After writing editorial/analytical posts the past few weeks, I figured it’s time to take a break and return to good ‘ol fan-gushing posts. I haven’t done a list of favorites in a while, so here’s one that I’ve always wanted to do – my top 10 favorite anime songs…
Picking only ten favorite anime songs is probably harder than picking your ten favorite anime series (though I wouldn’t say it’s as hard as picking favorite characters). The reason is that there’s just so many anime songs. The minimum for any one title would be about two songs (an opening and an ending), but most anime that are at least fairly successful have more than one OP and ED, a few image songs, some insert songs, etc,. And if they become a long lasting popular franchise, the number of songs becomes astronomical – the Digimon franchise alone has released over a hundred CDs!
According to MAL, I’ve seen close to 300 anime titles, so you can imagine how many hundreds of anime songs those titles encompass (not to mention songs I’ve heard without actually seeing their respective anime). However, I was determined to pick my top 10 and I did. Here they are:
*Note* The list is based solely on the songs themselves and not on accompanying visuals. For example, if the song is an opening, I’m only judging it by how much I like the full-version song, regardless of the opening animation. Lists of favorite OPs/EDs will be for another day =)
10. Mamoru beki Mono
Anime: Pokemon movie 9 ending song
Performed by: Sowelu
Year: 2006
Not a very well known song, being that it’s just used as an ending song for one of Pokemon’s many movies, but it became an instant hit with me when I first heard it upon seeing the 9th Pokemon movie in a little Kansai theater back in the summer of ’06. I find it a simply beautiful song, in lyrics and melody, that’s sweet but not childish. Sowelu, probably most famous among anime fans for singing the final Fullmetal Alchemist ending, “I Will,” does an excellent job with this gentle, lovely song.
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9. Shine
Anime: Seirei no Moribito opening
Performed by: L’Arc~En~Ciel
Year: 2008
This song was another instant hit with me when I first watched Seirei no Moribito in my college anime club in late ’07. I also remember what a painfully long wait it was for the single to come out and I had to make due with the TV size version and PV. Though the gorgeous visuals of the opening make it all the more fantastic, the full-version song is solid enough by itself (I especially like the Engrish at the beginning and end). This is L’Arc at their best in my opinion. Unfortunately, like most of their songs, I still have trouble singing this one at karaoke =P
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8. Lion
Anime: Macross Frontier opening 2
Performed by: May’n, Megumi Nakajima
Year: 2008
It’s hard to deny the quality of the Macross F songs, all of which I adore, but many will agree that “Lion” is the most powerful song of the series. I’m also a sucker for duets, especially from talents like May’n and Megumi. Add in Yoko Kanno and you’ve got instant win XD The chorus of this song continues to give me ecstatic chills every time I hear it.
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7. Triangular (fight on stage)
Anime: Macross Frontier opening 1
Performed by: May’n, Megumi Nakajima
Year: 2008
And now Macross F is the only anime to have more than one song in my top 10 (though Slayers, One Piece, and Pokemon got very close). It was hard picking between the series’ two stellar opening songs (though technically the first OP is Mayaa Sakamoto’s version of this song, but I prefer the duet), but I finally decided I like the lyrics and karaoke-value of “Triangular” a bit better. One of the best anime duets, with brilliantly significant lyrics if you’ve seen the series.
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6. God Knows…
Anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya “Live a Live” insert song
Performed by: Aya Hirano
Year: 2006
How could I leave out Haruhi? As much as I love “Bouken Desho Desho?” and “Hare Hare Yukai,” “God Knows…” is my favorite Haruhi song. It’s just such a powerful song that’s a blast to sing at karaoke, at least for me. Like “Shine,” the full-version of “God Knows…” can stand by itself, but when listened to with its amazing accompanying animation from that episodes, it’s even more impressive. This song has been quite an inspiration for anime girl bands since its debute.
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5. D-techno Life
Anime: Bleach opening 2
Performed by: UVERworld
Year: 2005
Despite my ambivalent feelings towards Bleach, the series has some great songs, especially in its early years. I just love the beat of this song and the feeling of the singers’ voices as they sing the lyrics. The lyrics are actually very beautiful despite the song sounding harsh at times. “D-techno Life” is always exciting every time I hear it.
