Britpop superstars Oasis once made a brief venture into anime, providing the opening song for a single episode of a 2009 show.
Eden of the East premiered in 2009 to some fanfare, as the anime show was an original project from director Kenji Kamiyama and Production IG, who were previously responsible for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
A more grounded TV show, Eden of the East focuses on a young student who befriends an amnesiac man following a terrorist attack in Japan.
The series tends to stand out for first-time viewers for one particular choice: ‘Falling Down’ by Oasis is the opening theme. Though, it should be noted, only for the very first episode.
The tune, from the group’s 2008 album Dig Out Your Soul, sets the tone remarkably well. Heavy use of percussion injects the right amount of energy, while the layered ambiance elevates the character and backdrop visuals.
Even the lyrics are appropriate. “Here am I, lost and found, calling out to all,” Noel Gallagher sings, in one of his rare ventures as Oasis lead vocalist ahead of his brother Liam. It doesn’t have the swagger of ‘Champagne Supernova’ or volume of ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’, but this was a different chapter in the band’s career.
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Sadly, licensing issues meant the song could only ever be used once. Funimation, now part of Crunchyroll, managed to retain the single for Eden of the East’s distribution outside of Japan, but just for that single episode.
You’ll need to have the song cued up on another platform in order to keep it going for all three seasons. Eden of the East has a strong 4.6 rating on Crunchyroll at present, so you will likely want to see the whole thing through to completion.
Of course, you can also enjoy the other theme, ‘Michael ka Belial’ by Saori Hayami, for everything beyond the opener. What better way to mark Oasis making their big return to the live stage? (Or distract from the debacle around getting tickets.)
Check out our upcoming anime list for other noteworthy releases – who knows what artists you’ll hear on them.