more blasé designs of years past.

Bass also invented a new kind of kinetic typography, allowing titles to have even more dynamic movement. He directed dozens of title sequences throughout the '50s and '60s, many of which featured his signature "paper cutout" style. He eventually met and married his wife Elaine, a fantastic title designer in her own right, and helped direct such iconic sequences as the opening of West Side Story. Together, they shaped the field of title sequence design and helped shape the stylish, mid-century aesthetic of the 1960s.

Even if you've never heard of Saul or Elaine Bass, you've undoubtedly seen their influence in movies and TV shows that purposefully evoke their style. Most derivative works take inspiration from Saul Bass' title sequences for Hitchcock films and other thrillers, so a modern tribute to the Bass look evokes a sense of old-school chic along with a hint of danger.

Catch Me If You Can, Monsters, Inc., and Mad Men all have opening sequences that use the paper cutout style Bass was famous for. Oftentimes, they'll also use jazz scores evocative of the time – you'll hear shades of Dave Brubeck and Miles Davis, the kind of music you'd expect to hear over a secret agent infiltrating a ritzy party. It's no wonder the world of anime also picked up on this vibe!

SPY x FAMILY's setting is heavily inspired by the Cold War era, where careful espionage is the only thing keeping the world from nuclear war. It's a genuine threat, and you can feel that in episodes centered on characters like Loid or Yuri. Still, that's not the point of the series. It's more about Loid, Yor, and Anya being adorable together, so it makes perfect sense that the anime's first OP – "Mixed Nuts" – reimagines the Saul Bass style as if a child made it as a paper collage!

I love this take on the Bass title sequence, especially since it intercuts the childish paper cutouts with realistic depictions of the adult characters doing serious spy and assassination work (and could the paper Yor slices with her needles be an homage to The Man with the Golden Arm?). SPY x FAMILY features many other nods to '60s staples, such as the designer fashion and furniture any mid-century modern connoisseur would recognize from a mile away. Opening each episode of Season 1 with "Mixed Nuts" is a wonderful way to set the audience up for its specific mixture of drama and comedy in the depths of the Cold War.

And now for two anime that use the Bass aesthetic to indicate class, danger, and Bond-esque hijinks. Cowboy Bebop uses silhouettes against brightly colored flat planes overlaid with text describing the bebop jazz movement of the 1940s. You only get glimpses of the Bebop crew and their world, but the OP makes them look so intriguing that you can't help but want to learn more. And, of course, the classic banger "Tank!" by The Seatbelts gives just the right air of effortless cool to go with the visuals.

On the other hand, Great Pretender is probably the most faithful to the Bass style out of the anime we're talking about today. Fitting, since it's a love letter to spy and con artist films! The opening, "G.P.," uses the paper cutout look to whisk its viewers through the fantastic locales the cast finds themselves in, like celebrity pool parties, high-class airplane races in Singapore, and exclusive fine art auctions. It also replicates the slick transitions many of Bass' title sequences had, giving the impression that the whole opening is one long take that encompasses the anime's entire plot.

As a bonus, it even contains homages to Mad Men (Makoto falling through the sky), Catch Me If You Can (walking through a door while changing clothes), and Monsters, Inc. (doors opening to reveal different scenes). These references may be coincidences, but considering how much Western influence is in Great Pretender, I'm pretty confident they're intentional!

Some anime OPs don't have as obvious of a Saul Bass influence but use elements of the style to evoke a cool Hollywood image. Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun utilizes Bass' signature moving lines and flat colors to give the impression that the characters are walking through a manga created right in front of their eyes. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! uses these same techniques to emphasize how passionate the protagonists are about creating anime despite the odds stacked against them. And High Card combines the Saul Bass colors and silhouettes with intricate filigree patterns to set up its high-concept world of superpowered MI6 agents. There are many more Bass-esque OPs out there – can you find them?

Saul and Elaine Bass had a massive impact on the film industry through their exploration of the title sequence as a creative medium. Their work, particularly Saul Bass' heavily stylized posters and titles for thriller movies, is practically a shorthand for the old-school cool of the 1960s to this day! And now that you recognize the style, you can be on the lookout for the signature Bass hallmarks, too – it's fun!

What did you think of our exploration of Saul and Elaine Bass? Can you think of any other anime that pays homage to their work? Let us know in the comments, and thank you so much for reading!