For some, animation is the most important thing to their enjoyment of an anime. For others, the plot is crucial for them. Yet, while likely not the most important aspect to many people, a memorable OST in an anime can enhance every aspect.
A good soundtrack for an anime series is more than just the opening or ending themes. It is the music throughout the episode that serves to convey the correct emotions and, more often than not, pump you up for what is happening on screen. While music is subjective, here are our picks for anime series with some seriously killer soundtracks.
Best Anime Soundtracks
Cowboy Bebop
I wouldn’t be surprised if Cowboy Bebop was the first taste of jazz for many of its fans. Regardless, the heavily jazz inspired soundtrack paired perfectly with the noir melancholy that was present throughout much of the series. Yet, jazzy sounds aren’t always somber sounds, as proven by the more exciting fight scenes in the series.
Samurai Champloo
Like in Cowboy Bebop, Shinichiro Wanatabe continued to embrace how important music is to anime in Samurai Champloo. However, this time it didn’t mix in the jazz, but rather took a new and surprising route by melding hip hop with feudal Japan. It was a daring move, but once you watch, you never forget the soundtrack. Like jazz accented Spike Spiegal’s classic cool, hip hop accents Mugen’s bad boy punk.
My Hero Academia
As a series about super heroes, visual effects and epic fights are important. However, watching a dude clench his muscles and power up is…boring. What has made this series hugely popular is how it all pairs with the soundtrack. The series has the potential to make the hair raise on the back of your neck, but only because of the music that goes with those epic moments.
FLCL
While that ol’ electric guitar has gotten more popular in anime soundtracks, few can forget the part it plays in FLCL. The rock and roll inspired soundtrack in FLCL really accents the frenetic pace of the series. The OST knows when to keep it normal, but always has the riff ready when things go off the rails, which is often.
Kill La Kill
Trigger knows not only how to make some addictingly fluid animation and bat-crap crazy plots, but they also realize the importance that a good OST plays as well. Kill la Kill has one of the more notable soundtracks of their anime series because it is such an energetic one. It is the type of soundtrack you put on to get pumped up and it matches perfectly with the high energy pace of the series.
Darling in the FranXX
I never said Kill la Kill was the only good Trigger soundtrack. Darling in the FranXX has some notable problems with it, but the soundtrack certainly isn’t one. It’s diverse soundtrack has a song for everyone moment, which it needs since the series jumps around with what it wants to do with its plot by the end.
Your Lie in April
It feels almost like cheating by adding a music anime to the list of anime series with good soundtracks. However, while other music anime like Nana or Beck have good insert songs, the rest of their soundtracks can be “meh,” so…
Anyway, You’re Lie in April ignited at least a brief passion for classical music in many, but the nice bit about the soundtrack is that it makes excellent use of how melancholic and emotional certain classical sounds can be. It is not the dry, technically perfect classical tracks you were exposed to in music class, that is for damn sure.
Mushishi
Just because Mushishi has an OST that might put you to sleep doesn’t mean it has a bad one. Mushishi’s whole “thing” is that it is more a chill anime rather than anything else. It explores intriguing stories about spirits. There isn’t ten tons of action. There isn’t even ten tons of dialogue. As such, it needs a soundtrack to set the tone of what is going on while also continuing to soothe.
Berserk (1997)
HAI YAI FORCES! HAI YAI FORC-
Ahem, sorry. Got a little swept away by the nostalgia there. At this point, the 1997 version of Berserk badly needs a remaster, not just for the bare bones budget animation, but for the sound quality. The OST of the series pairs perfectly with the medieval setting of the show and sets up perfect for those important battles and vicious acts of betrayal.
A Lull in the Sea
As a series about friendship and love between two groups of people, one that lives on land and one that lives underwater, you can expect a certain tinge of sadness to the soundtrack. What is even more stunning about it, however, is how indicative the music is of the water. It is an anime about the sea, and the fact that the music evokes thoughts of the water is impressive.
Madoka Magica
As an anime that turned the magical genre on its head, there are moments in Madoka Magica that you don’t forget. However, part of what you don’t forget is how the music playing at that moment makes you feel. It particularly excels in accenting how disturbing the battles with witches are.
Shiki
Horror anime typically leans pretty hard on their soundtrack to develop the correct atmosphere. What Shiki does so right with its soundtrack is that the tracks are not trying to be outright creepy. When listened to on their own outside of the anime, some of the tracks can even be somewhat uplifting. Yet, when paired with what is happening onscreen, everything comes off as delightfully haunting.
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is an anime that is popular for a lot of reasons, but like other series on this list, one of those reasons is definitely the soundtrack. What the soundtrack does really well is that it know when to bring those big “boom” moments during the action where the soundtrack accents the pace of the battle, the horror of the moment, or the tension of the situation. It is what a soundtrack should do, and it does so very well.
Gunbuster + Diebuster
Oft-forgotten, Gunbuster and Diebuster are short mecha series, but unforgettable once you see them. As a series bursting with youth and passion, it demands an energetic soundtrack that bolsters that. While Diebuster has that slicker animation, neither soundtrack is something to sleep on.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Gurren Lagann is, at times, oozing pure machismo out the pores. However, a large part of that is not the impassioned speeches, but the music that is paired with it. Imagine being the drill that will pierce the heavens without the appropriately epic music to go along with it?
Did we miss your favorite anime OST on this list? Likely, there are so many good ones. If you have an anime soundtrack that you think merits attention, let fans know in the comments section below.
