[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.
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Theme Songs & BGM: Popular Anime Soundtrack Special (11–20)
Kiki’s Delivery Service: Original Soundtrack Music CollectionHisaishi Joe
Speaking of Ghibli films, Joe Hisaishi’s music is inseparable from them.
Whenever we recall Ghibli masterpieces that continue to be loved across generations, many of us can’t help but hum the melodies of Hisaishi’s wonderful scores.
Every Ghibli soundtrack he composed is a classic, making it extremely difficult to pick just one, but in this article I’d like to introduce the soundtrack to Kiki’s Delivery Service, released in 1989.
While Yumi Matsutoya’s opening theme “Rouge no Dengon” and ending theme “Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara” are well known, the soundtrack itself is also truly outstanding.
Reflecting the film’s richly European atmosphere, it employs European instruments such as the dulcimer—a folk instrument that is a forerunner of the piano—along with guitar and accordion, and features many dance-like pieces in waltz rhythm.
Simply listening conjures up vivid images of unfamiliar, foreign European landscapes.
Of course, it’s delightful as a film soundtrack, but it also seems perfect as background music for an afternoon tea time!
Lupin the Third Original SoundtrackŌno Yūji
Released in 1978, Lupin the Third Original Soundtrack is arguably one of the most famous anime soundtracks in Japan.
The irresistibly cool and stylish sound of Lupin the Third, crafted by Yuji Ohno—one of Japan’s foremost jazz pianists and composers—stands as a perfectly realized musical work on its own.
In particular, Theme from Lupin the Third is not only a theme song that belongs in the annals of animation history, but an eternal masterpiece of Japanese jazz.
Another distinctive feature is the inclusion of freshly recorded, lively dialogue exchanges by the main cast so familiar to the Showa generation—Yasuo Yamada, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Makio Inoue, Eiko Masuyama, and Goro Naya.
However, since some tracks have dialogue inserted midway, those who want to enjoy only the music are advised to pick up a reissue that includes the pre-edit versions as bonus tracks.
As an aside, this album is the soundtrack to the TV series’ second season; the first TV adaptation of Lupin the Third aired in 1971, and the music then was not by Ohno but by Takeo Yamashita—another leading Japanese jazz musician and a composer of international renown.
A bit of trivia to remember: that famous theme was born starting with the second series!
Yutra♨ Yuri!!! on ICE / Original SoundtrackShōjima Taku, Umebayashi Tarō
Yuri!!! on ICE is an anime that portrays the story of young people striving to push each other to greater heights in the world of figure skating.
It also drew attention for having DEAN FUJIOKA—who is active as an actor and model—perform the opening theme.
Figure skating and music are inseparable.
However, the soundtrack introduced here isn’t a collection of the songs played during competition scenes; it’s a compilation of background music used in the drama parts and elsewhere.
Even so, every track is of high quality and truly resonates with the heart.
If you’ve watched Yuri!!! on ICE, I bet these tracks will bring specific scenes to mind the moment you hear them.
TV anime ‘Sound! Euphonium’ Original Soundtrack: ‘Memory Music’matsuda akihito
Hibike! Euphonium, a hugely popular anime by Kyoto Animation with a music theme like K-On!, is based on Ayano Takeda’s novels and carefully portrays an ensemble drama of high school students spending their youthful days in a concert band.
Naturally, the soundtrack of Hibike! Euphonium is highly acclaimed and enjoys strong popularity on its own.
In this article, let’s introduce the Season 1 TV anime soundtrack, Omoide Music.
The score by composer Akito Matsuda—who openly calls himself an anime and voice-actor enthusiast—comes in a lavish two-disc set packed with everything from the famous concert band classics featured in the show to brand-new pieces written specifically for this work.
The performances are by the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music Freshman Wind Ensemble.
Whether you have experience in wind ensemble or not, simply listening might spark your interest in the world of concert band.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Music CollectionKajiura Yuki
Yuki Kajiura, who has composed strikingly distinctive music for works with unique atmospheres such as NOIR, The Garden of Sinners (Kara no Kyōkai) series, and the Fate/stay night movie, is a highly acclaimed composer.
Although the popular female unit Kalafina has sadly disbanded, she also flourished as their music producer, and more recently, it’s still fresh in our memory that she composed and arranged LiSA’s hit Homura, which won the Grand Prix at the 62nd Japan Record Awards.
Among the soundtracks Kajiura has crafted for animated works is the 2011 anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, which became a hot topic for its shocking plot developments.
Speaking of Madoka Magica, including Kalafina, who performed the ending theme, the association with “Kajiura’s music” is incredibly strong, and of course, the score—richly reflecting her style that freely traverses Western and Eastern musical traditions—has been very highly praised.
In fact, the Madoka Magica soundtrack was originally available as bonus CDs included with the Blu-ray and DVD releases, but in 2013 it was officially compiled and released as the Puella Magi Madoka Magica MUSIC COLLECTION.
It also includes the cast’s vocal tracks, the opening theme Connect sung by ClariS, and the ending theme Magia by Kalafina, making it a must-have album for anyone who wants to fully immerse themselves in the world of Madoka Magica!
Original Soundtrack of the TV Anime ‘Kemono Friends’Tateyama Akihiro
Speaking of Kemono Friends, its theme song Welcome to Japari Park became a huge sensation! The soundtrack for the series was handled by Akiyuki Tateyama, who is active not only as a composer but also as a musician.
He has also worked on the soundtrack for the anime Laid-Back Camp (Yuru Camp△).
In this work, from tracks with powerful rhythms that evoke a vast savanna to beautiful pieces that conjure images of serene waters, the nature-inspired music sparked conversation among fans as being soothing to listen to.
Of course, the iconic Welcome to Japari Park is included as well!
Theme Songs & BGM: Popular Anime Soundtrack Feature (21–30)
Anime “Kids on the Slope” Original SoundtrackKanno Yōko
Speaking of Yoko Kanno, she boasts worldwide recognition for her genre-defying style and is one of Japan’s leading composers, active across a wide range of fields since the success of Macross Plus in 1994, including animation works like Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, as well as her collaborations with Maaya Sakamoto.
Opinions on Kanno’s best work likely vary from listener to listener, but this time I’d like to introduce the soundtrack to Kids on the Slope, which was adapted into an anime and aired in 2012.
Centered on the theme of jazz, the series was highly praised for its superb visuals that faithfully recreated scenes of the characters actually performing jazz classics.
Naturally, the soundtrack Kanno produced is “jazz”-conscious as well, featuring up-and-coming musicians of the time such as Takashi Matsunaga on piano and Shun Ishiwaka on drums.
From Kanno’s original pieces to famous jazz standards, the album is a striking collection where thrilling, high-tension sessions give rise to spectacular performances.