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4. Gravity
Anime: Wolf’s Rain ending
Performed by: Mayaa Sakamoto
Year: 2003
One of the most beautiful Engrish songs of all, with lyrics that bring tears to my eyes each time I sing them. Take Mayaa Sakamoto’s voice like flowing silk, together with Yoko Kanno’s genius, and Wolf’s Rain, one of my most favorite anime of all, how could I not be taken? The lyrics of “Gravity” match the Wolf’s Rain storyline exceptionally well. I like a similar song in the series, “Tell Me What the Rain Knows,” almost as much as “Gravity” if only it had a full version.
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3. Fukai Mori
Anime: Inuyasha ending 2
Performed by: Do As Infinity
Year: 2001
During my love affair with the Inuyasha series from around 2002 to 2007, the songs were just one of many things I loved about it. But it truly did have some excellent songs, and for years I had trouble picking a favorite; it always fluctuated between “Change the World” (first OP), “Every Heart” (fourth ED), “Four Seasons” (third movie ED), and “Fukai Mori” (second ED). Many listening, lyrics readings, and karaoke sessions later, I’ve finally decided that “Fukai Mori” is my favorite. From the awesome guitar solo at the beginning to the haunting yet beautiful lyrics, this is definitely a memorable anime song.
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2. Kokoro no Chizu
Anime: One Piece opening 5
Performed by: BOYSTYLE
Year: 2004
One Piece has a ton of fun songs – it was a tough call between this one and the following opening “Brand New World,” but I can’t deny how much I love “Kokoro no Chizu.” It was one of the first anime songs in which I memorized all the Japanese lyrics and even wrote my own translation. But aside from that, I just love the upbeat melody and how perfectly the lyrics match the themes of One Piece. Not just One Piece, but a lot of the uplifting themes we love in anime are conveyed in this song. Definitely an example of j-pop at its finest.
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1. Give a reason
Anime: Slayers Next opening
Performed by: Megumi Hayashibara
Year: 1996
And finally, a song by my most favorite Japanese singer/seiyuu, a song that is now almost fifteen years old and I still never get tired of it (naturally it also topped my list of favorite 90s anime songs which I posted a while back). I adore just about all of Megumi Hayashibara’s songs (as well as her incredible seiyuu repertoire), but “Give a reason” is simply my ultimate. A vibrant melody, impacting lyrics, and Megumi’s awesome style that earned her the “Queen of j-pop” title back in the day. Surprisingly, out of all the many anime songs she’s performed, my second favorite of hers is “Plenty of grit,” another Slayers song that she sung in 2008, over ten years after “Give a reason.” Her talent definitely hasn’t faded with time.
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It was difficult narrowing it down to these ten out of the hundreds of anime songs I’ve heard. There were so many more I love almost as much as these and wanted to add to the list, but I really wanted to stick with just a top 10 list for now. Maybe I’ll acknowledge some of the others another time, perhaps when I eventually get around to listing my favorite anime OPs and/or EDs.
Do I share any favorites with you? And feel free to list your own top 10 anisongs in the comments.
Yay for Enoz! (God Knows!)… That song wakes me up every morning on my cell phone. It’s not just the music, but how it hit me in the anime itself. It was like a blast of refreshing, just out of the blue in the anime. Really loved that scene.
Yeah, that concert scene in the anime is amazing. I remember how impressed I was when I first watched it. One of the best examples of what KyoAni can do XD
There’s also a ballad-like remix of this song (and “Lost my music”) that Aya Hirano sang at a concert a while back.
6, 5, and 4 are awesome! I don’t know if they’re in my top 10. Never really thought about what my actual favorites are, but those songs are certainly high on the list.
Cool, glad we share some favorite anime tunes :3 If you ever decide to make a top 10, I’d like to see it.
This is a hard choice for me as well. I listen to Japanese songs on a daily basis, many of them from anime, so it’s really hard to pick and choose from so many…
My (current) top 10:
10. Sora no Kakera – Ikeda Ayako, Dennou Coil
It’s a slow song that doesn’t bore me, but instead keeps me walking towards the future with its uplifting lyrics that touch me with a hint of nostalgia.
