Five legendary anime series with great music
What's the story
Music transcends boundaries. If you love a song, you will always try and sing along, even if you can't understand the lyrics. This often happens with anime fans who do not understand Japanese. Anime music is phenomenal. It ranges from J-pop to Hip-Hop and from rousing drums to bittersweet flutes and guitars. Read on to know about the series with great music.
Hip-Hop
Samurai Champloo: Feudal Japan meets modern day Hip-Hop
Samurai Champloo's music combines the tunes of Feudal Japan with modern day Hip-Hop music, and the result is fascinating. Its story revolves around a woman searching for "the samurai who smells of sunflowers" and two mysterious warriors who accompany her. Each of its 26 episodes covers a distinct story and has some brilliant pieces of background music with a 'chill' lo-fi vibe.
Inspirational
Naruto: 700+ episode long journey that teaches you a lot
One of the most inspirational shows ever made in human history, Naruto has a substantial number of background tracks that range from electrifying battle tunes to raw, melancholic numbers. It is a long series having more than 700 episodes. The music is often repeated on multiple occasions but the best part is, you always want to listen more. Naruto is available on Netflix.
Global
Bleach: Music with flavors from around the world
First things first, Bleach is not perfect. It is long, repetitive, and can get boring at times. Music, however, is its redeeming factor and it is off the charts! A combination of Japanese music with Spanish, Mexican styles makes up for all the shortcomings. Available on Netflix, Bleach focuses on Shinigami (Death Gods) and a student, Ichigo, who gets involved in their world.
Sad
Clannad: This one can make even the strongest people cry
Considered one of the saddest shows ever, Clannad has the power to make even the strongest viewers cry. This coming-of-age story is full of love, beauty, humor, and some really heart-wrenching moments. Although the entire soundtrack is great, two tracks stand out the most: Town, flow of time, people and Roaring Tides. Since it's not on streaming platforms, finding this series can be tricky.
Masterpiece
Cowboy Bebop: Legendary anime with an equally legendary music score
Cowboy Bebop is a charming classic. Both in terms of story and music, it is nothing short of a masterpiece. The legendary Jazz-laden score experiments with other genres including blues, funk, hard rock, hip-hop and country. It is one of the few shows where music is an important character in itself. Noteworthy tracks include Blue, Live in Baghdad, and Tank!.