In the world of Pokémon, animal-like creatures of all variations, called Pokémon, roam the earth. People grow up together with them, and when they turn 10 years old they can go off on a journey to catch Pokémon and raise their own. Pokémon can be used in battles to increase their strength, build bonds with their trainer, and to win badges to prove how strong your Pokémon team is. But not everything is ideal in this world. There exists Team Rocket, who is out to steal Pokémon and moves behind the scenes for a purpose we don’t yet know. “Prepare for trouble, and make it double!” If you grew up during the late 90s you will instantly know where that comes from. Jessie and James of Team Rocket were a constant nuisance to Ash and his friends as they attempted to steal his Pikachu. James was the silly one in this relentless team. Always looking to have fun and take a break, James was definitely the least ambitious on the team, even behind their Pokémon partner, Meowth. His relationship with Jessie and his refusal to abide by gender roles is what fans really love about him. James’s hair can change shades between purple and blue depending on where you are watching Pokémon and which episode you are on. That is why he is number 10 on this list and not number 1. James is probably the most recognizable character with purple shaded hair on this list.

Tooru Honda is a normal high school girl, who just happens to be homeless, when Yuki Souma stumbles upon her camp on his family’s land. After her mother’s death she had nowhere to turn so she decides to try to be independent. Yuki finds her situation unacceptable and takes her to his family. Once there, she trips onto Yuki’s cousin, and discovers that when embraced by the opposite sex, members of the Souma family transform into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. It is soon decided that she can stay with that family, on the condition that she can keep their secret regarding the Zodiac. Yuki Souma is a gentle soul who is known as the “Prince” of the school. He is studious and kind and only lets his anger out on his cousin Kyou. Yuki represents the Rat of the Zodiac, and is a favorite to the head of their house. Despite his outward kindness, Yuki is in pain and feels constantly alone. This is where Tooru comes in to help ease his sadness. Yuki represents the calm side of purple haired anime boys. Having light purple hair in the anime gives his “regal” persona even more validity, even though we know he is just as troubled as the rest of us.

This classic anime has been airing for over 20 years and is still going. It follows two ninjas in training. The nickname, Nintama, comes from the combination of the Japanese words for “ninja” and “egg”. So they are literally baby ninjas! This show is similar to Naruto as it follows the misadventures of these young ninjas, and how they learn lessons from them. Popular among children, this is a show to rival the ever popular Doraemon. Now we couldn’t make this list without including a classic. Having been on the air for over 20 years, with several movies as well, it definitely reaches that status. While several of the characters in the show have purple hair, we decided to go with Kirimaru Settsuno. Obsessed with money and part time jobs, he has the nickname “Genius Part-timer”, based on his ability to be a ninja and have multiple part-time jobs at once. This is a silly, heartwarming character who will make you laugh out loud with his quirks. Kirimaru completely personifies the purple haired side character.

In Blue Exorcist, we follow two exorcists as they learn more about the two sides of the world. Assiah and Gehenna represent earth as we know it, and the world of demons. Rin and Yukio Okumura are two brothers who enroll in a school for exorcists after learning about Rin’s real father. Rin is half demon, and the son of Satan. Satan wants to gain control of Assiah and rule the human world as well as the demon one. Rin vows to stop him and we follow his adventures in learning more about exorcism. Mephisto Pheles is the epitome of an eccentric purple haired character. With his crazy wardrobe and habit of turning up unexpectedly, it’s hard to deny he is the perfect purple haired supporting character. Mephisto is the principal of the school the two brothers attend, and guides them in their studies. Despite being incredibly nerdy, Mesphisto’s power is below only Satan himself.

Starry Sky is a dreamy anime about a high school that used to be an all-boys school but recently started accepting girls. Currently, the heroine, Yahisa Tsukiko, is the only girl attending this school. We come into the series following Henri, otherwise known as Yoh, who is searching for his childhood love and is obsessed with the night sky. He has gone to this school in the hopes of finding her again. Throughout the show, we learn about the many boys of the show who represent the constellations in the sky. Ever since he was a child Tsubasa has loved to invent things. In the show, we observe him attempting to accept his unique nature and individuality rather than caring about what others think. He towers above the other characters in this show, which is in direct contrast to his shy and unassuming nature. After being dragged, literally, into being a part of the student council, he becomes friends with the other members. Tsubasa definitely shows a neurotic side to the purple haired character.

Kaneki Ken is a normal boy living in a not so normal version of Tokyo. In this world, man-eating ghouls terrorize the city and normal humans attempt to carry on their lives despite the danger. When Kaneki is transformed into a new kind of half-ghoul his whole world changes. He must now fight his basic urges to kill and consume human flesh. Luckily he finds other ghouls to help him during his transformation; but his struggles are not over. When Kaneki meets Shuu Tsukiyama, he introduces himself as a “gourmet” who only eats the best of the best human flesh. He is an eccentric man who immediately becomes obsessed with Kaneki, and in his obsession vows to protect Kaneki so only he can eat him. Shuu’s crazy colored purple hair represents his crazy personality. This contrasts with the aristocratic image he portrays of himself and other gourmets, who we learn are all off their rockers.

When Chizuru Yukimura is rescued from a couple of rabid samurai, she is saved by the Shinsengumi. The Shinsengumi were a militia during the late 1800s in Japan that worked for the Shogunate. Their mission was to protect the people and keep the peace. Hakuouki follows Chizuru as she becomes a member of the Shinsengumi and continues to search for her father. But what secrets does she learn about this noble group? With a reputation of having a cold and straight-to-the-point attitude, Hajime really shakes off the idea that purple hair can only represent a frivolous or lighthearted character. Unable to sugar-coat anything he says, you risk being stung by his straightforwardness. But his harshness comes from a place of concern and care for your well-being. If you can look past his cold demeanor and see his warm, true feelings, then you will fall in love with Hajime, like many girls already have.

You come into this anime in the middle of a murder mystery. There are 3 dead bodies found in the outskirts of Sotoba village; a really remote town with a number of anomalies surrounding it. When a group of strangers move into the beautiful western style mansion on the hill, the mysteries of the town just increase. Soon afterwards, the town’s eccentric high school girl, Megumi, dies, and Natsuno Yuuki’s whole world begins to change. This is a murder mystery with a paranormal twist that you can’t miss out on! Natsuno Yuuki is the main character is this anime. Finally, we see a main character with purple hair! The entire anime is full of characters with crazy hair, so Yuuki’s is actually quite tame in comparison. Yuuki is a newcomer to the town and finds himself in the middle of its mysteries and horror. He definitely has the classic cold personality of a purple haired character. Despite this, he is the focus of Megumi’s obsession because of his big city hometown. But as more people are found dead, he begins to look for answers.

Your childhood was not complete unless you experienced some of the awesomeness that is Dragon Ball Z. When the world is in danger, you can rely on Goku and his allies to save the day. The plot of Dragon Ball Z revolves around 7 magic dragon balls that are scattered all around the world. When they are all brought together, you can make an all-powerful wish, that can even bring back the dead. There are many characters in Dragon Ball Z, but only one with purple hair. Trunks is a time-traveling badass who travels back in time to save the future from destruction. In his future, androids killed everyone on earth, leaving him alone. So Trunks travels back to save Goku and change the future. In the show, we get to see two sides of Trunks. The kick-ass who came to save the world, and him as Vegeta and Bulma’s son. Adult Trunks is very serious and powerful because of his dark future, while kid Trunks is an obnoxious little brat. He loves to laugh and joke around with his best friend Goten. Trunks is a classic character who definitely cannot be left off the list of top purple haired anime boys.

Becoming the number one purple haired anime boy is not an easy feat. We have read about many other worthy characters. Sinbad definitely takes the spot though, because he is not only in one anime. After being a major supporting character in Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, he now has his own anime, The Adventures of Sinbad, which goes into his backstory. We get to learn about how he became the conqueror he is in The Adventure of Sinbad. From being the ultimate ladies’ man, to the master of the magical “djinns” he has defeated, Sinbad is best at whatever he does. In the other cases we have seen, purple haired characters usually take a side role as the silent or quirky type. But not Sinbad. He is a character deserving of his own anime and that can lead future purple haired characters into the protagonist’s role.

If you are enjoying the extravagance and the alluring dance moves in Yuri!!! on Ice, then look no further than the dancing found in Starmyu. This group of high school musical boys, create idol dance performances that even Victor could learn a thing or two from. This group has reached celebrity status within the school and there is a harsh competition to become a new member of the school’s musical class. We come into the anime from the perspective of the new boy in school who is inspired by the draw of performing on stage. During the auditions for the “Star Frame Class” musical department of his school, he realizes achieving his dream of becoming a member might not be as easy as he thought. Similar to Yuri!!! on Ice, we have a main character who is trying to make it into the big leagues. Despite his lack of skills, his passion shines through to the other members of the group. If you enjoy watching Yuri fight for his dream, then you will enjoy watching all of the prospective members of the Star Frame Class strive toward their goals.

Talk about extreme sports, Prince of Stride is the ultimate parkour dream! This is a colorful and intense anime about an extreme sport called “Stride”. The players run in teams of 6 in a relay race through many natural obstacles including, parks, buildings, and bridges. Yagami and Fujiwara are the two characters struggling the most at the beginning of this show. They are unable to perform good relay connections, or “Relations”, during the matches, which is a wonderful innuendo that the audience can grab hold of. Prince of Stride is full of beautiful men working hard, and what could be better than that. Each of the characters has their own personal obstacles to overcome, whether they be past problems or family issues. Throughout the anime we get to see these characters grow and form bonds together. The BL nature of this show can be seen most in the competitive spirit of the team members, as they seem to never stop challenging each other.

A love for volleyball brings a high school team together to go against some of the strongest opponents in their division. When the short Hinata and the setter-genius Kageyama join Karasuno High School's volleyball team, two former rivals must learn how to play together. It takes a long time to build up trust between the two, but once these two players are in sync, Karasuno’s Volleyball team becomes unstoppable. The relationship between all the members of the team are open for BL interpretation. Between the captain and the legendary libero, and of course between our couple who loves to hate each other, Hinata and Kageyama. People from all over the world have created pairs from the interactions and subtleties that you can see in the anime. All of the characters are working to make their team the best, but all of them can fall into slumps. It takes encouragement from all of the other members to cheer them on and continue fighting.

