[Nostalgic] Classic and Popular Anime Songs Recommended for People in Their 30s

Grip!Every Little Thing

「Grip!」MUSIC VIDEO / Every Little Thing

When it comes to anime theme songs that were massive hits from the 1990s through the 2000s, this track by Every Little Thing is the one that comes to mind! Its powerful melody and uplifting lyrics are striking, and it’s a song that gives you energy when you listen to it.

It sings about the courage to face hardships and the importance of finding what truly matters in everyday life.

Released in March 2003, it reached No.

7 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

It’s also included on the album “Many Pieces.” Being used as the opening theme for an anime broadcast on the Yomiuri TV/Nippon TV network helped it become even more beloved.

It’s a song I highly recommend for those mornings when you can’t get going or when you need a boost to keep trying.

BRAVE HEARTKōtetsu Kyōdai

Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! MAX OP BRAVE HEART / Steel Brothers

BRAVE HEART by the powerhouse duo Hironobu Kageyama and Masaaki Endoh, known as the Steel Brothers, features bold, fiery vocals.

Released in 1998, this song is like a time machine for many people in their 30s.

As the opening theme for the anime Bakusō Kyōdai Let’s & Go!! MAX, it embodied the same driving momentum as the story itself.

The lyrics, which convey a strong message of courage and determination in sync with the powerful, exhilarating sound, really hit you right in the heart.

GatherwayMiura Hidemi

Brave Exkaiser by Hidemii Miura

The first installment of Sunrise’s Brave series, created with children as the main target audience, is Brave Exkaiser.

Many people likely looked forward to watching it when they were young.

The opening theme is Gatherway, sung by Hidemi Miura.

Shangri-Laangela

Shangri-La

angela’s “Shangri-La” is a classic that was also used as the theme song for the anime Fafner in the Azure.

Its distinctive melodic line sticks in your head after just one listen, leaving a lingering, resonant aftertaste.

Atsuko’s overwhelming vocals grip the listener, while KATSU’s meticulous sound production amplifies the song’s appeal.

Especially in the climactic sections, you feel a sense of unity as if it were your own experience, and you can’t help wanting to sing along.

It’s rhythmic yet peppered with dramatic developments throughout, revealing something new no matter when you listen.

Drawing listeners into a whirlpool of passion, this track delivers both nostalgia and exhilaration, along with memories of that anime once seen on TV.

Aim to Be a Pokémon Master – 20th Anniversary –Matsumoto Rika

Aim to Be a Pokémon Master -20th Anniversary-

This is the 20th-anniversary version of the original opening theme from the anime Pokémon.

It’s sung by Rica Matsumoto, who voices the protagonist Ash, and her powerful vocals are as strong as ever.

On top of the original’s momentum, the live-instrument performance gives the sound an extra boost that’s enough to get your heart racing just by listening.

The music vividly conveys the excitement of the beginning of an adventure chasing dreams with your friends, as depicted in the lyrics.

Marking twenty years since the original song’s 1997 release, this version was used as the theme song for the movie Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! Incidentally, at a commemorative event in December 2017, about a thousand fans gathered and the venue was filled with a sense of unity.

It’s an uplifting track that I think gives a push to anyone taking on a challenge.

I’m a popular kid.nohara shinnosuke

Crayon Shin-chan Theme Song OP3: I’m a Popular Guy (Ora wa Ninkimono)

The voice actor for the protagonist Shinnosuke, Akiko Yajima, sings this song.

It was included on her debut single released in July 1993 and was used as the third opening theme for the TV anime.

With bold lyrics proclaiming herself a star, it feels like the song perfectly captures Shin-chan’s relentlessly cheerful personality.

Just listening to it brings to mind Shin-chan’s powerful, laid-back daily life.

This track became the first character-name single to break into the Oricon Top 10.

Give it a listen when you want to lift your mood, or when you want to feel energized without sweating the small stuff—just like Shin-chan.

It might also be fun to sing along together as a parent and child.

I wishelectric combat

Dokkiri Doctor Ending Theme 1

electric combat’s “I wish” is a song that stirs the soul.

Many will remember around 1998, when it was the ending theme for the anime Dokkiri Doctor.

Its lyrics about boundless possibilities and never-ending love connect to the feelings and dreams we had back then.

Though their activity as a power-pop unit was brief, the vividness and passion this track radiates have never faded.

It’s a song that lets us glimpse the endless dreams that truly existed within a fleeting season.