Japanese themes
From Transformers Wiki
The various Japanese Transformers television shows each feature one or more opening and closing theme songs to accompany the title sequences and end credits.
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Theme songs
Each Transformers series in Japan has featured its own opening and closing theme song. Many different performers contributed over the years, giving a wide variety of different styles, from rap to pop, from serious to silly. Typically, the same artist would perform the opening and closing songs for a given series, though this became less frequent in later series. Occasionally, an artist would provide music for multiple series.
Generation 1
- OP: "TRANSFORMER" (トランスフォーマー) by Satoko Shimonari
- ED: "Peace Again" (ピース・アゲン) by Satoko Shimonari
- OP: "TRANSFORMER 2010" (トランスフォーマー2010) by Shō Hirose
- ED: "WHAT'S YOU" (ホワッツ・ユー) by Shō Hirose
- OP: "The Headmasters" (ザ・ヘッドマスターズ) by Hironobu Kageyama
- ED: "Kimi wa Transformer" (君はトランスフォーマー, "You Are a Transformer") by Hironobu Kageyama
- OP: "Chōjin Masterforce no Theme" (超神マスターフォースのテーマ, "Theme of Super-God Masterforce") by Toshiya Igarashi
- ED: "Moero! Transformer" (燃えろ!トランスフォーマー, "Burn! Transformers") by Toshiya Igarashi
- OP: "Transformer V" (トランスフォーマーV) by Kōji Kaya and Morinoki Children's Chorus
- ED: "Cybertron Banzai" (サイバトロンばんざい, "Hooray for the Autobots") by Korogi '73
- OP: "Transformer Z no Theme" (トランスフォーマーZのテーマ, "Theme of Transformers: Zone") by Ichirō Mizuki
- ED: "Ashita no Kimi e" (未来の君へ, "For the You of Tomorrow") by Ichirō Mizuki
Beast Era
- OP: "WAR WAR! STOP IT" by Banana Ice
- ED: "FOR THE DREAM" by Mickey
- ED (special): "Hello! Toughness" (Hello！タフネス) by Seiji Katsu and Kenzō Isurugi
- OP 1: "GET MY FUTURE" by Cyber Nation Network
- OP 2: "SUPER VOYAGER" by Cyber Nation Network
- ED: "Yume no Iru Basho" (夢のいる場所, "Where Dreams Are") by Jun Yoneya
- OP (special): "SPACE DREAMER ~Haruka naru Beast Wars~" (SPACE DREAMER ～遥かなるビーストウォーズ～, "SPACE DREAMER ~Distant Beast Wars~") by C.O.A.
- ED (special): "MY SHOOTING STAR" by C.O.A.
- OP: "Love For Ever —Kimi o Mamoru Tame ni—" (Love For Ever ―君を守るために―, "Love Forever —To Protect You—") by M.C.R.
- ED: "Te no Naka no Uchū" (手の中の宇宙, "The Universe in Your Hands") by Hitomi Yūki
- OP 1: "Tamashii no Evolution" (魂のエヴォリューション, "Evolution of the Spirit") by Hironobu Kageyama
- ED 1 "BA-BI-BU-BE Beast Wars" (バ・ビ・ブ・べ ビーストウォーズ) by Hironobu Kageyama and The Ba-Bi-Bu-Be Bombers
- OP 2: "Sennen no Soldier" (千年のソルジャー, "Millennium Soldier") by Hironobu Kageyama
- ED 2: "HALLELUYAH" by Hironobu Kageyama, Mitsuko Horie, and The Ba-Bi-Bu-Be Bombers
- OP (special 1): "Hajimari no Uta" (始まりの唄, "Song of the Beginning") by Seiji Katsu and Kenzō Isurugi
- ED (special 1): "Hateshinai kono (SORA) e" (果てしないこの宇宙(SORA)へ, "To the Never-ending Skies") by Seiji Katsu and Kenzō Isurugi
- OP (special 2): "Ano Yume no Kanata e" (あの夢の彼方へ, "Off to That Dream") by C.O.A.
- ED (special 2): "WA! WA! Wonderland" (WA! WA! ワンダーランド) by C.O.A.
