A compilation of jazz insert songs and covers from anime

The Curious Case FileAsami Seto

Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai ED Theme “Mysterious Chart” Sakurajima Mai Solo Ver.

The light novel series Seishun Buta Yarou by Hajime Kamoshida.

In the TV anime adaptation Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, the Japanese jazz band fox capture plan handled the soundtrack.

Not only that, but the ending theme was composed and arranged by the band’s bassist, Hidehiro Kawai.

The intro starts with an elegant string-led atmosphere, then shifts to a poppier feel after a vibraphone-and-drum fill-in.

The piano and drums are great too, but it’s the strings and vibraphone that really elevate the elegance! You’re bound to love the piano solo in the latter half, which has a distinctly jazzy flavor.

Anpanman's MarchTokyo Brass Style

Anpanman's March

Tokyo Brass Style is a Japanese brass band made up of female members.

They perform famous songs—such as anime themes—in jazz arrangements, and this one is the universally known Anpanman theme.

Weaving in phrases that jazz fans will recognize—like something out of the jazz classic In the Mood—they turn Anpanman’s March into jazz with a swing rhythm.

The must-hear highlights are the mid-section ad-lib session between sax and piano, the solos handed off to trumpet, and the trombone backing that joins in.

NAJICADiligent Circle of Ekoda

Najica Blitz Tactics OP Non-Credit HD-style

The opening theme of the spy-action anime Najica Blitz Tactics, which aired in 2001.

It’s performed by Diligent Circle of Ekoda.

Is jazz the go-to sound for anime with hardboiled elements like suspense, spy stories, and gangster themes, as in Cowboy Bebop or Lupin the Third? The show even includes parodies of the 007 series, and the track conveys a spy-thriller tension that evokes that vibe.

It’s a cool, stylish instrumental opening theme.

Boomerang Boogie ~Uncle from Nampūdō~PE’Z

Boomerang Boogie ~Nanpudo No Ojisan~

This is the theme song of the sci-fi anime GAD GUARD, set on Earth hundreds of years in the future.

It’s a track by the jazz instrumental band PE’Z.

It starts with a lively piano and maintains a sense of speed throughout, so be sure to give it a listen!

Rhapsody in BlueGeorge Gershwin

Rhapsody in Blue (Pianica Version)

This piece, which seems to fuse jazz and classical music, is by the American composer George Gershwin.

It was also performed in the popular anime “Nodame Cantabile,” which features classical music.

It’s a masterpiece that continues to be played by many musicians.

In the original, the clarinet solo is particularly striking, but in both the anime and live-action drama versions, the protagonist Megumi Noda performs while wearing a mongoose costume, and “Nodame” plays the melodica, so a Pianica (melodica) version is featured.

While the source material centers on classical music, the ending is actually orchestral jazz.

DevilmanPlatina Jazz

Anime Jazz Cover | Devilman (from Devilman) by Platina Jazz

Here is a big band jazz cover version of the Devilman theme song.

Devilman is an anime created by Go Nagai and produced between 1972 and 1973, depicting a boy possessed by one of the demons and the battles he faces.

While the original song has the tone of a hero anime and also hints of a jazzy atmosphere, this arrangement starts with a drum solo reminiscent of the jazz classic “Sing, Sing, Sing,” and evokes a mood that leans toward the manga’s “horror” theme.

Marigoldorange pekoe

Ristorante Paradiso [Anime] Opening {Orange Pekoe-Marigold}

This is the opening theme of the stylish anime Ristorante Paradiso, set in a Roman ristorante.

It’s a song by the music duo Orange Pekoe from Hyogo Prefecture, released as a single in 2009.

The gentle sound and straightforward vocals are so soothing.