A good theme song can make a good anime into a great anime or, less charitably, a bad theme song can become an annoyance that fans have to fast forward through every single week. Regardless, music is a big part of every anime title and there’s big money to be made in being able to craft the perfect introduction or exit from each episode of a series. Here are the anime theme songs from 2022 that had us all humming and bopping our heads.
“Ciki Ciki Bam Bam” by QUEENDOM (Ya Boy Kongming) — as chosen by L.B. Bryant
The thing about music anime is that if your music sucks, it irredeemably damages your entire show right away. Ya Boy Kongming dodged that pitfall from the first second by launching with an upbeat tune that has an amazingly simple yet catchy melody. Long gone are the days when series would regularly experiment with different song genres in order to introduce their characters. In the current era, they have refined anime songwriting down to a science, with so many songs sounding very samey.
Ya Boy Kongming has amazing music within each episode, but it was the opening theme song that I sang in my mind each week as I waited for the new episode to go live online. If this series gets a second season (and it really should), I would love to see them bring back the vocal unit who did this song to see if they can get lightning to strike twice.
“Scar” by Tatsuya Kitani (Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War) — as chosen by Justin
A hype theme that tells a lot of the story for the arc, which is an interesting and efficient tactic for themes. The song itself is great, but I like that the opening gives an overview of the series, rather than just showing some action setpieces.
“No Time To Cast Anchor” by Millennium Parade (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 S2) — as chosen by Joeschmo1of3
The ending theme was the only time we saw the characters of SAC_2045 in slice-of-life moments. And they were beautifully captured by character designer Ilya Kuvshinov. The melody and lyrics emphasized the key moments of Motoko and Purin’s past so the audience would understand how the anime ended.
“1” – Mob Choir (Mob Psycho 100: III) — as chosen by Brovahkiin
This song, from Mob Psycho 100: III, simply called “1”, comes not from an outside band, but from a special musical project dedicated specifically to the Mob Psycho anime, named the Mob Choir. The song is fast-paced, energetic, and features the vocals of the lovely Sana, a vocalist from the band “Sajou no Hana”.
“KICK BACK” – Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw Man) — as chosen by input(Void)
The opening to Chainsaw Man is much like the show: weird, full of surprises, and it grows on you. The funky bass line at the start with the chainsaw revving is a good way to pump up the viewers and the actual opening credits are just dripping with references that are a sight to behold. The bridge builds to the chorus perfectly, while the chorus is rhythmic and punchy. So many different pieces work together — from the FM synth flourishes to the electronic drums — to expertly tie itself to the beautiful insanity that is Chainsaw Man.
Did you have a favorite this year? Let us know in the comments!
