Japanese TV Special Ranks Top Anime Songs, as Chosen by Foreign Fans

Fans have been debating the greatest anime songs as long as anime has been around. Japanese TV regularly raises the topic for domestic fans, but every so often, Japan also presents the international perspective. On April 21, TV Asahi hosted a nearly three-hour special ranking favorite anime songs by non-Japanese and non-domestic anime fans.

Image via twitter.com

In a March 26 post about the special on TV Asahi’s Sōsenkyo X (formerly Twitter) account. the staff members revealed they had polled anime fans around the world on their favorite anime songs and would list the top 20. The TV Asahi homepage gave some more details, saying the program polled 1,740 people.

4月21日（日）よる6時～3時間SP‼️
外国人がガチで投票🗳️✨
世界🌍#アニソン総選挙開幕🤗‼️

日本が誇るアニメ✨
それに欠かせないアニソン🎶
外国人はどのアニソンが好きなのか💓
禁断ベスト20を大発表🥳㊙️
人気の秘密も徹底調査🕵🏻‍♂️

あなたの好きなアニソンも教えて下さい😊#爆笑問題 #ウエンツ瑛士

— 【テレビ朝日公式】アニメ好き外国人がガチで投票！世界アニソン総選挙21日（日）よる6時〜3時間SP (@sousenkyo6) March 26, 2024

Sunday, April 21 at 6:00 p.m.: a 3-hour special‼️
Foreigners seriously vote🗳️✨
World 🌍 #アニソン総選挙 [Anisong Ranking] begins🤗‼️

The pride of Japan, Anime✨
And the anime songs indispensable to it🎶
Which anime songs do foreigners love?💓
We expose the top 20 for the first time🥳㊙️
And a thorough investigation of the secret of their popularity🕵🏻

Please also tell me your favorite anime song😊

#爆笑問題 [Bakusho Mondai] #ウエンツ瑛士 [Eiji Wentz]

So then, what were the top 20 results? Thankfully, we don’t have to watch the program as the Sōsenkyo X/Twitter account listed them off:

20. “Guren no Yumiya” by Linked Horizon (Attack on Titan)
19. “Shinzo wo Sasageyo!” by Linked Horizon (Attack on Titan)
18. “Akuma no Ko” by Ai Higuchi (Attack on Titan)
17. “Tank! by SEATBELTS (Cowboy Bebop)
16. “Kaikai Kitan” by Eve (Jujutsu Kaisen)
15. “Silhouette” by KANA-BOON (Naruto Shippūden)
14. “Butterfly” by Kōji Wada (Digimon Adventure)
13. “Cha-la Head-cha-la” by Hironobu Kageyama (Dragon Ball Z)
12. “Gurenge” by LiSA (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)
11. “Samurai Heart (Some Like it Hot!!) by SPYAIR (Gintama)
10. “Ao no Sumika” by Tatsuya Kitani (Jujutsu Kaisen)
09. “Again” by YUI (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
08. “We Are!” by Hiroshi Kitadani (One Piece)
07. “SpecialZ” by King Gnu (Jujutsu Kaisen)
06. “Blue Bird” by Ikimono-gakari (Naruto Shippūden)
05. “Kick Back” by Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw Man)
04. “Unravel” by TK from Ling Toshite Sigure (Tokyo Ghoul)

Looking at the fourth to 20th spots, we see a lot of relatively modern series, with a strong showing from Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan. True, there are a handful of older series, but we get a sense the anime song rankings were swayed more by what is currently popular rather than songs etched into the collective memory of anime fans around the world.

Shockingly, this isn’t the case for two of the three podium finishers:

03. “Voltes V no Uta” by Mitsuko Horie (Voltes V)
02. “Idol” by YOASOBI (Oshi no Ko)
01. “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” by Yoko Takahashi (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

We don’t see several of what Japanese anime fans would consider staple anime songs, such as “Touch” by Yoshimi Iwaski (Touch), “Sekai ga Owaru Made wa” by Wands (Slam Dunk), and “Mezase Pokémon Master” by Rika Matsumoto (Pokémon). But that’s what makes these types of polls fascinating to look at.

Of course, listing off a top 20 list doesn’t really constitute three hours of programing — David Letterman’s Top Ten segment barely lasted two minutes. So, the program also aired interviews with international anime fans as well as live performances of some of the songs, making it a fun-filled three hours.

Unfortunately, the special isn’t available on any streaming service in Japan or abroad. So, watching the special will be difficult. But, it’s still possible to see the results and some comments on the Sōsenkyo X/Twitter account before they get buried by the next special’s poll. Many of the songs are available on audio streaming services as well. So, if you see a song you’re not familiar with, why not take a listen and maybe even fall down the rabbit hole of anime songs.

Sources: Sousenkyo website, Sousenkyo X/Twitter account (link 2), Comic Natalie

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