Hip hop
Animation sits at the core of Japanese pop culture. The country is a globe leading titan, blending visual design, scripts, and stunning music to craft the anime tradition. RADWIMPS know this more than most – the Japanese group recently worked on the score for Suzume, an award-winning Makoto Shinkai film, that has just opened in cinemas.
The soundtrack will be given a full release on its own, and it represents another stunning creative venture from the group.
Alongside this, RADWIMPS have pieced together their take on the Top 10 music moments in the anime lineage.
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‘KANATA HALUKA’ by RADWIMPS (from Suzume)
This song is played at the very end of the movie Suzume, currently shown in theatres all over Japan. It sits really well there, as a conclusion. I hope everyone listens to it and enjoys it as part of the movie.
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‘Kimi Wo Nosete’ (from Laputa: Castle In The Sky)
I like the perfect synchronization of the melody and the lyrics. I think the lyrics came first… but how can you make a melody that matches up so perfectly? I love that about this song. (Yojiro Noda)
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‘Tonari No Totoro’ (from My Neighbor Totoro)
It’s just magic. I feel the power of music in this piece. If you say ‘Totoro’, people will just start singing this tune. (Yojiro Noda)
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‘Theme from Lupin III’ (from Lupin III Series)
It’s timeless, thanks to the great arrangement at the core of it. Like, whenever they put out a new movie in this series, they also update the theme, finding new variations on it while maintaining the core. This one inspired the brass sound featured on some of the Suzume soundtrack. (Yojiro Noda)
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‘世界が終るまでは… (Sekai ga Owaru Made wa)’ by WANDS (from Slam Dunk)
I think every boy of my generation knows this song. I also played basketball when I was a kid, so this has extra significance to me. (Akira Kuwahara)
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‘Cha-La Head Ch-La’ (from Dragonball Z)
This is another series I grew up with. I read it in the weekly comic book Jump and I own all the comics. And of course I watched the anime. It’s like a personal national anthem for me. (Akira Kuwahara)
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‘Believe’ by Folder5 (from One Piece)
I still read One Piece to date…the latest installment just came out, so I’ve been going through it. I own them all. This came a little bit later for me in junior high school, but it’s a lot like Dragonball Z. A song for my generation. (Akira Kuwahara)
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‘Tank!’ (from Cowboy Bebop)
I first heard this in 7th grade, right when I started playing bass. I loved anime by then, but it was such a different opening song for an anime. It was instrumental, and jazzy. Very different from others. Mostly, I loved the cool bassline. (Yusuke Takeda)
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‘Kimi No Shiranai Monogatari’ (from Bakemonogatari)
I love the melody of this song. This was the end theme of the anime, so after watching the show it further draws me into the story. (Yusuke Takeda)
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‘Moon’ (Turn A Gundam)
This song was written by the same composer as ‘Tank!’, Yoko Kanno. It has a beautiful melody, and an exotic Oriental vibe to it, which is unique. I like Kanno as a songwriter. (Yusuke Takeda)
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