There are a number of artists who are staples when it comes to anime theme music. There are also artists who perform one crazy memorable opening or ending and never (or hardly ever) return to the industry again.
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From Death Parade‘s unforgettable opening to Kakushigoto‘s throwback ending, the artists behind these five themes are ones we’d love to hear more in anime. Look, we’re just trying to jam.
Hello Sleepwalkers
Noragami‘s openings are some of the most memorable that came out of the 2010s in anime. Part of that is thanks to songs that get stuck in your head after only a couple of seconds.
Hello Sleepwalkers’ “Goya no Machiawase” matched the first season perfectly, giving a high-energy vibe to a series that managed to convey a sense of rebellious conviction that we see mirrored in the show’s main cast.
It would be great to hear more of Hello Sleepwalkers’ alternative rock vibe for more opening or ending themes, especially if some of them also featured the group’s female vocalist, Narumi!
Take a listen to their song “Shin Sekai” and you’ll see what I mean:
Eiichi Ohtaki
Eiichi Ohtaki’s impact on the Japanese music industry isn’t one that’s easily explained. HMV Japan awarded him the number nine spot on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop artists. And Happy End, the group he was a member of before starting his solo career, ranked number four.
His 1981 song “Kimi wa Tenneniro” gave Kakushigoto‘s ending sequence a sort of classic, timeless feel that hits all the right emotional notes for the series.
Ohtaki unfortunately passed away in 2013, so he can’t create any new music for anime. However, we’d love to see even more people exposed to his amazing breadth of work through future anime series!
BRADIO
There are a few ways to describe the Death Parade opening theme: Classic. Legendary. The greatest example of “Oh, you saw this OP and thought it was a happy show? Well, we’ve got something to tell you…”
BRADIO’s funk sound is something we don’t often hear in anime OPs and EDs, which is a shame. The powerful horn blast at the beginning has become iconic among anime fans, and it’s now a sort of signal to, as the song says, “put your hands up.”
While “Flyers” will always be in our hearts (and stuck in our heads), we definitely would love to hear more BRADIO grooves connected with more anime series in the future!
Omedetai Atama de Naniyori
Omedetai Atama de Naniyori, otherwise known as Happy Heads NANIYORI, is a rock group that’s all about fun. If you don’t believe us, just check out the picture on their website’s bio page.
The ending theme they performed for Hinomaru Sumo was a mix of emotion and intensity that fits the show perfectly, but their sound could easily fit with numerous other series.
We’re starting to see slightly more hardcore opening and ending themes these days—like coldrain’s “MAYDAY” for the second Fire Force opening or “No.7” by Jibaku Shounen Band for Toilet-bound Hanako-kun‘s opening—so it’s about time for Omedentai Atama de Naniyori to make their return to anime, right?
Rib (りぶ)
A popular cover artist on Japanese video sharing platform Niconico, Rib has a powerful, unique voice that you won’t soon forget. Kicking things off with a bang, his performance for Kochoki‘s opening theme “Shissou” perfectly displays an impressive range.
As a singer who can handle a wide variety of musical styles, it’d be great to see Rib featured in more anime series that showcase his versatility. And even if that doesn’t happen, we’d just love to hear more Rib in the anime space in general.
Which artists would you love to hear in a future anime series? Share this post and let us know!
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