There is no doubt that music is the medicine of the mind. Music is a form of expression. It connects people and many times acts as the answer to our hardships. Music has played a huge part in any culture around the world and has been a great companion and influence for many of us.

Music has also been an important fragment of the anime industry since its first steps. Many artists have tasted success because of the promotion and support that anime series show to them. And by music in anime we do not only mean the opening or the ending theme of a series but also the soundtrack that we listen in the background that manages to enhance and capture moments that the characters experience and make them even more striking for the viewers.

Many anime use music as their core theme and whether there’s a character that is somehow involved in the music industry or music in general is used to drive the overall story, there are some music anime out there that stand out a little bit more than the others. So if you are a music enthusiast and enjoy listening to some lovely songs of different genres as well as seeing beautiful and perceptive stories about dreams, ambitions, lov, and romance, you will definitely find something you’ll like in this recommendations list!

NANA

Spring 2006

47 Episodes

Nana Komatsu is a naïve 20-year-old who easily falls in love and becomes dependent on those around her. As she goes on the train to move to Tokyo so she can be with her boyfriend, she meets Nana Osaki, a proud and strong punk rock vocalist who tries to become a professional singer. After spending the entire journey getting to know each other, they have to separate as they reach Tokyo. But fate brings them together once more and eventually they share an apartment. As their friendship deepens and they try to achieve their dreams, they learn about love, loss, and the growth that comes with it.

I am not going to pretend like this isn’t my favorite music anime ever, because it is. I have never quite experienced anything like NANA in all my years of watching anime. It’s a story that balances perfectly the passion for music, the hardships of chasing your own dreams, as well as the joys, the pain, and the struggles that come with love and romance. NANA presents drama in a very unique way that will no doubt make you cry and face some strange and complex emotions. With music obviously being its main focus, it has an amazing soundtrack filled with rock and punk songs, performed by Anna Tsuchiya and OLIVIA who have also released albums composed entirely of music from the anime. The raw emotions and complexity it presents makes it a classic music anime title than anyone should watch.

K-on!

Spring 2009

39 Episodes

Hirasawa Yui is a carefree young girl that is looking to join a school club on her first day of high school. Her attention is captured when she sees a poster advertising the ‘Light Music Club.’ Being the enthusiastic girl she is, she decides to sign up but she has no skills or experience playing any instrument. Now Yui along with the rest of the members – bassist Mio, drummer Ritsu, and keyboardist Tsugumi – will try to get through homework and balance their school lives. Yui must learn how to read and play music before performing in the school festival, all in the hopes of someday becoming a successful band.

K-on! took the anime world by storm when it was first released back in 2009. Although music is part of the girls’ everyday lives, it does not act as the main focus of the story. It influences their character progression greatly but what really makes this anime so delightful is the fun and chill slice-of-life feel to it. The five girls just hang out and do random things together while (as they mention as well) they ought to be practicing. The reason why it got famous is (as you can imagine) the adorable and moe high school girls that decide to form a band, but nevertheless that doesn’t mean that the soundtrack is not worthy of praise! Quite the contrary, the talented voice actresses have released plenty of pop rock songs for the anime whose popularity even resulted in many sold out live concerts.

Fun Fact: ‘K-On’ is pronounced the same as the word 軽音 keion, which means ‘light music’.

Your Lie in April

Fall 2014

22 Episodes

Kousei Arima is a prodigious pianist who after the unfortunate passing of his mother becomes unable to hear the sound of his own piano. Two years later he still avoids playing the piano and lives a mundane life. He then meets an eccentric beautiful violinist named Kaori Miyazono who puts him out of his monotonous lifestyle and brings him back to the world of music.

Before I mention anything else: get ready to cry a lot. Your lie in April is no joke when it comes to heartbreaking drama and emotional storyline. I don’t really know anyone out there that has watched it and didn’t cry, so just prepare yourselves for it. Even though the anime is surrounded by music, it strays from it and deals with the idea of love and how emotions are what makes us human, as well as the acceptance of the death of a loved one. Witnessing people struggling at something they love makes you relate with the characters and feel for them in such a deep level, which is the reason why this anime is so special in its own way. Yet it contains some really captivating music pieces, and besides the original soundtrack, you can listen to famous classical pieces by Mozart, Kreisler, Chopin, Bach, and others. So whether you enjoy outstanding animation, a melancholic story, romance, or you are in the mood to enjoy some beautiful instrumental pieces, then Your lie in April is an absolute must-watch for you.

