There's no question that music has the power to express raw emotions and mark important moments for people both in real life and in anime, which is why musical performances in anime tend to mark critical moments within an anime series. Whatever the motivation to perform and create music is, it builds up the character. The performance either makes or breaks the main cast.
For anime fans, these musical moments impacted them because of how incredible the performance is, much deeper reasons, or both. Depending on how the performance goes, it can change the very flow of the plot, and some of these scenes have become the highlight of the entire series.
10 K-On: The Light Music Club's First Performance Helped Mio Overcome Some Of Her Shyness
With the Cultural Festival upon them, the members of the school's Light Music Club were in a bit of a situation when their lead singer lost her voice just moments before they'd have to take the stage. The only other singer in the group, Mio, is terribly shy since the anime K-On's beginning, so leading their performance was an overwhelming challenge for her.
Thankfully, Mio had the support of her best friends who encouraged her to do her best, which helped her to gather her courage to give an amazing performance. The song went off without a hitch and Mio seemed to break free of her shyness in front of others, that is, until she tripped and revealed more of herself than she ever wanted.
9 Nana: Blast's First Live Concert Is A Tense Turning Point For The Two Lead Characters
Though they both share the same first name and have gone through their own life struggles, it's clear that Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki walk down different paths in the anime Nana. The major scene where the two grow apart is during the band Blast's first live concert, something that was built up for some time in the series.
As the rockstar singer Nana takes the stage by storm, the other is overwhelmed by the performance. Not only does Blast perform above expectations, but the experience of seeing her friend achieving her goals while she herself is going through such a tough time caused Nana Komatsu to be too distracted to really enjoy the concert.
8 Whisper Of The Heart: Shizuku Puts Her Writing Into Motion, Musically
In spite of the pressure of figuring out her future, Shizuku can't help but daydream. Not thinking about it as a legitimate career choice, she writes as a hobby, but has a passion for it regardless. During her final year in middle school, she rewrites the lyrics to Country Roads to make it fit her class' graduation ceremony. She had no idea she'd soon be singing it in a surprise private performance.
In the film Whisper of the Heart, she meets the boy Seiji, and after discovering his talent as a violin maker, and player, she asks for him to play for her. Seiji agrees to play, but on the condition that she sings as well. Together they perform Shizuku's version of Country Roads. Watching Seiji play and go after his dreams inspires her to follow her own and write her first novel.
7 Carole & Tuesday's Impromptu Performance Shook Up The AI World
In spite of the accepted standard of using AI to create music, the performers Carole and Tuesday had no interest in following the trend. The two wayward girls find one another in a chance encounter after Tuesday had run away from her rich household and Carole was down on her luck with another lost job.
Their first move as partners in the anime Carole & Tuesday was to perform at a professional concert hall, though they were never invited. The two rush past security and, with a small audience watching, performed their first song. As they ran from the authorities afterward, they had no idea that someone recorded the whole surprise performance and made them a viral hit.
6 Carole & Tuesday: The Mermaid Sisters' Song Became Viral In Real Life
When Netflix's anime Carole & Tuesday was released, anime fans became well aware of the girls' music, but another group of performers from the anime also became huge hits in the real world. In the Mars' Brightest competition, viewers were introduced to The Mermaid Sisters who shared a highly offensive song that resonated with adults all too well.
The peppy melody is blended in with an endless series of swear words that struggling adults find themselves saying too often (which will not be repeated here). The catchy song became an anime sensation even for those who haven't watched Carole & Tuesday.
5 Belle's Opening Performance Welcomes The Audience To The Extravagant World Of U
In the first few minutes of the film Belle, the music kicks into full gear as a robotic narrator explains the computer-generated world of U, where people can escape from the real world and reinvent themselves and their lives. As the narrator explains how the world and its Avatars work, the camera moves closer and closer to a parading concert where Belle is singing her first hit song.
Standing atop a flying whale covered in speakers, Belle grabs every other avatar's attention with her beautiful singing and dazzling showmanship. Ending her performance with a shower of flowers, her virtual audience showers her with applause.
4 Haruhi Suzumiya's Impromptu Concert Shows How Versatile She Can Be
The title girl from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Haruhi, had many talents, though social adaptability was never one of them. With great academics, athleticism, and her looks according to the boys, surely Haruhi would be popular among her classmates, but she's more of an infamous figure due to her brash behavior.
Constantly marching to the beat of her own drum, sometimes at the expense of others, she shocks everyone yet again at the school's cultural festival, but not for her usual quirks. Though the bunny costume she wore rose eyebrows, Haruhi, followed by Nagato, took the stage to support a band that had two of their members missing. For the first time, Haruhi was making noise not because she was going against the grain, but because she was helping out her classmates to put on a stellar performance.
3 Given: Mafuyu's Debut Revealed Much More Than His Singing Talent
In the anime Given, Mafuyu started out as a mysterious, but gentle character, whose past gradually revealed a heartbreaking tragedy. Although his Gibson guitar was clearly precious to him, he didn't know how to play it, baffling musical prodigy Ritsuka. To his surprise, Ritsuka learned that Mafuyu has a beautiful singing voice and the song he sang would become his next big project.
After joining their band to form Given, Mafuyu works on lyrics to go with Ritsuka's melody for their first song together, which they'll play at an amateur competition. Though it wasn't clear if Mafuyu would sing, let alone what he would sing, the people who knew him best had a sense that expressing himself was difficult. However, when the time came, Mafuyu belted out an overwhelming performance that caught even his closest friends off guard as he sang about the tragic loss of his former boyfriend.
2 My Hero Academia: Class 1-A's Live Dance Performance Was More Than Just Fun And Games
After the intense raid of the Yakuza group Shie Hassakai, it was time for U.A. High students to have one moment where they could enjoy a break from all the tension with their Cultural Festival. In preparation, Class 1-A decided to compose an original dance and musical performance for the live program.
While visiting her at the hospital, Izuku encourages Eri to come to the festival hoping that it will bring a smile to the little girl's face. When the performance finally begins, the crowd is uplifted with the incredible talent of the singers and dancers as well as the special effects the class included. It was a huge success, especially since it gave Eri something to smile about.
1 Your Lie In April: Kousei's Final Performance Was A Bittersweet Masterpiece
In his return to competitive Piano, Kousei left his soul bare in his final performance in the anime Your Lie In April. Emotions ran high because of Kousei rose above the trauma that his mother had inflicted upon him as a child. At the same time, the love of his life, Kaori was undergoing a risky surgery on the chance that she could overcome her illness and live a full life.
As a musician herself and having played with Kousei before, there was the hope that they would play together again. Sadly, it was not meant to be, and in a visually stunning sequence, Kousei does play one final time with Kaori's ghost. His performance on stage was filled with emotion, which was sure to impress those who were unaware of the tragedy that was unfolding.