Musical Anime

[celinaa]

What are some of your favorite musical anime series or movies? By that I mean, anime in which music is an essential part of the story. So this would actually exclude some good ones, such as Perfect Blue (about an ex-member of a girl group trying to change her image and become an actress; the movie focuses for a brief moment on the music, and then on the main character losing her mind), and Angel Beats (where music is an important part of the story of a supporting character, but secondary to the main plot).

Here is my list of favorites, in no particular order. Actually, these are all I can think of as I have not seen that many. But the ones I have seen, I like.

Carole and Tuesday. Two 17-year-olds of dissimilar backgrounds get together to make music. Going against all trends, they go pro. Season one is a feel good anime, while season two gets more dramatic.

Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad. Koyuki is a schoolboy with no direction in life, until he meets Ray, a Japanese-American, who gets Koyuki involved with his band. Through early struggles, Koyuki comes of age facing everything from bullying to first love.

Forrest of Piano. Talk of coming from the wrong side of the tracks, Kai is not only poor, but the son of a prostitute. He is also a musical prodigy, who grows to young manhood and the competitive stages of Europe.

Your Lie in April. This one is a real heartbreaker. Kousei is a former piano prodigy who now can't even hear his own music. He is brought back to the stage by a young violinist named Kaori. There is no happily-ever-after ending however.

Lost Song. Music can be used to heal or destroy. It is up to a poor peasant girl with the power of song to keep the later from happening.

Nana. Running for several seasons, yet never wearing itself out, this is the story of two girls who meet on a train and become friends. Both are named Nana. One wants to be a musician, which drives most of the story.

Your turn.

[Ohayotaku]

8 hours ago, celinaa said:

Carole and Tuesday

I’m not really music connoisseur, but some of my favorites:

Zombie Land Saga - parody about an idol group who are all zombies. Songs from different genres to accentuate the characters vocal talents.

K-on! - SoL/CGDCT series focusing on a highschool girl rock band.

Interstella 5555 - anime rock opera about alien musicians stranded/exploited on earth. Features music by Daft Punk & directed by space opera icon Leiji Matsumoto.

Legend of Black Heaven - former rock star guitarist winds up a middle aged salaryman with a wife & kid . A beautiful new co-worker reveals that she is actually an alien & his music is the key to defeating an enigmatic menace.

Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution - teenaged rock vocalist finds himself caught up in a conflict between various factions of supernatural females

Princess Tutu - shoujo/magical girl series inspired by ballet & featuring a variety of classical music.

Macross - mecha franchise where music or musicians inevitably play important roles (also Robotech).

Edited June 10, 2021 by Ohayotaku