Cocomuyo

Anime music in 2025 refused to stay in one lane. From arena-ready tracks backing major releases to unexpected opening themes that sent viewers digging through old discographies, it was a year full of surprises. A new wave of artists also stepped into the spotlight, landing their first big anime collaborations along the way.

Even as Japan’s music industry looks for ways to move beyond anime tie-ins, anime remains the most reliable gateway to global audiences. Spanning anxious alt-pop, Showa-era idol disco, and full-throttle metalcore, here are Cocomuyo’s Top 10 Anime Songs of 2025.

1-) ‘saikai’ – Vaundy | The Summer Hikaru Died opening

Written, composed, and arranged entirely by Vaundy, “saikai” thrives on discomfort. The track’s restless energy fits neatly into the series’ rural romance-that-slips-into-horror mood, pulling you in before you quite realize what’s happening. Released digitally on July 13, its bright, youthful rock hook glides over the show’s sleepy summer visuals, while the verses quietly tighten the knot of unease underneath.

2-) ‘Summer Time Ghost’ – WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA | Kowloon Generic Romance opening

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA’s “Summer Time Ghost” taps into retro-futurist pop and early-2000s club DNA, perfectly matching the sticky, overheated feel of Jun Mayuzuki’s sci-fi romance. Written by Kenmochi Hidefumi during a brutally humid Tokyo summer and influenced by visuals from a recent Hong Kong trip, the song’s foggy synths, laid-back grooves, and Utaha’s rapid-fire delivery make it one of 2025’s easiest anime openings to sink into.

3-) ‘CASANOVA POSSE’ – ALI | Dr. STONE: Science Future opening

Opening the first cour of Dr. STONE’s final season, “CASANOVA POSSE” pairs punchy funk rhythms with bold horn lines to score Senku and the Kingdom of Science’s leap toward North America. Mixing rock attitude with big-band flair, the track sets the tone for the series’ most ambitious journey yet.

In line with ALI’s multinational makeup, the band has called the song a “jazz trip around the world”—and that sense of movement and fun helps make it one of the most energetic and replayable anime openings of 2025.

4-) ‘INERTIA’ – SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:Rei | TO BE HERO X opening

Long associated with sweeping orchestral scores for some of the biggest anime of the past twenty years, Hiroyuki Sawano takes a sharp left turn with “INERTIA.” Released under his SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] banner, the track leans hard into EDM and fits neatly into TO BE HERO X’s tightly controlled idea of heroism—one where strength is measured by public approval, not moral virtue.

Carried by Newspeak vocalist Rei’s English-language performance and paired with visuals that shift freely between animation styles, the opening wastes no time pulling viewers in. After the mixed response to the previous installment, it feels like a darker, more confident reset for the franchise.

5-) ‘HUGs’ – Paledusk | GACHIAKUTA opening

For their first anime tie-in, Paledusk didn’t hold back. Written at the personal request of GACHIAKUTA creators Kei Urana and Hideyoshi Andou, “HUGs” was shaped specifically for the series’ twisted scrap-heap setting and its no-compromise, revenge-driven worldview.

With lyrics handled by vocalist KAITO and the music driven by guitarist DAIDAI, the track is pure Paledusk—chaotic, twitchy, and collision-heavy metalcore that refuses to sand down its edges for anime. Released on July 28 as the band’s major-label debut, it distills years of underground experience into a soundtrack for characters already written off by society.

6-)‘Happy Lucky Chappy’ – ano | Takopi’s Original Sin opening

The emotional whiplash between the bright, childlike charm of ano’s “Happy Lucky Chappy” and the crushing subject matter of Takopi’s Original Sin is easily one of 2025’s biggest curveballs. Its bouncy pop backing and lyrics touching on abandonment and the quiet desperation of asking for help do little to prepare you for how hard this six-episode series eventually hits.

Written with middle-school emotions front of mind, ano framed the song as a small act of comfort for people who find it hard to say they’re hurting. Later included on her 2025 album BONE BORN BOMB, it’s music that offers warmth while fully acknowledging that warmth alone might not be enough—and that honesty is exactly what makes it land.

7-) ‘Carmine’ – ELLEGARDEN | ONE PIECE opening 28

For a band with ELLEGARDEN’s history, it feels almost strange that “CARMINE” is their first anime tie-in. Used as ONE PIECE’s 28th opening, the song pulls back from the series’ usual over-the-top energy and locks into a tighter, guitar-driven J-rock groove that fits the darker tone of the Egghead arc surprisingly well.

Written by frontman and lifelong ONE PIECE fan Takeshi Hosomi—who reportedly accepted the offer without hesitation (“If it’s for ONE PIECE, I’d be happy to”)—the track is calm, assured, and self-aware. It’s the sound of a band that knows exactly who it is, doubling as an easy entry point into a deep catalogue and a refreshing tonal shift for the long-running series.

😎 ‘On The Way’ – AiNA THE END | DAN DA DAN Season 2 opening

AiNA THE END had a daunting act to follow after Creepy Nuts’ chart-dominating opening for DAN DA DAN’s first season. Co-written with producer Shin Sakiura, “On The Way” leans into restless electronic pop, built on quick-shifting arrangements and grounded by AiNA’s instantly recognisable husky vocals. The result mirrors the series’ constant swing between oddball comedy and all-out yokai-versus-alien chaos.

Built around the feeling of loving someone while running and fighting to protect what matters, the song’s momentum and sticky hooks help it stand on its own. Rather than chasing direct comparisons, it works as a confident handover—and another step in pushing AiNA further into the global spotlight.

9-) ‘Fly to the Galaxy!’ – Candies | Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express theme

Not every “best of 2025” list leaves room for a 1977 idol track, but Milky☆Subway’s use of Candies stands out as one of the year’s sharpest musical moves. Originally an album cut rather than a single, written at the trio’s peak just months before their sudden breakup, its disco-leaning groove and wide-eyed romantic line—“let’s run off through the galaxy”—slot perfectly into the indie CG short’s offbeat sci-fi world.

Even in brief bursts each episode, the song is enough to send curious listeners tumbling down the kayōkyoku rabbit hole. The series has since crossed 150 million views, giving the track an unexpected second life in 2025.

With no official single release to turn to, the best way in is through solo live footage of Ran Ito—Candies’ former center vocalist, who returned as a solo artist in 2019—performing the song on her Over the Moon concert tour.

10-) ‘IRIS OUT’ – Kenshi Yonezu | Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc theme

Easily the year’s biggest anison, Kenshi Yonezu’s “IRIS OUT” is packed with deliberate, almost obsessive detail. Pounding basslines, glitchy techno textures, and even ragtime-like flourishes all work in service of the Reze Arc’s emotional misfires and its uneasy blend of romance and violence.

Yonezu has said he wrote the song while fixated on Reze’s scenes, chasing the misunderstandings at the heart of the story and building the track around the idea of “lust.” That focus paid off in historic fashion: IRIS OUT became Japan’s fastest song to pass 100 million streams, held the No.1 spot for four straight weeks, and climbed to the Top 5 of the Billboard Global 200—the highest placement ever achieved by a Japanese-language song.

After already making history earlier in the year with “KICK BACK,” the first Japanese-language track to earn RIAA Platinum in the US, IRIS OUT feels like a stranger, more volatile evolution rather than a safe repeat. Bigger, sharper, and somehow more unhinged, it cements Yonezu’s run as one of 2025’s defining moments.