Best Girl Bands in Anime, Ranked

Summary

• K-on! is a shining example of a girl band anime with adorable characters and J-pop/J-rock songs.

• Girls Band Cry offers deep and real combat, balancing engaging 3D animation with decent music.

• Carole & Tuesday stand out for their emotionally moving stories and western musical influences.

It is important to note that anime centered around idol groups will not be included. This removes titles such as Zombieland Saga from being added. This also removes anime that feature girls who form bands, but aren't the main focus of the anime.

Girl Band anime can provide an amazing slice of life environment. Both Jellyfish cannot swim at night and D4DJ first mix didn't make the cut, but they serve as good examples of a middle ground between a girl band anime and an idol.

7

Show By Rock!!

A magical girl band filled with cute pictures

• Studio: Bone
• Drop: July 4, 2016
• Number of episodes: 12
• Streaming services: Crunchyroll

Show By Rock!! Is a mixture of many different ideas. It may not appeal to viewers looking for something similar Bocchi the Rock! and K-on!but it offers plenty of lighthearted and adorable fun — and gives fans of Japanese rock music a new anime to enjoy. The story focuses on a female protagonist who finds herself transported to another world with her body altered to now have cat-like features.

Show By Rock!! can feel very much like a mix between a lighthearted comedy and a magical girl anime tasked with fighting evil forces. There are plenty of transitions between different animation styles, from a more traditional 2D style to a 3D style that resembles little chibi characters.

6

Carole & Tuesday

Emotionally gripping western music influences

A lot of anime that revolves around a band made up of an all-female cast tend to lean towards a high school setting and be somewhat lighthearted. Carole & Tuesday completely breaks away from this mentality to deliver an emotional journey through an exceptionally well-crafted world environment. This series takes place in the same universe as both Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.

The band consists of only 2 central characters who want to write music in a world where the scene is completely dominated by AI compositions. The music in the show takes a lot of inspiration from Western cultural songs, and its music will resonate with many creative-minded people. It's worth noting that the show can be very emotional at times, and many viewers will be moved to tears.

5

Bang Dream!

A multimedia juggernaut to invest in

• Studios: Xebec, Issen
• Drop: January 21, 2017
• Number of episodes: 13
• Streaming services: Crunchyroll

This is a multimedia franchise with tons of games, anime series and more. There are many different bands with different sounds. This allows viewers to experience many different kinds of music, despite there being a general pop focus. This anime has a much greater focus on music compared to others on this list, which are usually more character and story driven.

This is because many of the bands are based on real bands in Japan. It's still possible to get into this mixed media franchise, starting with the first season of the anime Bang Dream!although some viewers may find this expanded universe a bit overwhelming. With so much to offer, it's easy to see why some viewers would rank it among some of the best music anime out there.

4

Sound! Euphonium

High School Music Band Drama and Struggles

The world of anime is dominated by high school settings, and for good reason. Many viewers are either in high school or have already lived through it. This makes it a very relatable time in people's lives filled with exploration and discovery. Most of the entries on this list all use this setting heavily, including Sound! Euphoniumalso known as Hibike!

However, the roles in this anime are in the school band rather than a rock/pop one. The main character is hesitant to bet everything on reaching citizens and instead just wants to enjoy himself. The pacing is good, and many viewers will find themselves engaged to see what results unfold.

3

K-on!

A shining example that all girl band anime can learn from

K-on! is everything the readers of this list are looking for in a girl band anime, and might be one of the most famous anime bands at it with tons of J-pop and J-rock songs sung by a band of adorable girls. The girls in this band have a passion for music and have clear goals they want to achieve by honing their musical skills. While the show initially focuses on just four main characters, a new band member is added later on.

Its biggest appeal is that the show doesn't take itself too seriously and is filled with the characters just whining a lot of the time. The pacing of each of these episodes is well paced, and all of this combines to make K-on! a very easy anime to both watch and rewatch.

2

Girls Band Cry

A real look at how hard it can be to find balance

Girls Band Cry excels at giving its characters depth and making everything feel like it matters – even when it doesn't. Many viewers may think that the show only uses cheap 3D animation if they watch a few seconds from certain scenes, but it dramatically picks up in many visually arresting and engaging scenes.

The music is really good and can stand on its own without having to be tied to the franchise. The characters go through some of the real obstacles in the industry, like juggling the real balance of school, band practice, a day job, and finding the energy to create music.

1

Bocchi the Rock!

A fun and frenetic anime featuring a girl band Esthetic

Bocchi the Rock could replace the music with any other activity and it would still land perfectly. Its central character is very relatable to many viewers for her social awkwardness, but still deeply passionate about the things that bring her joy. The characters are all very likable and unique in their own way.

But they also shine through their chemistry with each other. The show deals in several comedic approaches from situation comedy, verbal statements and stylized slapstick in the form of visualized inner monologues.