9. This Love – Angela Aki, Blood+ (although I never watched it)
Wonderful piano combined with a heartfelt singing voice makes this song leave a strong impact on me.
8. Red fraction – MELL, Black Lagoon
GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES!
7. M24 – Kajiura Yuki, Kara no Kyoukai: Mujun Rasen
One word: epic. Kajiura Yuki shows just what she’s capable of, creating a masterpiece of a soundtrack that fits the intense atmosphere of the masterpieceful Kara no Kyoukai movies perfectly. The fact that this plays during an even more epic fight scene just highlights it even more. It’s too bad she didn’t actually give them proper names…
6. Little Braver – Girls Dead Monster, Angel Beats!
A song that I simply love. I guess it’s because the lyrics are so relatable to real life and to Angel Beats! itself? I have a hard time explaining in words why…
5. Unmei no Wa/Diorama/Chikai – Shimamiya Eiko, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni movies
Shimamiya Eiko just beautifully sings with so much emotion that portrays the essence of Higurashi so well. I really cannot choose between them.
4. masterpiece – Kawada Mami, To Aru Majutsu no Index
I actually don’t know why I am so addicted to this song. It dominates my Top 25 Played playlist at 289 plays. I think it’s because of the sense of excitement it brings and how it builds up to the chorus in an epic way. Or perhaps it was the incredibly cool and lonely shot of Accelerator in the opening as he stood with the city’s windmills in the background.
3. Brave Phoenix – Mizuki Nana, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A’s
Another song that just screams “epic”. One of the best final boss battle songs I’ve ever heard in an anime ever.
2. Love Chronicle – Changin’ My Life, Full Moon o Sagashite.
This has a special place in my heart because Full Moon is one of the first anime I’ve ever watched. Although the manga is better in retrospect, the anime still managed to bring me to tears in the end, mainly due to the placement of this song in a key scene. You can really hear the pure emotion in this song.
1. Natsukage ~Cornwall summer mix~ – Lia, AIR
Okay, I don’t care if this wasn’t in the actual anime. This is the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard, even beating “you” from Higurashi and “Aimo” from Macross Frontier. When listening to it I can almost smell the ocean air and see a clear blue sky over glittering seas as it paints a picture of a gorgeous but almost lonely summer.
I’m sure I heard your #7 before when I marathoned the Kara no Kyoukai movies a bunch of months ago. I didn’t know Yuki Kajiura wrote the music. I love her work, especially the music she wrote for Noir. I’ll have to give the Kara no Kyoukai music another listening.
I loved Angel Beats! but I don’t remember any of the Girls Dead Monster songs standing out to me. I’ll also have to give them another try.
I’m currently watching Index so I’ll be hearing your #4 soon enough =)
And I was curious so I listened to your #1. Beautiful song. Is that from the Air summer special? (I’ve only seen the TV series) Lia’s songs are so pretty~
Natsukage was originally a bgm in the game and it was used in the anime as well. Lia sung a vocal version of it, but this Cornwall summer mix was released later and completely blew away the original vocal version.
The song I liked from GirlDeMo the most (Little Braver) didn’t actually appear in the anime. I liked Alchemy a lot as well.
Current Top 10 (in no particular order):
Rinbu Revolution – Utena OP
Platina – CCS 3rd OP
Tori no Uta – Air OP
Raspberry Heaven – Azumanga Daioh ED
Gecchuu! Rabu-rabu?! – Pretty Cure ED
Sore ga Ai Deshou – FMP Fumoffu OP
Toki wo Kizamu Uta – CLANNAD ~ After Story OP
Watashi no Tsubasa – Ojamajo Doremi DOKKA~N! 1st ED
This is My Road – Guin Saga ED
THIS ILLUSION – Fate/stay night TV 1st OP
If I had continued my list, CCS’s “Platinum” would definitely show up before too long =D It’s a great song. And I’m sure “Tori no Uta” and “Rinbu Revolution” would be in my top 50 at least (though my favorite Utena song would be “Toki ni Ai wa” from the movie).
