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. Main theme and insert songs (21–30)

Doom - Trap of CloudsJoe Hisaishi

Porco Rosso Doom – Trap of Clouds Joe Hisaishi

Doom — Trap of Clouds — Joe Hisaishi

I think Porco Rosso is a hardboiled, adult-oriented work packed with men’s dreams and romance.

Isn’t the protagonist, Porco Rosso, something men aspire to? The soundtrack is very adult as well.

It’s full of cool tracks like chanson and jazz.

“Doom — Trap of Clouds” features stylish dissonant piano, which also evokes a sense of foreboding.

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Partner shipJoe Hisaishi

Partnership from “Porco Rosso” / Joe Hisaishi: Piano (Solo) / Intermediate

Partnership Joe Hisaishi

A number for the pair of Porco Rosso, the protagonist, and his reluctantly accompanying partner, Fio Piccolo.

“Partnership” literally means a cooperative relationship, but in looser terms it carries the nuance of being partners.

It’s a piece that seems to depict the process of the two clashing yet growing to trust each other: it starts with an unsettling mood, then gradually becomes relaxed and gentle, transforming into a lively, heart-lifting tune.

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sepia-toned photographJoe Hisaishi

Photo Jaunie / Andre Gagnon (sepia-toned photograph)

Sepia-Toned Photograph Joe Hisaishi

Porco Rosso is a cool film with two main charms: the passionate, slightly goofy men who throw themselves into their work and refuse to lose, and the dramatic side of women’s hearts and romance.

This piece belongs to the latter, expressing the romantic side more strongly.

Even among the many richly emotional masterpieces in the music of Studio Ghibli films, this work is filled with beautiful numbers.

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Women of PiccoloJoe Hisaishi

“Women of Piccolo” Studio Ghibli Music Collection [Beginner–Intermediate] 1 — Zen-On Music Company Ltd. / Women of Piccolo: Studio Ghibli Recital Repertoire 1 — Intermediate

Joe Hisaishi: Piccolo Women

At the company that builds Porco’s seaplane, Piccolo Company, there are so many women working there—from Fio to the adorable grandmothers.

This song captures the power of those working women, and it was used in a truly energetic and fun scene.

It’s a track I hope you’ll listen to while thinking of these women joining forces to build Porco’s wonderful seaplane.

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At the end of summerJoe Hisaishi

Joe Hisaishi – Summer

Joe Hisaishi at the end of summer

A piece used in the latter half of the film.

The mandolin’s wistful melody and the flute’s flowing lines create a beautiful number that, true to its title, evokes the end of summer.

It conjures the bright skies and dry breezes of Italy’s Mediterranean coast, yet carries a hint of transience and melancholy.

The finish subtly suggests the nuance of a canzone.

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make-believe warJoe Hisaishi

playing war

War Game Joe Hisaishi

A piece included on the image album.

Although the image album doesn’t contain tracks from the main feature, the music was composed with Porco Rosso in mind, so please listen while imagining scenes from the film.

Despite its ominous title, “War Games” has a majestic feel that evokes a calm, open sky.

To me, the backing rhythm sounds like the engine of a seaplane—what do you think?

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Porco RossoJoe Hisaishi

The Days of No Return (Live at Budokan) – Joe Hisaishi (HD)

Porco Rosso / Porco Rosso Joe Hisaishi

This is an arrangement of the piece “Days That Won’t Return” by Joe Hisaishi himself.

Although it wasn’t used in the actual film, it vividly conjures up scenes.

If you love this work, you’ll be moved to tears when you hear it.

The film Porco Rosso, while on the surface having a slapstick, action-comedy vibe with a brisk pace that even children can enjoy, is truly wonderful for the atmosphere of background music like this, the story and the protagonist’s rugged charm, and the many facets woven throughout that you can only fully relate to after becoming an adult.

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