While I have been watching anime forever, I got more into musical animes in recent years because of my band. There’s something about fictional bands and musicians that is just so inspiring. It’s interesting getting to know more about the characters and then see what kind of music they create.
Anime creators actually put effort into these songs and you would happily add them to your playlist, this could be said about theme songs as well. As nostalgic as my English cartoon shows were, and while I loved some songs in there too (like Remember Ember from Danny Phantom, songs from Phineas and Ferb, etc), there just wasn’t much depth or meaning to them.
So, as this year comes to an end, let me share some of my favourite musical performances from animes <3 If any of these songs touch you, be sure to check out the series!
If you’d like to discover other Japanese music and artists, or would like to see more anime performances, check out my playlists on Youtube!
And if you’re interested in learning more vocabulary and kanji so you can watch anime and dramas, read manga, sing J-pop at karaoke, or play raw Japanese video games, check out my 250+ Kanji for Japanese Media (+Sentences) article and my Japanese Study Guide!
My Hero Academia
Hero Too by Class 1A
This scene and made me song the first few times I watched it. If you haven’t watch the show, I won’t say much, but knowing everyone’s backstories, how hard they’ve worked, and trying to make Eri, the silver haired girl, smile as she had a life of trauma…like uggh. I love how other students who tried to tease and hate on them before ended up loving them. The power of music <3
K-ON!!
Hikari – Hokago Tea Time (Death Devil’s Technically)
I don’t care what anyone says, this is the best performance in the whole show. Hands down.
K-On!!
U&I – Hokago Tea Time
I’m always for songs with actual meaning behind it. I’m also a big fan of songs that aren’t focused on love, but other aspects of people’s lives, like family, friendships, adventure, or chasing their dreams. When you know the person is singing from their heart, it just touches you.
Sakamichi no Apollon
(Kids On The Slope)
Jam Session
There were so many good performances from this show, and I highly recommend it regardless of your musical tastes, but this is where it all begins. The main character is a classically trained pianist, so he’s used to doing things by the book. He’s thrown into a casual jam and he doesn’t know what to do, but you can see him lighten up and just go with the flow. It’s really cute!
Hibike! Sound! Euphonium
Crescent Moon Dance – Kitauji High School Music Club
While I have been in band class and seen drum lines in person, I don’t think I’ve seen a symphony live. After seeing how hard all these students worked to make it where they made it and how seriously they wanted to win despite their school’s past, it just keeps you on your toes.
This 7 minute performance may be long, but it didn’t feel that way. Viewers have heard bits and pieces throughout the show, and there was a piece the main character was struggling with, so you feel like the other characters waiting back stage, hoping they will succeed. Such a good series and super accurate compared to other musical animes.
Given
Session – The Seasons
The series from this show is so good, I was sucked in from the opening theme song lol This was the first performance we see from the band, and I assume it’s improvised but who knows, it’s too good! Not only are the licks slick, but it’s also written in 5/4 time. You can Mafuyu’s face light up and his spark for guitar truly begins.
Given
Fuyu No Hanashi – The Seasons
You didn’t think I would leave this off would you? I’ve watched a lot of band animes, and honestly, this was the one that had me just as stunned as the audience. It wasn’t a feel good song or just any random insert song, this was the peak of the show.
If you haven’t watched it, it may not seem that way, but once you know Mafuyu’s story and you realize this is the first time he’s every sang anything (we didn’t know if the song would have lyrics til he opened his mouth), it was just like…wow.
I personally love the chords and riffs in this song as well, it’s beautifully crafted….and not something a new guitarist could learn with a few months of practice >___<
Angel Beats
Crow Song – Girls Dead Monster
While Alchemy may be the crowd favourite, I’ve always loved this song way more. If you didn’t know, like K-ON!, Girls Dead Monster was a real band and they had a full length CD to compliment the show. I loved all the songs, but something about this song had me playing it on repeat.
Those Snow White Notes
Concert
I put on this anime simply because their were instruments in it. I didn’t know nothing about the shamisen before this. This was the MC’s first performance in the show. He left his hometown when his grandfather, the one who taught him the instrument passed. His grandfather said not to play until he finds his voice instead of always copying him.
