**主題歌 | テーマソン** – *shudaika* | *tēmason*. **Theme songs** are songs you hear in anime and movies as their respective **opening theme song** (OP or オープニングテーマ; *ōpuningu tēma*) and **closing or ending theme song** (ED or エンディングテーマ; *endingu tēma*).

They usually come in two versions; three, if you count instrumental. The so-called TV Size or anime version that runs for 90-seconds long at most (usually the first verse to the first chorus), and the **full version** (フル; *furu*) which could be any length. This distinction is important because, according to GARNiDELiA, that 90-second runtime is where most producer-director control is exercised since TV anime openings and endings only have that amount of time to make an impression. Thus, most TV version theme songs follow a certain flow from verse to chorus or are edited to be that way (rather awkwardly at times, ie. *Hikaru Nara* TV Size). Anything past that 90-second window is free rein for the composer, which is why some full versions become drastically different past the first chorus. Character songs or image songs can also be theme songs.

To illustrate the dichotomy, below are the second opening and ending themes for *Kono Oto Tomare*.

[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wciD0_3sWbQ)

[*Kono Oto Tomare* 2nd Opening Theme *Harmony* by Shouta Aoi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wciD0_3sWbQ)