The Heisei Anime Song Grand Prix

The winners of the Heisei Anisong Taisho 平成アニソン大賞 (Heisei Anime Song Grand Prix), an award to decide on the best anime songs of the Heisei Era spanning the last three decades, were announced to much fanfare in Japan on March 1st, 2019. In addition to the Best Song award, anime songs were selected to receive one of the following eleven awards: Popularity Award, Song Lyrics Award, Composition Award, Arrangement Award, Voice Actor/Actress Song Award, Character Song Award, Artist Song Award, Planning Award, Movie Theme Song Award, Special Prize, and Audience Choice Award.


Heisei Anisong Taisho Mixed by DJ Kazu

While opinions may vary and not everyone's favorites made the cut, there are surely songs within the candidates selected for awards which anime fans and anime song fans will agree deserve recognition and constitute some of the best of the past thirty years.

To commemorate this occasion at the end of the Heisei Era, virtuoso disc jockey DJ Kazu has put together an epic mix of 43 tracks inspired by the candidates presented in the award that will please both seasoned anime song aficionados and those who are looking for an introduction to the anime song genre.

(cover art by Masayoshi Tanaka 田中将賀, character designer for Makoto Shinkai's Your Name and the upcoming Weathering With You)


Here is the complete list of tracks included in his DJ mix (in Japanese, followed by English):

