If there’s only two things you take away from this post let it be known that 1. I am kind of in love with Megumi Nakajima and 2. her song “Try Unite” is a much better OP for the Lagrange series than the one currently airing. Both of those facts can be verified by the video above, but seeing as I am contractually obligated to write more than that, let me explain why.

Even before discussing the song itself, getting Ms. Nakajima on board with Lagrange was a smart move. She is best known for voicing the upstart idol Ranka Lee in the tremendously popular Macross Frontier, another series involving a lot of mecha, cute girls, and pop music. She is also known as the voice of the vocaloid GUMI. So for an anime original project like Lagrange that would have no fan base to start with, adding Megumi Nakajima gives you a small, but instant amount of credibility.

“Try Unite” was chosen as the opening for the first season, and the song fits great. Perhaps the most unique element of Lagrange is the way it can balance massive galactic conflict and the fun, simple life of a girl living in a beach town. Any other show would lean heavily one way or the other or gradually work its way between the two, but Lagrange manages nearly equal parts of both. In “Try Unite”, the verses run Nakajima’s lilting falsetto over dark but danceable beats, creating a mature sound that contrasts with the sheer uplifting joy of the chorus. The dichotomy of tone perfectly matches the mood of what you’re about to watch.

I was excited to hear that the second season’s opening would also be performed by Nakajima, but somewhat disappointed after hearing it. The song itself is fine, if a bit disjointed, but it doesn’t match the series nearly as well. It feels like they just grabbed her latest single and tossed it over some animation from the show. Perhaps that doesn’t change much in the grand scheme of things as the series itself continues to show promise. But as this column is aiming to show, having a cool, appropriate OP only helps make your anime better.