Beck (Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad)

Fall 2004

26 Episodes

Yukio Koyuki Tanaka is a young boy with no real goals in his life. But things start to change for him when he saves a strange-looking dog named Beck from being harassed by a group of local kids. He encounters an emerging guitarist named Ryuunosuke and subsequently is introduced to the world famous rock band Dying Breed. Slowly becoming interested in the glamour of western rock culture, Koyuki decides to start playing the guitar while helping Ray achieve his dream of leading the ultimate rock band.

Beck follows the group’s struggles and successes as they spread their fame across Japan. It’s a unique anime that shows a bunch of regular guys with their personal issues and ambitions trying to succeed in the music industry. They deal with rising fame and everyday struggles that are natural, human, and relatable. If you are a fan of rock music, this is an absolute gem for you. It has so many catchy songs that you will be singing for days! Most of them are performed by the voice actors and with a little help from the Japanese rock band Beat Crusaders. Definitely a great coming-of-age story that will take you on a wild journey.

Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope)

Spring 2012

12 Episodes

Kaoru Nishimi is an introverted classical pianist that has moved countless schools because of his father’s naval career. Having just arrived in Kyushu for his first year of high school, he finds most of his classmates instantly antagonistic towards him and suspicious of his elite background. He abandons all hope of fitting in until he encounters the notorious delinquent Sentarou and the gentle Ritsuko who have a great passion for jazz music.

Sakamichi no Apollon is a story about friendship, love, and music. The characters share their mutual appreciation for jazz, a genre of music that is hard to find in the anime scene. Taking place in 1966, this anime will give you a nice view of the everyday life of a previous era, and while labelled as a coming-of-age drama, this series also contains a bit of romance and some slice-of-life elements to it. You can expect a lot of artistic greatness coming out of this show since it involved the amazing director Watanabe Shinichi and music composer Yoko Kanno (both worked in Cowboy Bebop) and last but not least, the music, which plays a key role in this series after all, is absolutely amazing. The wonderful jazz sounds are breathtaking.

Detroit Metal City

Summer 2008

12 Episodes

Negishi Souichi moves to Tokyo with dreams of joining a trendy pop band. After graduating his university he ends up joining a band, but not the kind that he was wishing for. He is now known as Krauser II, the lead singer of the death metal band Detroit Metal City, where he is forced to do extravagant performances and gets publicized as a demonic being that came to this world to lord over all mortals.

Seeing Souichi giving up on his dreams and compromising to switch from his ideal scene of Swedish pop to the actual hard-core death metal scene in order to pay the bills is absolutely hilarious to watch. This is another personal favorite anime of mine. If you are a fan of the metal scene, you will appreciate this anime. It satires the scene in such a brilliant way and even though it might be a bit vulgar with the use of some offensive jokes about raping and murdering your own mother, if you appreciate dark humour and some pretty awesome metal tunes, then hop on the DMC train and sing along the obscene lyrics of every song.

Disclaimer: No idol anime was included in this list but if I were to choose just one, I think The iDOLM@STER and Uta no☆Prince-sama♪ Maji Love 1000% are really worth it if you are into that kind of scene and enjoy some insane eyecandy. And let’s not forget Zombie Land Saga, which is a special category of idol anime by itself.

BONUS!

Interstella5555: The 5tory of The 5ecret 5tar 5ystem

2003

So, this is not an anime series or an actual anime film but a collaboration between Daft Punk, Cédric Hervet, Emmanuel de Buretel, and Toei Animation. It’s a Japanese-French anime sci-fi, adventure fantasy musical film that acts as the visual representation of Discovery, the second studio album by Daft Punk. Interstella 5555 tells the story of the abduction and rescue of an interstellar pop band.

I feel like this film has the best combination of what music and anime has to offer. It shows that no dialogue is really needed to make a great story and let’s not even begin to analyse how amazing the tracks from the electronic duo Daft Punk are in this album. A little treat for anyone that would like to experience some nostalgia and great music.

Let’s get jammin’

No matter what kind of music you enjoy, this list contains a variety of genres for you to choose from: whether you like romance, drama, or comedy, it’s up to you to explore what these amazing anime titles have to offer.