Top 20 Anime Series About Musicians and Musical Artists

1-20

Ignacio Weil

Entertainment - August 5th 2025, 22:00 GMT+2

Cropped Girls Band Cry 2024 — Girls Band Cry (2024)

You might expect a typical rising-band anime – but this series goes deeper. A high school dropout moves to Tokyo and unexpectedly finds four other girls each running from something – and running toward music. What follows is the creation of TOGENASHI TOGEARI, a band that bleeds emotion and plays as if their lives depend on it. The show nails the emotional weight of chasing dreams while healing from disappointment. Its visual style walks a fine line between sketchy realism and stage-ready flair, with live-concert scenes that feel like actual gigs. The music is raw and personal, not manufactured pop. Every episode builds toward emotional release, not just technical performance. You don’t just hear their songs – you feel why they need to play them. | © Toei Animation

Cropped Bocchi The Rock 2022 — Bocchi The Rock! (2022)

Social anxiety has never rocked so hard. Hitori Gotō dreams of band stardom but can barely form a sentence in public. Her escape? A guitar, a YouTube channel, and a string of awkwardly endearing steps toward forming a band. What could’ve been just slapstick turns out to be a surprisingly tender look at isolation, performance, and the slow process of connection. The show embraces absurd visual gags but balances them with grounded emotional truth. Bocchi doesn’t level up overnight – she stumbles, panics, sometimes freezes entirely. And somehow, that makes her music hit even harder. It’s hilarious, honest, and unexpectedly empowering. | © CloverWorks

Cropped Ya Boy Kongming 2022 — Ya Boy Kongming! (2022)

This one asks a completely reasonable question: what if Zhuge Kongming, the legendary tactician from the Three Kingdoms era, came back to life and became a music manager? The answer is delightfully weird and oddly inspiring. Kongming applies battlefield strategies to the chaotic world of modern pop music, guiding aspiring singer Eiko through club gigs, social media warfare, and music festivals like they're military campaigns. Each performance is a tactical win, every chorus a move on the board. The show embraces its absurd premise but anchors it with heartfelt character development and actual bangers. It’s smarter than it needs to be – and that’s what makes it sing. | © P.A. Works

Cropped Healer Girl 2022 — Healer Girl (2022)

Some anime treat music as expression – this one treats it as medicine. In a world where vocalists are trained to heal through song, three students and their mentor form the heart of a series that’s part musical, part medical drama, and entirely wholesome. Every episode includes full-length musical performances, often in response to emotional or physical ailments. It’s not about fame or concerts – it’s about empathy and growth. The world-building is soft but detailed, and the vocal harmonies are legit showstoppers. Somehow, it manages to feel both low-stakes and deeply moving. A warm blanket of a show, if your blanket had perfect pitch. | © Studio 3Hz

Cropped Love Live Superstar 2021 — Love Live! Superstar!! (2021)

At this point, the Love Live! universe is practically its own music genre. But *Superstar!!* still finds a way to hit different. Focusing on a brand-new cast at a brand-new school, it strips back some of the glitz to focus on personal dreams and group chemistry. Liella! isn’t about flashy success – they’re about figuring out who they are, both as performers and people. There’s drama, yes, but also charm in the mundane: missed notes, awkward rehearsals, and moments of quiet encouragement. The music is still top-tier, with each performance feeling like a character moment in itself. New story, same heartbeat. | © Bandai Namco Filmworks

Cropped Vivy Fluorite Eyes Song 2021 — Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song (2021)

Set a hundred years in the future, this sci-fi musical anime asks: can a singing AI change humanity’s destiny? Vivy begins as a programmed idol, but she quickly evolves into a time‑traveling savior – balancing cliff‑hangers, killer tunes, and existential drama. Each episode builds like a song: verse, chorus, and emotional drop, interwoven with live performances that feel cinematic. It's not just about hitting musical notes; it's about asking whether art and emotion can defeat cold calculus. The transformation arc is tightly written and surprising – even its visuals challenge the idea of what an anime concert can be. In short: it’s cerebral, thrilling, and humming with brace-yourself-for-tears crescendos. | © Wit Studio

Cropped Stop This Sound 2019 — Stop This Sound! (Kono Oto Tomare!) (2019)

Imagine joining a Koto club that only has one member – and you. *Stop This Sound!* (aka *Kono Oto Tomare!*) throws in a former delinquent with a broken instrument and builds from there: drama, dedication, and downright satisfying ensemble crescendos. The series balances classic club tropes with real tension – auditions, competitions, and character arcs that feel earned. It captures the tactile beauty of traditional Japanese string music and the competitive drive behind every chord. The friendships formed are as harmonious as the performances, and personal growth is measured in calloused fingers and shared practice sessions. Expect emotional solo turns and uplifting moments of group harmony. | © Platinum Vision