Track List

  • 1. どうぶつビスケッツ×PPP 「ようこそジャパリパークへ」 <TVアニメ『けものフレンズ』OPテーマ> Doubutsu Biscuits x PPP "Yokoso Japari Park E," opening theme for TV anime Kemono Friends
  • 2. 七森中☆ごらく部 「ゆりゆららららゆるゆり大事件」 <TVアニメ『ゆるゆり』OPテーマ> Nanamori chu Goraku-bu "Yuri Yura Rarara Yuru Yuri Daijiken," opening theme for TV anime Yuru Yuri
  • 3. 765PRO ALLSTARS 「READY!!(M@STER VERSION)」 <TVアニメ『アイドルマスター』OPテーマ> 765PRO ALLSTARS "READY!! (M@STER VERSION)," opening theme for TV anime The Idolmaster
  • 4. ClariS 「コネクト」 <TVアニメ『魔法少女まどか☆マギカ』OPテーマ> Claris "Connect," opening theme for TV anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica
  • 5. μ’s 「Snow halation」 <TVアニメ『ラブライブ!』 挿入歌> μ’s, "Snow halation," insert song in TV anime LoveLive!: School Idol Project
  • 6. Girls Dead Monster 「Crow Song」 <TVアニメ『Angel Beats!』挿入歌> Girls Dead Monster "Crow Song," insert song in TV anime Angel Beats!
  • 7. 中川翔子 「空色デイズ」 <TVアニメ『天元突破グレンラガン』OPテーマ> Shoko Nakagawa "Sorairo Days," opening theme for TV anime Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
  • 8. 千綿ヒデノリ 「カサブタ」 <TVアニメ『金色のガッシュベル!!』OPテーマ> Hidenori Chiwata "Kasabuta," opening theme for TV anime Zatch Bell!
  • 9. きただにひろし 「ウィーアー!」 <TVアニメ『ONE PIECE』OPテーマ> Hiroshi Kitadani "We Are!," opening theme for TV anime One Piece
  • 10. 和田光司 「Butter-Fly」 <TVアニメ『デジモンアドベンチャー』OPテーマ> Koji Wada "Butter-Fly," opening theme for TV anime Digimon Adventures
  • 11. 篠原ともえ 「ウルトラリラックス」 <TVアニメ『こどものおもちゃ』OPテーマ> Tomoe Shinohara "Ultra Relax," opening theme for TV anime Kodomo no Omocha
  • 12. JUDY AND MARY 「そばかす」 <TVアニメ『るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚-』OPテーマ> JUDY AND MARY "Sobakasu," opening theme for TV anime Ruroni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story
  • 13. ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION 「リライト」 <TVアニメ『鋼の錬金術師』OPテーマ> ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION "Rewrite," opening theme for TV anime Full Metal Alchemist
  • 14. 川田まみ 「JOINT」 <TVアニメ『灼眼のシャナII』前期OPテーマ> Mami Kawada "JOINT," opening theme for TV anime Shakugan no Shana, Season 2, 1st half
  • 15. 内田真礼 「ギミー!レボリューション」 <TVアニメ『俺、ツインテールになります。』OPテーマ> Maaya Uchida "Gimme! Revolution," opening theme for TV anime Gonna be the Twin-Tail!!
  • 16. 戸松 遥 「Q&A リサイタル!」 <TVアニメ『となりの怪物くん』OPテーマ> Haruka Tomatsu "Q&A Recital," opening theme for TV anime My Little Monster
  • 17. 765PRO ALLSTARS 「M@STERPIECE」 <劇場版『THE IDOLM@STER MOVIE 輝きの向こう側へ!』主題歌> 765PRO ALLSTARS "M@STERPIECE," theme song for animated film The Idolmaster Movie: Beyond the Brilliant Future!
  • 18. FLOW 「DAYS」 <TVアニメ『交響詩篇エウレカセブン』OPテーマ> FLOW "DAYS," opening theme for TV anime Psalms of Planets Eureka seveN
  • 19. 藍井エイル 「MEMORIA」 <TVアニメ『Fate/Zero』EDテーマ> Eir Aoi "MEMORIA," ending theme for TV anime Fate/Zero
  • 20. KOTOKO 「Shooting Star」 <TVアニメ『おねがい☆ティーチャー』OPテーマ> KOTOKO "Shooting Star," opening theme for TV anime Please Teacher!
  • 21. Lia 「鳥の詩」 <TVアニメ『AIR』OPテーマ> Lia "Bird's Song," opening theme for TV anime AIR
  • 22. 茶太 「だんご大家族」 <TVアニメ『CLANNAD -クラナド-』EDテーマ> Chata "Dango Daikazoku," ending theme for TV anime Clannad
  • 23. 田村直美 「ゆずれない願い」 <TVアニメ『魔法騎士レイアース』OPテーマ> Naomi Tamura "Yuzurenai Negai," opening theme for TV anime Magic Knight Rayearth
  • 24. DALI 「ムーンライト伝説(TVサイズ)」 <TVアニメ『美少女戦士セーラームーン』OPテーマ> DALI "Moonlight Densetsu" (TV size), opening theme for TV anime Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
  • 25. 篠原涼子 with t.komuro 「恋しさと せつなさと 心強さと」 <映画『ストリートファイターII MOVIE』主題歌> Ryoko Shinohara with t.komuro "Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokorozuyosa to," theme song for animated film Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie
