History Main / PlaceholderTitles

Your show has finally made it on the air! The episode's got everything it needs...except a TitleSequence. What to do? This is where PlaceholderTitles come in. Similar to the TitleMontage in execution, but with the reason being that the actual title sequence isn't complete. Eventually, the titles may be replaced with the proper version, but in the most extreme cases, they may not appear until the [=DVDs=].

* Creator/StudioShaft is notorious for this trope in general, as they have a tough time meeting their schedule, e.g.

** The early ending credits for ''Manga/KoufukuGraffiti'' shows scenes seen earlier in that episode, such as Kirin's neighbors and parents preparing for a festival in episode 2. By episode 3 a regular ending appears, and is used for the rest of the series.

* ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' has a strange cause for its first episode's ending being this-- one member of the band Jinkaku Radio committed a RoleEndingMisdemeanor of making disparaging remarks about Creator/YuiHorie, and eventually the band dissociated themselves from the anime. {{Sunrise}} needed time to find a replacement.

* Episodes of ''RoundTheTwist'' would all begin with the opening credits followed by a very short sequence with no dialogue (sometimes plot-relevant, but sometimes just surreal) over which the episode's title is superimposed -- with the exception of the very first episode, "Skeleton on the Dunny", which has no opening credits at all and starts off with a handheld camera shot of approaching the outside toilet to reveal the titular skeleton.

* The second episode of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', had a the title and credits appear on a plain watery blue background as the main series opening' contained many shots which would have been spoilers for the coming episode. (Prominently the city dramatically surfacing to save them all from drowning)
* The creepy, floating letters in the title sequence of ''Series/{{LOST}}'' were only meant as a placeholder. They ended up keeping this sequence for the entire series.
* The music over the end credits of ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati'' was written but didn't have any lyrics yet so the singer just scatted over the music as an example. The producers liked the effect so the scatting stayed.

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* Parodied in ''Anime/MiyakawaKeNoKuufuku''. The ending sequence of the first few episodes would cut out partway through, with the older sister claiming that due to their PerpetualPoverty, [[MediumAwareness she hadn't been able to play the animators to make the whole sequence]] (though the younger sister claims it just wasn't ready in time). More and more of the ending is played every episode until in Episode 5 we finally get to see the whole thing, much to the sisters' delight.

* ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' has a strange cause its first episode's ending being this-- one member of the band Jinkaku Radio committed a RoleEndingMisdemeanor of making disparaging remarks on Creator/YuiHorie and eventually causing the band to dissociate themselves from the anime. {{Sunrise}} needed time to find a replacement.

* ''{{Hyakko}}'', which had in its first couple of episodes nothing but clips from the first episode standing in for the opening. It's not until episode ''nine'' that the opening could finally be said to have animation of its own.

* ''{{Kimikiss}} pure rouge''. The first version of the opening, mostly consisting of static images, was replaced with a more animated one halfway through.

** The first two episodes of ''HidamariSketch x Hoshimittsu'' had an OP sequence largely with static images for the first three episodes, and a similarly static ED for the first three.

* ''BambooBlade'', with the proper titles not appearing until the [=DVDs=] were released.

* ''TheyAreMyNobleMasters''

** ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei''
** ''DanceInTheVampireBund'' didn't have its proper ED ready until episode 8.

* ''RosarioToVampire'' had this for the opening and ending, officially replacing them at episode four.

* ''PenguinMusumeHeart'' had placeholder EvolvingCredits. It was never the same OP twice, but starting with episode eight, the OP did finally stabilize.

* ''GhostInTheShell: Stand Alone Complex'' featured a TitleMontage for the first two episodes when it first aired in Japan before the CGI opening was finished.

* ''MegasXLR'' did this for its pilot.

* ''{{Basquash}}'', but only for episodes 2 and 3. The actual opening came into place rather quickly. Though the process repeated again for the second OP.

* ''GargoyleOfTheYoshinagas'' did this with its ending for the first two episodes.

* Parodied in ''Anime/MiyakawaKeNoKuufuku''. The ending of the first few episodes would cut out partway through, with the older sister claiming that due to their PerpetualPoverty, [[MediumAwareness she hadn't been able to play the animators to make the whole sequence]] (though the younger sister claims it just wasn't ready in time). More and more of the intro is played every episode until in Episode 5 we finally get to see the whole thing, much to the sisters' delight.

* The second episode of ''StargateAtlantis'', had a the title and credits appear on a plain watery blue background as the main series opening' contained many shots which would have been spoilers for the coming episode. (Prominently the city dramatically surfacing to save them all from drowning)
* The creepy, floating letters in the title sequence of ''{{LOST}}'' were only meant as a placeholder. They ended up keeping this sequence for the entire series.

** The first two episodes of ''HidamariSketch x Hoshimittsu'' had an OP sequence largely with static images for the first three episodes, and a similarly static ED fr the first three.

* StudioShaft is notorious for this trope in general, as they have a tough time meeting their schedule, e.g.

** Shaft is so infamous for this that, when the end credits for the first two episodes of ''PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' ran over the final scenes of those episodes, people assumed that this was why there wasn't a proper ending sequence. [[spoiler:Then, when [[WhamEpisode episode 3]] aired with the proper ending, [[SubvertedTrope people realized why it was omitted from the previous episodes]]: it would have spoiled the DarkerAndEdgier direction of the rest of the series.]]

* The opening two episodes for ''PowerRangersZeo'', for its first airing, had an opening which showed the Zeo Crystal shapes being etched by a laser, and didn't show any cast credits for the Rangers, so as to not spoil anything and to keep the suspense from the previous season's CliffHanger.

* ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' has a strange cause its first episode's ending being this-- one member of the band Jinkaku Radio committed a RoleEndingMisdemeanor of making disparaging remarks on YuiHorie and eventually causing the band to dissociate themselves from the anime. {{Sunrise}} needed time to find a replacement.

* Likewise, the first two episodes of ''TheBigO'' featured a short clip of Big O's face hardening out of a pool of molten metal with a booming voiceover reciting the quasi CatchPhrase "Cast in the name of God, ye not guilty."

** ''Literature/{{Bakemonogatari}}[='=]''s ED was much the same for the first few episodes.

** ''{{Bakemonogatari}}[='=]''s ED was much the same for the first few episodes.

* ''TentaiSenshiSunred'', whose placeholder opening was noticeable because of the still frames. More scenes and more motion were added come episode seven.

* The opening two episodes for ''PowerRangersZeo'' had an opening which showed the Zeo Crystal shapes being etched by a laser, and didn't show any cast credits for the Rangers, so as to not spoil anything and to keep the suspense from the previous season's CliffHanger.