What is the best music anime?

NANA ranks #1 among music anime on the Anime Codex rubric, scoring 8.74 out of 10. Every title is scored on story, characters, themes, world-building, animation, and cultural impact — not vote counts.

How are the best music anime ranked?

Each show is scored 0-10 on six criteria - story, character writing, themes, world-building, animation, and cultural impact - then combined into a single weighted Codex score. The music list is those scores, sorted highest first.

How many music anime are ranked here?

9 music titles from the Codex catalogue currently carry a full ranking. The list updates as new shows are scored.

Is this ranking based on popularity?

No. Popularity and member counts don't feed the score. The ranking reflects the rubric only, which is why it often disagrees with the crowd - and that gap is the point.

← All genres

Best Music Anime, Ranked

The 9 best music anime in the Codex, ranked by weighted score across the six-criterion rubric - NANA leads the list. Every title earned its place on story, characters, themes, world-building, animation, and cultural impact, not vote counts.

The short answer

The best music anime is NANA — 8.74 out of 10 on the Anime Codex six-criterion rubric — scored, not voted. All 9 ranked below.

8.74

NANA

2006Top: Character 9.3

8.36

Bocchi the Rock!

2022Top: Animation 9.3

8.10

Kids on the Slope (Sakamichi no Apollon)

2012Top: Animation 9.0

7.86

Your Lie in April

2014Top: Animation 8.7

7.85

Nodame Cantabile

2007Top: Character 8.5

7.40

Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad

2004Top: Character 8.5

7.35

PriPara

2014Top: Character 8.0

7.32

Aikatsu!

2012Top: Cultural 8.0

7.18

Detroit Metal City

2008Top: Character 7.5

Related rankings

Best Action anime Best Comedy anime Best Drama anime Best Adventure anime Best Romance anime Best Fantasy anime Best School anime Best Sci-Fi anime Browse by demographic

FAQ

What is the best music anime?: NANA ranks #1 among music anime on the Anime Codex rubric, scoring 8.74 out of 10. Every title is scored on story, characters, themes, world-building, animation, and cultural impact — not vote counts.
How are the best music anime ranked?: Each show is scored 0-10 on six criteria - story, character writing, themes, world-building, animation, and cultural impact - then combined into a single weighted Codex score. The music list is those scores, sorted highest first.
How many music anime are ranked here?: 9 music titles from the Codex catalogue currently carry a full ranking. The list updates as new shows are scored.
Is this ranking based on popularity?: No. Popularity and member counts don't feed the score. The ranking reflects the rubric only, which is why it often disagrees with the crowd - and that gap is the point.