Cheer Boys follows a team of boys as they struggle to create an all men’s cheerleading club at their university. Kazuma Hashimoto and Haruki Bando were inspired to create this team after leaving their school’s judo club. After recruiting several members, the boys realize that cheerleading is not nearly as easy as they thought. Episode 4 of this series is when you will fall in love with this band of misfits. This cheerleading group brings all kinds of people together and you get to see how such a varied group can become a strong united front. Similar to Yuri!!! on Ice, Cheer Boys!! creates a story around a not so typical sport for men. Cheerleading is often seen as a women’s sport, so the juxtaposition of seeing it with men in the leading role is really fun. People’s perception of this stereotype is also one of the challenges that the club must fight while training. This is such a lovable group of kids though, who are all trying something new and challenging for the first time. There are some BL implications between the two main characters similar to Yuri!!! on Ice, but they are both struggling together, rather than trying to surpass the other. This show has a lot of squeal worthy moments, especially when all their hard work pays off and you can watch the final routine.

This is an adorable show about one high school student finding his love for soccer. After being introduced to the sport by the handsome Jin, Tsukushi is determined to become a member of his high school’s team, despite having no experience. His goal at first is to at least be able to run, and with that we can see how strong his spirit is. Despite Jin being the star first-year player, Tsukushi is the one who is able to inspire the other students and encourage them to work their hardest. Throughout the anime we get to see Jin’s care for Tsukushi. The Boys Love theme in this anime is very strong between these two characters, as Jin is moved by Tsukushi’s determination and cares for him when he is injured. This show has an overwhelming amount of fighting spirit shown by the main character, Tsukushi. If you love watching Yuri’s determination, then you will also love Tsukushi’s no-quit attitude, especially with the dreamy Jin there cheering him on.

Free! Is the original sports BL fantasy. Ever since the broadcast of the trial commercial by Kyoto Animation, the anime community could not help but fantasize about these toned young men and their love for swimming (and each other). When Haruka joins his high school swimming team, we learn about his troublesome relationship with his childhood friend, Rin. Rin and Haruka used to swim together as children, but after winning an important tournament, Rin moved away. After meeting again in high school, Haruka realizes that his childhood friend is completely changed. Rin is now obsessed with beating Haruka and becoming number one. The relationship between Rin and Haruka, while having a different tone, is very similar to the relationship between Victor and Yuri. Both of these couples have a passion for the sport they are in, and are fighting to better themselves. While Rin is taking a competitive path against the main character, Victor plays a much more supportive role. But the intensity level between both couples are very similar. Free! is full of innuendo and adorable mishaps between all of the boys in the swim teams.

Shirobako is all about the anime industry, sharing the process and hard work into creating them. Shirobako also documents five high school girls from the Kaminoyama High School animation club with hopes and dreams of making it into various fields of the anime industry. The girls are in the midst of producing their own publication, unveiling their work at an upcoming cultural festival. From this, fast tracking two years later, their dreams becoming reality, as we follow two of the girls, who now work at a very notable animation company. In comparison, Shirobako is about making anime, while Gi(a)rlish Number is about seiyuus. They both reveal the hardships of such industries; showing that it is not as easy at it appears to be. Additionally, Shirobako and Gi(a)rlish Number begin their stories on a lighter note, but further into the series, strike viewers into a more dramatic and profound position. Each of the anime have an array of vibrant characters, who all depict very realistic and relatable personalities.

Hibike! Euphonium is a slice of life anime that involves the day-to-day events of Kumiko Oumae and her high school brass band mates. After a terrible incident that occurred at her middle school regional competition, Kumiko never wanted to play her euphonium again. Looking to rebuild her identity and image at the start of high school, her instrument fails to escape her, as she makes friends who have an interest in playing in the school’s brass band club. Here, we watch the drama and excitement unfold, as disorder and disagreements ignite the various members of the club when the time comes for them to compete again. Hibike! Euphonium and Gi(a)rlish Number surround a group of girls realizing their dreams, ambitions and goals, and the focus they muster in order to achieve what they want. In both anime, we see a lot of different characters, which make for an interesting cast, highlighting various subcomplexes for the storyline. Lastly, we can observe that all the characters work incredibly hard to where they want to be.

Love Live! Sunshine!! is “a youthful school drama about nine girls who aim to shine!” To be a school idol is what Chika Takami always wanted. She was so mesmerized by school idols, particularly by school idol group Muse, and wanted to share this interest and obsession with her friends. In the prequel to this anime, Love Live! School Idol Project, which provides an alternate, yet similar storyline, Chika creates the “school idol club” and their group, Aqours is born. As we follow Chika and her friends, we observe the ups and downs of the girls working to become rising idols. In comparison, Love Live! Sunshine!! and Gi(a)rlish Number share a colorful and likeable cast, with vibrant, bright animation. They both highlight the journey to reaching your dreams and the difficulties that you can encounter. Although one is about the anime industry and the other music, there is some realism to each theme with an abundance of climatic drama and comedic relief. The secondary overall message for both anime wishes to relay that everyone should have a positive outlook to every situation, no matter how grim things may appear.

Sore ga Seiyuu! is a comedic, slice of life that follows three young ladies, Futaba Ichinose, Ichigo Moesaki and Rin Kohana, who all aspire to be prominent voice actresses in the seiyuu industry. The leading character, Futaba, is on the quest for any and every audition and casting calls she can nab in order to establish her place in the industry. Collectively, the three girls strive to undertake the competitive realm of voice acting, facing many hardships along the way. In both Sore ga Seiyuu! and Gi(a)rlish Number, they discuss the trials and tribulations of voice acting. The two anime take different approaches to sharing the seiyuu world, but they do provide a little insight to how things are like, along with some humor to not make each series entirely somber. The group of girls in both anime offer each other support and nurturing that is ultimately needed in such a cut-throat domain.

Aoba Suzukaze is a recent high school graduate, ready to impact the workforce by being employed at a popular gaming company. Aoba has been into games throughout her life . Incidentally, the individual who happened to create the game Aoba loved as a child, is her supervisor. In addition to her excitement, she is working on future installments of this very game that drew her into games in the first place. In awe and admiration, Aoba is compelled to put in her greatest efforts at the company in order to be as successful as her predecessor. We also see the collectiveness that comes together in creating such imaginative productions. In comparing New Game! and Gi(a)rlish Number, Chitose and Aoba, our heroines, strive to become part of the entertainment industry, trying to make a name for themselves in society. They are both new to the field with a lot to learn and experiencing various events that contradict their previous ideals in their respective fields. Both anime feature an adorable cast, which we believe spotlight the innocence Chitose and Aoba possess in starting out on their endeavors.

In Wake Up, Girls!, we begin to see the seven member group off to a rough start. The girls make their debut, but have little luck establishing a fanbase and popularity. In their fruitless debut performance, the girls are knocked with more misfortune, as their manager takes off with their earnings, resulting in their label, Green Leaves Entertainment, and the band itself being on the brink of nonexistence. Later on, we see the girls experience a turn of events, they’re offered a second chance at their dream; of course, paired with much turmoil, but nonetheless the girls are willing to bear it. As such, we watch the girls take on the demanding and taxing musical industry. In similarity, we watch both groups of young girls fight hard for the place they want to be and the goal they want to attain. We experience their heartfelt crusade, recognizing that this lifestyle and field of work, music and voice acting, is more than just fame and flashing lights. More so, these girls are ambitious, an admirable trait that is essential in such a competitive environment.

Starting from number 10 is the first opening theme from Macross Delta, Ichido Dake no Koi Nara, or If It’s a Once in a Lifetime Love by the in-series idol group, Walkure (modern German for Valkyrie, the fighter jets from the original series). Its lyrics capture all of the series qualities of romance, soaring through the skies, and exploring the stars. With anything that can happen in an intergalactic war where anyone can die at any given moment, experiencing a love that could only come once could not be more appropriate as a theme. If you are the type of anime viewer that likes to judge an anime based on its opening song or have music that is high on your criteria, this song should seal the deal. The song does an effective job serving as a preview of what the series has to offer with its intense lyrics and energy. The song does a great job of exhibiting each performer’s talents and how the pitches of their voices fit within the group and individually. The fact that not just the Delta series but also the Macross saga itself can fit into this song is why we blast off with Ichido Dake no Koi Nara.

an Hikou. Though intended to be used in her official debut concert, due to circumstances with Alto’s birthday and being stuck on a mission dealing with some rebellious Zentradi, Ranka comes to the rescue and demonstrates that her singing abilities has the same capabilities as Minmay’s from the original Macross in which she can calm down hostile situations. It’s melody and lyrics perfectly compliment Ranka’s feelings for Alto and her adorable natural charms. A majority of the performance is presented like a music video with special effects with stars coming out of her winks. The lyrics share how Alto catches her eye and how his presence makes her feel. The performance also demonstrates that despite being a relative newcomer to the idol industry, she already has a strong fanbase to the point that her abilities are effective in combat conditions. This song would later be paid homage through Freyja in Macross Delta, who is a fan of the song.

If there is one song that became a breakout hit in the original TV series, it has to be Watashi no Kare Wa Pilot (meaning My Boyfriend’s a Pilot). The song is an obvious reference to the relationship between Minmay and Hikaru. The song is very cute as an idol song appropriately should be, and appropriately reflects the style of the most innocent style of the 1980s. The tune is very simple but catchy. The song could have been universal within the series itself since some of the girls aboard the original Macross could have either a boyfriend that were pilots, or pilots were the ideal men with young-ins like Hikaru and manly men like Roy. But as a means of being cute, one of the lyrics also happens to sing about how the boyfriends are crazier about their plane than a girl, which could also symbolize a likable quality that they are serious about their jobs. In Macross 7, the song would pay homage to one of the main leads, Ranka Lee, at an idol audition. Like Minmay, Ranka also comes from humble beginnings, has her own brand of cuteness, and happens to have a crush on a pilot showing that its themes are timeless in its own world.

