Good day dear readers and welcome to another musical celebration here on Shoot the Rookie! This week I’ll be setting up my jukebox once again to share a further five tracks from anime with you, so get your headphones on or your speakers turned up to eleven and let’s get rocking! Or something.
This is the second post in my new series, but if you missed the first one never fear as you can check it out right here! If you are new to this, the purpose of this series is to share some wonderful and diverse musical tracks that have featured in anime in the hope that you find some new favourite songs and maybe even some new anime to watch.
Again there is a wide variety of musical styles here, and I really hope that even my non-anime readers can find something to enjoy. This edition of the jukebox is kind of special as it features my favourite song from the whole of anime so I’m pretty excited to share it with you. But which one is it? Well you’ll just have to read on to find out!
Paradise by Fujifabric
Featured in Dr Stone
To start we have a track I’ve only heard a handful of times as it has only just popped up as the opening music for the start of the second season of Dr Stone. It has a really cool old-school vibe, and a nice slow groove. It is quite atmospheric, creating a feeling of world weariness combined with renewed hope, and although it is a bit more stripped back than some of the other songs I’ve featured it still gets into your head and I feel like the more I hear it the more I’ll love it.
Touch Off by UVERworld
Featured in The Promised Neverland
This is a really cool, heavy number with a good sprinkling of super catchy hooks and singalong “na na na na’s”. It has a dark vibe which fits really well with the show and this is highlighted in the live version I’ve linked to here which is full of heavy energy and has the audience absolutely crackling. I was very pleased but extremely surprised to discover that the band actually play with a saxophonist, although less pleased that they don’t have a guy dressed in a villain outfit saying the word “fire!” every 30 seconds. This is a really kick-ass track that quite often inspires me to hit the repeat button so definitely give it a listen.
Sassouto Hashiru Tonegawa Kun by Gesu no Kiwame Otome
Featured in Mr Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues
This is a real jazzy little indie number from one of my favourite shows which has excellent music all round. It has a kind of effortless cool vibe sprinkled with a wee bit of fun and playfulness which make it a really enjoyable listen. There is a certain knowing humour in the track which really comes through after you’ve watched a few episodes of the show and a quirkiness which makes it stand out amongst the masses of JPOP you encounter in anime. If you like it I’d recommend checking out the band’s album Sukinaratowanai which is a really interesting and varied listen.
Adamas by LiSA
Featured in Sword Art Online: Alicization
LiSA is a pretty well known name in the world of anime music but this is probably my favourite track by her. It is just so driving and fighty and probably the catchiest tune ever. LiSA has an incredible voice, up there with some of the best vocalists in the world right now, and she really gets to let loose on this track and just go for it. It is worth listening to the full length version (rather than the snippet included in the Sword Art opening), as it has a really cool section in the middle that you might almost call rap, which is not something I really expected from LiSA but nonetheless something she pulls off ridiculously well.
Nexus by Hiroyuki Sawano, Laco, mpi & Benjamin
Featured in Promare
Yes I kept you waiting until the end, but I can now reveal that this track is my favourite track from all of anime and one of my favourite tracks ever. It is poppy, driving, catchy and the lyrics are about as close to perfection as I can imagine. It fits with the film absolutely perfectly, both musically and lyrically, to the point that I feel the song itself provides new insight into the characters. It is a fighting song for sure but it is so uplifting and so joyous that it makes you feel amazing every time you listen to it and makes you think about how strong we could all be if we put our differences aside and joined forces. This version is a super cool stripped-down version recorded for the film’s anniversary and is well worth checking out even if you’re already familiar with the song. It’s almost impossible for me to put into words how much I love it, so you’d better just go and give it a listen – you never know, it might light up your day!
So there it is! The second instalment of my anime jukebox. But what did you make of today’s selections? Do any of them excite your ears as they do mine? Maybe you’ve got other favourite songs from anime that you could share with me? Let me know your thoughts below the line and make sure you join me next time as I share more random thoughts on video games and anime.
Thanks for reading (and listening),
Pix1001 x
Shoot the Rookie 
“Touch Off” has become my jam because of 約束のネバーランド The Promised Neverland, though the live video makes it seem much more exciting than when it’s used in the anime.
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