Unlike Hong Kong's karaoke places which, if you're lucky, will have a couple of the most popular anisongs, in Japan, pretty much every theme tune from every anime show ever is available for mic kings and queens to warble.
All of us have our go-to tunes: Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, Lady Gaga's Bad Romance, and eventually somebody sings Bon Jovi's Livin On A Prayer. The Otaku Zone must-sing tunes are the opening theme tune to Mazinger Z and Space Battleship Yamato.
But tastes vary, and people get tired of hearing the same songs. Karaoke giant JoysoundxUGA has released a list of the anisongs people are most sick of hearing … and the "winner" is Cruel Angel's Thesis, the opening theme song to Neon Genesis Evangelion.
According to a survey of 362 Japanese people conducted last month, here are the top five anisongs that people secretly hate:
- Cruel Angel's Thesis (from Neon Genesis Evangelion) - 40.6%
- Touch (from Touch) - 12.5%
- Uchu Senkan Yamato (from Space Battleship Yamato) - 9.4%
- Gatchaman no Uta (from Gatchaman) - 4.7%
- Cutey Honey (from Cutey Honey) - 3.1% tie
- Ai o Torimodose!! (from Fist of the North Star) - 3.1% tie
Not Uchu Senkan Yamato! We'll have to scratch it off our set list. Or just sing the English version …
Incidentally, JoysoundxUGA said the next most hated song on the list is also currently the most frequently sung: the Japanese version of Let It Go from Frozen, sung by Takako Matsu. Something we may need to learn to do.