2025 blessed us with a whole slew of amazing anime theme songs that set our hearts racing. With every new anime that aired, the songs that colored their worlds became unforgettable memories etched into our minds. These tracks, resonating with the stories and stirring our emotions, hold a special place for fans.
The Anime! Anime! editorial team has made a selection of our favorite theme songs from this year! Each writer and editor picks their personal top song of 2025. That song we listened to hundreds of times, that melody we heard on repeat at the theater. We introduce them here, filled with our burning, passionate feelings!
Kenshi Yonezu “BOW AND ARROW” / ‘Medalist’
Among 2025’s theme songs, Kenshi Yonezu’s “BOW AND ARROW” stood out with exceptional presence. The backstory alone is incredible—Yonezu himself fell in love with the ‘Medalist’ manga source material, and production began with a reverse offer from him! That passion forms the core of the song, and the way it expresses the emotions of someone taking on a challenge, the resolve and tension of that moment before stepping onto the ice, through the metaphor of a “bow and arrow” is also brilliant. The accelerating sense from the sparkling intro leading into the chorus feels like it’s syncing with the characters’ breaths as they stand on the rink. It’s a song that feels like it directly translates the story’s expression into music. All of Yonezu’s anime themes are high-quality and I love them, but this track, where his deep understanding and love for ‘Medalist’ took such direct form, feels to me like a definitive anime theme song representing 2025. (R・K)
Aimer “Taiyou ga Noboranai Sekai” (A World Where the Sun Doesn’t Rise) / ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie – Infinite Castle Arc Part 1: The Return of Akaza’
If we’re talking about the most talked-about movie of 2025, it’s got to be ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie – Infinite Castle Arc’. This work broke the record of its predecessor, which had been a historic box office hit, becoming a mega-hit with worldwide box office revenue exceeding 100 billion yen. The song that plays over the opening of this blockbuster is “Taiyou ga Noboranai Sekai”. As this song plays, combat scenes for each of the Demon Slayer Corps characters who have fallen into the Infinite Castle are shown. I think many people were instantly pulled into the movie’s worldview during this sequence. Aimer’s signature voice, combining a husky quality with strength, deeply overlaps with the work’s theme of “having to keep moving forward even in a world where the sun doesn’t rise (inside the Infinite Castle)”, gripping your heart. Among this year’s anime songs, it’s a masterpiece that leaves a strong memory both for its connection to the work and its musicality. (K)
HoneyWorks feat. Hakoniwalily “Shitsumon, Koi tte Nandeshou ka?” (A Question, What is Love?) / ‘Can Men and Women Ever Be Just Friends? (No, They Can’t!!)’
It’s just so catchy! That sums it up. The rhythm of the chorus is so good, during the spring anime season I found myself hitting repeat over and over, completely obsessed. In the OP video too, there’s a scene where the heroines, Himari Inuzuka and Rinne Enomoto, dance to the memorable chorus. The combination of the song and visuals doubles the addictive quality. The rich expressions on the two girls’ faces while dancing are charming, and the look they give during the “No no to kisses” part is a must-see. Also, it’s great how the song’s lyrics are tightly linked to the story’s content. True to the theme “Can men and women ever be just friends?”, the lyrics carefully weave in the way the relationships between the three characters waver and the story progresses, deepening the story’s aftertaste the more you listen. (Freedom Yamanaka)
Spira Spica “Ao to Kirameki” (Blue and Sparkle) / ‘My Dress-Up Darling’ Season 2
Because “Sansan Days” was such a defining song for season one, expectations for the season two OP were huge. “Ao to Kirameki” lives up to that legacy while delivering a new, youthful flutter of excitement. The light melody, layered with body-swaying claps and chorus, has a sparkling feel that just listening makes your chest feel bright and floaty. Plus, the way the credits blend into the background in the OP video design is super cute! Marin-chan, who changes into one cosplay after another during the chorus as she runs through her youth, is just adorable. The moment the refreshing sound and the visuals overflowing with love for the series combine, your heart just goes “This is it…!” and races. (H)
Sui-chan Hoshimachi “Mou Dou Nattemo Iiya” (Whatever Happens Now is Fine) / ‘Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (Ziege Axe)’