  • 26. GODDESS FAMILY CLUB 「My Heart 言い出せない、Your Heart 確かめたい」 <OVA『ああっ女神さまっ』OPテーマ> GODDESS FAMILY CLUB "My Heart Iidasenai, Your Heart Tashikametai" opening theme for original video animation Ah! My Goddess
  • 27. オーイシマサヨシ 「君じゃなきゃダメみたい」 <TVアニメ『月刊少女野崎くん』OPテーマ> Masayoshi Ōishi "Kimi ja Nakya Dame Mitai," opening theme for TV anime Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun
  • 28. わか・ふうり・すなお from STAR☆ANIS 「カレンダーガール」 <TVアニメ『アイカツ!』EDテーマ> Waka, Fūri, Sunao from STAR☆ANIS "Calendar Girl," ending theme for TV anime Aikatsu!
  • 29. fhána 「青空のラプソディ」 <TVアニメ『小林さんちのメイドラゴン』OPテーマ> fhána "Aozora no Rhapsody," opening theme from TV anime Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
  • 30. TrySail 「adrenaline!!!」 <TVアニメ『エロマンガ先生』EDテーマ> TrySail "adrenaline!!!," ending theme for TV anime Eromanga Sensei
  • 31. Petit Rabbit's 「Daydream café」 <TVアニメ『ご注文はうさぎですか?』OPテーマ> Petit Rabbit's "Daydream café," opening theme for TV anime Is the Order a Rabbit?
  • 32. 泉こなた(CV.平野 綾)、柊かがみ(CV.加藤英美里)、柊つかさ(CV.福原香織)、高良みゆき(CV.遠藤 綾) 「もってけ! セーラーふく」 <TVアニメ『らき☆すた』OPテーマ> Konata Izumi (VA. Aya Hirano), Kagami Hiiragi (VA. Emiri Katō), Tsukasa Hiiragi (VA. Kaori Fukuhara), Miyuki Takara (VA. Aya Endo) "Motteke! Sailor Fuku!," opening theme for TV anime Lucky Star
  • 33. 涼宮ハルヒ(CV.平野 綾) 「God knows...」 <TVアニメ『涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱』挿入歌> Haruhi Suzumiya (VA. Aya Hirano) "God knows...," insert song in TV anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
  • 34. MAHO堂 「おジャ魔女カーニバル!!」 <TVアニメ『おジャ魔女どれみ』OPテーマ> MAHO-Do "Ojamajo Carnival!!," opening theme for TV anime Ojamajo Doremi
  • 35. 後ろから這いより隊G 「太陽曰く燃えよカオス <TVアニメ『這いよれ! ニャル子さん』OPテーマ> Ushirokara Haiyoritai G "Taiyo Iwaku Moeyo Chaos," opening theme for TV anime Haiyore! Nyaruko-san
  • 36. fripSide 「only my railgun」 <TVアニメ『とある科学の超電磁砲』OPテーマ> fripSide "only my railgun," opening theme for TV anime A Certain Scientific Railgun
  • 37. T.M.Revolution 「INVOKE -インヴォーク-」 <TVアニメ『機動戦士ガンダムSEED』第1期OPテーマ> T.M.Revolution "Invoke," opening theme for TV anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Season 1
  • 38. m.o.v.e 「Gamble Rumble」 <映画『頭文字D Third Stage』OPテーマ> m.o.v.e "Gamble Rumble," opening theme for animated film Initial D: Stage 3: The Movie
  • 39. T.M.Revolution×水樹奈々 「Preserved Roses」 <TVアニメ『革命機ヴァルヴレイヴ』1stOPテーマ> T.M.Revolution x Nana Mizuki "Preserved Roses," first opening theme for TV anime Valvrave the Liberator
  • 40. EGOIST 「名前のない怪物」 <TVアニメ『PSYCHO-PASS』EDテーマ> EGOIST "Namae no Nai Kaibutsu," ending theme for TV anime PSYCHO-PASS
  • 41. supercell 「君の知らない物語」 <TVアニメ『化物語』EDテーマ> supercell "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari," ending theme for TV anime Bakemonogatari
  • 42. LiSA "Catch the Moment," theme song for animated film Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale
  • 43. メロキュア 「Agapē」 <TVアニメ『円盤皇女ワるきゅーレ』劇中歌> Melocure "Agapē," background music for TV anime UFO Ultramaiden Valkryie

This commercial will give you a brief sample of what to expect:

How to buy

If you'd like to buy one, "Heisei Anisong Taisho Mixed by DJ Kazu" goes on sale today, April 3rd, 2019 for 2,400 JPY and can be purchased online here


Panel of Judges

Here are the judges who were tasked with choosing the best anime songs of the Heisei Era:

Music producer Akihiro Tomita 冨田明宏

Twitter: @tomitaakihiro


Nippon broadcasting announcer Hisanori Yoshida 吉田尚記

Twitter: @yoshidahisanori


Animelo concert producer Koji Saito 齋藤光二


Anime song disc jockey DJ Kazu DJ和


Anime writer MaeQ 前田 久

Twitter: @maeQ


Animate’s Masaharu Matsubara 松原正泰

Official Website: Animate, Ltd.

L to R: Tomita, Matsubara, Maeda, Yoshida, DJ Kazu, Saito | © PR Times, Inc.


By - Ben K.