Hip-hop music is an American music genre developed during the 70s. Rap is generally considered a synonym or subgenre, depending on the definition.
This list contains anime that feature either of the two, even if it’s just one scene as long as it’s memorable.
Our ranking is subjective and for this reason, please take it with a grain of salt.
Table of Contents
9. Aharen-san Is Indecipherable
A school comedy released in 2022 from the slice-of-life elements with a touch of the sentimental.
The play is about Matsuboshi Raido and Aharen Reina, deskmates. Reina has some trouble determining how friendly she should be with the people she meets.
She is small and quiet but she has an impenetrable temper, that will make it hard for Raido to come through.
The scenes where the characters will rap, also ending up being very funny, will be many and very enjoyable.
8. Zombieland Saga
A demented anime that makes absurd and comical situations its strong point. Released in 2018 as a 12-episode original work.
What would you do if one day you woke up in the middle of a group of zombie girls? This is what happened to Sakura, a girl who always wanted to become an idol.
The surprises don’t end there because this group of zombie girls seems to have been brought together by a very strange manager.
While obviously an anime to be watched at leisure, Zombieland Saga ends up being very enjoyable.
Its main strength is the character design of the zombie girls. The series deals with music and ends up including rap, and even metal, with among other things a very entertaining freestyle battle.
7. Kaguya-sama: Love is War
One of the best and most acclaimed romance anime in recent years, and generally one of the most highly regarded series lately since its release.
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War deals in small self-contained stories with the eternal psychological and love struggle between Miyuki Shirogane, distinguished student council president, and her deputy, Kaguya Shinomiya.
Both are determined to get the other to confess their love first because you know, in such cases the one who gives in first loses, and they can’t to.
During one of the many self-contained stories, we will see Chika Fujiwara, the student council secretary, dabbling in rap more than once.
6. Devilman Crybaby
Devilman is the most iconic Go Nagai’s manga, released in 1973 and still considered as one of the most important productions ever.
Masaaki Yuasa decided to pay homage to the work by taking it, catapulting the events to the present day without unhinging its soul.
Akira is far too good a boy, reasoning that he ends up receiving the nickname Crybaby. Not so is Ryo, his best friend who is more fearless and arrogant than he is, and by who he gets carried away.
One day, Akira will be persuaded to go to a Sabbath, which ends up turning out to be a full-blown satanic ritual to attract demons.
Everyone will be possessed, including Akira, who nevertheless manages through his gentle spirit to control the beast. Thus is born Devilman, a man-devil with supernatural powers dedicated to the protection of humanity.
Wamu’s Gang appears more than once and is a rap boys gang composed of 5 members. Their famous rap scene with beatbox bases is at the start of the second episode and this scene is quite iconic.
Nostalgic don’t like this free reinterpretation of Devilman’s vibe but we think it’s a blessing since it doesn’t subtract anything from the original message.
5. Ya Boy Kongmin
A demented comedy with fantasy and slice-of-life traits. We follow the story of Zhuge Liang, a well-known Chinese warrior who died in battle on the plains of Wuzhang, who returns young and is reincarnated in present-day Japan.
After being invited by tourists to a club in Shibuya, Zhuge Liang makes the acquaintance of Eiko Tsukimi, a girl who aims to become a singer, and Zhuge Liang’s new life takes a very unexpected turn.
Paripi Kōmei is based on Rap music, and we will notice it in more than one scene, with even very heated and entertaining freestyle battles.
4. Beck
Beck is a 26-episode series based on the manga of the same name by Harold Sakuishi, and is undoubtely one of the best anime about music.
The plot follows the events in the life of Yukio Tanaka, or as nicknamed Koyuki, a 14-year-old student who already considers himself bored with life despite his tender age.
This monotony is ready to be disrupted he rescues a strange dog on the street, targeted by thugs.
The owner turns out to be Ryusuke Minami, a young 16-year-old guitarist who has just returned from his tour. The friendship between the two doesn’t take long to develop, and Koyuki’s passion for the world of music grows.
In an anime about music groups and their lives, including tours, a rap group, which we will meet over the course of the series, could also not be absent from the roll call.
3. Samurai Champloo
Directed by master filmmaker Shinichiro Watanabe, former author of cult hit Cowboy Bepop, Samurai Champloo is a 26-episode show produced by Manglobe.
The anime stars Mugen and Jin, 2 samurai warriors with opposing characters, and Kasumi, a girl who hired them to search for the samurai who smells like sunflowers.
The story revolves around their adventures, often self-contained, meaning that only a few of them will keep some coherence to the overall plot.
Watanabe’s direction is one of the main reasons why Samurai Champloo is so up on this list but its amazing rap/hip-hop soundtrack mixed with other genres like jazz plays its part too.
And what’s better than confrontations directed by a genius? You can’t skip this anime, it’s a must.
2. Tonkatsu Dj Agetarou
A 2016 comedy anime with a very unique and recognizable graphic trait, almost reminiscent of Western cartoons such as Bojack Horseman.
Agetarou works at his family’s tonkatsu restaurant but he is not very happy with his job.
One day he has to make a delivery to the staff of a nightclub, and the employee lets him into the club to rest for a few moments.
Agetarou thus discovers that he loves the club, with its relaxed people, pretty girls and music.
The boy continues to attend the club until one night the American guest DJ Big Master Fly puts on a rap show. Agetarou is thunderstruck, deciding he wants to learn the business.
1. Afro Samurai
From a seinen-dojinshi manga by author Takashi Okazazi is adapted Afro Samurai, an anime of only 6 episodes with an enviable soundtrack.
You should know that the music within it enabled it to receive no less than two Emmy nominations. This is thanks to the outstanding soundtrack by Wu-Tang Clan, one of the most influential hip-hop groups in music history.
The events revolve around the Afro-haired Samurai who helplessly witnessed as a child the killing of his father Rokutaro. His father was the possessor of the Number 1 sash, the method by which a warrior’s strength is ranked within series.
For this reason, the gunman Justice, possessor of the Number 2 band, eliminates him.
Once he grows up, Afro sets out on a journey to find Justice so that he can kill him and avenge his parent.