Appropriately ranking in at number 7 is Totsugeki Love Heart from Macross 7. Though Canna Nobutoshi would voice Basara, Fukuyama Yoshiki sings the character’s songs. Fukuyama is a collaborator of the JAM project, consisting of many artists famous for composing anime music. Fukuyama’s talents do an amazing job of convincing viewers that it could be Canna himself singing. If anything, Totsugeki Love Heart could probably best serve as the image song for the character himself. The instrumentals bring a party like feel and just want you to get up and air guitar to its sick chords. Through these lyrics, Basara sings about wanting people to put aside their differences and enjoy life. The song teaches its audience and its cast members on the battlefield to cast away all negative emotions, listen to some awesome music, and let love take over. Its universal message and sense of optimism in a dark world are what makes this song an amazing addition to this list.

At a solid six, we have Submarine Street from Macross 7. This is a song that perfectly blends the masterful singing and guitar playing of Fukuyama Yoshiki. In addition to its regular rock version, there is an acoustic version as well to present the song in a calmer and softer tone. The regular version of the song has a wonderful hook with its high-pitched guitar cords that get your attention and then eases itself to its romantic lyrics of wanting to be with that special someone. While a Protodeviln named Sivil is in a deep slumber, Basara repeatedly tries to wake her with this song. This song and the use of it is a great representation of Basara’s true character who wishes to move everybody with his music no matter who they are. Even though Sivil tries to repeatedly slaughter him, he is willing to let that go and demonstrate that he wants to extend his heart. Outside of the context of the story, what also makes it a great song is that many people have someone they want to be with, and not only does this song express that, it also shares how that loneliness can tear someone apart on the inside exhibiting the desperation someone wants to be with the person they hold dear.

At number 5 is Axia ~Daisuki De Daikirai~ which was a song Walkure released prior to the beginning of the series and mostly features Kaname when she was the leader. The role of this song is to show how much Arad, one of the top pilots of the Delta Squad, has feelings for her because he secretly has this song stored on a bracelet that serves as a communicator and MP3 player. The song itself has its own unique story that Arad uses it to calm his Var Syndrome because it was the song that calmed it down the first time he got it a couple of years before the events of the series. The lyrics and melody are a great representation of Arad’s and Kaname’s feelings for each other that despite having a deep connection, they still have a complicated love for each other due to their circumstances. The song is very relatable because relationships themselves are complex and the song does a great job of exploring those realities.

Though there are solo versions with Sheryl and Ranka singing it, the song would be solidified as a duet between them. The duet version demonstrates a great chemistry between Nakajima Megumi and May’N with their talents and energy. Though their characters physically differ as if they were a child and an adult (despite being 3 years apart in age), when they bring their talents and passion together, all of that disappears. The lyrics are all about how crazy they are about a guy. This is pretty obvious in episode 15 when they start singing the song to Alto exhibiting a friendly rivalry for his love. The song is pretty blunt but it’s all about having fun and being with that special guy. Though the opening verse is rather soft, but it gets progressively louder and when it gets to the chorus, its captivating energy entices you to how innocent the song really is and you just want to go out and have a good time.

Coming in at number 3 is the song that introduces the Walkure idol group into the battlefield is Ikenai Borderline. With a catchy fast paced hook that keeps the tone consistent and accompanied by some sexy brass instrumentals, on a foundation the song does a great job of complementing the fast paced high octane action of Delta and pumping up the adrenaline of Hayate (who goes as far as dancing with his mech) and Freyja (who sings along with the idol group). This song also demonstrates that Walkure’s role is not just to calm down the battlefield, but how their singing and their combined power with fold receptors are used to calm down the symptoms of a bio weapon called the Var Syndrome. The lyrics are appropriate for the situation because it talks about love being capable of breaking down all barriers. The song can also be interpreted to symbolize the developing relationship between the co-leads with how they are trying to cope with their feelings and surroundings which make it one of Delta’s best songs.

If any song has to be one of the most emotional songs in not just Delta but all of Macross, it is mostly certainly Giraffe Blues. The great thing about this song is that it can work as both a group song, and as a solo. Probably for some fans and for some of you listening for the first time, this is probably a song that you’d probably want played at your own funeral. The song beautifully shares that it is ok to share your pain with others and ultimately carries a message of hope once you open your own heart. This is just one of those songs that you just have to listen to really get it. Even if you don’t understand Japanese, the presentation of this song is just enough to let listeners know what the song is emotionally sharing. When Freyja tried to sing this song at the blast zone in her own home planet, and was assaulted by one of the Aerial Knights, that moment alone just proves the point of this song and how powerful this song truly is and why it should not be on a list of best Macross songs, but of best anime songs.

If there is one song that solidified Macross and has to rank in at number 1, it is Do You Remember Love from the movie, which is its namesake. The role of this song happens to end the war between the humans and the Zentradi. As Hikaru and Misa discover some Protoculture ruins, they happen to find an artifact that contains song lyrics and another artifact that plays a melody that goes with the lyrics and it is decided to have Minmay sing it. Upon the final battle, Minmay gives it her all and shows great enthusiasm and passion into its emotional lyrics of re-discovering love the first time. The song also symbolizes the Zentradi re-discovering their roots and that they share a similar origin with humans despite their differences. It is a great song to listen to when you feel you are down and don’t know what to do, it can lift your spirits up by taking you back to what put you on your feet and get you back up again! Not only did this song help Iijima Mari’s breakthrough in J-pop, it paved way for the relationship between anime and other forms of popular music, which continues to this very day.

Despite being a key part of Rin's character development, Love Wing Bell often does not get the credit it deserves. Struggling to show her feminine side, as well as having the pressure of group lead put on her, we discover that Rin is not as strong and cheery as she seems on the outside. But along come the rest of the band with butler outfits and a wedding dress in hand to let Rin know that she's cuter than she knows, and can sure as hell lead the group on stage. Outside of the anime, this also lead to an explosion in Rin's popularity, not that she wasn't already a popular girl. The song takes Rin, who had long been fairly neglected in the series, and puts her as the main vocalist, which is a refreshing change in itself. Along with the wedding outfits, we also hear wedding bells, strings, and in particular harps during the break of the song, giving the song a real wedding feel to accompany the performance. The track is overall quite simple, but does a really good job of representing Rin's feelings of finally being able to accept herself.

The very first performance of what would later become μ, START:DASH!! receives two includes throughout the series: one with Honoka, Umi, and Kotori, and one with all nine members of the band. The first performance is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the show, with only a small number of students turning up to watch the three girls perform. This is also the beginning of μ's formation though, as Hanayo is one of the excited audience members. The second performance essentially resolves the lack of an audience in the first, with the band now playing to a filled auditorium. Along with SUNNY DAY SONG, START:DASH!! is one of the only performances in the series to use a full length song, although it is altered slightly. As you would expect, START:DASH!! talks about the girls starting off their journey to become idols, which holds true in both performances. When only performed by Honoka, Umi, and Kotori, the song has a particular charm as we get to hear each girl sing solo during the otherwise fairly quiet verses.

The opening for Love Live's first season, what could be a more iconic song for the series than Bokura wa Ima no Naka de. Although it introduces every episode to us for a whole series, it's not until the end of the second season that μ actually performs the song as an encore for what they thought would be their last performance at the Love Live finals. Hearing the song start in that episode had that same feeling as when someone mentions a movie's title during the movie, they were finally performing the first song we saw them singing together. Bokura wa Ima no Naka de is designed to be a crowd pleaser, featuring everything from violins, to loud drums, and a short guitar solo. The girls always sing in groups during the song, with a heavy focus on backing vocals, creating a sense of togetherness for the group, and also giving a spectacular performance without us needing to know the voices of each girl very well, ideal for the series' opening.

Aishiteru Banzai! features in the original Love Live series twice, both times with only a piano accompaniment, demonstrating how strong the song is with its lyrics alone. It's first appearance is in the first episode, performed by Maki alone with her piano, and with Honoka listening in. There's a certain irony to this as although the performance is very beautiful, given Maki's isolation the lyrics don't hold the same meaning as they do later in the show. The second performance is at the end of the second season at the third year's graduation, by a teary eyed μ, and is one of the most heartfelt, if low-key, performances in the series. Although the single itself features more instruments, the performances in the series really demonstrate the ability of μ to hold their own as vocalists with little accompaniment. The song itself speaks about moving on from what they've achieved and accepting the present, which is an important step given how the girls were struggling with the thoughts of μ breaking-up. Moreso it talks about how even though they're moving on, they still love each other very much.

The opening to Love Live Sunshine, Aozora Jumping Heart is a worthy competitor for Love Live's previous two openings. For many, this will be the first time that they heard Aqours perform together, and as the successors of μ, the pressure couldn't be higher to at least match their senior's set standard. It's safe to say that they did a great job though, with this hype generator of a track. Much like Bokura wa Ima no Naka de, Aozora Jumping Heart includes no solos, and focuses on having all the girls singing together, which makes it both very loud and powerful, helped by the "Woo!"s throughout. They're excited to be there, and they're making sure that you are too. Although we don't hear the distinctive voices of each girl because of this, we do get to see the difference in vocals between μ and Aqours, which is just as important, it not more.

The ending for Love Live season two, hearing those first few notes at the end of an episode was always an "ohh s***s going down" moment. Although never performed by the group in the main series, Donna Toki mo Zutto's ending performance, with all the girls swaying and singing in line, is a reminder of the group's togetherness, as well as a callback to their roots, practicing together on that rooftop. We also get the opportunity to hear the song performed by different group members in each ending which keeps it feeling fresh each week. Donna Toki mo Zutto has a really nice build up at the start, with a surprisingly fast beat, that almost gives one the feeling of running alongside Honoka. The highlight of the song is the cheer of "Ganbarou yo!" from all the girls, with the whole song providing a strong feeling of pressing forward and trying your best. Interestingly the feather scene at the end is referenced in the new season, where Chika catches a white feather at the train station.