I always have felt that Bleach had pretty solid OP’s and ED’s, particularly for a Shounen Jump show. Its been a long time since I’ve watched it at all, but I’ve got a lot of the earlier singles and some of the movie singles as well. Happy People was absolutely AWFUL though and deserves to be burned in a pit.
Personally, I prefer Ichirin no Hana over D-Tecnolife.
For Shonen Jump series, I would say One Piece and Bleach have great OPs and EDs. One Piece leans more towards the uplifting, j-pop sound while Bleach songs lean towards more serious j-rock, but they’re both great. Naruto however only churns out an OP/ED I like once in a while.
LOL, I liked “Happy People” for a while but then it started getting annoying XD
Oh yeah, “Ichirin no Hana” is great! Other Bleach songs I love are “My Pace,” “Rolling Star,” and “Life is Like a Boat.”
Talk about a set of rather old songs! There’s also a skew away from Slice of Life shows, save for Haruhi (though even that can be debated). Is it just SoL songs suck or what? :P
Most of the time… yes as evident in zzeroparticle’s review of the K-ON Original Soundtrack. The music is a different story. :p
LOL, how old does a song have to be to be called “old?” Half of the songs on my list came out less than five years ago…I wouldn’t really call that old =P But yeah, the songs in my top five are kinda old, but oh well XD
Heh, I never thought that slice-of-life anime songs suck…it just so happens that none of them made it to my top 10. If I kept going with the list, I’m sure a few would make it on there. I didn’t intentionally not add any =P
Songs like the Sketchbook OP and ARIA OP/EDs are most certainly enjoyable.
Great post! I’m starting a ranked list as well, but the songs in it are changed and reordered very rapidly. I rank individual songs by themselves also, but when done right, I believe their scene in the anime can support and provide a much greater relevance and meaning toward the music itself, as is the case for my top two songs.
My Top 10 Anime Songs So Far:
10 – Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari – ryo – Bakemonogatari ED
A beautiful rock song with a soothing piano solo.
9 – Tori no Uta – Lia – Air OP
Words cannot describe how good this song is.
8 – Lilium – Kumiko Noma – Elfen Lied OP
There is some kind of feel to this song that makes it eerily good. Also, the lyrics are in Latin, which is awesome.
7 – Rhythm Emotion – Two-Mix – Gundam Wing OP 2
This song brings out a lot of memories back when I watched Gundam Wing as a kid.
6 – TOUGH BOY – TOM*CAT – Fist of the North Star 2 OP
The song that defines awesomeness. The adrenaline seems to keep rising forever.
5 – NO, Thank You! – Ho-Kago Tea Time – K-ON!! ED 2
To be honest, I did not like the anime that much, but there are many songs in the entire soundtrack, especially all the endings, that are very memorable.
4 – Tank! – Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts – Cowboy Bebop OP
Best jazz track I have ever heard. Plus, it’s Yoko Kanno; nothing can go wrong there.
3 – Shuffle – Masami Okui – Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters OP 2
Very upbeat and awesome song in many ways. There is a ton of energy packed in the guitar solo, bass solo,…heck, the entire song in general!
2 – God Knows… – Aya Hirano – The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya insert
Both this song and the anime are epic. Enough said.
1 – My Song – Girls Dead Monster – Angel Beats! insert
I LOVE Angel Beats! and Iwasawa, so much that I could have picked any Girls Dead Monster song for the #1 spot. But this song was the biggest moment for me in the anime in that it actually made me cry. Either by itself, in relation to Iwasawa’s performance, or in relation to real life, this is the most emotional and mesmerizing song I have ever heard.
Great choices~ I love just about all the songs on your list too :3 And yay for “God Knows…” in your #2 spot!
Liked seeing “Shuffle” on there. It’s the only Yu-Gi-Oh! song I like XD
I loved Angel Beats! too, but the Girls Dead Monster songs didn’t really strike me (the Angel Beats! OP did though XD) As I said to akani above, I should give them another try.
