The year 2022 delivered an extraordinary lineup of musical landscapes in Japanese animation, blending chaotic rock anthems, jazz-infused instrumentals, and viral pop hits. When tracking the cultural footprint left by shows like Chainsaw Man, Attack on Titan, and Bocchi the Rock!, the sheer production value of their scores stands tall. This breakdown examines the definitive musical scores and tracks that anchored the year, looking past superficial hit lists to see how these compositions elevated their respective narratives.
Major studios didn't just commission catchy tracks; they integrated audio design deeply into character arcs. Whether it's Kenshi Yonezu's manic energy or the nuanced orchestral movements of returning franchise composers, 2022 set a high bar for television scoring. Let's look at the tracks and compositional choices that made this year unforgettable.
The Heavyweights: Blockbuster Openings That Dominated
Big-budget adaptations brought massive musical talent to the forefront, resulting in opening themes that became global phenomena almost overnight.
Chainsaw Man and the Era of Genre-Blending Openings
Studio MAPPA took a bold approach with Chainsaw Man, utilizing a different ending theme for every single episode alongside an iconic opening.
- "Kick Back" by Kenshi Yonezu: Serving as the primary opening, this track fuses high-tempo j-rock with chaotic electronic stabs and internet-culture meme references. It mirrors Denji's erratic, hyperactive mindset.
- "First Death" by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure: Featured as an ending theme, TK brought his signature piercing falsetto and frantic guitar work, capturing the visceral dread and sudden violence of public safety devil hunters.
Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2
The apocalyptic tone of the final confrontations required an uncompromising sonic backdrop.
- "The Rumbling" by SiM: This metalcore track became an anthem for the series' bleak narrative turns. Its brutal breakdowns and clean melodic choruses encapsulated the march of the Colossal Titans, earning tens of millions of streams within weeks of launch.
Character-Driven Soundtracks and Indie Rock Breakthroughs
While action sequences demanded high adrenaline, slice-of-life and psychological dramas relied on intimate, character-driven instrumentation to forge emotional connections.
Bocchi the Rock! and Kessoku Band's Garage Energy
Bocchi the Rock!'s fictional band, Kessoku Band, released tracks that functioned both as narrative milestones and genuine alternative rock hits on Japanese charts.
- "Seishun Complex": The opening theme balances anxious, stuttering verse structures with euphoric, driving chorus lines. It captures social anxiety and the raw thrill of playing live instruments in a cramped basement venue.
Mob Psycho 100 III
- "1" by Mob Choir: Continuing the tradition of mathematical and psychological progression from previous seasons, Mob Choir delivered another deeply heroic, brass-heavy track that celebrated Mob's emotional growth and self-acceptance.
Cinematic Soundscapes and Feature Film Melodies
Film scores released in 2022 expanded the boundaries of what anime features could sound like, mixing traditional orchestration with modern vocal performances.
One Piece Film: Red
Ado's vocal performances for the character Uta transformed the film into a sprawling musical event. Tracks like "New Genesis" and "Tot Musica" fused theatrical pop with dark, heavy synth-bass lines, dominating music charts globally.
Suzume
RADWIMPS returned alongside vocalist Toaka to score Makoto Shinkai’s fantasy drama. The title track "Suzume" relies on acoustic warmth and sweeping string arrangements to evoke themes of memory, loss, and movement across post-disaster landscapes.
Common Pitfalls in Evaluating Anime OSTs
When listeners and critics analyze yearly anime music, a few common mistakes often distort the conversation:
- Conflating visual popularity with musical depth: Just because an anime is popular doesn't automatically mean its background score is compositionally complex. It's vital to separate the animation quality from the underlying audio engineering.
- Ignoring background tracks (BGM): Many fans focus exclusively on openings and endings while ignoring the situational background tracks composed by artists like Hiroyuki Sawano, Yuki Kajiura, or Kensuke Ushio, which do the heavy lifting during narrative climaxes.
- Overlooking instrumental mixing: A great melody can be ruined by poor mastering. Evaluating an OST requires listening to how instruments are separated in the soundstage, particularly during dense battle scenes.
You can explore comprehensive databases like VGMdb to track composer credits and release details for these specific albums. For official streaming availability and artist profiles, platforms like Spotify host expansive seasonal anime playlists curated by distributors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which 2022 anime opening song received the most streams globally?
Kenshi Yonezu's "Kick Back" (Chainsaw Man) dominated international streaming charts, surpassing hundreds of millions of plays within months of its release due to its viral music video and high-energy composition.
Why did Chainsaw Man feature a unique ending theme every week?
Studio MAPPA wanted each episode to feel like its own distinct cinematic chapter, matching the specific mood of the narrative arc covered in that episode by hiring different artists for endings ranging from punk rock to smooth jazz.
Where can I listen to background instrumental scores from 2022 anime?
Most background soundtracks (BGM) are released as separate digital albums shortly after a season concludes, available on major streaming platforms under the respective composer's name or the anime's official soundtrack label.
How do anime studios choose their opening and ending artists?
Producers typically collaborate with record labels, music publishers, and the anime's directors to match the thematic tone of the source material with an artist whose current musical style fits the target demographic.
