The List

9 Anime Holiday Songs to Set the Mood

It was a few years after I started watching anime in the mid-nineties that my family bought our first personal computer. On dial-up and without Sailor Moon Christmas album. This was my first introduction into sometimes good, but usually comically awful world of anime Christmas music. This week's selection of music are some of my personal favorites from over the years either for comedy, nostalgia, or the rare instance of the piece being genuinely good. If you're already sick to tears of the monotonous Western Christmas music playing in every store (or in my case, my home), give these nine songs a try and from me to all of you, Blessed Yule!

9. "Winter Bells" by Detective Conan) The tenth opening to Detective Conan did well on the Oricon Charts in 2002, reaching #1 on the weekly singles and selling 111,000 copies its first week. The song features a lot of nods to Christmas song composition, including the use of bells and song's back beat. If you can find a decent version of the official music video, it's pretty hilarious. Mai Kuraki sings along with a very happy blues band at a rundown American karaoke bar.

8. "Welcome to X'mas" by Dejiko & Puchiko & Rabbi~en~Rose (Di Gi Charat) This song medley is truly awful, mostly for the one original opening bit blaring "Welcome to, Welcome to, Welcome to Christmas". The proceeding measures are mostly standard, with voice actresses singing who do not compliment each other while simultaneously trying to stay in character. For how absurd the Di Gi Charat comedy television series was, you'd think the producers would choose something more original, or at least better executed. It's eyebrow-raising in its initial listen but I couldn't recommend replaying it more than once.

7. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Japan, Italy, and (Yasumoto's in-character singing. The English version of the song gets droned through every intercom this season, but hearing it sung with a completely nonsense approach makes it tolerable again.

6. "Christmas in the Galaxy" by the Nadesico Cast (Martian Successor Nadesico) This is another cast ensemble that doesn't suffer from all the problems as the Di Gi Charat entry. While the singing isn't very good, and the cast stays in silly character mode for the track, it succeeds at being FUN. The background instrumentals are upbeat and everyone sounds like they're really enjoying themselves. It's a track you could probably get away with playing at a Christmas party once everyone's had a few drinks and is already dancing.

5. "Holy Night" by J-pop single that is Christmasy without being overbearing.

4. "Merry Christmas Without You" by cosmic cuune (Jing A-Ring a-Ding!" and "Happy Merry Christmas Without You!" but at about the halfway point the rest of the cast jump in including some hilarious male vocals that take the track from a little silly to full out camp. It'll keep playing in your head long after the fact.

3. "Santa Claus no Sora" by Utawarerumono.

2. "Last Christmas" by Sakura Wars (where she voices Sumire Kanzaki) but not a whole lot else, so this remains one of her most memorable song performances for me.

1. "Manatsu no Eve" (Midsummer's Eve) by Cartoon Network. It's still a great original Christmas piece, although its composition sounds a bit dated compared to the more electronic-infused anime openers nowadays. I'm still a little confused how a song title about midsummer worked into being a Christmas song. The song played over the Manatsu no Eve film's ending credits where paintings of Tenchi and his family prepare for holiday festivities and raising the non-canon Mayuka.

The new poll: Which current adapted into an anime?

The old poll: Which Winter 2017 anime series are you most excited to watch?

1. Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card
2. Violet Evergarden
3. Overlord II
4. The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments
5. DARLING in the FRANKXX
6. Fate/Extra Last Encore
7. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
8. DEVILMAN crybaby
9. Junji Ito "Collection"
10. Pop Team Epic
11. Citrus
12. Dagashi Kashi 2
13. Death March to The Parallel World Rhapsody
14. Zoku Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru.
15. Record of Grancrest War
16. Gakuen Babysitters
17. Idolish 7
18. Yowamushi Pedal Glory Line
19. Basilisk: Ōka Ninpōchō
20. Koi wa Ameagari no You ni
21. Laid-Back Camp

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When she isn't compiling lists of tropes, topics, and characters, Lynzee works as the Managing Interest Editor for Anime News Network and posts pictures of her sons on Twitter @ANN_Lynzee.