[For those doing their best] A collection of motivational cheer songs

The BeginningONE OK ROCK

ONE OK ROCK – The Beginning [Official Music Video]

An empowering anthem that gives a strong push toward a hope-filled future.

Through the protagonist who keeps searching for a reason to move forward, this song gives you the courage to overcome setbacks and hardship.

Featuring ONE OK ROCK’s powerful sound and passionate vocals, this memorable track was released in August 2012 and gained attention as the theme song for the film Rurouni Kenshin.

The film and the song’s worldview harmonize beautifully, movingly depicting the protagonist’s resolve to face the past and take a new step forward.

When you stand at a crossroads in life and feel anxious about the future, listening to this song is sure to give you a supportive push.

CorrectRADWIMPS

RADWIMPS – The Answer [Official Music Video]

A gentle anthem of support that blends the bittersweetness and hope of youth.

It portrays, with a warm gaze, the feelings of young people searching for answers of their own.

Its message—that there is no single right answer in life and it’s okay to move forward at your own pace—will surely touch everyone’s heart.

Released digitally in January 2024 by RADWIMPS, this song has often been sung at school graduation ceremonies and in scenes of remembrance.

When you feel anxious about the future or find yourself at a crossroads in life, this warm, comforting track will softly nudge you forward.

Please, take the courage from this song to help you step into a new beginning.

one’s true feelingssumika

sumika / Honne [Music Video] *Theme song for the 99th All Japan High School Soccer Championship

An encouraging song that gently embraces life’s doubts and inner struggles—about moving forward while battling the urge to give up.

It carefully portrays the setbacks and loneliness everyone feels at least once, and the way we overcome them by supporting one another.

With a warm melody that lights the way like a beacon of hope and a powerful, inspiring message, this work was written as the official support song for the 99th All Japan High School Soccer Tournament, and from April 2021 it was also featured in a TV commercial for Aisin Corporation.

It’s a song I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who’s chosen their own path but still feels uncertain, and to those who want to cheer on friends striving toward their dreams.

BOW AND ARROWYonezu Kenshi

Kenshi Yonezu – BOW AND ARROW

A new song by Kenshi Yonezu written as the opening theme for the TV anime “Medalist.” The protagonists, who push forward without fearing failure, are depicted with powerful imagery likening them to a bow and arrow.

The story of companions who overcome setbacks and strive to regain their brilliance on the ice is deeply moving.

Released as a digital-only single in January 2025, the piece was written and composed by Kenshi Yonezu himself, who also created the cover illustration.

It’s a song that stays by your side at life’s turning points—when you’ve worked hard yet can’t find confidence and feel like breaking—and gives you a gentle push forward.

We AreONE OK ROCK

ONE OK ROCK: We Are [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

This heartwarming rock number by ONE OK ROCK carries a message that empathizes with the anxieties and struggles of young people.

Garnering attention as NHK’s soccer theme song, the track is included on the album “Ambitions,” released in January 2017, and in December 2016 it achieved a collaboration with 1,000 eighteen-year-olds on NHK’s “18-Fes.” Blending the powerful energy of rock with pop elements, its exhilarating sound underscores the importance of living true to oneself and calls for the empowerment of youth.

Advocating that we can become beacons of hope, this song will gently encourage those seeking to boost their self-esteem or take that first step forward.

Raise your flagMAN WITH A MISSION

MAN WITH A MISSION 『Raise your flag』

A rock number brimming with overwhelming speed and energy! A signature work by MAN WITH A MISSION that sings of the courage to stand by your convictions and face adversity.

Released in October 2015, it was chosen as the opening theme for the anime Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans.

Featuring powerful strings and a distinctive two-beat sound, the song made a strong impact, reaching No.

3 on the Oricon weekly chart and earning Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

It’s also included on the album The World’s On Fire and continues to be a live staple.

When you want to forge your own path or overcome a major obstacle, listening to this track is sure to give you a push forward.

REVIVERMY FIRST STORY

MY FIRST STORY – REVIVER – Official Music Video

A powerful rock number packed with messages of rebirth and self-affirmation! Included on MY FIRST STORY’s album “ALL LEAD TRACKS,” released in July 2017, it was chosen as the theme song for Part 3 of the smartphone RPG “Hortensia Saga: Aoi no Kishidan.” With its driving melodies and grand sound, it expresses the courage to face adversity and the resolve to rise again.

Even if you’re reborn, your convictions remain unchanged—this song embodies the determination to live true to yourself.

It’s a track you’ll want to listen to when you hit a wall, when you feel like you’re losing yourself, or when you need to rally your spirit.