- OP/ED: "Phat Planet" (with character banter over it) by Leftfield
Car Robots
- OP: "Honō no Overdrive ~Car Robot Cybertron~" (炎のオーバードライブ ～カーロボットサイバトロン～, "Blazing Overdrive ~Car Robot Autobots~") by Kōji Wada
- ED: "Marionette" (マリオネット) by Mami Nishikaku
Unicron Trilogy
- OP 1: "TRANSFORMER -Dream Again-" by Psychic Lover
- ED 1: "Never Ending Road" by Psychic Lover
- OP 2: "Transformers ~Kōtetsu no Yūki~" (Transformers ～鋼鉄の勇気～, "Transformers ~Steel Courage~") by Hideaki Takatori
- ED 2: "Don't Give Up!!" by Psychic Lover
- OP: "Taiyō no transform!!" (太陽のtransform!!, "Solar transform!!") by Hiroshi Kitadani
- ED: "Calling you" by Takayoshi Tanimoto
- OP 1: "CALL YOU... Kimi to Boku no Mirai" (CALL YOU... 君と僕の未来, "CALL YOU... The Future of You and Me") by Shinji Kakijima
- ED 1: "Itsumo" (いつも, "Always") by Tomoka Issei
- OP 2: "IGNITION!" (IGNITION - イグニッション!) by CHINO
- ED 2: "Growing up!!" by Shinji Kakijima
Animated (Japan)
- OP: "TRANSFORMERS EVO." by JAM Project
- ED: "Axel Transformers" by Rey
Prime (Japan)
- OP 1: "FEELING" by BIGBANG
- ED 1: "I Believe in All" by CLUTCHO
- OP 2: "TRANSFORMERZ" by m-flo
- ED 2: "A Little Bit" by CLUTCHO
- OP 3: "TRANSFORMERZ (version 2.0)" by m-flo feat. Ken Oshima
- ED 3: "Discord" by Tokyo Girls' Style
Go!
- OP: "TRANSFORMERS-Go!" by Daiki Ise
- ED: "Sanjō Gattai! Hero!" by Voila
Robots in Disguise (Japan)
- OP: "Save the Future!!" by Mitsuhiro Oikawa
- ED: "Try☆Transformers Adventure↑↑↑ by Ryōhei Kimura, Yui Kondō, Daiki Hamano, Yoshiyuki Matsūra, Masaomi Yamahashi and Taitem Kusunoki
Q-Transformers
Cyberverse (Japan)
- OP/ED: "Transformers: Cyberverse (Main Theme)" (with narration over it) by Max Repka and Toonocracy LLC
EarthSpark (Japan)
- OP: Transformers-Earthspark!! by Psychic Lover
Song collections
Though each Transformers series featured distinctive music, the songs were not widely available in the '80s. Some of them were collected together with non-Transformers anime and sold as part of massive compilations. With the debut of Beast Wars, that started to change. CD singles of most Beast Wars-era songs were readily available, and eventually albums compiling many songs began to be released. By 2003, the Generation One series would see similar treatment.
Generation 1
The first Transformers soundtrack album was released by Victor Entertainment.
- Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers — Original Soundtrack <Music Book> (Release date unknown, 1985)
Beast Era
The Beast Wars soundtracks were released by Columbia Music Entertainment.
- Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers — CYBER MUSIC: Original Soundtrack (August 21, 1998)
- Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers — HYPER MUSIC: Original Soundtrack Vol. 2 (November 21, 1998)
- Beast Wars Special: Super Lifeform Transformers — Strongest Music Collection (December 19, 1998)
- Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers — Best Songs Special (December 19, 1998)
- Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers — BEAST WARS TRANSFORMER SONGS BEST (December 18, 1999)
Car Robots
The Car Robots soundtrack was released by Interchannel, although the DVD releases for the series were handled by Pony Canyon.
- Transformers: Car Robots — Original Soundtrack (August 3, 2000)
Unicron Trilogy
The Legends of the Microns soundtracks were released by Columbia, Super Link by Interchannel, and Galaxy Force by Victor.
- The Transformers Legends of the Microns: Sound of Evolution Vol. 1 (March 21, 2003)
- The Transformers Legends of the Microns: Sound of Evolution Vol. 2 (June 18, 2003)
- Transformer Superlink: Original Soundtrack Mission I (May 26, 2004)
- Transformers Galaxy Force: Sound Pack 1 (April 21, 2005)
- Transformers Galaxy Force: Sound Pack 2 (November 23, 2005)
Retrospective collections
Columbia released these compilation albums, which collectively cover the entire Transformers franchise from Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers up to Triple Combination: Transformers Go!
- Transformers Theme Song Collection (August 20, 2003)
- Transformers History of Music 1984-1990 (March 17, 2004)
- Transformers Song Universe (August 8, 2007)
- Transformers Music Matrix (April 2, 2008)
- Transformers Theme Song DVD ~Transformers Music Matrix 30th Anniversary Ver.~ (September 7, 2014)
