TBS’ Professional Ranking revealed its “Japan’s strongest anime song BEST 100” list, with 166 music professionals from 41 countries and regions voting on the final ranking. The top spot went to Yoko Takahashi’s “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” from Neon Genesis Evangelion, followed by “Blue Bird” from Naruto: Shippuden and “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA” from Dragon Ball Z.
The top 10 is a mix of legacy picks, some recency bias, with some choices much more easily explainable than the other, as they feel heavily carried by the popularity of the anime they were featured in.
| Rank | Song | Artist | Anime |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Cruel Angel’s Thesis | Yoko Takahashi | Neon Genesis Evangelion |
| 2 | Blue Bird | Ikimonogakari | Naruto: Shippuuden |
| 3 | CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA | Hironobu Kageyama | Dragon Ball Z |
| 4 | Gurenge | LiSA | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba |
| 5 | Moonlight Densetsu | DALI | Sailor Moon |
| 6 | Tetsujin 28-gou | Nishirokugo Boys’ Choir | Tetsujin 28-gou |
| 7 | Astro Boy | Kamitakada Shounen Gasshoudan | Astro Boy |
| 8 | Zenzenzense | RADWIMPS | Your Name |
| 9 | We Are! | Hiroshi Kitadani | One Piece |
| 10 | Always With Me | Youmu Kimura | Spirited Away |
Japan’s strongest anime song BEST 100 top 10
1. “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” by Yoko Takahashi (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
“A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” at #1 is a very obvious choice due to it being one of the most recognizable anime openings ever made. It’s still a karaoke standard in Japan, and it recently reached 1,000 cumulative weeks on Oricon’s Weekly Karaoke Ranking.
The Neon Genesis Evangelion opening is the timeless classic among timeless classics, so this placement does not need much explanation.
2. “Blue Bird” by Ikimonogakari (Naruto: Shippuden)
“Blue Bird” is a fan favorite from Naruto: Shippuden, and the highest-placed battle shounen theme on the list, even above the likes of Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Bleach. The song played during one of the most hyped arcs of the anime, which helped sear it into the minds of every fan.
It’s fine as a modern battle shounen pick in this top, but it’s definitely not here from a pure music standpoint.
3. “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA” by Hironobu Kageyama (Dragon Ball Z)
“CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA” is another easy inclusion, as it’s possibly the most recognizable track from the entire Dragon Ball franchise, which says a lot. It’s supremely energetic and listenable even without any anime context, and its enduring popularity is proof of this.
This belongs in the timeless classic group with Evangelion, Sailor Moon, Tetsujin 28-go, and Astro Boy. Even if someone would rank it lower, it is hard to argue against its top 10 placement.
4. “Gurenge” by LiSA (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)
“Gurenge” is a clear recency bias pick. It is a huge song, and LiSA’s performance helped push it beyond the realm of normal anime opening popularity, but its #4 4 placement is driven heavily by Demon Slayer becoming a mainstream phenomenon and by LiSA’s own popularity.
It is also not LiSA’s best anime song by a long shot. “Crossing Field,” “träumerei,” and “Rising Hope” are some of her best, while the real ones remember “Yuukei Yesterday” with Jin from Mekakucity Actors and “Ichiban no Takaramono” from Angel Beats.
5. “Moonlight Densetsu” by DALI (Sailor Moon)
“Moonlight Densetsu” is yet another inarguable inclusion. It’s a catchy song just in and of itself, but beyond that, it’s the entire musical identity of Sailor Moon for multiple generations of viewers.
Just like with “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA,” you could argue that it’s placed too far up, but there’s no denying its significance for several generations of mahou shoujo and anime fans.
6. “Tetsujin 28-gou” by Nishirokugo Boys’ Choir (Tetsujin 28-gou)
“Tetsujin 28-gou” is purely a historic pick. The theme from the 1963 anime Tetsujin 28-gou, also known as Gigantor, is one of the era-defining songs in the industry before the medium found any kind of mainstream popularity.
