This is an odd top 5 list I know. But I feel like we can use a bit of levity right now and what better way to get that than a surprise dance number! What is a surprise dance number? Excellent question! It’s when a bunch of anime characters burst into dance when you don’t expect them to!
This means all idol and dance shows are immediately out of bounds for this particular list. Admittedly, the musical episode is a trope that hasn’t quite yet reached anime, for better or for worse. (I do hope we get a debate about that in the comments. I, myself, can’t seem to decide whether it’s something I want to see or not.)
These are my five favourites in kinda random order.
- Death Parade OP
Death Parade is a show that errs on the side of duhhhhraaaamaaaaa but you would never guess that from the OP. There’s a reason this one often makes it to favourite OP lists, it’s just a god time. Every character get’s their own mini number and they all get combined for the grand finale which is matched perfectly to the music.
The OP was my favourite part of many episodes and although dance number OPs aren’t all that rare, I still think this is one of the best ones.
In my experience, dances usually come at the end and not the beginning. By that I mean they are usually in EDs as is the case for Blood Blockade Battlefront. The series is a lot more comedic and lighthearted than Death Parade, but it’s still really odd to see all these dangerous agents just boogying down!
I think that what elevates this particular ED is the little touches. They are all wearing different costumes that go with their style of dancing. The red curtain and spotlight are the perfect backdrop to accentuate the whole thing. The characters personalities and quirks are taken into account in their animations. And I also really like that song!
The surprise dance number has a lot going for it. For one, it’s the most surprising since it’s neither an OP or an ED, it’s organically worked into the story of the episode but still rather unexpected. Also they didn’t skimp out on that choreography.
Each character has their own dance moves and personalized idol outfit! This scene wouldn’t be out of place at all in an idol anime! The fact that it was dropped in the middle of an episode of a supernatural action/romance series though, makes it something special!
An oldie but a goodie. I think this is still what a lot of anime fans think off when they think of the musical number ED. Not only is it fully choreographed like an idol show but the characters are doing the signing. That’s still very rare. I mean I’m pretty sure Mayu’s voice actor was singing the ED of Given but it wasn’t animated for the character to be singing it. And the entire credit scene is dedicated to the dance.
I can see why this would stick in people’s minds. It’s quite an infectious little sequence. I may have had mixed feelings about Haruhi (mostly out of really high expectations) but I sure love this ED.
- Kaguya-sama: Love is War ED?
I haven’t even watched Kaguya-sama yet my mind immediately went to this (ED?). Chika’s dance became a viral sensation and unavoidable meme when this series aired and has inspired tons of remixes, recreations and blog posts! It’s sort of obvious to see why.
It’s cute, fast paced, wonderfully animated. It perfectly mimics those cute little idol moves that capture the hearts of salary men far and wide. The voice actress also has a very cute voice. Like I said, I haven’t seen the show, so I don’t know if the voice is for the ED only or if this was the character’s voice in the show. It seems a bit too young sounding so it may have been added to give that ED just a bit more oomph!
There you have it, five dance numbers that are sure to put a smile of your face and add a little swing to your step. They’re just so fun to watch, aren’t they? It makes you want to play those clips over and over again!
OMG I forgot Free!.. also Free!
Do you have a favourite anime dance sequence? Can you dance it?
