15 Japanese Bands You Should Listen to If You Love Anime Intros

Over 1.3K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of 15 Japanese Bands You Should Listen to If You Love Anime Intros
Voting Rules
Vote up your favorite bands featured in anime.

Admit it. No matter how many times you've listened to an anime opening song, you just gotta listen to it again and again. There's no shame in enjoying the rocking anime tunes at the beginning (or end) of your favorite shows. However, there's more great Japanese music out there that you're missing out on. The toe-tapping anime music you love doesn't end at your favorite show; it's only the beginning of your musical journey. 

If you're a music lover that's craving for more anime-inspired music, then you don't want to miss out on these great Japanese bands. These 15 Japanese bands from anime are rich in diversity too. There's a little something here for lovers of pop music, alternative rock, ska, hip-hop, and more. 

Get those headphones ready. Here are 15 Japanese bands you should listen to if you love anime intros. Want more anime music? Check out the best anime soundtracks as ranked by fans.


  • 1
    460 VOTES
    Flow
    Video: YouTube

    Best known for contributing the song "Hero ~Kibō no Uta~" to Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Flow is a five-piece Japanese rock band. Their members include Kōhshi (vocalist/rhythm guitarist), Keigo (vocalist), Take (lead guitarist/backing vocalist), Yasutarō (bassist/backing vocalist), and Hiroshi (drummer).

    Other anime music the band has done includes "World End" for Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 and "Sign" for Naruto Shippuden

    460 votes
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
    Video: YouTube

    Asian Kung-Fu Generation blends the alternative rock found in the West with the indie rock and punk from Japan. The alternative rock band consists of vocalist Masafumi Gotō, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi.

    Their music has been featured in anime series like Bleach ("After Dark"), Erased ("Re:Re:"), and Fullmetal Alchemist ("Rewrite"). 

    482 votes
  • 3
    450 VOTES
    LiSA
    Video: YouTube

    Rock singer LiSA (an acronym for Love is Same All) is the stage name of singer and songwriter Risa Oribe. After the disbandment of her first band, Chucky, she was discovered by Jun Maeda – the TV anime writer of Angel Beats! – and performed as a fictional singer for the anime's fictional band. Aniplex, the co-production studio of Angel Beats!, was so impressed by LiSA's singing the production company signed her up under their music label. 

    450 votes
  • 4
    366 VOTES
    Porno Graffitti
    Video: YouTube

    The Japanese male rock band Porno Graffiti have lent their style of alternative and pop rock music to numerous anime series. Anime they've contributed music to include Fullmetal Alchemist, GTO, Detective Conan, Bleach, and Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic. The band also created the first opening theme for the My Hero Academia anime called "The Day." 

    366 votes
  • 5
    231 VOTES
    Stereopony
    Video: YouTube

    Even though the pop rock band Stereopony disbanded in 2012, their musical contribution to anime will continue to live on. Aimi Haraguni (lead vocals and guitar), Nohana Kitajima (bass guitar), and Shiho Yamanoha (drums) were the members of the three-girl anime band.

    Their big break was composing the 17th ending theme for Bleach called "Hitohira no Hanabira," which lead to future anime involvement in series like Mobile Suit Gundam 00Darker than Black, and Eureka Seven: AO.

    231 votes
  • 6
    189 VOTES
    Nujabes
    Video: YouTube

    Samurai Champloo wouldn't be Samurai Champloo without the musical input of Jun Seba, better known to the world as Nujabes. Nujabes was responsible for marrying the feudal setting of the Shinichirō Watanabe anime series with background music inspired by modern hip-hop culture. Unfortunately, Nujabes was killed in a traffic accident in 2010, but his atmospheric mixes of hip-hop and jazz are still celebrated to this day. 

    189 votes