While this is very much a “professional jury” pick, it reflects the reverence that even the modern watchers feel toward anime that helped grow this industry.
7. “Astro Boy” by Kamitakada Shounen Gasshoudan (Astro Boy)
Astro Boy, also known as Tetsuwan Atom, is considered to be an even more important piece of anime history, and so is its theme song “Astro Boy,” sung by the Kamitakada Boys Choir, known for recording lots of anime theme songs from the early 1950s all the way through the 70s.
“Astro Boy” is their most well-known song, and it definitely left an indelible mark on the whole industry.
8. “Zenzenzense” by RADWIMPS (Your Name)
“Zenzenzense” is another somewhat questionable pick. RADWIMPS’ work on Your Name became inseparable from the movie’s success, but the song’s placement as the highest movie track in the top 10 is very hard to justify when there are much deeper and more obvious candidates like “Making of a Cyborg” from the original Ghost in the Shell, or a plethora of Ghibli movie themes.
Like “Gurenge,” this feels propped up by the show’s explosive popularity more than by the song being the best choice in its category.
9. “We Are!” by Hiroshi Kitadani (One Piece)
“We Are!” is clearly the token One Piece inclusion. There could not have been a One Piece omission from such a top, and “We Are!” is the definitive pick for this.
The song itself is not bad, but its placement could more easily be attributed to recognition for the franchise’s cultural scale, as it is the original anime opening and is heavily associated in every anime fan’s mind with the start of Luffy’s journey.
10. “Always With Me” by Youmi Kimura (Spirited Away)
“Always With Me” is a slightly strange but understandable pick. Spirited Away is one of the most important anime films ever made, and the song carries a strong emotional baggage from that alone. It’s far from being the only Ghibli theme that could have been on this top, however, as many would argue “Arrietty’s Song” or “The Legend of Ashitaka” would both have been better musical choices.
“The Legend of Ashitaka” did appear lower in the top 100 at #92, which is inconceivably low for something as significant as this.
Biggest omissions from the top 10
The top 10 itself is fine as it is, especially since it’s a group effort of so many people. Still, some anime themes felt like glaring omissions, and could have easily replaced some of the weaker picks on the top 10.
Cowboy Bebop should have been much higher than No. 86 for “Tank!” by Seatbelts, and “The Real Folk Blues” by Mai Yamane not appearing at all is equally as strange.
The same goes for Ghost in the Shell music, such as “Making of a Cyborg” by Kenji Kawai, Origa’s “Inner Universe” or “Rise,” and Serial Experiments Lain’s “Duvet” by BoA.
Other serious candidates include “Lilium” by Kumiko Noma from Elfen Lied, “Tabi no Tochuu” by Kiyoura Natsumi from the original Spice and Wolf, “Beyond the Time ~Möbius no Sora wo Koete~” by TM Network from Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack, “Ranbu no Melody” by Sid from Bleach as a battle shounen representative, and “One More Time, One More Chance” by Masayoshi Yamazaki as a stronger Makoto Shinkai-theme movie song than “Zenzenzense.”
Anime fans are also asking to include “Unravel” by TK from Tokyo Ghoul, “Brave Shine” by Aimer from Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, “Uchiage Hanabi” by Kenshi Yonezu and DAOKO from Uchiage Hanabi, Shita kara Miru ka? Yoko kara Miru ka? “crossing field” by LiSA from Sword Art Online, “Hikaru Nara” by Goose House from Your Lie in April, “COLORS” by FLOW from Code Geass, “Again” by YUI from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, supercell’s “My Dearest” and EGOIST’s “Everlasting Guilty Crown” from Guilty Crown, “Kawaki wo Ameku” by minami from Domestic Girlfriend, and “Hacking to the Gate” by Kanako Itou from Steins;Gate.
Obviously, there can be no consensus, as music and even its perceived impact are very subjective, but it’s clear that anime fans weren’t entirely happy with this top 10 anime theme song list.