Terrific list…I actually got goosebumps reading number 6 through 3, as those would/could have made my top 10 as well. Gravity, in fact, might be my number one. Thanks for this!
Thanks, glad you liked it ^_^
All the songs in Wolf’s Rain are stunning. The lyrics and melodies are just so well written and match the anime perfectly. If “Tell Me What the Rain Knows” had more lyrics, I would probably like it just as much as “Gravity.”
Have you ever heard “The Garden of Everything,” another beautiful song sung by Steve Conte with Mayaa Sakamoto as backup? It’s not as well known as the other Wolf’s Rain songs but it’s great as well.
I haven’t heard most of these so I can’t really comment on the entry as a whole. But I’m pretty sure that my #1 pick, if I was going to make a list like this, would also be a Megumi Hayashibara song from Slayers. “Give a Reason” is a stone cold classic, and I’d be torn between that, “Going History” and “Midnight Blue” as my favorite anime song. The production on these is pretty dated-sounding by now, but they still have a positive, euphoric, high energy (hi-NRG?) quality to them that’s been hard to find in American pop music, which unfortunately hasn’t been very interested in exploring this kind of territory at any time between the mid-90s and today. Also, her voice is beautiful and — even to this gaijin who doesn’t understand a word she’s saying — has a distinctive quality to it that works extremely well with the music.
I was too young to be into anime when Slayers first aired (but the same goes for 99% of Anime fans outside Japan today, I’m willing to bet), so it’s not like I have any first-hand memories of this series to be truly nostalgic about now. And yet, when I hear these songs now, I’m filled with a sense of nostalgia anyway, remembering the mid 90s and how much simpler life was then. No, I wasn’t there when anime cons were just getting started in the US, when people would scoop up whatever little anime was getting released on VHS here, and trading crappy, 3rd-gen tapes in the mail to see everything else that wasn’t. But I get a weird feeling that makes me feel connected to that pre-Internet/”anime bubble” world, where to anyone on these shores, anime was still a relatively new phenomenon. There’s a sense of excitement and adventure in these songs (appropriate enough given what series they were written for, obviously) and it still comes through today.
I haven’t seen the new seasons of Slayers yet, but I love that Megumi’s songs from them still capture and channel the same kind of magic that the ones from the first 3 seasons did so well back in the 90s. Maybe Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution-R are just as good as their predecessors. Or maybe they suck! But either way, I’m pretty sure the fact that I’m interested in them at all has a lot to do with “Plenty of Grit” and “Front Breaking,” which seem like a pretty upfront way of saying “yes, the Slayers you know and love is back!”
I wasn’t introduced to Slayers until 2000/2001 when I was first getting into anime in high school. So I have nostalgia for it, just not as much as other fans =P But I agree with you about the sense of 90s j-pop nostalgia that comes from listening to Megumi Hayashibara’s songs. It’s amazing how she’s not only done so many voices, but managed to keep her same unique singing style all these years. Unfortunately, not many new anime fans know about her since she’s only been doing her old roles and hasn’t picked up any new ones in years.
I watched Slayers Revolution when it came out and didn’t really like it…it just didn’t have the charm and good humor of the old series (thus I didn’t feel like watching Evolution-R). Megumi’s songs however, were still great XD
Hayashibara’s work is still impressive. More than a decade or so and two kids and a family later, I think she’s lost very little in terms of the control and timing needed to be a good/quality voice actor/actress. I’m about halfway through SLAYERS REVOLUTION; there are some things to enjoy about it, but to be fair, my expectations weren’t particularly high to begin with. A lot of the same elements are there, the catchy music, the tawdry and innocent physical comedy, the underlying concept of the “endless journey,” and so on… but it doesn’t feel as fresh, and so doesn’t always gel at first glance.
Also, I was terribly saddened that FUNimation called up the original English voice-over cast… whose performances were rather painful those years ago when the series first came around.
I agree with the awesomeness of Gravity, D-technolife, Shine, Fukai Mori and God Knows. They just have something about them that makes them awesome to listen to.