Wonderful Rush is one of μ's best known singles to not actually make an appearance in the show itself. Despite that though, the song has it's own full length PV with excellent choreography and some lovely blue and white outfits. The Love Live School Idol Movie actually references the video at the start as the girls are getting ready to fly to New York, with Kotori pointing out that she's brought her pillow with her which she forgets in the Wonderful Rush PV, and is the reason they almost miss their flight. The "Dan-dan Kokoro" build up at the start of the song is debatably one of the most recognisable song intros in μ's discography, with the lyrics both starting and ending the song on a high note. The bridge after the second chorus is also very memorable, with Maki hitting an absurdly high note, as well as Nico having a small talking (shouting) section, before the chorus of "Hi hi super jump"s comes in. Wonderful Rush is certainly, in a musical sense, one of μ's most interesting songs.

μ's second to last performance, SUNNY DAY SONG features near the end of the School Idol Movie, and along with START:DASH!! is one of the only songs throughout the series to be performed in it's uncut, full length form. Labelled as the "anthem" for all school idols, the performance features a crowd of other girls performing alongside μ, as well as showing the members teaching the other idols how to sing, dance, and make costumes. The performance signifies μ passing the torch of Love Live on to all the new school idols, now that their time in the spotlight is drawing to a close. Given that this song comes near the end of μ's career, it's nice to hear something so insanely upbeat and happy, with an amusingly literal title. The lyrics speak to both the other idols and to μ themselves, about how the group are happy having achieved their dream, as well as how this is a new beginning that they should step forward into smiling. It's this kind of send off that acts as inspiration for groups like Aqours to step up.

Aqours' big break, Omoi yo Hitotsu ni Nare is their chosen song for the Love Live qualifiers, and one of the most touching performances of the series. After dealing with both Riko's absence and You's worries over her friendship with Chika, their performance is so much sweeter and heartfelt than if it were just another song on an album. With the choreography even themed around their missing member, although she's away the group feels more together than ever. Omoi yo Hitotsu ni Nare features solo piano sections at both the beginning and end, a reference to the group's absent pianist, as well as adding a classy touch to an otherwise fast-paced j-pop song. With them down to eight members, the girls pair up for vocal sections, which makes a change from the usual solos or groups of three, as well as allowing all the girls to get a chance to sing whilst keeping the uncluttered, clear nature of the song intact.

One of μ's most well known songs, even outside the fandom, Snow halation's performance in the series also shows off some of the girl's most well known outfits, which even have their own series of figures. It's also the group's first attempt at a love song, something which they struggle with a lot due to none of them having experience in love. They manage to overcome this though by writing it together, making it also the first song that they wrote together as a group. Snow halation is among μ's slower, more relaxing songs, stepping away from the hectic, j-pop idol group tunes that make up the majority of their works. Despite this however, it doesn't lose the uplifting feeling that comes with all of μ's best hits, which is probably helped by the overall wintery feel that comes with the snow theme and use of bells throughout. The song was actually released, along with a PV, much earlier than it's appearance in the series, with the anime version essentially providing a new, updated version of the performance.

Starting off the list, we have K-On! For those who have already seen this anime, you’d know exactly why this anime made it onto the list. Aside from its moe-like style that seemed to appeal a large number of fans, the character development in this anime is also something note-worthy. It starts off with the life of the average, carefree, air-headed, Hirasawa Yui, who, despite having no experience whatsoever in terms of musical talents, decides to join her school’s band. Initially, the only motivation for her to join the Light Music Club was because she thought that light music meant "easy music". After some initial tries, Yui actually develops a talent for it, albeit needing some more work. With the help of her bandmates, Mio, Tsumugi, Azusa, and Yui will learn to overcome her struggles in music as well as her school. Don’t miss out on this moe anime and be sure to enjoy the songs in it because they’re quite decent!

Uta no☆Prince-sama♪! is next on the list! This anime did a great job in terms of their animation style, as it contained extravagant colors. And just like Show by Rock!! the protagonist is a girl who is trying to make it through the world of music. Not only that, she is practically swarmed by hot-looking guys in her academy. As you can already tell by the character casting, that this anime ultimately leaned towards the Shoujo genre. It all started with a girl named Haruka Nanami, who longed to be the composer for her famous idol. To be able to achieve that, she decides to enroll at the prestigious Saotome Academy of performing arts. There, she will meet a bunch of good-looking guys such as Kurusu Shou, Jinguuji Ren, Shinomiya Natsuki, Ittoki Otoya, and much more! You can already guess the love storm that is going to brew between Haruka and the other boys at her academy!

Judging from the title alone, you’d probably already have some idea of what this anime is going to be like. If you’re thinking a bunch of high school girls becoming idols, then you’re right! Much like how the characters in Show by Rock!! saves the town from monsters, the characters in this anime struggles to save their own beloved school! So if you’re into the musical anime with a touch of slice-of-life, then this anime will be perfect for you! With the plummeting popularity of her beloved school of Otonokizaka High School, Kousaka Honoka struggles to brainstorm any ideas that could help save the school from shutting down. Thanks to the school’s un-strategic location of being located at the border of three major cities, it starts to lose popularity and face risks of getting shut down. It’s up to Kousaka Honoka and her friends’ idea of creating a school idol to regain popularity, will they be able to save their school?

If you like music and some rom-com on the side, then this next anime will definitely appeal to you! It’s basically ‘love is in the air’ with this anime, with the random quirky pianist named Nodame who fell in love with a perfectionist conductor, Chiaki Shinichi who live next door to her apartment. You will see the quirky side of Nodame be somewhat similar to the main protagonist of Show by Rock!!. As they might be quirky and weird, but nevertheless, they do appeal in that way. Even though initially Chiaki was forced into playing the piano together with Nodame by his instructor, Chiaki soon realized that the more she played there was something special about the quirky girl. As Chiaki tries to mold Nodame into a special pianist, her feelings for him grew. But will Chiaki ever feel the same towards Nodame? Stay tuned to Nodame Cantabile for a hearty laugh!

Moving on the list, we have the Pretty Rhythm franchise. This anime might be popular amongst the girl’s community. Just like the previous anime on the list, it features a group of girls who undergo great character development to become dazzling and stunning idols! Of course, with the added touch of magic, this anime becomes quite a sight for sore eyes! The plot centers on Naru Ayase, a girl gifted with the ability to see the colors of music when listening to them. She dreams to become the manager of a trendy fashion store like Dear Crown. And as fate would have it, she becomes interested and immediately applied for it when a newly opened fashion store opened and was recruiting middle school girl to be the store manager. But when she was performing at the final evaluation, a whole new world of music emerged before her eyes. Join Naru as she journeys to discover more about the world of Prism Stones!

Now as we all know that Show by Rock!! is an anime that features the protagonist that utilizes her musical abilities to defeat evil monsters. This unique plot can also be seen in Macross Delta, although the character cast and animation style very much differ from Show by Rock!!, but nonetheless, it became something unique in itself. With a futuristic mecha vibe, Macross Delta delivers an anime like no other. It perfectly blends some of the musical aspects into an action suspense anime, which is a rare combination of genre. It might seem weird at first, but once you go through a few early episodes then you’d get sucked into the plot. When the Earth is under threat and the human race was brought to the brink of extinction due to the Var Syndrome, a viral virus that spread like wildfire, turning people violent, that’s when Walkure, a tactical sound unit was established. Armed with their voices, they sing beautiful dazzling melodies to protect humans and save the Earth.

What will you do when the universe becomes anti-fun and imposed a universe-wide Entertainment Ban? Create an idol group, spread love, cheer and fun throughout the galaxy and fight spoilsports with guns and robots! AKB0048 is a long running idol group whose sole purpose is to spread fun across the universe and they’ve been fighting for years. Since they’re not immortals, they hold auditions for new recruits that will eventually succeed the current generation of performers. One of these new recruits is Motomiya Nagisa. She lacks self-confidence, but she is pure-hearted, deeply cares for her friends and is hard-working with the desire to reinvent herself.

Third-grader Miho dreams of becoming a mangaka, but a part of her wants to be a celebrity and be showered by the adoration of everyone. She gets to live that dream thanks to two magical creatures, Mogu and Pigu, who gave her a magical pen and sketchbook. With the sketchbook, she can draw whatever clothes she wants and additionally, the pen gives her the ability to transform into a teenager. At school, she is Miho, a carefree young girl, but in front of the camera, she is Lala, Japan’s most popular idol. At first, Lala enjoys her life as a teenager and the life as an idol. But as the series progresses, Lala realizes that not everything is about looks, glamour, and fame, and values herself more as a responsible adult.

Makoto, also known as Cure Sword, is an idol and a royal guard to the princess of the Trump Kingdom , Princess Marie Ange. When the kingdom fell, Sword and Princess Marie fled to the human world only to be separated. In order to find the princess and go back to the Trump Kingdom, Sword, now known as Kenzaki Makoto, became a popular idol and uses her singing to find the missing princess. Makoto is extremely talented at singing that her debut single sold over a million copies in its first week. Aside from her talent of singing, she is a proficient fighter as Cure Sword. Makoto has a strong sense of duty and often sacrifices herself during battles. Regardless, she is a valuable ally and a formidable opponent.

Otonokizaka High School was unable to cope up with the changing times and the school will be shutting down. Honoka, one of the students of this school, and her friends created a school idol group in an attempt to prevent their alma mater from closing. Honoka is sometimes clumsy and may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but she is very determined and hard-working that once she has her mind set on something, no one can really stop her. This trait makes her a natural leader and is also perhaps, the driving force that made the μ's popular and eventually one of the most successful idol groups in Japan.

