is a song by Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts from their fourth studio album, Legion (2025). It was released as a single on October 4, 2024, through Onenation and Sony Music Associated Records. The song serves as the opening theme for Japanese anime series Dandadan (2024). Commercially, "Otonoke" peaked at number one on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 number 22 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100, and the World Digital Song Sales.
Background and release On June 23, 2024, the production committee of the anime Dandadan announced that Creepy Nuts would perform the opening theme song for the anime, titled "Otonoke". One half of the duo R-Shitei described that the song interpreted "how when supernatural beings or spirits possess people, they 'resonate with and connect with pain and sadness', which is very similar to the relationship between music creators and listeners." The snippet of "Otonoke" first featured on the anime's third trailer, previewed on August 20. The duo released the song digitally on October 4, and physically on CD single on December 11.
A month after the release, a user on the website Reddit discovered that the song had artifacts of sampling from a sped and pitched-up excerpt of the 1915 song "I've Been Floating Down the Old Green River" performed by American singer Billy Murray, disproving a popular theory that the song had sampled sounds from the Pikmin series of video games.
Music video
A music video for "Otonoke" premiered on October 18, 2024. Directed by Masaki Watanabe, the chaotic music video expresses the dark atmosphere of the song by using several visual techniques, including Creepy Nuts in phenakistoscope and zoetrope created by 3D scanning as well as "Fatman Scoop-style big head" effects. The collaborated music video with Dandadan was released on October 31.
Live performances Creepy Nuts debuted the live performance of "Otonoke" at Venue 101 Presents Creepy Nuts the Live on October 5, 2024. They also performed this song at the 66th Japan Record Awards on December 30, 2024.
Accolades + Critics' rankings of "Otonoke" Critic/Publication Accolade Rank Anime News Network The Best Songs of 2024 style="text-align:center" Nialler9 Filmore!'s Favourite Songs of 2024 style="text-align:center" Polygon The 6 Best Anime Openings of 2024 style="text-align:center"
+ Awards and nominations for "Otonoke" Ceremony Year Award Result Abema Anime Trend Awards 2024 Opening Animation Award AnimaniA Awards 2025 Best Anime Song Anime Grand Prix 2025 Best Theme Song Anime Trending Awards 2025 Opening Theme Song of the Year Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 Best Anime Song Best Opening Sequence Japan Expo Awards 2025 Daruma for Best Opening Music Awards Japan 2026 Top Japanese Song in Europe Top Japanese Song in North America Top Japanese Song in Latin America 2025 Best Work Award
Track listing CD single, digital download and streaming – 3:05 "Otonoke" (instrumental) – 3:05
Blu-ray "Otonoke" (music video) – 3:16 "Otonoke" (Dandadan collaboration music video) – 3:10 "TV Anime Dandadan Non-Credit OP (cool) Movie" – 1:31
Personnel R-Shitei – vocals, lyrics DJ Matsunaga – composition, arrangement Kazuki Isogai – guitar Masahito Komori – mixing Mike Bozzi – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for "Otonoke" Chart (2024) Peakposition Global 200 (Billboard) 37 Japan (Japan Hot 100) 1 Japan Hot Animation (Billboard Japan) 1 Japan Combined Singles (Oricon) 2 Japan Anime Singles (Oricon) 7 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 4 US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard) 22 US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard) 1
Monthly charts + Monthly chart performance for "Otonoke" Chart (2024) Position Japan (Oricon) 32
Year-end charts + 2024 year-end chart performance for "Otonoke" Chart (2024) Position Japan (Japan Hot 100) 92 Japan Hot Animation (Billboard Japan) 19
+ 2025 year-end chart performance for "Otonoke" Chart (2025) Position Global Excl. US (Billboard) 160 Japan (Japan Hot 100) 16 Japan Hot Animation (Billboard Japan) 6
Certifications
See also List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2024 (Japan)
References