![[Hip-Hop] A roundup of anime with rap episodes!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/xYuSLieYAcU/maxresdefault.webp)
[Hip-Hop] A roundup of anime with rap episodes!
With TV shows like Freestyle Dungeon gaining attention, the hip-hop scene has been heating up in recent years.
Hip-hop artists are often tapped for anime theme songs, too.
Hearing a cool flow really amps up the excitement for the series!
In this article, we’ve rounded up anime that feature scenes with characters rapping.
These are what you might call “rap episodes.”
You might even be surprised—“Wait, that anime has a rap episode?!”
Be sure to read to the end and check them out!
[Hip-Hop] A roundup of anime episodes with rap segments! (1–10)
Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-
Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- features collaborations with many rappers from the underground scene.
Set in a world where weapons have been outlawed, it’s an anime that gives a clear rationale for rap battles by having characters fight using special microphones with unique powers.
The voice actors perform lyrics written by rappers, and their exceptionally high-level skills—diction, intonation, and vocal delivery—are, I’d say, unparalleled even among rap-themed anime.
Ya Boy Kongming!
“Ya Boy Kongming!” is a story about Zhuge Liang Kongming, the hero of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, time-slipping into the modern day, based on the popular manga serialized in Comic DAYS and Weekly Young Magazine.
The work features KABE Taijin, a freestyle rapper, as a main character, and in Episode 6 you can watch his rap battle with Zhuge Liang Kongming.
In the end, there’s a scene where he quotes a famous saying left by the real Zhuge Liang, and it’s both hilarious and moving! If you haven’t seen it yet, definitely check it out!
Japan Sinks: 2020
Sakyo Komatsu’s 1973 novel Japan Sinks has been adapted into visual works in various forms.
Japan Sinks: 2020 is the anime version released on Netflix in 2020.
The rap scenes there play a role in advancing the story, unfolding as a format where the characters confess difficult-to-say truths through music.
Director Masaaki Yuasa also incorporated rap in DEVILMAN crybaby specifically as a driver of the narrative, which is a very distinctive aspect of his work.
The Demon Girl Next Door 2-Chome
The Demon Girl Next Door is the TV anime adaptation of a four-panel manga by Izumo Ito.
It tells the story of magical girls and demons who, for various reasons, end up living in an apartment.
The rap segment appears in season 2, episode 7, as a gag scene.
The compact humor characteristic of a four-panel manga gives it an extremely cute feel.
It’s a gentle slice-of-life series that you can watch with a warm, heartwarming smile.
Highly recommended for fans of cute things!
Yatogame-chan
The anime Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki, based on Masaki Ando’s manga, is a slice-of-life series in which the protagonist, Kaito Jin, moves from Tokyo to Aichi Prefecture and the everyday lives of people in Aichi and Nagoya are portrayed.
Characters from all over Japan—not just Aichi—appear, and they face off in rap battles representing their respective hometowns.
The raps, which are based on real cities, feel quite authentic, and it’s a lot of fun to watch how local pride and playful digs at other prefectures get turned into rap.
It makes you want to memorize the rap for your own hometown.
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War -Ultra Romantic-
In episode 5 of the third season of the hugely popular series Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, there’s a rap scene.
When anime or manga portray rap, it generally falls into two categories: playing it for laughs or presenting it as cool.
This anime offers a perfect middle ground between the two.
While it parodies things like Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle and Beastie Boys music videos to make viewers laugh, if you listen closely to the lyrics, you’ll hear a passionate message that echoes the main story—an ideal balance.
The ending of this episode also made waves with its hip-hop track and high-quality animation!
Aharen-san Is Indecipherable
This is the anime adaptation of a slice-of-life manga serialized in the web comic magazine Shonen Jump+.
When an anime includes a rap scene, one might wonder how it fits into the story, but in Aharen-san wa Hakarenai, it’s portrayed as a communication tool the protagonist Raido uses to get closer to Reina Aharen.
Although it appears suddenly, it somehow feels natural and leads smoothly into the subsequent developments.
The way the inner struggles of a shy boy and girl are highlighted through music is almost like a musical.