Lacus is a Coordinator and an extremely popular idol singer in PLANT. She is also a pacifist who wishes to end the conflicts between the Naturals and the Coordinators through cooperation and understanding without shedding any blood. But after her father is replaced by the anti-Naturals, Patrick Zala, to lead PLANT, the new chairman branded the Clynes as traitors for aiding the Naturals and Lacus’s father was killed. This action and the new chairman’s plans to eradicate the Naturals from existence has lead to the founding of the Three Ship Alliance, a resistance force dedicated to stopping the war. Throughout the series, Lacus Clyne used her influence as a pop icon to spread peace and end the pointless bloodshed that could put the entire human race at risk. Lacus isn’t all about the looks either, she is a very philosophical person, very intelligent, with a powerful voice calling out for peace.

Tsubasa is a pop idol and together with her partner, Kanade, they formed the popular vocal unit, Zwei Wing. In the eyes of the public, Zwei Wing is one of the most popular music groups around, but behind the eyes of their fans, Zwei Wing is a combat unit that uses music to fight the mysterious beings called Noise. During one fateful concert, they were overwhelmed by a sudden Noise invasion and Kanade lost her life, leaving Tsubasa hurt and alone. Ever since then, Tsubasa became a lone wolf, distant to everyone and fighting alone. All that changed when she met Tachibana Hibiki, who somehow inherited Kanade’s power. Tsubasa slowly opened up and we finally get to see how she is, in fact, one of the most caring characters in the series. Soon after, she realizes she truly loves to sing and isn’t doing it to keep up appearances.

If you want to start your road to stardom and eventually to show business, one of the first few steps is to become an idol. In fact, most of the celebrities from Japan started out as idols and out of these people, Kirigoe Mima is one who started out as an idol. As one of the three members of idol unit CHAMS!, Mima is your charming young idol admired by all. On her 21st birthday, Mima decided to move on and graduated from being an idol to become an actress. However, the transition wasn’t as smooth as she had expected. Haunted by her past, regret, depression, and getting stalked by an obsessed fan, Mima is at the brink of falling apart. Unlike most idols on this list, Mima is the most realistic and Perfect Blue is a reflection of the harsh and controversial reality of being a celebrity in Japan. Throughout the movie, Mima began falling apart when she started questioning her decisions, fans began to detest her, she could no longer tell the difference between real or fiction, and the people around her ended up dying. Despite all of this, she pulled through and moved on with her life, miraculously.

Also known as the Galactic Fairy, Sheryl Nome constantly topped the music charts throughout the galaxy and if you've never heard any of her songs, chances are you were probably living inside a supermassive black hole. Sheryl has a rocky past, but that didn’t stop her to rise up to become one of the galaxy’s most popular songstress. It’s easy to dismiss Sheryl as a beautiful yet, spoiled rich girl who is so full of herself and can have anything she wants with a flick of her credit card, but if you look closer, Sherly is far more than the typical idol girl. Sheryl is a workaholic who loves to sing her heart out and she's a risk taker who, despite her deteriorating health, is willing to put her life on the line so that her fans can continue listening to her songs. She has the ability to produce fold waves and attracts the Vajra, albeit weak compared to Ranka, but that didn’t stop her from protecting everyone she cares for when sentient alien insects destroy the space colony Frontier. “If I die, it should be on stage!”

Ichigo has never really considered becoming an idol, but all that changed when she saw the Top Idol Kanzaki Mizuki, sing and dance on stage. Mizuki’s beauty and appeal on stage entranced Ichigo and from that day onward, Ichigo enrolled at Starlight Academy and her life changed as she became an idol. But despite her many successes as an idol, she still couldn’t reach her senior. Was it something she lacked? Should she train harder? Run faster? Work harder? In the first Aikatsu! movie, the headmistress of Starlight Academy has given Ichigo a very big project and named it the Great StarMiya Festival, and it’s touted as Ichigo’s biggest performance yet. However, Ichigo’s plans changed after Mizuki told her that she’s ending her career as an idol. Instead of dedicating the concert to just her fans, Ichigo dedicated a special song as her ultimate expression of gratitude and love towards her senior, Mizuki. By this simple act of sincere gratitude and love, the fans felt Ichigo’s emotions as she ascended and surpassed Mizuki as the new Top Idol, a title held by Mizuki for many years. Aikatsu! isn’t really known for having complex stories, or drama, and the show is made mainly for kids, but the story of Ichigo reaching out to her beloved senior is so engrossing. It’s a testament to Ichigo who started out as a normal girl to becoming one of the most talented, loved and memorable idols in anime.

At 13 years of age, Mitsuki has been diagnosed with cancer in her throat. This makes it hard for her to sing and forcing herself to sing will only shorten her life. The solution is to remove the cancer through surgery but in doing so, it will remove her ability to sing. Although she needs to sing because she promised a boy that they will follow their dreams and one day meet again. Thankfully, two spirits, Takuto and Meroko, who are supposed to prepare Mitsuki for the afterlife, decided to help her continue a singing using their powers. Takuto gave Mitsuki a temporary, healthy, body to stop the tumor from hurting her when she sings, but in the end, they cannot alter fate and Mitsuki will die within a year unless she goes through surgery. Mitsuki may not be as athletic as Ichigo nor has a developed education because she’s still young, but her dedication and desire to sing and reach out to her loved one, despite her life-threatening condition, is unmatched. Idols these days are just good at singing and dancing, but it’s rare to find an idol who can compose their own songs. This is a big deal because a song is a manifestation of the songwriter’s emotions. Mitsuki did just that with songs that are meant to express her feelings towards that boy she met when she was very young. She even refused to sing a selected song provided by her agency’s top producer, renowned for making any idol super popular. That happened even before her debut - A risky move for any newcomer.

Doudou is a beautiful animation by Kazuhiro Hotchi that captures the life of an adorable little piggy, Doudou. This fantastic two-part episode is accompanied by serene and peaceful instrumentals. We watch our featured character navigate through breathtaking countryside surroundings, encountering various natural and manmade life forms. Although without dialogue, viewers can interpret in their own way, what the illustrator is suggesting in his OVA. Could it be about the country of Japan itself, with the melding and transition of the traditional and modern? Or could it be about survival in an ever-changing society? Whatever the meaning may be, viewers can be sure to enjoy not only developing perceived intentions, but also paying keen attention to the wonderful, whimsical artistry and music.

The story begins with a young woman, naked, and uncertain of who she is and how she arrived to her circumstance. She views her unfamiliar surroundings, yet feels at ease. She hones in on things that can give her clues, trying to make sense of the many questions that need answers. She sees writings on her hands, “Agartha” and “One who eats dragons.” Is what’s written on her who she is and her overall purpose? As she wanders her surroundings, she encounters a ghastly creature. Instincts overwhelm her and she doesn’t know whether to flee or fight. A voice out of thin air tells her to fight. After defeating the beast, she remembers everything. Utilizing minimal colors and amazing water paints, G-9 is a captivating and daring fantasy OVA. Does she become her own savior or to humanity’s consciousness? Find out for yourself.

Canary is a fantasy, comedy, slice of life anime that tells the story of Mika Katagiri, an ambitious girl set on making it big with her band. Mika and her band mates have the greatest opportunity that any school-aged students can imagine: performing at the upcoming local festival. Unfortunately, prior to the big event, there is some drama between band members, as their keyboardist refuses to perform. From this, their performance slot was canceled, and Mika was devastated. Spirited and determined, Mika doesn’t let this hurdle get in her way, as she and the other bandmates do anything and everything in their power to regain their slot at the local festival. Displaying outlandish and over the top scenes, Canary is a humorous anime that presents many of our wildest dreams in becoming a mega huge musician.

“There was a time when the Spirits, enraged by the desecration of nature, plunged man into an era of fear and dismay. In that maelstrom of chaos, a shrine maiden appeared among the people. She admonished them for their ways and used her powers to seal the Spirits in the forest trees. All who knew where those trees grew are no longer. And that knowledge drifted ever further away…” Princess Suzu is the heroine of this epic fantasy. Starting this journey with the discovery of a parallel dimension, lying within the ruin and rubble of some ancient civilization, Princess Suzu is caught off-guard by her loyal guardian, Ji. Princess Suzu is the legacy of a distinguished heroic shaman, who in the past saved his society from catastrophic destruction. An adventurous girl, nonconforming to her royal duties, Princess Suzu sets out on a journey with her spiritual companion, Coluboccoro, who she recovered from the Forbidden Grounds, to retain the harmonious balance between mankind and nature. In search of her true calling and purpose, Princess Suzu believes that her answer in “guiding the people” lies outside the castle walls.

Iblard Jikan is a visually stunning OVA created through the ever-famed Studio Ghibli. Illustrating the vast and picturesque countryside, we observe all forms of life at a calming slow-pace. Accompanied by a variety of instruments, we watch the country folk go about their daily chores, in combination with modern, futuristic, and dream-like elements. Vibrant and intricate details are portrayed throughout each scene. A fantasy world in and of itself, Iblard Jikan is an original piece, an unrecognized score, but overall, a must see.

An original composition by Amano Yoshitaka, we follow a young man who ventures on a new path on his way home. While on his walk, he encounters what he deems to be the loveliest girl he’s set his eyes on. As the weather shifts and the rain comes down hard, this young man is joined under shelter with this young lady. He hopes for it to continue to rain so that he never has to part ways with her. Time passes slowly, yet at the same time, this instance can go by so quickly, and all that is heard is the sound of the rain and the fluttering of a bird that flies around them. This young woman offers the young man a gift of a feather from the bird that kept them company. She tells him to keep it in remembrance of her and that one day, they’ll meet again. The following day, the path that the young man ventured off to had disappeared. Day after day, he relentlessly looked for this path. “I don’t even know her name.” Fifty years later, the once young man, now aged, returns to his hometown. So much time has passed and everything around him once familiar is so different. Does he face this young woman again? If he does, what happens then? Collectively, Yoshitaka’s sketching is impressive, centering on monochromatic tones except when he highlights the lady of the story. Truly, an amazing romantic fantasy with hints of dark themes.

We at Honey’s believe that any crazy cat lady or cat guy would enjoy this OVA as it deals with a fantasy world filled with cats! What a dream come true! Together with attractive, dark tone artwork and a tranquil voice narrative, we watch how this un-illuminated cat city came to be. In an environment where cats are the only inhabitants, we unveil the fear and uncertainty that follow our felines when their territory becomes encroached by humans. Moreover, the author speculates this perspective through the eyes of the cat community with much thought and detail. While we imagine many works involving cats to be bright and cheery, Neko Machi takes a contrasting approach that nonetheless is captivating.

