[Departure] A Special Feature on Anime Songs to Hear at Graduation Ceremonies [Tearjerkers]

Teenage BlueEVE

Teenage Blue – Eve Music Video

If you ever feel like looking back on the memories of your youth, please give this song a listen.

Released in October 2024, it’s a work by Eve and was selected as the ending theme for the TBS anime “Aono Hako” (Blue Box).

Eve’s gentle vocals beautifully express a sense of nostalgia for days gone by.

The fragility of adolescence that you can only feel now that you’ve grown, and the irreplaceable nature of everyday life, will truly resonate.

For those approaching graduation, this might be a song that hits as deeply as anything could.

Beyond the timbreKitauji Quartet

TV Anime 'Sound! Euphonium 3' Non-Credit Ending Video

Here is a gentle song that stands beside everyone celebrating graduation.

It’s the ending theme of the TV anime “Sound! Euphonium 3,” released in June 2024.

The voices of the Kitauji Quartet beautifully capture the flow of time like the wind.

The lyrics cherish past experiences while singing of hope for the future, gently encouraging those who are about to set off on their journey.

Why not listen as you reflect on memories with your friends and the life that lies ahead? It will surely give you the courage to take a new step forward.

FlowerMs. Takagi (CV: Rie Takahashi)

TV Anime “Teasing Master Takagi-san 3” Non-Credit ED “Hana” / Takagi-san (CV: Rie Takahashi)

Sung with a clear, translucent voice is the nostalgic classic “Hana.” This track was used as the ending theme for the hugely popular TV anime Teasing Master Takagi-san 3.

The original, released in 2004 by the Okinawan band ORANGE RANGE, was a big hit, and the version here is performed by Rie Takahashi, who plays the protagonist Takagi-san.

It’s striking how the impression of a song can change with a different singer.

While the original feels like a “grand love song,” Takagi-san’s version comes across as a song about “the irreplaceable everyday life spent with classmates,” making it perfect for a graduation ceremony.

Faint yet certainDIALOGUE＋

DIALOGUE+ “Faint but Certain” Music Video

DIALOGUE+ is a voice-actor artist unit.

They created “Kasuka de Tashika” as the ending theme for the school anime Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible.

It’s a mid-tempo ballad that sings about fulfilling school days and how quickly time passes.

Listening to it at a graduation ceremony might make you feel the passage of time even more.

Another recommendation point is the grand atmosphere created by the overlapping high-pitched voices of the eight members, as if celebrating graduation.

Humming and DetoursRikako Aida

Rikako Aida “Humming and a Detour” Music Video

Rikako Aida, who is active as a voice actress, actress, and singer, wrote “Hanauta to Mawarimichi” as the ending theme for the anime Skip and Loafer.

The anime portrays the everyday lives of a class full of unique characters, and the song captures that warm, laid-back atmosphere.

It’s a tune that sings of happy feelings, so it seems perfect for sending you off from a graduation ceremony with a smile.

The piece is also said to carry the hope that listeners will welcome tomorrow with a positive mindset.

The Story You Don't Knowsupercell

The Story You Don’t Know – supercell

After graduation, you end up separated from the person you like and your friends… This is a song I recommend for anyone carrying that kind of bittersweet feeling.

The lyrics gently sink into your heart, making you realize that once you graduate, you won’t be able to spend time like this anymore.

It makes you want to do what you can now so you won’t have any regrets.

Dream LetterAiRBLUE

Dream Letter

Yumedayori, a song that captivates with its beautiful harmony.

It’s used as the ending theme for the second cour of the anime CUE!, which is based on a smartphone training game.

The anime portrays the struggles of aspiring voice actors, and the song celebrates the importance of companions who support each other as they strive toward their dreams.

With call-and-response parts, it can be sung as a choral piece just as it is.

Please sing it with heartfelt gratitude—“thank you for everything up to now”—to your classmates or club mates with whom you’ve spent so much time.