My own personal list would have to be:
10. Brave Song-Aoi Tada-Angel Beats ED- this song is just so sad and completly true to what life is and the way the singer sings it…well it conveys what’s in the song. I can’t listen to this song anymore though without feeling like crying because I wrote a songfic for the ending of P3P with it. Even though I can’t listen to it anymore it’s still a wonderful song.
9. Ichirin no Hana-High and Mighty Color-Bleach OP3- I went through a phase where I was obessed with this song. Which is very surprising since I don’t usually like songs with screamo-esque things in them. Maki’s voice was great in it and I think the way the bleach opening was framed around it really kept it in my mind.
8. Duvet-Boa-Serial Experiments Lain OP- This song can shot back up on my favorite song list after I saw Lain again for the second time a month ago. Although the song is more of a love song and doesn’t really seem to fit with what’s going on with Lain it does bring back memories when I saw Lain the first time when I was 12(had nightmares for a while.) and how weird I thought it was.
7.Saigo no Mameshiba-Earth Maiden Juna ED-A beautiful song with wonderful music playing with it that just accent the song. It espically works along with the anime. Actually all of the music is awesome in it but this one stands out to me. Overall it’s just a lovely song.
6.Lonely in Gorgeous-Tommyfebruary6-Paradise Kiss OP- Paradise Kiss is probably one of my favorite series of all time and this song reflects to what is happening in the anime. Plus I love tommy so of course one of her songs would make it onto my list.
5.The Girl In Byakkoya-Susumu Hirasawa-Paprika OP- Although there isn’t much vocal in it, this song really stuck with me. Probably because this was the second Satoshi Kon(May he rest in peace) thing I watched(Paranoia Agent being the first). I had never heard a musical style like that before and I loved how the voice sounded so robotic. It wasn’t until later that I found out it was Meiko from the Vocaloids and that made me like the song even more.
4. Last Regrets-Regret-Ayana -Kanon OP-A wonderful song with sad lyrics(I tend to like sad songs a lot I just realized). It’s just matches the anime very well.
3. Tori no Uta-Lia-Air OP- Just a beautiful song in general. I don’t know what to say about it since I have no finished Air yet but I love the song.
2.Yakusoku no Basho e-Yonekura Chihiro-Kaleido Star OP 2- I just love this song. It’s so upbeat and happy and it just makes me want to sing it at the top of my lungs(which I have done). This song also struck me as different becasuse it starts off on such a high happy note that just draws you into the rest of the song.
1.Uninstall-Chiaki Ishikawa-Bokurano OP. A beauitful song with a good message behind it. The hauntingness of it along with the lyrics themselves, it matches with the anime well but it also is true for the real world. I saw Bokurano at least two years ago and this is still my favorite song.
“Brave Song” from Angel Beats! is really sweet. “Ichirin no Hana” is great too, and I think it’s one of my favorite Bleach OPs visual-wise. And it looks like you’re the third person here to put “Tori no Shi” on their top 10 list =)
I approve of the majority of this list!
I thought the Pokemon one was nice, but boring. (in addition to the fact that i HATED that movie, as Misty should’ve been the star rather than May >:D)
I agree that Lion was the best Macross F OP. It had a nice op sequence as well~
Here are ten of my favorite songs….(in no particular order) (also since you stayed with op/ed themes, i’ll stick with them, too)
1. Tank! – Yoko Kanno – Cowboy Bebop
2. Futuristic Imagination – School Food Punishment – Eden of the East
3. Purachina – Maaya Sakamoto – CCS
4. Again – YUI – FMA:Brotherhood
5. Lion – May’n and Megumi Nakajima – Macross Frontier
6. Hiru no Tsuki – Akino Arai – Outlaw Star
7. Katayouku no Tori – Akiko Shikata – Umineko
8. Pocket ni Fantasy – Sachi and Juri – Pokemon
9. Inner Universe – Origa – Ghost in the Shell
10. Synchronicity – Yui Makino – Tsubasa: Tokyo Revelations
Movie 9 was definitely one of the weaker Pokemon movies, but the song is just so sweet (I think you would like it better if you understood the lyrics).