Mezame no Hakobune is an audio/video extravaganza. The story begins in outer space, where forces impact their presence onto a planet. We see these cloth-laden figures standing broad in a dark and damp forest. Images moving constantly in the foreground, we suddenly see sea animals appear; fish, jellyfish, whales and sharks, circling around a starry sky. From this, the setting shifts; what appeared before was a scene of space, now it has changed to a picture of water. Seconds later, again, the setting is altered from vast oceans to blue skies. We soar above the aqua clear ocean, flying as birds with the wind breezing through our feathers. Moments have passed and our flight resumes again in space. After exhausting our wings, we descend back to the earth; the laws of gravity tell us that what goes up, must come down. Trees shed their leaves, covering the forest floor. Past this imagery, we see a canine with human features, an adlet, perhaps. How this creature came to be is unknown, but from it, springs the countless sequences of life forms that exist. Traveling back into space, we come across a multiple headed sculpture that leads us back into the forest where we first began this journey. On and on, through a time lapse, we encounter various atmospheric transmutations and elemental reactions. What can this entirely mean? Sho-ho, Hyakkin, Ku-nu, Mezame no Hakobune demonstrates an interesting take on the origins of life.

Sweat Punch is a five episode OVA that chronicles various comedic, dark, and fantasy themes. Each episode varies in story and they are not joined or connected in plot. We run into various walks of life, are introduced to random facts, and the author utilizes a myriad of artistic styles to convey this OVA. The absurdity and unexpected, we suppose, are a part of life and we could interpret that the author wants people to enjoy the serendipitous moments that often occur while living. Furthermore, the author also wants us to reflect on the value of life and how the sins of humanity can lead to more chaos. Additionally, in one of the episodes, the dark and morose topic of murder is weighed so lightly, countering the previous emphasis on the importance of living. Lastly, Sweat Punch is an interesting compilation of stories that will not leave viewers bored.

Karas takes place in a universe where humans and demons exist, although at first glance, you are unable to differentiate the two. While the two species are able to live harmoniously, occasionally, rogue demons stir up chaos. As humans have grown accustomed to this peace between humans and demons, they have forgotten how threatening demons can be. In keeping the peace, a young woman named Yurine, alongside the Karas, the protector of the city, is activated, defending its citizens against these villains. In a later instance, humanity is reminded of how dangerous demons are when an old Karas revolts against his duties, raising an army to eliminate the human race. From this, we are introduced to Otoha, who takes up this new duty in restoring the balance between humans and demons. Overall, this action, sci-fi fantasy is filled with constant excitement, taking on the iconic storyline of saving the innocent and the world!

Fuwa Fuwa Time, also known as Fluffy Time made its appearance very early on in the show. It was one of the first few efforts of the band to create an original song of their own after they finally picked up some proficiency in their instruments rather than having high tea in high school. The lyrics and melody were conceived by Mio as she went about her daily life, and ends up being the crystallisation of their hard work. Mio usually presents a stoic front and tries to be as cool and chill as she can, that’s why it’s quite strange early on that Mio makes a song called Fluffy Time. But ultimately, it reveals her true nature to the world at large; she’s just extremely soft and fluffy in her centre, which is why that song was conceived as she went about her daily life. Its cutesy lyrics and general light hearted tone just shows that off so well.

After two whole seasons of enjoyment with the girls in the light music club, it is all finally coming to an end. Nothing in life lasts forever, especially the good things. By this point, we’ve been through so much with the bunch of them, whether it’s through ups or downs or them being complete ditzy airheads. In an effort to bid farewell to our favourite light music club, a movie was made by the studio to end the series. With the overall theme of the series being so light and fluffy, it’s a given that this should be reflected in the opening theme of the movie to set the mood. And fluffy it is, as it was sung by the fluffiest member of the group, Yui. The song carries a very childish and dream like melody, having generally whimsical music that reflects so well on the personalities and adventures of the club as a whole. It’s a shame that things have to end, but at the least the beginning of the end was rather pleasant.

With the arrival of the unexpected season two, we join the girls of the light music club with a brand new member, Azu-nyan. With the ED of the first season being one of the most popular songs ever produced by the K-On series, creating a fitting ED for the second season was surely a tough act to follow. While Listen isn’t the best song in the series and is not a true match for the ED of season one, it definitely holds its own. Instead of competing with the ED of season one, it instead chooses to bring across its own message to the table. The lyrics of the song demand your very attention, as they state that they’ll sing as loud as they can to the rhythm of their hearts. Even without knowing the meaning of the lyrics, the audience know that this song signifies that they are back in business, better than ever before. And we can expect a wonderful season ahead of us.

This wonderful song was sung by our very own and fluffiest Yui. It’s position as the last OP of the second season is extremely important and tenuous as we didn’t know at this point whether there would be any continuation of the series or not. Therefore, most of us had to treat season two as the last season. This makes the last OP very important, especially in a music oriented anime. So how do they play it out? By having the some of the fluffiest lyrics to ever exist in an OP. The song literally starts with “I love you all!” The song carries on with the very lovely lyrics where it almost seems like the character itself is trying to convey to the audience how grateful she is that we are giving so much of our time to watch the entirety of the K-On series. At the same time, it’s quite sad, because it’s also saying farewell, for she ends by saying “Thanks for loving me too!”

Happy Sorry is one of the first songs released in an album by the K-On produces alongside the first opening, Cagayake Girls. While it does not appear in the anime itself, it is still sung by the voice actresses of the four girls in the light music club, but mainly by Yui’s voice actress. Even outside of the anime, the songs sung by them exemplify the spirit of the series very well, carrying an upbeat melody and carefree tone. The lyrics themselves speak of how much fun everyone is having singing the song and how great music is in general. It’s almost as if they are trying to tell us “Sorry, not sorry for having fun.” And that’s exactly what the K-On show is about, four girls doing their very best to have the time of their lives and going crazy with what limited time they have to be youths. It’s not a stretch to say that listening to the song itself could light up the inner youth that we have suppressed for so long by trying too hard to be Chuunibyou.

Like all the other ED of the series, this song is also sung by Mio. As we close on the last episode of season two, wondering if we are getting another season of the show, the last thing that we hear is this very song. Instead of being a tearful goodbye from the characters that we have come to love and hold dear, it’s instead a strong and powerful song that says NO, Thank You! It’s not a song about how we will hold the experiences that we have obtained close to our hearts, or how we hope to see each other again, but rather it says NO, Thank You to doing things like cherishing memories. Because rather than trying so hard to hold on to the moments forever, we should instead enjoy them as they are now. It reflects well on the series as a whole. The show in general is quite short lived. This mirrors on their high school life which is also short lived. Are they telling themselves to cherish their short time together, or us? Fun Fact: The title of the song is in fact based on the names of the characters. T-ainaka Ritsu, H-irasawa Yui, A-kiyama Mio, N-akano Azusa, K-otobuki Tsumugi forms the “Thank”, while “You” is just based on you, the audience. This shows that all this time, we were part of the experience rather than being a simple observer.

This song was sung by the fluffiest Yui. An opening song and sequence is very important to a series. It can make or break the show as a whole. Many people decide within the first five minutes whether a show is worth investing their time into watching and the OP takes up a third of that time by itself. In this regard, it could be said that this OP and sequence is the reason that K-On has such a large following. Immediately, the four main characters are established by showing them one by one. It proceeds to show them performing in their club room and their various activities together like having high tea. And from the song itself, we know just what kind of music to expect from the show from that point onwards, as well as the general tone that the show will take. It’s a definite that no one continued to watch the show expecting Titans to attack the school at some point after watching the first OP. And that’s why even though it’s not the best song of all their songs, it has such a high place in the list. Because it is this song that made the show as a whole.

This song was sung by Mio. This song is literally the last song that we will ever hear in the context of a show, because the journey ends with the movie and their graduation. It was super important that they got this one song right, because a build up to a climax with a horrible punch line spoils the experience. With so many great songs behind it, the ED of the movie has to be both good, and captures the feelings of the viewers. And its…good. On the surface it seems like another one of their typical power songs that they tend to sing as an alternative to their fluffier songs. So it’s good, but nothing special yet. But as the song goes on, it becomes more and more obvious the tone of the singer is equal parts strong and nostalgic. We aren’t the only ones who are sad to see the show go. The voice actress of Mio is equally reluctant to see this wonderful series leave. As they graduate, the lyrics sum up well what the future has in store. “Let’s advance on a pathless road, the place we step out to together is our road.”

This song was sung by Yui. As a song, it is extremely light hearted as a whole and can get the whole room moving by its energy alone. It helps that Yui sounds like she’s having a sugar high when she was performing this song for our hearing pleasure. It’s just so damn infectious that everyone can’t resist but to sing along to the sugary lyrics together. But what it means as a song is quite important as well. As the first OP of the second season, it’s basically the welcome back song for us who have viewed the entirety of the first season. Based on what we’ve watched in the first season, we more or less know what to expect, but the long gap between seasons can leave us without the “feel” of the show. The explosive energy of the song basically blasts us back into the mood of the series and acts like we’ve never left at all. “Tadaima!” “Okaerinasai!”

This song was sung by Mio. Throughout most of the article, the songs were given context as to why they carry importance to the series as a whole and how the mood of the songs were important in contributing to the enjoyment of the viewers. However, this section of the article won’t even try to do that, because everyone knows why this song is at the top of the list. It’s just that good. When K-On first came out, everyone enjoyed Cagayake Girls for sure, and Fuwa Fuwa Time was a respectable hit of its own, but the one song that everyone was humming along to was Don’t Say Lazy. It’s widely agreed by the many viewers that this is the best song to exist within the series, only matched by perhaps the ED of the movie. However, as the first smash hit of the show and being the same song that got many people to give K-On a try, it deserves it’s spot at the top of the list.