Cropped Carole Tuesday 2019 — Carole & Tuesday (2019)

On a terraformed Mars where AI-generated pop dominates, two earthly souls crash together: Carole, a keyboard pianist, and Tuesday, a runaway singer, team up to defy algorithmic music norms. *Carole & Tuesday* feels like space-age folk-rock crossed with a protest anthem. Watanabe’s direction ensures each episode feels like a musical documentary, complete with appearances from real artists. The voice‑acted songs aren’t just catchy – they’re cultural statements. Between the grit of street performances and the shine of televised shows, the story critiques artificial creation while elevating human collaboration. It’s hopeful, progressive, and layered with socio‑technological nuance. | © Bones

Cropped given 2019 — Given (2019)

Balancing grief and blossom, *Given* is both a tender love story and a sincere band drama. Four guys, one guitar, and music therapy: Haruki’s aloofness, Mafuyu’s trauma, and the band’s rise connect in intimate performances. Every song is more than just music – it’s memory, confession, and emotional breakthrough. The pacing allows relationships to breathe naturally, rehearsals to feel organic, and live stages to sting with vulnerability. Beyond the BL romance, it’s about how community and music heal. Even the silence between chords feels intentional. *Given* doesn’t rush – you feel every tension, every release. | © Lerche

Cropped sound euphonium 2015 — Sound! Euphonium (2015)

High school wind band doesn’t sound glamorous – until *Sound! Euphonium* shows you the sweat, score sheets, and subtle friendships hidden behind every horn. Kitauji Concert Band members chase musical perfection under strict peers and impatient seniors, with all the adolescent turmoil you'd expect. The animation captures breath-by-breath tension before performances, uniforms fluttering, bows tightening, and soloists shaking slightly. It’s a club drama unlike any other – emotional arcs unfold in sectionals and competition halls instead of battlefields. The soundtrack is orchestral, precise, occasionally heartbreaking. If you’ve ever been in a school band or felt invisible pressure to excel, this show resonates deep. | © Kyoto Animation

Cropped your lie in april 2014 — Your Lie in April (2014)

It’s the kind of series that begins with a piano key struck in silence – and ends with you sobbing into your headphones. *Your Lie in April* follows Kōsei Arima, a former prodigy who loses the ability to hear the piano after his mother's death, until a spirited violinist named Kaori changes everything. Music isn’t just background; it’s the emotional vocabulary of every moment. Complex themes like grief, identity, and revival are woven through every performance and dramatic pause. The character arcs feel earned – no shortcuts, just honest evolution set to classical melodies. Attention to detail in the musical animation and sound direction elevates it from romantic drama to auditory immersion. This is anime that doesn’t just tell you a story – it scores it. | © A‑1 Pictures

Cropped kids on the slope 2012 — Kids on the Slope (2012)

Set in the swing era of 1960s Japan, this series is bazooka jazz shot through coming-of-age tension. *Kids on the Slope* tracks the unlikely friendship between classical pianist Kaoru and jazz enthusiast Sentarō – two very different boys bound by music, growth, and hidden pain. The show isn’t afraid of conflict: love triangles, delinquent pasts, and family grief all play against blistering solos that map internal landscapes. Jazz-infused episodes feel organic, like live performances spilling off the screen. Director Shinichirō Watanabe harnesses emotional realism in character interaction and scene pacing, making every note count. It’s equal parts heartbreak and harmony, showing how music can reveal, unite, and heal. | © MAPPA

Cropped Symphogear 2012 — Symphogear (2012)

Imagine magical armor powered by singing – no joke. *Symphogear* drops you into a world where song is literal superweapon. When monsters called Noise attack, teenage idol-heroes don Symphogear armor powered by their vocals to defend humanity. It’s loud, unabashedly epic, and full of arena-style musical battles that feel like rock operas turned anime. Between vocal performances are serious stakes: loss, resilience, and the transformative power of song. The animation zeroes in on stage presence and motion, making every chorus feel war-level strategic. It’s high-concept, hyperactive, and, somehow, deeply efficient at marrying fantasy and music drama. | © Satelight

Cropped Sound of the Sky 2010 — Sound of the Sky (2010)

Not your typical music anime – but that’s what makes *Sound of the Sky* feel refreshingly original. A bugler named Kanata joins a makeshift platoon in a quiet frontier town and finds herself inspired by a mysterious trumpet’s rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Music here isn’t performance – it’s symbolic, setting tone and emotional resonance in a war-adjacent world. The pace is contemplative: band practice meets frontier peace, with small-town bonds interwoven through song. A‑1 Pictures balances military aesthetics with gentle fantasy, using wind instruments as metaphors for hope and communication. It’s subtle, atmospheric, and surprisingly musical in every breath. | © A‑1 Pictures

Cropped K On 2009 — K-On (2009)