“An ED video whose impression changes drastically depending on how many episodes you’ve seen”. That’s the ED theme “Mou Dou Nattemo Iiya” sung by hololive’s Sui-chan Hoshimachi for ‘Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’ (hereafter “Ziege Axe”). After just one episode, the sweet moments seem charming. After they part ways, you wonder, “Was that video just a fantasy?” And by the final episode, you think “Actually, this relationship is good!” and then notice the common points with the epilogue video and are even more surprised. That the same song and video can be perceived so differently is proof of excellent direction. Sui-chan’s singing voice also has a pleasant quality that makes you think, “As expected from the songstress who fulfilled her dream of a Budokan live!” The sound in the second chorus, which isn’t in the broadcast version, changes completely, just like Ziege Axe’s story developments, and pulls you in. Personally, I love the chorus part. Especially the chorus at “majiriau hoshi ni omoi hasete” (letting my thoughts run to the mingling stars) feels so good. Sui-chan herself watched the main story live without knowing anything beforehand, and her reactions on X after watching, her thoughts when watching series entries on her own, and her live reactions to watching ‘Ziege Axe’ were interesting. Getting that sense of “enjoying it together” made for a fun 12-episode run. (Writer: Kagesawa Masashi)
Kenshi Yonezu “Plazma” / ‘Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (Ziege Axe)’
What phrase was running through my head all year? “Tobidashite ike uchuu no kanata” (Fly out to the far reaches of space)!! Before the broadcast, we theorized about the lyrics referencing “Z Gundam”, found little Easter eggs like the Red Comet scattered in the MV… It was a song with so many tasty details. The sense of speed in the OP video is also the best! (Yahata Wachiwa)
QUARTET NIGHT “TABOO NIGHT XXXX” / ‘Uta no Prince-sama Movie: TABOO NIGHT XXXX’
Had there ever been a year in my life so showered with “Kisses”? In the main theme “TABOO NIGHT XXXX” for the ‘Uta no Prince-sama Movie: TABOO NIGHT XXXX’, the lyrics are packed to the brim with “Kiss”. In this film, fully animated in concert style, the four-member group “QUARTET NIGHT” performs this song, but the choreography also uses all sorts of motions that remind you of a “Kiss”… Furthermore, true to idol content songs, there are talking parts directed at the viewer, and there too, a rain of “Kisses” pours down. And each of the four has a “Kiss” invitation line tailored to their personality. “Ah, so there are this many kinds of ‘Kisses’ in the world. I’ve been showered with a lifetime’s worth of ‘Kisses’.” That’s how I felt in 2025. Here’s to meeting wonderful “Kisses” next year too. (Minami)
Wednesday Campanella “Summertime Ghost” / ‘Kowloon Generic Romance’
My top anime song of the year, which also became my summer song: “Summertime Ghost”. The lyrics feature many words related to the work and describing the scenery of Kowloon. As I watched more of the anime, they linked with the story developments and characters’ feelings, letting me enjoy the song with a fresh sense of “Ah, so that’s what it meant!” again and again. Also, the sound feels somewhat retro and nostalgic, yet also near-futuristic, fitting the work’s worldview perfectly. Every time I listen, it makes me conscious of “moments that won’t come back” and leaves me feeling somehow sad. This song, with its nostalgic, fleeting summer atmosphere, is one I’ll want to listen to next summer too, and whenever I hear it, I’ll miss Kowloon and end up rewatching the anime. (T)
Tatsuya Kitani “Manazashi wa Hikari” (Your Gaze is Light) / ‘Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku’ (which can be translated as ‘The Fragrant Flower Blooms in Dignity’)
Tatsuya Kitani-san was already highly regarded for youth songs like “Ao no Sumika”, but “Manazashi wa Hikari” is a song that updates those expectations, encapsulating the “ultimate feeling” of first love. Just like the work ‘Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku’, it delicately depicts the sensation of the world coloring the moment you see the other person’s smile or the instant your fingers touch. The distance that makes your chest tighten and the feelings quietly turning into conviction are expressed beautifully. The line “Kimi ga warau dake de naze konna ni mo kako no jibun ga hodoka reru no darou” (Why does just you smiling unravel my past self so much?) is exactly the sentiment of Rintarou after meeting Kaoruko, and lyrics linked to the work are a deeply moving point. The transparent heat and brilliance unique to first love come straight through, and listening gives you a feeling like your heart is being cleansed!! (H)