Anybody who loved Bakemono’s showy spectacle of a final battle should immediately check out Gurren Lagann. The story follows Simon, a miner living in an underground city blocked off from the rest of the world, who works with the hope of acquiring delicious steaks. His best friend Kamina, has bigger dreams of one day escaping the city and following his father’s footsteps. As luck would have it, Simon discovers the key to an ancient artifact during the course of his daily mining routine. The two friends end up using the device to break free from the city and travel to the surface. There, they discover a conflict between other humans who live on the surface and the beastmen who suppress them. Simon and Kamina join the fight to free humanity from the shackles of oppression! Every scene in Gurren Lagann explodes from the screen with a gut-punch to the senses. Every battle is a sight to behold, with conflicts that are preceded by speeches delivered with deliciously melodramatic aplomb, and concluded with a barrage of hyper-stylized face-smashing blows. This is a BIG story of big personalities, with a climax that’s so grand that we dare not say another word, lest we spoil what is considered one of the all-time great final battles in anime history. Much like Bakemono, the real core of the story is found in the tale of Simon’s personal growth and how it influences the world around him. As with Ren in Bakemono, we follow Simon’s transition from an awkward child still struggling to find his place in the world, to an adult who finds himself in a new role he wasn’t sure he was meant to fill. It’s these scenes that are really the heart of Gurren Lagann, and watching Simon pull himself up and become the adult he was always meant to be is what pulls it all together.

Thankfully, fans who wanted another supernatural take on parenthood can just go back and check out Hosoda’s previous film! We begin this film following Hana, a college student who has recently fallen in love with a strange man by the name of Ookami. As it turns out, Ookami is in a bit of a hairy situation; he is, in fact, a werewolf! Thankfully, Hana looks past this issue, and the two end up marrying and having 2 beautiful children: the spirited Yuki and the more reserved Ame. Unfortunately, Ookami suddenly dies, leaving his wolf children without a parent who can teach them how to live in the world with their condition. Wanting to protect her children from the harsh realities of how they’d be treated in the city, Hana moves to the countryside where Yume and Ame can live freely. Ookami Kodomo is largely about the sacrifices parents make for their children. Hosoda is a big fan of pairing humans together with otherworldly creatures in parental roles as a visual metaphor for the divide between different generations. While in Bakemono we saw an animal father raising a human child, here we see the role reversed with a human raising animal children. It’s a different take on roughly the same topic, so fans of Bakemono will find a lot to like here.

Moving away from the realms of fantasy for just a bit, we’d like to draw your attention to a more down-to-earth, coming-of-age tale in Sakamichi no Apollon. Taking place during the 1960s, this series focuses largely on the struggle of Kaoru Nishimi, a wealthy boy with very frail disposition who moves out to the countryside to live with his uncle. An introverted pianist, Kaoru has always needed to keep a certain level of order in his life, as too much stress causes his stomach to act up to the point where he can barely function. One such incident occurs on his first day of school, and a chance meeting with local ruffian Sentarou on the school rooftop introduces him to a whole new world, where he sees how life in chaos can still be fun. The two end up bonding over a shared love of jazz, and Kaoru’s life changes forever. Those who specifically enjoyed the human world portions of Bakemono will find a lot to like in Sakamichi no Apollon. While their circumstances are quite different, both Ren and Kaoru find themselves as fish out of water, which forces them to re-evaluate their own values and what they consider to be a core part of their being. As a result of this displacement, both find a passion that they never knew they had within them: Ren for studying and learning to read, and Kaoru for this new, strangely alluring and chaotic style of music. It’s a great lazy afternoon watch.

Those who desire a more realistic setting but would enjoy a more dynamic animation style needn’t look any further than Ping Pong. Broken and beaten by the world, Makoto “Smile” Tsukimoto forces himself to play ping pong in order to keep his friendship alive with the passionate Yutaka “Peco” Hoshino. Peco, who believes himself to be God’s gift to the sport, joins his high school’s ping pong team with every intent of going to and winning nationals. Unbeknownst to Peco, Smile is an incredible player who can beat any challenger who comes his way, but is forcing himself to play poorly to avoid destroying Peco’s hopes. Can the pair maintain their friendship once this comes out? Don’t be turned away by Ping Pong’s angular, almost aggressively off-putting artstyle. It’s done all in service of Ping Pong’s insane animation. Bodies distort in desperation with every shot, as if everything they’ve ever worked towards depends on every exchange during a match... because it does. Antagonists like Kazama and Wenge have never taken a moment to reflect on why they play the game, and why it is they’re so intent on winning. These are characters who are still trying to find their place in the world, and like Ren of Bakemono, they eventually find their answers and their purpose. It’s a powerful coming-of-age story and will be sure to delight anyone who enjoyed Ren’s story of self-growth.

Here’s a familiar title for anyone who has even a passing interest in anime. Produced by the world Renowned Studio Ghibli, Spirited Away is an otherworldly story of a young girl by the name of Chihiro, who is traveling with her parents to their new home. Along the way, she and her family end up exploring an eerily isolated amusement park. Chihiro’s parents discover some delicious food, and after chowing down on it, they end up transforming into pigs! Chihiro, isolated and alone, discovers this amusement park is a gathering place for a society of spirits. In order to save her parents, she takes on work at a spirit bath house, where she works for the witch Yubaba, who promises to return her parents back to normal in exchange for her services. If you’ve somehow missed out on seeing Spirited Away all these years, now’s as good a time as any to go back and watch the only anime to ever win an Academy Award. The real core of this film comes from Chihiro’s personal growth. While we never see her make the full transition into adulthood like Ren in Bakemono, Chihiro is forced by her unique situation to start taking responsibility for her life. She goes from being a timid, scared little girl to a much more confident, self-assured person through the strange new experiences she is thrust into. Really, it’s the lavish visuals that make the film. There’s no scene that is lacking creative visuals and vibrant colors. This is the same kind of fluid, elegant animation style that you see in Bakemono. Watch as Chihiro washes a giant goo monster and the chaos that ensues, or as Chihiro sits on a train gliding across the sea. It’s a beautiful film that you’ll want to re-watch multiple times just to see what details you can spot in every scene.

It’s almost like a fairy tale; a young girl by the name of Hotaru Takegawa gets lost while exploring the forest outside her uncle’s home. A mysterious white-haired man by the name of Gin discovers her, and shows her the way out. His only request is that she must not touch him or else he’ll disappear. She returns the following day to say thanks, and they spend the afternoon together exploring the forest, playing by the pond and discovering different forest spirits. Hotaru enjoys her visit so much that she comes to see Gin every day for the rest of the summer and their relationship develops into being more than just friends. While Bakemono portrayed the parental bonds between a spirit and a human, Hotarubi no Mori e shows a more romantic take on the relations between these different groups. Gin’s curse is a beautiful allegory for this tension that builds between the two characters. They so desperately want to be a part of one another’s world, but they know the moment they take that step, it will all be gone in an instant. It’s very similar to the relationship that develops between Ren and Kaede, where the two come from completely different worlds and yearn to understand each other but can’t. It’s a short film, but for those who enjoyed watching the subtle love story unfold in Bakemono, Hotarubi’s heartbreaking tale will leave you in tears.

When mankind is threatened, Athena and her 88 Saints will protect it from all danger. Or so the legend says. Unfortunately, in modern times, the Sanctuary itself has been breached by the darkness, and the latest reincarnation of Athena is in mortal danger. Seiya and his four companions, all of them Bronze Saints, and the lower ranked Saints that protect the Sanctuary, are the only ones faithful to Athena and to the protection of Earth. Saint Seiya is probably the most popular shonen anime in Latin America, as well as an inspiration for some other anime following it in Japan. While some of their storylines –in particular the ‘will they, won’t they’ situation between Seiya and Saori- can seem a bit clichéd now, back in the eighties it was something new. Each of the Bronze Saints have very distinct personalities, from the loyal to a fault Shiryu to the lone wolf Ikki, which means everyone gets to have a favorite. And that is not counting the villains and the other Saints that appear from time to time. Although the manga storyline wasn’t completed in the first anime run, the fandom was strong enough around the world so that in 2003 it got a sequel that finished the manga story, to add to the franchise that already had six movies, a prequel and a little later also got a spin off.

Remi Barberan has bad luck. At 10 years old he finds he is not his mother’s son, and gets sold to a traveling musician, Vitalis, by his estranged father. When he gets used to the traveling life, and grows to love Vitalis, the old man and half the animal troupe they have for their act die in a harsh winter. And that’s only half of the episodes of the series based on the French novel Sans Famille by Hector Malot. This is another series that is not well known outside Japan, but it is one of TMS Entertainment classics. Directed by Osamu Dezaki, with the help of Kobayashi Shichiro in the art direction, and character design by Akio Sugino; Ie naki Ko was also one of the first anime that attempted to create a 3d effect for some dramatic scenes. Ie naki Ko is one of those series that seem designed to make the audience cry, and it succeeds very well. It’s a story of heartbreak and loss, while at the same time managing to be about the pursuit of happiness and true friendship. A true drama, with some truly gorgeous art, as well as an amazing soundtrack, that every anime fan should watch at least once.

Mankind is not alone in the universe, and the crash of a mysterious and gigantic spaceship is the evidence. Fearing a future invasion, the Earth government unites under one single entity and start repurposing the spacecraft, renaming it SDF-1 Macross. Unfortunately, the lack of understanding of exactly how the SDF-1 works, causes that, upon an unexpected attack, the ship and the city that was build around it are transported to the other end of the Solar System. Macross is a pillar of anime, even if most people outside Japan got to know it as the first part of Robotech, back in the eighties. It was directed by Noboru Ishiguro, and included the work of Hideaki Anno as a key animator, as well as Character Design by Haruhiko Mikimoto, all of whom would go on later to other famous series. It has drama, romance and some amazing space battles, even with the limitations of the animation techniques of the eighties. If you haven’t watched Macross, there are not enough words in this article to recommend it. The franchise itself has some weak points, such as Macross II and Macross 7, but also great jewels like Macross Plus and of course, the original series. If you decide to give them all a chance, you will not regret the time invested.

