Kenji Ohtsuka and the N.H.K.

It's not very often that an anime opening or ending theme song gets me so hooked or inspired as to compel me to seek out the artist and find their other works. Most of the time, the opposite is true. And in other cases, the song and anime really go hand in hand. Well, here are one of those rare moments. I say rare because the artist of discussion is not new to the industry, and having been a fan of J-rock/pop for almost as long as anime/manga have been in my life, these circumstances are amazing. While I cannot claim to know every J-rock/pop artist in existence, it is quite baffling that this artist has been below my radar until recently.

Kenji Ohtsuki (and Fumihiko Kitsutaka) provide the ending theme songs for NHK ni Youkoso (Welcome to the N.H.K.), an anime that is growing to become of my favorite series. The "hook" was the first ED theme song, "Odoru Akachan Ningen" (Dancing Baby Humans). While the corresponding graphics were rather perfect, it did not completely steal the show from the song itself. With great metal riffs transposed with piano melodies and awesome lyrics to match, it is hard to compare it to other works. The full version of the song is definitely worth listening to. Though I feel as though I should give some warning. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but Its unusual traits and overall feel make it all the more appealing.