This series turned caffeine-fueled high-school light music club life into an art form – and kept millions humming for years. *K-On!* follows four girls who form a band essentially as a formality, and end up brewing tea, sharing snacks, and performing school festivals together. It delights not in concert-level drama but in slice-of-life charm, with catchy pop tunes and pastel visuals that whisper “cozy” at every turn. Band chemistry matters more than techniques – friendship is the real melody. Kyoto Animation’s smooth direction highlights joy in simplicity and the unspoken emotional chords of everyday rituals. Maybe your life isn’t a stage, but this show will make you wish tea breaks came with guitar riffs. | © Kyoto Animation

Detroit metal city msn — Detroit Metal City (2008)

This series is what happens when someone takes one part shy pop-lover and one part demonic death-metal stage persona – and makes them literally the same person. Soichi Negishi dreams of Swedish pop, but by night transforms into Johannes Krauser II, the demonic frontman of Detroit Metal City. The contrast is absurd and brilliant, and the series thrives on it – from blistering concert parodies to cringe-worthy backstage moments. It satirizes the music business while celebrating the liberating power of performing loud. Animation studio Studio 4°C brings a crisp, dark-edged style that mirrors the music’s aggression. It’s equal parts parody, social commentary, and over-the-top musical catharsis. You can’t help but root for the guy who just wants to play gentle pop. | © Studio 4°C

Cropped Nodame Cantabile 2007 — Nodame Cantabile (2007)

Don’t let the classical setting fool you – *Nodame Cantabile* pulses with life, humor, and the unspoken bonds of music. Shinichi Chiaki is a perfectionist conductor-in-training; Megumi “Nodame” Noda is a free-spirited pianist whose style is messy, emotional – and transformative. As they navigate orchestral rehearsals, Europe-bound ambitions, and unvoiced feelings, the harmonies extend beyond instruments. The series balances slapstick comedy with deep classical appreciation, making symphonies feel personal. The chemistry between leads feels improvised yet perfectly scored. Animated by J.C. Staff in collaboration with Fuji TV, it’s an elegant blend of precision and heart. This series reminds you that classical music is anything but silent. | © J.C. Staff

Cropped Nerima Daikon Brothers 2006 — Nerima Daikon Brothers (2006)

You know something’s coming when your band’s name includes a giant radish panda. *Nerima Daikon Brothers* is a glorious blend of bizarre musical theater and animated absurdity. The self-styled heroes try anything – from odd jobs to wacky gigs – in order to fund a massive concert dome in their hometown. Every episode features a flashy, comedic musical number that spoofs musicals and variety shows. It’s as if *The Blues Brothers* collided with a surreal comedy sketch. Studio Hibari drove the zaniness, and the result is a cult favorite because it fearlessly dares to be weird – and musical. If you've ever wondered how many puns can fit in one anime, this one charts new territory. | © Studio Hibari

Cropped nana 2006 — NANA (2006)

Sweeping, raw, and emotionally charged – *NANA* follows two women named Nana whose paths collide through music, love, and rock bands in Tokyo. Nana Osaki fronts a punk band called Blast and chases dreams of fame, while Nana Komatsu (Hachi) chases emotional connections. Their struggles feel lived-in – jealousy, ambition, friendship, heartbreak. Every song matters: it’s not backdrop, it’s character. Madhouse crafts gritty realism in concert scenes, club life, and late-night confessions. The animation leans into expressive detail – hair flips, tears, guitar-strummed desperation. This isn’t sugar-coated idol culture – it’s emotional rock opera, exploring what happens when dreams and relationships collide. | © Madhouse

Cropped Beck Mongolian Chop Squad 2004 — Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad (2004)

If you want your coming-of-age story in strums and solos, *Beck* is the original. Koyuki, from a musical family, meets Ryusuke, a guitar prodigy, and together they form Beck – a band that moves from basement covers to street festival chaos. The series captures the grit of DIY gigs, the thrill of songwriting, and the sting of betrayal. Music scenes feel live – raw guitar riffs, feedback, sweaty stages. Madhouse animates the tension of teenage ambition and band drama with authenticity. It blends pop-punk energy, humor, and the ache of teenage longing into a rock narrative that still resonates. If you haven’t watched it, consider this your audition notice. | © Madhouse

1-20

Music and anime go together like melody and harmony – complementary, expressive, and often unforgettable. Whether it’s a quiet pianist searching for their sound or a rising idol group aiming for the big stage, anime has a knack for capturing the emotional highs and lows of making music. In this curated list of the top 20 anime series about musicians and musical artists, we dive into shows that explore everything from rock bands and jazz duos to school choirs and shamisen prodigies. Some series bring raw, real-world grit, while others infuse music with fantasy, comedy, or romance. No matter the genre, these anime all share one thing in common: a deep, resonant love for music and the people who live to create it. So if you're looking for stories that strike a chord – literally – this list is your next binge-worthy playlist.