As stunning as newer anime like Dandadan and Solo Leveling may be, they all admittedly seem to be lacking in one very specific area in the medium. This is an arena, coincidentally, where older enduring classics like One Piece, Naruto, Fairy Tail, and many more excel despite their animation being far less eye-catching in comparison. Believe it or not, these three classic shonen anime all have one thing in common, which is their distinctive soundtracks, or to be more specific, the use of one simple yet genius technique in their music that makes them so memorable even decades later.
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Though often overlooked, soundtracks play a major role in any anime and can even make or break even the best series with the best of animation. While modern anime continues to make strides in terms of animation quality and global reach, most newer anime, sensational as they may be, simply no longer have the same distinctive soundtracks as older ones. Taking Naruto, One Piece, and Fairy Tail as examples, each of these shows has soundtracks that are instantly recognizable and have become synonymous with the series. Over the years the music from these particular anime has become so iconic that even those who may not have seen these series are sure to instantly recognize which anime they belong to, and a huge reason for this is the use of recurring motifs in older anime soundtracks, which has lately fallen out of use in modern anime.
Naruto, One Piece, and Fairy Tail All Have Bespoke Soundtracks in Common
While many other anime, including some shoujo and josei ones also sport excellent soundtracks, One Piece, Naruto, and Fairy Tail most clearly represent the beauty of older anime soundtracks. In One Piece’s case, most, if not all of its soundtrack has been composed by Kohei Tanaka. The series not only makes use of unique character motifs for each of the Straw Hats but also sports several iconic battle themes such as “Overtaken” and “Luffy’s Fierce Attack,” which are instantly recognizable within only a few notes.
The beauty of One Piece’s soundtrack is that these themes haven’t gotten old even two decades later and still evoke the same sense of excitement every time they are featured in the series. Kohei Tanaka also ingeniously incorporates these age-old melodies into newer compositions for the series. This is best seen in the Wano Arc compositions for Gear Five and Luffy’s awakening which feature bits of “Overtaken” and “Luffy’s Fierce Attack” hidden away between the exciting drum beats, almost as if incorporating a bit of the old Luffy into this new version of him, thus telling a tale even through the series’ music.
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Meanwhile, Naruto and Fairy Tail share the same excellent composer, Yasuharu Takanashi who gave both shows some of the most memorable, nostalgic soundtracks of all time. Both these series are known for hitting fans right in the feels and the music plays a huge role in this aspect. Fairy Tail’s signature main theme is an excellent example of the series’ use of a particular melody that is then shaped and incorporated into both the series’ battle themes as well as the sadder somber themes. Fairy Tail’s soundtrack also goes heavy on the woodwind instruments which perfectly align with the series’ medieval fantasy setting.
Meanwhile, Naruto’s soundtrack sets itself apart through its variability. The music in Naruto mostly incorporates classical Japanese instruments like the shamisen, a core aspect of Takanashi and Toshio Masuda’s style, which just so happens to perfectly fit the series’ setting. Toshio Masuda’s compositions like “Sadness and Sorrow” and “Naruto Main Theme” are excellent examples of Naruto soundtracks that have become inseparable from the series while other tracks like “Orochimaru’s Theme” are known for giving viewers goosebumps for years. Takanashi’s compositions for the series particularly shine in Naruto Shippuden with tracks like the “Akatsuki Theme” and though some of these tracks do not particularly use motifs as strongly as One Piece and Fairy Tail do, this variability in the soundtrack from the unconventional combination of Japanese instruments organs, chorals, and even electric guitar help the music stand out as an indispensable part of the series.
Modern Anime and the Death of Musical Motifs
The main issue with modern anime is that they rarely have anything to offer beyond their opening themes. Instead of musical motifs, opening themes are what fans most commonly associate with anime as of late, as seen with Dandadan’s chart-topping opening “Otonoke” or Solo Leveling’s “ReAwaker.” In the case of Solo Leveling in particular, even though the series has one of the most well-known composers, Hiroyuki Sawano, whose compositions lend perfectly to the atmosphere and mood of the series, nothing about the soundtrack stands out as particularly memorable. A huge reason for this is the lack of recognizable leitmotifs. In simple words, a leitmotif is a recurring melody or pattern within a composition that is associated with a particular character or scene.
Unlike One Piece’s “Overtaken” which might instantly conjure an image of Luffy headed into a battle or remind fans of an iconic scene like the Straw Hats marching into Enies Lobby, or Naruto’s “Sadness and Sorrow” which might instantly bring to mind various emotional moments from the series, modern anime severely lack such evocative music, and solely due to the slow death of the leitmotif.
That said, there are certainly exceptions like Demon Slayer which still makes use of distinct character themes and motifs for Tanjiro, Nezuko, and even the Hashira. Dandadan also arguably does something unique with its soundtrack in Episode 4 during the chase by Turbo Granny and the Spirit Crab which uses a remix of William Tell’s “Overture” and Offenbach’s “Can-Can” though the original soundtrack for the series does seem to be otherwise lacking. Regardless, anime music, both in terms of its opening themes and its soundtracks, has most definitely begun to change over the last few years. That said, hopefully modern anime can acknowledge what made older anime soundtracks such classics.