He wasn’t in Tokyo before long before he was asked to perform, and I literally mean, it was a day before he was sucked in? But I’m happy he found it sooner rather than later. It’s crazy to see what other sounds and rhythms the instrument could make in later episodes.
I was deeply involved throughout the show. And when a shamisen performance came up, it was like I was taken to another world for a moment. It’s certainly a magical instrument.
Those Snow White Notes
Chemical Reaction
Again, it’s really hard just chosing one in shows like these. This time, we get two advanced players meeting and playing with each other for the first time.
It may seem like magic for non-musicians and beginners for more experienced musicians to play with each other in sync on the first time…and it is magic! Jamming with others like in Kids On The Slope and just knowing where to go and what to play without a plan is something that requires a lot of practice and skill it’s crazy.
Beck: Mongolion Chop Squad
Beck’s Greatful Sound Concert
Oy, I get why this anime is so popular. We do hear the same 2 songs for the majority of the show, but I kinda like em haha “Uh! Typhoon! Typhoon 24!!” lol Anyways, near the end of the series, the band gets to perform at the Greatful Sound Festival, but the band was falling apart. Regardless, Koyuki, the main character, went on stage and got it going. Eventually the others join and they manage to bring in the big crowd needed. It was a really touching scene.
Your Lie In April
Rondo Capriccioso Duet
I watched season 1 when it debuted, but never got to finish it. I got to watch the whole thing recently and I totally see why it is highly rated and constantly referenced. The main character, Kousei Arima, was trained to be a profession and play things as the composer intended. Kaori, onthe other hand, just wants to play what she wants to play and share the music of her heart with the world.
Kousei is dealing with a lot of internal issues and trauma from the death of his mother, and he didn’t want to play again. If he tried, it may be okay for a while, but then he can’t hear his notes and tends to get hysterical. Regardless, Kaori wants to play with him and somewhat forces him to accompany her. In this scene, things didn’t go exactly as planned, but they were still a fan favourite.
Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life
Tenkyuu Performance
Season 1 of this show didn’t have much Koto in it, and Season 2 spent a lot of time working on this song but only giving us bits and pieces of it. Thus, by the time we got this performance, everything from all the characters and their backgrounds, to all the time and hard work they put into learning this song, and of course the pressure and competition…it all came down to this. It’s a really beautiful and heartfelt piece and I was sucked in from beginning to end.
Bocchi The Rock!
Kessoku Band Audition
So I’m watching this anime while it’s airing (check out my ongoing review!), and I’m really loving the music so far! While it has some traits of other animes, I like that we have Bocchi, a talented guitarist, as the main character. Her only issue is, she has always been a loner and deals with extreme social anxiety.
It was a goal of hers to be in a band, get popular, and make some friends. When the opportunity arose, she ended up joining a band and actually got to perform….inside a box, mind you. She’s not used to playing with or in front of others, so while they are happy to have a guitarist, they don’t think she’s that good just yet. Since then, she has pushed herself by getting a job and socializing more.
The band worked on a new song, in which she wrote the lyrics, and now they have to audition if they want to perform on that stage again as their first gig wasn’t the best. Bocchi has transformed so much through hard work and now we can see a bit of her confidence in herself and guitar coming out.
Conclusion
Anime and Japan has so much good music! It can be hard to find, but don’t worry, I got you covered!
Check out my article on 50+ bands who have made at least 3 anime openings and/or endings. If you’d like to discover other Japanese music and artists, or would like to see more anime performances, check out my playlists on Youtube!
If you’re interested in learning more vocabulary and kanji so you can watch anime and dramas, read manga, sing J-pop at karaoke, or play raw Japanese video games, check out my 250+ Kanji for Japanese Media (+Sentences) article and my Japanese Study Guide!
And if you’re interested in other animes about musicians and bands, check out this article where I name and rate the one’s I’ve watched. And if you’re just trying to understand what genre anime music falls under, I got an article for that too.
Be sure to share what your favourte anime songs or performances are in the comments below. I would love to check them out and discuss them with you 🙂 I may even add them to this list!
its always the best anime that has great music