Great anime songs that colored the Heisei era

I'm a popular kid.Shinnosuke Nohara

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.

My First KissReassured Dad

My First Kiss (Hajimete no Chuu)

This is a song used as the theme for the anime Kiteretsu Daihyakka, which is based on a manga by Fujiko F.

Fujio.

Like Doraemon, it features a mascot-like character who uses mysterious gadgets to help the protagonists, but with the added twist that the gadgets were made in the Edo period, giving it a historical flavor that’s part of its appeal.

Hajimete no Chu, which was used as both the opening and ending theme, doesn’t directly reflect the story, but its distinctive singing voice left a strong impression, and it has long been loved as a song that symbolizes the series.

Portraying a somewhat frustrating, budding romance, the combination of the vocals and lyrics creates a very cute and endearing atmosphere.

Refrain of SoulsYoko Takahashi

Refrain of Souls

A work that symbolizes the Heisei era and is said to have had a major influence on subsequent anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This song was used as the theme for its theatrical version, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth.

One of its appeals is how it brings to the forefront the inner conflicts everyone carries and evokes a restless, unstable worldview.

Although Death & Rebirth was released as a remake of the TV broadcast, many viewers were likely unsettled by the story’s gradual divergences.

The rhythm-forward sound, along with various unstable accents layered over it, conveys a sense of instability.

Another key point is the sections where the song’s development shifts dramatically, allowing you to feel the world of the work itself undergoing transformation.

Butter-FlyKoji Wada

Butter-Fly / Koji Wada [Animelo Summer Live 2014 -ONENESS- Day 1]

As the opening theme of the anime Digimon Adventure, this song is beloved as a piece that symbolizes the Digimon series.

It continues to be cherished from many angles—as an anison with a band sound and as one of Kouji Wada’s signature tracks.

Although it doesn’t directly use words related to the work itself, its message of moving forward evokes the strong, determined figures of the characters in the story.

With a straightforward, high-energy band sound and an appealing sense of leaping into the unknown, it’s a song that makes you feel the courage to keep moving ahead just by listening to it.

Odoru Pompoko RinB.B. Queens

Chibi Maruko-chan First Ending Theme: “Odoru Pompokorin”

Released in 1990, this was B.

B.

Queens’ debut single that sparked a massive craze.

As the ending theme for the anime Chibi Maruko-chan, it played in households across Japan and became a national hit that everyone—from kids to adults—could sing and dance to.

It also drew attention for having lyrics written by the original creator, Momoko Sakura.

In fact, the group was a masked super-unit planned by Being, packed with top-tier talent; the outstanding performances by artists like Fusanosuke Kondo and Yuko Tsubokura underpin the irresistibly upbeat sound.

Its mysterious, whimsical phrases stick in your head after just one listen.

The moment you hear the intro, the excitement of those days comes rushing back—a song that truly defines its era.

BelieveNami Tamaki

Nami Tamaki “Believe” Music Video

This is the memorable debut single by Nami Tamaki, who made her debut in 2003 at the young age of 15.

The song was selected as the opening theme for the third cour of the TV anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and made a striking debut by reaching as high as No.

5 on the Oricon Weekly Chart.

Its fast-paced, trance-influenced J-pop sound blends perfectly with Tamaki’s powerful vocals, and as an anthem about maintaining hope even in the midst of battle, it has continued to be beloved by many fans.

It’s a song that gives you a push forward when you need the courage to believe in yourself and move ahead.