Lovely anime song

Anime songs that were hits in the 1990s. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks.

A Vocaloid producer who is also a music writerWakachan Araki
I’ve worked in a variety of roles—regardless of pro or amateur settings—including live event PA, cameraman for video and photography, restaurant staff, and logistics center staff. I now spend my days as a part-time writer. I’ve contributed to music and manga websites with feature/review articles, and wrote the liner notes included as a bonus for 1st PLACE Inc.’s “IA SUPER BEST.” As for my music background, I started playing guitar in junior high and focused on band activities during my school years. For over 15 years since then, up to the present, I’ve continued releasing original tracks as a Vocaloid producer. My areas of expertise are Japanese rock, Vocaloid, and manga.

Back in the 1990s, it still wasn’t the age of the internet.

These days, late-night anime and VOD subscriptions are the norm, but when you think of 90s anime, it was all about those early evening broadcasts.

Many of you probably spent your grade-school days rushing home after classes and turning on the TV right away.

This time, we’re featuring anime songs from that nostalgic 90s era!

Be sure to look for tracks from the shows you were obsessed with.

They’re great picks to keep in mind for karaoke, too!

Anime songs that were hits in the 1990s. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks (41–50)

I want to see your smileRie Hamada

Rie Hamada - I Want to See Your Smile

Rie Hamada, whom I want to see with a smile

Marmalade Boy, a shoujo manga serialized in Ribon, was a huge hit in the 1990s.

It remains a beloved work, even getting a live-action film adaptation in 2018.

For the 1994 anime adaptation, the theme song chosen was Rie Hamada’s “Egao ni Aitai.” In fact, beyond anime, she has written and composed numerous songs for children’s programs on NHK Educational TV (E-Tele).

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Anime songs that were hits in the 1990s. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks (51–60)

Katsushika RhapsodyKohei Dojima

Katsushika Rhapsody – Kohei Dojima (Aiemu acoustic cover)

Katsushika Rhapsody Doujima Kohei

It’s the opening theme of “Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo.” The somewhat nostalgic melody is nice, isn’t it? Maybe the content of the series influences it too, but when I listen, I get the feeling I’m in Tokyo’s shitamachi downtown.

It’s sung by Kohei Dojima, a singer-songwriter from Osaka Prefecture.

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PlatinumMaaya Sakamoto

Sakura Card Captor Opening 3 – Platina

Platinum Maaya Sakamoto

Despite being released in the ’90s, the anime Cardcaptor Sakura continues to grow in popularity and enjoys immense support.

This is its opening theme—a song that further heightens the story of Sakura-chan as she gathers powerful cards and battles foes with magic.

Listening to it again after a while brings back a fun feeling, as if the richly unique characters are starting to move once more.

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Blue waterMiho Morikawa

PV Miho Morikawa Blue Water YouTube

Blue Water Morikawa Miho

Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water is an anime series directed by Hideaki Anno as chief director, who would later go on to create Evangelion.

Its theme song is Blue Water, sung by Miho Morikawa, which reached a peak position of 17 on the Oricon chart.

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DREAMSROMANTIC MODE

Mobile New Century Gundam X OP DREAMS

DREAMSROMANTIC MODE

The Gundam series is synonymous with Japan’s flagship robot anime.

One of the works broadcast on TV in the 1990s, After War Gundam X, aired in 1996.

Its opening theme, DREAMS, was ROMANTIC MODE’s debut song, and the vocalist Akira Asakura also made a name for herself as an anime song singer.

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Warrior, rise!Masaaki Endo

Warrior, rise up!

Warrior, rise up! Masaaki Endoh

This is the theme song from when Masō Kishin Cybaster, which appears in the Super Robot Wars series, was adapted into an anime.

It seems opinions are divided, partly because the anime differed too much from the original, but Masaaki Endoh’s opening theme is undeniably cool.

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Aim to be a Pokémon MasterRika Matsumoto

Aim to Be a Pokémon Master! - Rika Matsumoto

Aim to Be a Pokémon Master Rika Matsumoto

It’s the well-known opening theme of the anime Pokémon.

The series began airing in 1997, and this song was used as the very first theme, becoming a huge hit.

Since it’s been remade several times, some of you might know it from one of those versions.

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