Make a contract, get a wish, become a magical girl. That is the promise that Kyuubey, a strange white creature that identifies as an Incubator, makes to Madoka and Sayaka, after they save him from a dark magical girl named Homura. It seems easy, fun, and a way to help those who are in need. But while Sayaka jumps at the chance, Madoka seems a bit more reluctant as she wants to know what could be the downside of being a magical girl. Magical girls are a staple of anime. From the original Sally in 1966 to the current seasons of Pretty Cure, there’s no year that goes without a magic girl show. This makes it a little hard to do something new with the premise. And yet, Puella Magi Madoka Magica manages it in just twelve episodes that become a rollercoaster of emotions from the opening episode where we see Kyuubey hunted and hurt, to the amazing ending that people should never spoil. As it’s a recent series, there are a lot of spoilers about Madoka Magica and it’s sequels. There is a chance that when you read this, you already know about the big surprise in episode 3, as well as the other big revelations afterwards. But seeing the scenes is much better than just reading about them, so if you haven’t yet had the chance, this series should definitively be in your “to watch” list.

A man is responsible for the life of those he saves. At least, that’s the belief Dr. Kenzo Tenma has followed his whole life. Unfortunately for him, one of the people he saved was a young psychopath who years later would become a serial killer. Unfortunately, the German police is convinced that Tenma is the one guilty of a series of murders in the hospital where he works, so he is forced to escape in order to find his old patient, to prove his own innocence. Adapted from a manga by Naoki Urasawa, Monster is one of the greatest thrillers in anime, without competition. Even when we know the identity of the real killer from the first episode, Urasawa still manages to create suspense every step of the way. Added to that, there’s no such thing as secondary characters in his work. Every character we meet has a specific role to play, and the way in which those roles are revealed is part of the magic storytelling that only Urasawa is capable off. Monster is an amazing trip that every suspense lover should watch at least once, preferably without many spoilers. A great gateway to the work of Urasawa, and a series that one can share even with those who are not very familiar with anime in the whole.

Oldies are goodies. That’s the rule that we often hold the past up to. Things will almost never be as good as what was in the past, so whatever anime we had in the past must be good. While that’s an almost entirely arbitrary rule, it’s not always wrong or right. In this case, it’s most definitely right. The Record of Lodoss War is one of the greats of the past that were able to evoke the right emotions in its viewers, and one of those was that of deep sadness and melancholy. One of the aspects of it that allowed it to do that was its ED, Adesso e Fortuna. After watching an episode with some appropriately tragic event that made us really upset, the show ends with a song that starts off slow and soft, but builds up into a crescendo of heartache and despair, neatly tying up how we feel about each episode. And as the song ends, we are simply left with a sense of melancholy about the many pains that life brings, just like the show.

Some spoilers lie ahead for the ending of the anime, but none that would make any sense if you haven’t watched the show up to a certain point. Guilty Crown is a rollercoaster of an anime. At one point we are feeling excitement at the Hero’s Triumph as he leads to way to victory, when it suddenly comes all crashing down at the last moment, leaving us with shocked faces and despair ridden hearts. If there’s one thing that Guilty Crown is good at, it’s keeping viewers at the edge of their seats because anything could happen at any moment to their favourite characters. However, the ending is decidedly a mixed bag. It’s both happy and sad. The main character Shu, is cleansing the virus that plagues everybody, giving them their hearts back. But around him is pure pandemonium as buildings collapse and a certain someone dies forever. It is in this chaos that Departures begins to play, being timed perfectly with the death and destruction that permeates the show. And as our favourite characters leave us forever, we can say goodbye with the most appropriately named song: Departures.

Character death is not something that happens frequently in a shounen anime like One Piece. Thus, if they ever occur they must be handled especially well, because some of its audiences are younger kids who don’t even comprehend the gravity of death yet. When it becomes time for the Going Merry to leave the world forever, our heroes give it a Viking funeral, allowing the Going Merry to die with pride. As they cry their hearts out at losing the ship that brought them almost halfway through the grand line, Mother Sea begins to play. It is not a roaring symphony of death and despair, nor an immediately heart breaking song, but one that almost seems childish at first. Rather than a song for a funeral, it almost seems to be a lullaby that lulls the Going Merry to sleep. And as it plays in the background, Going Merry assures its crew, and us who have been with them every step of the way, that it enjoyed itself. We shouldn’t be sad because while its journey has ended, ours has just begun. Which just makes us cry more in the end.

Bleach is not a subtle show by any stretch of the imagination. How can it be when characters blast ice dragons and control the bloody weather just by existing? Much of the show is laden with shouty shouty bang bang portions that wouldn’t be out of place in a shounen anime at all. But when the sad moments in the show come, they hit really hard. Will of Heart is not a song that plays in that one really famous scene, but it comes on whenever it’s needed in a sad scene. While this means it doesn’t come on that often, the impact that it has whenever it plays is undeniable. Starting with a slow piano build up that’s just so damn depressing, it suddenly picks up with a roar of despair, poking multiple holes in our blackened hearts. Eat your heart out, because if you don’t, the song will do it for you.

Much of Naruto follows the duality between its two main characters, Naruto and Sasuke. As such, when one loses someone important to them, it goes to follow that the other must as well. On one side, Naruto experiences the loss of his mentor and father figure Jiraiya, literally lost to the Pain of the world. On the other, Itachi has just sacrificed his life for Sasuke, and Sasuke has found out about the truth about his actions. The opening sequence that goes in the background of Sign shows off this duality quite well. At the same time, Sign is a song that starts out slow and painful. It quickly breaks out into rock and roll, but that’s an extremely deceptive overtone that fits the lyrics of the song. “I don’t care if I’m hurt because I don’t feel pain anymore” is just one part of its lyrics. It is not a rock out song at all, but one that shows how much Naruto and Sasuke are enduring just to move past the deaths of their loved ones. They represent just how the viewers feel about the two deaths; “I’m not crying. No really I’m not! Those deaths weren’t sad at all! These aren’t tears of sadness, there’s just a ninja cutting onions somewhere.”

Rain is the last and final OP to the popular series, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Throughout the show, we’ve had our share of heartbreaking moments. They go from the sudden death of Maes Hughes, to the transmutation of the Onii-san chimera, leaving us with an appropriate amount of heartache. Rain isn’t just a sad song that’s sad for the sake of it, but a song of remembrance that lets us reminisce about everything horrible that has ever happened throughout the show. The lyrics ask us if the rain will ever stop someday, and as death after death hits us when the tension mounts up in the final bits of the show, we realise that we might not know the answer to that question. “Why did the rain choose me?” questions the lyrics. And it might just be because, we were crying so much that the weather itself chose to hide our tears from the world to preserve our pride and dignity.

Amongst the internet community, Continued Story is often known to be the “Onii-san!” song. Not because it’s about a tsundere imouto, but because of the scene that it’s made famous for. As Lelouch, the Demon Emperor, falls upon the blade of Suzaku and collapses into a puddle of his own blood, the world cheers for the freedom that they now have from his bloody reign. But as Nunnally lays her hands on him, Lelouch’s plans to unite the world and give her a peaceful life are made clear to her. So while the world celebrates, Nunnally cries. She cries so hard that we can’t help but to cry with her. As they chant for the death of the Demon Emperor, her lone voice screams for her brother. And in the background, Continued Story plays, its eerie childlike choir sounding quietly into the night. While not overly noticeable at first, it definitely brings forth a mixed bag of emotions that include the happiness of the crowd, but the one emotion that screams the strongest is sadness at his death, just like the scene it plays in.

Major spoilers for the ending of Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso. Please skip this portion if you haven’t watched the show and are planning to. Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso follows the heart wrenching tale of a boy, Kousei, that lost his ability to play the piano when he lost his mother. Kousei’s life has been carrying on with the dull monotony of a black wall ever since, colouring his life in shades of grey. But almost as if with editing magic, sound and colour have returned into his life through the introduction of Kaori Miyazono. But even that is not too last, for she has a fatal illness that she has to undergo surgery for. While Kaori fights for her life, Kousei is off to fulfil his promise to her by playing once more in a competition. And the song that he plays is Chopin Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23. As the song builds up we see a phantom of Kaori playing her violin alongside Kousei, guiding him through the difficult piece. But as her life fades, so does her phantom. And Kousei instinctively knows that Kaori’s life is going to end soon, so his keystrokes start to get more and more desperate. Kousei plays harder and harder, internally pleading for her not to go. The notes get harsher as time goes by, showcasing just how hard he is trying to hold on to her. But as the song dies down, Kousei soon starts to realise that there is nothing that he can do. And as Kaori finally leaves the mortal coil, his hands land on the piano, playing the last night that echoes throughout the concert hall. But all that we hear are his last words; goodbye.

It’s not inaccurate to say that Ichiban no Takaramono is the song that represents the relationship between Hinata and Yui. It begins to play over a sequence of events that never happened, in another life where Hinata and Yui met, and they begin to get along and eventually get together. It is a song that represents what a happy life for them would’ve been, but one that they ended up not getting at all. But life gave them another chance, and while it was not ideal, they met in the afterlife and managed to get along. Though it seemed like she was prickly and annoying at first, he still fell for her and proposed to her. He told her how he would take care of her when they met again after their resurrection, and as the song plays over the life they could have had and it fades out. She disappears. Maybe they’ll meet again one day…

Watching Clannad is like joining a secret club. Everyone has their own inside jokes and handshakes, and its members know each other instinctively even if they have never met before. One thing that most members are able to do is to cry on command. Clannad is a devastating show to watch fraught with tear jerking moments that can make a grown man cry in public. And many of these moments are almost always prefaced with Roaring Tides playing in the background. It’s a subtle thing, but as time goes on we instinctively clench our hearts in horror whenever Roaring Tides plays because our heart knows that someone is going to die in a way that will make us roll around in a foetal position with tears streaming down our faces. So if you ever want to know whose part of the Clannad secret club, play Roaring Tides out loud and watch us the tears roll down their faces. Just be mindful of your own as well.