h2>aiko “skirt” / ‘Apocalypse Hotel’
I distinctly remember being shocked in the second episode when it first played: the sudden dissonant chords, the vocals that seem unsteady yet firmly grounded… “What is this?”. And as episodes 3 and 4 progressed, I started to feel that this song and ‘Apocalypse Hotel’, while telling completely different stories, were deeply sharing something even more fundamental than the story or worldview. The complexity and depth that pleasantly betray catchy preconceptions, the chorus where the brighter it sounds the more the sadness and pain ironically accumulate, the promise of “See you later” given to someone you’ll likely never meet again. Ah~ by the time we reached the final episode, just seeing the heroine, Yachiyo-chan, spinning and dancing was enough to make the bridge of my nose sting… (Writer: Maruta Kayoko)
BE:FIRST “Stare In Wonder” / ‘Wonder Dance’
BE:FIRST, who have been increasing their presence in the music scene. To finally be chosen for the theme song of an anime about dance, their very weapon. The sound and choreography, packed to the max with the HIP HOP that flows through their roots, expresses the essence of dance depicted in ‘Wonder Dance’: “the joy of hearing a sound, feeling it, and expressing yourself according to the music”. What was particularly brilliant was episode 3. It starts with an explanation of the afterbeat by the dance club president, On Miyao, and then the OP “Stare In Wonder” starts playing. And then, what do you know, the “do-ka” heavy bass of the afterbeat explained just seconds before suddenly becomes audible. It’s a moment where your perception of both the afterbeat and “Stare In Wonder” skyrockets. There’s no better direction for making viewers intuitively understand what kind of sound the protagonist, Kabo, is hearing. It reliably excites even viewers unfamiliar with dance. (Nagiyama)
Hitsujibungaku “Feel” / ‘Silent Witch: The Silent Witch’s Secret’
“Feel” is a song where, within its soft, ephemeral sound, a courage to move forward is gently lit. The protagonist, Monica, who looks down on herself and tries to keep her distance from others, meets precious friends and realizes she has feelings of “wanting to protect”. While holding onto the fear of stepping forward, she tries to take on the challenge—Her state of mind overlaps perfectly with “Feel”‘s faint yet powerful soundscape and lyrics, making you feel a little sad and tender when you listen. Also, the lyrics expressing Monica’s feelings about taking that “one step” can also be received as a quiet message to “a certain person” revealed later in the original work, making it fun to listen while deciphering the lyrics…! (H)
Uru “Platform” / ‘Eikyuu no Yuugure’ (which can be translated as ‘Eternal Twilight’)
This track, simultaneously containing both a sci-fi worldview and the universality of loving someone, quietly reflects the work itself. I came to watch this work through the song, but lyrics like “Ima, fusawashii hito ni naru tame” (To become a person worthy now) and “Ai no katachi wa ikura demo aru n da” (There are so many forms love can take) resonate as if affirming the relationship between Akira and Yuugure and the imperfections the characters carry. In the afterglow reminiscent of the characters’ calm vocal qualities, the phrase “Kimi ni mo nakitakunaru toki ga aru darou” (There must be times you feel like crying too) stays in your heart. It’s a theme song about eternal love that isn’t pushy, like the gentle shimmer of twilight light on the water’s surface. (I)
Dotsuitare Honpo “Shoumon Raifuku” (Laughing Invites Fortune) / Movie ‘Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-‘
My top song of the year is “Shoumon Raifuku” from the HypMic movie. It’s sung by the Osaka-based team “Dotsuitare Honpo”, with the music provided by Creepy Nuts for the first time since their debut song. The sound, filled with a different kind of “Osaka-ness” from their previous “Aa Osaka dreamin’ night”, combined with lyrics as pleasant to the ear as a manzai comedy routine, is lively and fun. This track, where three seemingly mismatched people—two former comedy duo partners who split up and a con artist 20 years their senior—challenge a final rap battle, has an “unity” unlike anything before. However, since the movie’s route changes based on audience votes, if they lose the battle, you can’t hear it. I wonder, out of the 50 times I went to see it, how many times did I actually get to hear “Shoumon Raifuku”? (Suicide Momo)
So, what was your “oshi-katsu song” (song for supporting your favorite)? Looking back on 2025’s anime theme songs, think back on your favorite track. Through this year’s anime music, let’s build up our expectations for 2026!
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