![[Theme Song & BGM] Popular Anime Soundtrack Special](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/XicdpSmxuT0/maxresdefault.webp)
[Theme Song & BGM] Popular Anime Soundtrack Special
One of the essential elements that shape visual works like films, dramas, and anime is the soundtrack.
Music expresses the world of the story and adds depth and richness to it… I feel that all the works we call masterpieces feature tracks like that.
This time, I’ve put together a selection of soundtracks from popular anime.
From recent buzzworthy titles to nostalgically famous classics, I’ve tried to choose something that people of all ages can enjoy.
Be sure to check it out to the very end.
[Theme Songs and BGM] Popular Anime Soundtrack Special (1–10)
Ya Boy Kongming! Original SoundtrackHikota Genki
Paripi Kōmei, which was adapted into an anime in 2022 and became a hot topic, has such an entertaining story: Zhuge Liang Kongming, the famous strategist from the Three Kingdoms, is reincarnated in the modern era.
The opening theme, Chikichiki Banban, is also popular for its dance, with tons of “I tried dancing” videos posted online.
And with the ending theme, Kibun Jōjō↑↑, many people probably couldn’t help but exclaim, “So nostalgic!” The soundtrack includes not only the main themes but also a wealth of background music used throughout the show!
Weathering with YouRADWIMPS
This animated film is the second collaboration between director Makoto Shinkai—who achieved worldwide success with Your Name—and RADWIMPS.
It won Best Animated Feature and Best Music at the 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize.
All of the music used in Weathering with You, including the main theme and insert songs, was written specifically for the film by RADWIMPS.
Throughout the soundtrack, RADWIMPS—and by extension Yojiro Noda’s—distinctive, philosophical lyrics and worldview stand out.
It somehow prompts reflection on the preciousness of everyday life as it quietly slips by.
Also, Grand Escape, produced by RADWIMPS and sung by Toko Miura, resonates deeply with her clear, crystalline vocals.
Ranking of Kings Original Soundtrackmayuko
Ranking of Kings is an anime whose picture-book-like art style, tense storytelling, and the coming-of-age of its young protagonist move the heart.
Centered on Bojji, who strives to become a king, and his best friend Kage, the story has deeply moved many viewers.
Ranking of Kings often features scenes that express the characters’ inner feelings, and what gives those moments greater depth is the music.
The composer is MAYUKO, who has also worked on drama soundtracks such as Cheer☆Dan and Yamikin Ushijima-kun.
K-ON! ORIGINAL SOUND TRACKHyakusekigen
From the late 2000s into the early 2010s, the TV anime and films of K-ON! sparked a social movement that even inspired viewers to pick up guitars.
While gently depicting everyday life, Kyoto Animation’s outstanding work was also highly praised for recreating powerful live performance scenes in animation.
As a music-themed series, one of K-ON!’s standout aspects is that many popular songs were created under the conceit that they were produced by the in-story band.
This time, however, we’re not introducing songs by Ho-kago Tea Time, but the soundtrack.
Composed by Hajime Hyakkoku—who has worked on music for idols, voice actors, and various anison-related projects—the score comically captures K-ON!’s loose, fun, fluffy world by weaving in elements of fusion and techno.
Just by listening, you can picture the five members of Ho-kago Tea Time chatting about nothing in particular or getting into a little mischief!
Eureka Seven: Symphonic Poem Original Soundtrack 1Satō Naoki
Eureka Seven is a popular anime whose TV series began airing in 2005, with several theatrical films released thereafter.
It’s a mecha anime that garnered attention for its profound story exploring relationships between humans and non-human entities—prompting reflections on humanity—as well as its stylish battle scenes reminiscent of surfing.
The soundtrack featured here was released the same year.
One of the musical hallmarks of Eureka Seven is its use of existing songs by popular artists—such as Supercar—as insert tracks within the show.
Accordingly, this soundtrack includes a generous selection of those tracks.
NEON GENESIS EVANGELIONSagisu Shirō
Now globally acclaimed as a representative Japanese animated work—and with the blockbuster success of Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time in 2021 still fresh in memory—Neon Genesis Evangelion continues to stand out.
Beyond its fundamental appeal of an inventive, at times enigmatic narrative and compelling characters, many fans would agree that Evangelion is defined just as much by its superb score composed by Shiro Sagisu, a frequent collaborator on Hideaki Anno’s works.
While many Evangelion-related soundtracks have been released, here we’ll spotlight the seminal first soundtrack album, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION.
Released on December 6, 1995, it initially seemed to attract mainly devoted anime fans, but phenomena like soaring prices for the limited first edition on the secondhand market occurred.
As the series’ recognition grew, so did the soundtrack’s popularity, culminating in the third album, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION III, achieving the remarkable feat of reaching No.
1 on the Oricon charts.
Seamlessly traversing orchestral and rock textures, the album’s dazzling sound is by turns beautiful, exhilarating, and unsettling—film score–level quality that has not faded with time.
As an aside, it’s also notable that it includes Yoko Takahashi’s rendition of FLY ME TO THE MOON.
Belle: Original SoundtrackIwasaki Taisei
Belle is an animated feature film released in 2021, directed by Mamoru Hosoda—one of Japan’s leading animation filmmakers—and produced by Studio Chizu.
It follows a high school girl, portrayed by Kaho Nakamura, who is famous in an online virtual world as a songstress avatar.
The film won the Excellent Animation of the Year and Best Music awards at the 45th Japan Academy Film Prize.
The soundtrack songs U, Lend Me Your Voice, Pieces of the World, and A Million Miles are actually performed in scenes within the film.