![[Theme Song & BGM] Popular Anime Soundtrack Special](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/p5fbRxoFQXI/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)
Cherry Blossom Ninja ScrollsNEW!Onmyo-za
A fated tale, once again resounding across time, by Onmyo-za.
Released in 2018, this song was created as the opening theme for the TV anime Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls.
About 12 years after the previous installment, the band once again provided the theme song for the series that weaves the ninjas’ intertwined destinies.
Heavy twin guitars and a powerful rhythm interlace with Kuroneko’s lustrous vocals to brilliantly capture the maddening pull of a cherry blossom–strewn fate.
Experience this one-of-a-kind world where Japanese sensibility and metal dynamism fuse.
Chic LoveNEW!Nana Mizuki
A Japanese-style rock ballad included on the best-of album THE MUSEUM III.
Written specifically as the ending theme for the TV anime Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls, this song portrays the tragic love of a man and woman buffeted by the fate of the ninja clans of Iga and Koga, expressed through a grand sound that weaves in koto and traditional Japanese percussion.
The lyrics, spun with words like “sakura” and “blade,” convey a resolve to give everything for the one they love, even while knowing it will go unrewarded.
Nana Mizuki’s sustained high notes, released from a restrained tone, brilliantly depict the passion kept hidden within.
It’s a highly recommended track for when you want to linger in the afterglow of the anime.
Ya Boy Kongming! Original SoundtrackGenki Hikota
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.
Belle: Original SoundtrackTaisei Iwasaki
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.
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.
Mushishi Original Soundtrack: Mushioto - CompleteToshio Masuda
Mushishi is a captivating manga with a nostalgic, distinctive worldview that evokes the idyllic scenery of old Japan.
It tells the story of a protagonist who calls himself a “Mushi Master,” traveling from place to place to confront the various phenomena caused by “mushi.” It aired as a TV anime from 2005 to 2006 and, nine years later in 2014, returned as a sequel series titled “Zoku-shō,” cementing its popularity.
The music that colors the series is also highly acclaimed: restrained, serene, and minimal arrangements with wistful, Japanese-style melodies—perfect even as background music for work.
The soundtrack introduced here, “Mushishi Original Soundtrack: Mushin Zen,” is the soundtrack for the first season of the TV anime.
Originally released separately as “Front” and “Back,” it has been compiled into a two-disc set—the definitive edition, so to speak.
Composed by Toshiro Masuda, who has worked on the music for many popular animated works, this album lets you fully immerse yourself in the world of Mushishi as expressed through music.