Ask John: What Are The Best Anime Theme Songs?

Question:
You’ve stated your favorite opening animations. But what do think are the best anime opening and ending theme songs?

Answer:
Music is infinitely complex, and I’ve never posed as any sort of musical authority, so to maintain consistency with my earlier response about opening animation sequences, I’d like to address this question primarily in terms of my personal favorite anime theme songs. I can name a few titles which I think are genuine classic anime themes, for better or worse. And I’ve previously listed some of the anime theme songs which I rank among the most exceptional ever. Many of those also belong on any list of “best” anime themes.

Among theme songs which have stood the test of time and become classics, I think it’s essential to recognize Isao Sasaki’s anthemic fanfare “Uchuu Senkan Yamato” and Inoue Azumi’s charming “Tonari no Totoro.” The song titles, of course, also identify the anime they come from. If these two classics represent the “better,” than Shinohara Tomoe’s maniac and insidious “Ultra Relax,” the second opening theme song for the Kodomo no Omocha television series, may represent “for worse.” It may not be a “great” song in any objective sense, but it is very famous and is one of the few anime themes to have created its own dance. It may be too early to also nominate Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu’s ending theme, “Hare Hare Yukai,” but the song has become a worldwide sensation. The Evangelion opening theme “Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis” has been performed by numerous vocalists and remains a widely known favorite. And I hope it’s not cheating to mention an instrumental theme, but I’m confident that Yuji Ohno’s classic “Lupin the III” theme from the 1977 television series is now a timeless standard.

My own favorite anime theme songs are often whichever ones I happen to be absorbed in at the moment. For example, lately I’ve found myself often listening to Kaori Hikita’s “Egao no Wake,” the opening theme for Shounen Onmyouji, and Yamazaki Masayoshi’s “One more time, One more chance,” the theme for the new film Byousoku 5cm. Other transitory favorite songs of mine have included KOTOKO’s “Re-sublimity” from Kannazuki no Miko, the Witch Hunter Robin opening “Shell” performed by Bana, “Will,” the opening theme for Boukyaku no Senritsu ~ Melody of Oblivion, performed by lisa, and “Kokoro ga Tomaranai,” the opening for Monkey Turn, performed by Jewelry, just to name a few.

But the songs which I really think of as personal favorite anime themes are the ones that remain in my mind permanently – the songs that I continue to enjoy regardless of their age, my age, or changes in my tastes. I also judge personal favorites by their impact on my life. In particular, if a single anime theme song was enough to convert me into a devoted fan of the performer, that song gains special respect and significance for me. Again, I may be stretching the definition of “anime theme” a bit, but I’ll include any song used as an anime theme, regardless of whether it was originally composed as an anime theme.

X Japan is one of my favorite music groups, and I was introduced to their music through the 1993 “Double X” music video OAV. It was particularly the song “X” used during the Rintaro directed short anime video that stuck in my mind. And it was “Forever Love,” the ending theme for the X movie in 1996, that instigated my eventual purchase of all of X Japan’s albums.

Similarly, I was first introduced to Arai Akino’s ethereal voice by the song “Utsukushii Hoshi” used in Windaria. But it was her songs “Hiru no Tsuki” & “Tsuki No Ie” used as the ending themes for Outlaw Star that led me to eventually import all of her albums.

BOA’s song “Duvet,” used as the opening of Serial Experiments Lain, remains a personal favorite. It was also responsible for me importing BOA’s “Race of a Thousand Camels” and “Tall Snake” albums and buying the American “Twilight” album.

From the earliest days of my serious anime fandom I’ve had a fondness for Kumi Miyasato’s “Kaze no Lullaby,” used in both Megazone 23 part 1 and 2. It’s not actually an opening or ending theme, but I couldn’t bear to exclude it from mention.

My obsession with anime matured during the height of Megumi Hayashibara’s career. During the early and mid 1990s it seemed impossible to be an anime fan and not hear her voice everywhere. My absolute favorite Megumi Hayashibara theme, though, is not from a conventional anime; it’s “Going History,” the opening theme for the Slayers EX radio drama. “Going History” remains unique in Hayashibara’s catalog because it has a pulsing, rhythmic beat and an urgency not typical of her music. I like many of her anime themes, but “Going History” is the one which I’ve never been able to forget.

Finally, there are three remaining anime theme songs that have made an indelible impression on me. They are T.M. Revolution’s “Heart of Sword,” the third ending theme for the Rurouni Kenshin television series, Tetsuya Komuro’s “Get Wild,” the classic ending theme for the City Hunter television series, and “Brave Love ~ Galaxy Express 999,” the ending theme for the Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantasy motion picture, performed by The Alfee. I find that my appreciation for these three songs isn’t a passing phase, but rather a perpetual respect. There are many anime songs which I love for a while and always enjoy hearing, but those I’ve mentioned here are ones that have stuck in my mind for years, which I find myself remembering periodically even years later.