Want to know what the top ten anime songs are in Japan? Well, Japan Probe has posted a series of three videos that show us just that. But there is a catch, there’s always a catch. These songs were chosen by users at 2-chan. So, that basically means that these choices are not set in stone, unlike my Top Ten.
After looking over this list, it is to no surprise that Japanese tastes do not see eye-to-eye with your average American Otaku. The perfect example: Tank, which would be number one on most American’s lists, is number 87 on this list. I have to agree, Tank puts me to sleep outside its excellent opening animation; sorry, but I need lyrics to set me aflame. Even though this list is crazy, I have to agree with a lot of these choices. Check out the videos and the list after the jump.
100. Dunbine Tobe, Aura Battler Dunbine OP 99. Clover, Solty Rei OP 98. Ushiwareta Yume wo Motomete, Genesis Climber Mospeada OP 97. Winners, Cyberformula GPX ED 96. rise, Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. 2nd Gig OP 95. Shounen Gumi, Doraemon Nobita no Uchuu Shousensou theme song 94. Sayonara Byebye, Yuu Yuu Hakusho ED2 93. Soldier Dream, Saint Seiya OP2 92. Galaxy Express 999, Galaxy Express 999 OP 91. DANDAN Kokoro Hikareteku, Dragon Ball GT OP1 90. Sakura Saku Mirai Koi Yume - Da Capo OP 89. Heart of Sword, Rurouni Kenshin ED3 88. Just Communication, Gundam Wing OP1 87. Tank!, Cowboy Bebop OP 86. Eternal Wind ~Hohoemi wa Hikaru Kaze no Naka~, Gundam F-91 theme song 85. Hikari to Kage wo Dakishimeta Mama, Magic Knight Rayearth OP3 84. Rumbling hearts, Kimi no Nozomu Eien ED1 83. Soredemo Ashita wa Yattekuru, NINKU ED1 82. Honoo no Sadame, Armored Trooper VOTOMS OP 81. Yakusoku wa Iranai, Escaflowne OP 80. Bouken Desho Deshou?, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu OP 79. Taiyou ga Mata Kagayaku Toki, Yuu Yuu Hakusho ED4 78. Romantic Ageru yo, Dragon Ball ED 77. Sora e..., Romeo's Blue Skies 76. Heats, Shin Getter Robo: Sekai Saigo no Hi OP2 75. Stand Up to the Victory, Victory Gundam OP1 74. Asu e no brillant road, Stellvia of the Universe OP 73. Hidarami, Maison Ikkoku OP5 72. Kiseki no Umi, Record of Lodoss War TV OP 71. Dreams, Gundam X OP1 70. Darega no Tame ni, Cyborg 009 (1979 Series) OP 69. Space Battleship Yamato, Space Battleship Yamato OP 68. CHA-LA HEAD CHA-LA, Dragon Ball Z OP1 67. Meguriai, Gundam Movie III OP 66. DUVET, Serial Experiments Lain OP 65. Hanarete Hareruya, Magical Circle Guru Guru OP2 64. Cosmos ni Kimi to, Space Runaway Ideon ED 63. 1st Priority, Stratos 4 OP 62. Musou Uta, Utawarerumono OP 61. Ai wo Torimodose!!, Hokuto no Ken OP1 60. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni OP 59. Gekitei, Sakura Wars OP 58. Koi se yo Onna no Ko, Best Student Council OP 57. Omoide Ippai, Miyuki ED1 56. Blue Water, Fushigi no Umi no Nadia OP 55. Resolution, Gundam X OP2 54. inner universe, Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex OP 53. Reckless fire, Scryed OP 52. STEP, Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru OP 51. Beyond the Time ~ Mobeius no Uchuu no Koete ~, Gundam Char's Counterattack theme song 50. Get Wild, City Hunter ED 49. agony, Kannazuki no Miko ED 48. Re-sublimity, Kannazuki no Miko OP 47. Hemisphere, RahXephon OP 46. nowhere, MADLAX insert song 45. Sakura Iro, Da Capo Second Season 44. Ayashi no Naka de Kagayaite, Gundam 08th MS Team OP 43. In My Dream, Brain Powerd OP 42. Love Destiny, Sister Princess OP 41. Mizu no Hoshi e Ai wo Komete, Zeta Gundam OP2 40. Wild Flowers, Zoids OP 39. Komm susser Tod ~Amaki Shi yo, Kitare~, End of Evangelion insert song 38. Pegasus Fantasy, Saint Seiya OP1 37. Sekai ga Owaru Made wa..., Slam Dunk ED2 36. Dream Shift, Zettai Muteki Raijin Ou OP 35. Yume Kousen, Uchuusen Sagittarius ED 34. Yume wo Shinjite, Dragon Quest (1st Series) ED1 33. WILL, Senkai-den Houshin Engi (Soul Hunter) OP 32. Melos no You ni - LONELY WAY - Aoki Ryuusei SPT Layzner OP 31. Tsuki no Mayu, Turn A Gundam ED2 30. For Fruits Baskets, Fruits Basket OP 