Lovely anime song

Songs from Porco Rosso. Theme song and inserted songs.

Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of the web media RAG MUSIC. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering sound, lighting, and video technology, and acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, and have consistently built my career on the production side, taking on diverse tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as insights and discoveries from interacting with my kids every day. I hope I can be of help to you, even just a little!

That famous phrase, “A pig that doesn’t fly is just a pig”—haven’t a lot of people tried imitating it?

This article gathers the theme song and insert songs from the 1992 Studio Ghibli film Porco Rosso.

Listening to them, you can’t help but picture a bright red airplane soaring through the sky.

Porco, the protagonist, has this irresistible cool, rugged vibe that contrasts with his fanciful appearance.

If you’ve seen the film before, just hearing the music will make you want to watch it again!

It’s a collection packed with unforgettable classics.

Songs of Porco Rosso. Theme song and insert songs (1–10)

Days of No ReturnJoe Hisaishi

Joe Hisaishi / The Days That Will Never Return

The Days of No Return - Joe Hisaishi

A poignant scene from the adult classic Porco Rosso, where the protagonist Marco looks back on memories of a past to which he can never return.

The friends he drank with, the rivals he competed against, and the woman he longed for will never come back.

It’s a heart-stirring slow ballad that conveys both that sense of helplessness and tender affection.

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Sometimes, old storiesTokiko Kato

Sometimes Old Stories by Tokiko Kato

Sometimes, old stories by Tokiko Kato

This is the ending theme of Porco Rosso, brimming with a very relaxed mood.

The film, with its atmosphere that seems to depict the life of a clumsy man and its gripping dogfights, resonated with many men.

This gently nostalgic song also perfectly matches the work, evoking the protagonist’s character, who carries a variety of past experiences.

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When the cherries ripenTokiko Kato

COVER | “Le temps des cerises” from Porco Rosso

When Cherries Ripen - Tokiko Kato

Gina, the eternal heroine of pilots.

In Porco Rosso, this is a mature ballad she sings while thinking of the man she longs for, Marco.

One of the lovely things about Ghibli is how its charm changes depending on the age at which you watch it.

Her complex, heartrending feelings are something only a woman who has overcome pain can truly understand.

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The Songs of Porco Rosso: Theme and Insert Songs (11–20)

Sometimes, a tale from long ago — from Porco RossoTokiko Kato

Sometimes, a tale from long ago — from Porco Rosso

Sometimes, Tales of Long Ago — From Porco Rosso by Tokiko Kato

This is a work written and composed by Tokiko Kato herself, whose warm yet faintly bittersweet worldview evokes a deep nostalgia for days of youth gone by.

As it searches for an unseen future, it conjures scenes of passionate conversations with friends—memories many listeners will find echoing their own.

The song was included on the album “MY STORY / Toki ni wa Mukashi no Hanashi wo,” released in February 1987, and is also known as the ending theme of the 1992 film Porco Rosso.

The piano arrangement used in the film, with its striking timbre, gently lets you linger in the afterglow of the story.

With its calm melody, it’s also great to play as background music when you want to focus on work.

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Flying boatmenJoe Hisaishi

[Electone] Flying Boatmen from “Porco Rosso”

Flying Boatmen Joe Hisaishi

Particularly striking, this piece may be the one that best captures the world of Porco Rosso among its many masterpieces—especially its humorous side.

The grand music feels as if you could hear Porco and Curtis’s voices at any moment, and it seems to symbolize the brave airship pilots of the skies.

It’s an exciting theme song for Porco Rosso that makes you want to watch the film all over again.

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Pikkoro Co., Ltd.Joe Hisaishi

[Porco Rosso] Piccolo Company / Tuba Quartet [Porco Rosso]

Joe Hisaishi, Piccolo Company

In Porco Rosso, many working people appear, and all of them are working diligently.

Among them, the most striking is the scene featuring the people of the Piccolo Company, accompanied by a piece of music whose charming arrangement evokes the streets of Italy and the sounds of its people, enhancing the scene.

It’s a perfect track to use as background music for those hard at work.

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Porco e Bella－Ending－Joe Hisaishi

This piece, which seems to encapsulate the entire film, is the theme song of Porco Rosso, the protagonist—a man whose face has been turned into that of a pig by magic.

His way of life, his friendships, and his battles with rivals have long inspired countless men.

It’s a theme song whose beautiful, valiant melody brings back every one of his lines, emotions, and actions.

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