Anime That Introduced Me to Classical and Jazz Music
Anime is a dynamic, entertaining storytelling medium that can broaden your music horizon
From headbanging to Taking Back Sunday to fist-pumping to Tiesto waiting for the drop, I‘d say I have a diverse taste in music. But I never thought I’d get into jazz and classical music.
To me, they’ve always served as background music, and I never gave them a second thought. But two animated series introduced these timeless genres into my life — Your Lie in April and Cowboy Bebop.
Swinging the Doors Open to Jazz
Most people might be familiar with Cowboy Bebop — a story about a ragtag group of bounty hunters struggling to make a living by capturing criminals. It’s a big hit with the American audience in due part to its long-run on Adult Swim and its American-influenced themes.
What made Cowboy Bebop exceptional, besides the characters and story, is the captivating music. The jazz-fusion soundtrack by Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelts is legendary in their rights and pairs perfectly with the series.
It’s loud, bold, and packed with blues, bossa nova, metal, and jazz. I was so absorbed (more like addicted) in Cowboy Bebop that for months, I watched an episode every day and listened to its soundtrack religiously. Its signature soundtrack, Tank!, was more or less my morning coffee.
Credit: Yoko Kanno/The Seatbelts
But after a while, I wanted to explore the realm of jazz. So I googled the top jazz artists and found some of the greats like John Coltrane, Miles David, and Django Reinhardt. Song’s like Miles Davis’ Blue in Green and John Coltrane’s Naima without a doubt added more color to my sometimes grayscale life.
Venturing into the Classical Realm
Your Lie in April (about piano prodigy Kousei Arima struggling to find purpose again after losing his mother) is a compelling and tearjerking series revolving around classical music.
I first got into this story through its manga. Binging it in two days was well worth it, but I had trouble playing the classical songs in my head. Only when I jumped into the anime series did the story lift itself to a whole new level with its original soundtrack and classical covers. I was so emotionally invested in its music that still to this day, listening to some of the tracks fills my body with the feels.
My absolute favorite is Ballade №1 in G Minor, OP 23 by Chopin. This video beautifully captures the focal point of the series with one song.
**SPOILER ALERT** for those who haven’t read or seen the series.
Credit: Your Lie in April/Kodansha
Like jazz, I explored famous classical artists and invested a fair amount of time listening to legends like Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart. Though I don’t know how to play any instruments (except guitar in high school to woo the girls), I learned to appreciate the beauty behind classical music and all its intricacies.
The point behind all this is that anime and manga are fantastic at introducing music. If I had never gotten into these series, I wouldn’t have known of Miles Davis or Chopin.
But I’m glad I did. I love manga and anime to the core. From J-pop to rock to classical and jazz, anime music merely is infatuating. And I’m grateful.
Did any comics or anime introduce you to something new? Leave a comment and share your experience.