29. Shangri-La, Azure no Fafner OP 28. Hi Iro no Sora, Shakugan no Shana 27. Kinjirareta Asobi, Rozen Maiden OP 26. Eternal Blaze, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's OP 25. Sora wo Nosete, Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa 24. YOU GET TO BURNING, Nadeisco OP 23. Hare Hare Yukai, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu ED 22. Rinbu -revolution, Revolutionary Girl Utena OP 21. King Gainer Over!, OVERMAN King Gainer OP 20. Yume Iro Chaser, Metal Armor Dragonar OP 19. Yuusha Ou Tanjou!, Yuusha Ou GaoGaiGar OP 18. Shooting Star, Onegai Teacher OP 17. Do You Remember Love?, Macross DYRL? theme song 16. God knows..., Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu insert song 15. Tamashi no Refrain, Evangelion Death and Rebirth ED 14. Yuzurenai Negai, Magic Knight Rayearth OP1 13. Seishoujo Ryouiki, Rozen Maiden ~träumend~ OP 12. tune the rainbow, RahXephon Movie ED 11. Wind Climbing ~Kaze ni Asobarete~, Magical Circle Guru Guru ED1 10. Akatsuki no Kuruma, Gundam SEED insert song 9. Kanashii Senshi, Gundam Movie II insert song 8. innocent starter, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha OP 7. Platinium, Card Captor Sakura OP3 6. dis-, Infinite Ryvius OP 5. Give a reason, Slayers NEXT OP 4. Happy Material, Mahou Sensei Negima 3. Butter-Fly, Digimon Adventure OP 2. Tori no Uta, Air OP 1. Sousei no Aquarion, Sousei no Aquarion OP1 Winner: Cruel Angel's Thesis, Neon Genesis Evangelion OP
Goodbye Mr despair i would suppose is too new :o
I'm suprised lucky star wasn't there to be honest, not because of the catchy song, but out of its fanbase lol...
School Rumble s2 and Ouran would have been a nice suprise
Personally I like most of the songs on that list a LOT, like re-sublimity, rumbling hearts, you get to burning, all the eva songs, etc., so for the most part I can agree with that list.
Really surprised not seeing "Asterisk" from Bleach or "Rewrite" from FMA on here....such good songs.....and awhile back, a Japanese poll included these songs for best openings
Cruel Angel Thesis is to be expected, but I'm surprised that not one shonen show made it onto the list (as far as I read, at least). I guess not too many internet users watch Bleach, One Piece, etc.
There are a a lot of these I don't know, so here's a question:
Are these only songs WRITTEN for the show? I don't see any songs from bands that were just purchased as OP or ED songs. But like I said, many of them are unknown to me by name.
I'm surprised that Hare Hare Yukai wasn't at number one, but you did kind of expect to see Cruel Angel's Thesis to be number one. I was also surprised that nothing from Death Note was on the list.
I've decided to never agree with any list ever, so I won't bother with this one.
For one thing, anyone who wants a really new anime to be included in the top of all time has a goldfish's sense of history.
Second, I do think that there are tracks on here that aren't originally meant for a show. I think that Duvet, by the American (or are they Canadian) group Boa, wasn't made for the show Lain. It just works extremely well with the opening animation.
With very few exceptions (Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku, for example), none of the songs on the list were songs that weren't originally written for the show itself. That's why you don't see things like Asterisk, Ready Steady Go, Melissa, Go (Fighting Dreamers), or even Right On Shooting Star.
I *am* surprised that classics like Tobe! Gundam and Lupin III '78 aren't on the list ANYWHERE!
rather than best anime songs, its more towards polling favorite-animes-with-the-following-OP/EDs. i never heard about 90% of the songs, and I think most (up till number 1) are about the same quality. people tend to form associations about the anime's theme with the anime's quality. no wonder haruhi appears thrice.
lots of 80s-90s songs by the johnnies. i guess the population polled includes adults well into mid-age. no surprise as japs are pretty mad abt manga culture.