Love your #3-5, 7, and 8 =D Everyone seems to like the Cowboy Bebop OP, but I mostly like it for the music with the visuals. Guess I’m not much of a jazz fan =P
Lyrics tend to help with liking a song :P
Of all the Advanced Generation movies, the Lucario one was definitely the best.
Oh really? That’s a little surprising. I loooove jazz. But I’m pretty open to a lot of music. I’ll listen to almost anything :D
also, some others that I”d like to add to my list include: Cruel Angel’s These (because it’s a classic xD), Bouken Desho Desho?, Beautiful Amulet, and Toki wo Kizamu Uta :)
Let’s see, I have some of the Macross F songs you listed on my top ten too. In no particular order:
#10. Moment by Vivian or Kazuma (Gundam Seed Destiny)
#9. Realize by Nami Tamaki (Gundam Seed)
#8. Sousei no Aquarion by AKINO (Sousei no Aquarion)
#7. Houki Boshi by Younha (BLEACH) — I wish Younha did more anisongs; she has a beautiful voice.
#6. Lion by Megumi Nakajima and May’n (Macross Frontier)
#5. Triangler by Maaya Sakamoto / Megumi Nakajima and May’n (Macross Frontier) — I like both the single and the duet versions, but then again I’m a Maaya Sakamoto fanboy, hee hee.
#6. Platinum by Maaya Sakamoto (Cardcaptor Sakura)
#5. Chi ni Kaeru by KOTOKO (Starship Operators) — lousy anime, but beautiful song
#4. Egao no Wake by Kaori Hikida (Shounen Onmyouji)
#3. Kimi ga ita monogatari by Chiaki Ishikawa (.hack//LIMINALITY)
#2. Loop by Maaya Sakamoto (Tsubasa Chronicles) — again, lousy anime, but great song
…but a special place goes to the very first anime OP I memorized:
#1. Yakusoku wa iranai by Maaya Sakamoto (Vision of Escaflowne)
Oh dear, I screwed up the numbering sequence and listed 12 songs instead of 10. Sorry! This is a sure sign I need a good vacation. Well, one can always have a top dozen songs…
LOL, no problem, a top 12 would probably be better anyway ’cause then you can add more of your favorites ^^ If I had a top 12, I think #11 would be “Plenty of grit” and #12 would the Fruits Basket OP, “For Fruits Basket.” That song is just so beautiful~
Gundam Seed has some great songs. “Moment” is a lovely duet. I also like “Life Goes On,” “Find the Way,” and “Fields of Hope.”
Like “Platinum,” if I kept going with my list, “Yakusoku wa Iranai” would appear before too long :3
For Fruits Basket! That was one of my first Japanese songs ever! <33
Do As Infinity is on this list and that makes me happy.
I will like any song with Rie Tanaka or Rie Kugimiya in it. The Kemeko DX OP comes to mind (Rie Kugimiya has like….one line in it).
In all serious though. I have no idea what my favorite anime song is. If we’re going by OPs and EDs than I might say something along the lines of Samurai Champloo or Lucky Star’s OP or, of course, Haruhi’s anything.
Rie Tanaka has some good songs from Gundam Seed. The only Rie Kugimiya songs I’ve heard are the Hayate no Gotoku!! second ED (the cute Hayate and Nagi duet) and the Toradora! second ED. I’m not as much a fan of her singing voice as I am of her voice acting :3
Let’s see mine would look something like this:
10.) Maison Ikkoku OP1; [link]
9.) GTO OP1; [link]
8.) Ashita no Nadja OP; [link]
7.) Z Gundam OP1; [link]
6.) El Hazard Wanderers OP2; [link]
5.) Kimagure Orange Road OP2; [link]
4.) Nadesico OP; [link]
3.) Rayearth OP1; [link]
2.) Nadia OP; [link]
1.) Urusei Yatsura OP2 ; [link]
Whoa, and I thought I had a lot of old songs on my list XD Just kidding, old classics are great and not many of the newer songs have the same charm. Love Rayearth OP1~
I am not sure what openings and endings I really like… but here is a complete list of opening songs and ending songs I like in no particular order.
Opening Songs
Tori no Uta (Lia) – Air
Last Regrets (Ayana) Kanon 2006 Remake
Toki wo Kizamu Uta (Lia) – Clannad After Story
Kimi no Mama de (Azusa) – Amagami SS
Hikari no Senritsu (Kalafina) – Sora no Woto
Irony (ClariS) – Ore no Imouto
MOON SIGNAL (sphere) – Zakuro
Bouken Desho Desho? (Hirano Aya) – Haruhi S1 (Ironically, the second season OP sucked)
My Soul, Your Beats (Lia) – Angel Beats
Colorless Wind (Yuuki Aria) – sola
Ending Themes
No Thank You! – K-ON!! Second Season
Watashi ni Dekiru Koto (Nakajima Megumi) – Kobato
Kaze no Tadori Tsuku Basho (Ayana) – Kanon
Girls Be Ambitious (Tomatsu Haruka) – Sora no Woto
Brave Song (Tada Aoi) – Angel Beats
Songs that I like, but haven’t watched the show
tune the rainbow, gravity, Down Town, Yasahisa ni Tsutsumareta nara – Maaya Sakamoto
Weeping alone, Blue sky, True sky, Sekai no Namida, LAMENT～やがて喜びを～ – Yuuki Aria
Perhaps I should write on the Top 2010 songs or whatever when I have the chance. Talking about music is pretty fun.
Ending
Good choices! I can tell you like Lia XD She’s got a gorgeous voice. Among newer songs, the Sora no Woto and OreImou OPs are definitely memorable.
And I happen to like “Super Drive” =P
I’m glad Fukai Mori ranked highly, Inuyasha songs are the best. :) My favorite Inu song would be either Fukai Mori, Four Seasons, or My Will. I love Gravity (any soon by Maaya actually!) as well. Good top 10!
Yes, “Fukai Mori” is awesome, as is “Four Seasons.” For some reason “My Will” never stuck with me, though I know it’s one of the more popular Inuyasha songs.
Rookiez is Punk’d – Complication…
OP 2 Durarara!!
yes……. Durarara op 2 is Good and cool
Ok,i wont criticize or anything just wanna suggest some of my favourites to u, hope u like em as i do!
1.Samurai champloo (every song!)
2.marry-go-round frm fairy tail
3.howling and from dusk til dawn frm darker than black
and some more(cant remember right now). But especially samurai champloo…its got innovative music,ranging frm hiphop to traditional okinawan folk type music..crazy! god bless the soul of nujabes.:-)
Great list you got there.. but I have my own and I feel like sharin’ it to y’all. Here’s my list:
1) Sen no yoru wo koete – Aqua Timez (bleach movie: memories of nobody)
1) Haruka Kanata – Asian Kung fu generation
1) Snow Fairy ( Fairy tail 2nd/3rd? OP) I kinda forgot.
1) Namikaze Satellite (Naruto OP)
1) Sign by fLow (Naruto ED/Jiraiya’s theme)
1) GO! by fLow
1) End of the World by Trax
1) What’s up people – Maximum the Hormone (Deathnote ost)
1)Setsubou Billy – Maxzimum the Hormone ( Deathnote)
Ŧhe most perfect list i feel is the One Above.
BTW,
Yura Yura by Hearts grow[OP9] is a brilliant song.
Then i will share my best list too
10>Kyomu Densen by Ali Project (Another)
9>Complication by Rookiez is Punk’D (Durarara!)
8>Kuuso Merogiwi by YUI (Mirai Nikki)
7>HEY by Flow (Beelzebub)
6>88 by LM.C (Katekyo Hitman Reborn)
5>cHangE by Miwa (Bleach)
4>The LOVE SONG by LM.C (Nurarihyon no Mago Sennen Makyou)
3>Sign by Flow (Naruto Shippuden)
2>In my World by Rookiez is Punk’D (Ao no Exorcist)
1>Last Train -Atarashii Asa by Knotlamp (Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s)
Still the Best among them and Unchanged from top
0,5>Ichiban no Takaramono by Karuta (Angel Beats)
thank God.!!…someone atleast cared to mention a song from Naruto.