History Main / SurrealThemeTune

[[quoteright:350:[[Creator/StudioSHAFT https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shaft8.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Some of the openings that Creator/StudioSHAFT has made for its shows.[[note]]From top left to bottom right: 1–2 ''Manga/TsukuyomiMoonPhase''; 3–5 ''Anime/PaniPoniDash''; 6 ''Anime/NegimaSecondSeason''; 7 ''Manga/HidamariSketch''; 8–10 ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei''; 11–14 ''Literature/{{Bakemonogatari}}''; 15 ''Manga/NatsuNoArashi''[[/note]]]]

[[invoked]][[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs Cartoon friends are Just Say No-in']]\\

A ThemeTune which consists of random, surreal lyrics or visuals with little direct relevance to the show.

If it's the visuals that are surreal, then it can also appear to have DerangedAnimation (especially in animated works - take a look at Creator/StudioShaft).

A ThemeTune which consists of random, surreal lyrics with little direct relevance to the show.

* Creator/StudioShaft is the absolute king of this trope.

* ''LightNovel/MagiciansAcademy'' is a good example, as the show's theme song, while sort of relevant to the show, has lyrics that appear to lack any sense...or sentence structure at times.

[[caption-width-right:350:Some of the openings that Creator/StudioSHAFT has made for its shows.[[note]]From top left to bottom right: 1–2 ''Manga/TsukuyomiMoonPhase''; 3–5 ''Anime/PaniPoniDash''; 6 ''Anime/NegimaSecondSeason''; 7 ''Manga/HidamariSketch''; 8–10 ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei''; 11–14 ''LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}}''; 15 ''Manga/NatsuNoArashi''[[/note]]]]

* The closing theme of ''Manga/DragonHalf'' is a paean to an omelette sung to Beethoven's 7th symphony.
** Which is really ''ironic'', considering the main character (who also sings the song) hatched from an egg...

* The opening theme to ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' is "Soramimi Cake", which is a play on the Japanese word for mondegreens, ''soramimi kaishi''. The lyrics include GratuitousEnglish.
** [[CloudCuckooLander Osaka's]] ImageSong is called "Time Pavement." It's as nutty as it sounds.
*** But it sounds rather smooth and cozy.

* ''Manga/HaruhiChan'''s OP "Ima Made no Arasuji". Somehow is crazier than the actual anime, which is an exaggerated version of the already unique [[LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya main series]].

** ''Anime/MariaHolic's'' opening is called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOHwVZc6QYY Hanaji (Nosebleed)]], and it explains the plot of the show as Kanako sings about how a [[WholesomeCrossDresser crossdressing boy]] is tormenting her. Seems relevant enough, but the incredibly strange imagery accompanying the song is more than enough to justify the label.

* The opening song to ''Anime/LuckyStar'', "Motteke Serafuku" is a bizarre piece that combines predominately Japanese GratuitousEnglish-style lyrics with opening and closing verses discussing the SailorFuku. There are varying translations of it, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCyu9PJwiXw this is actually one of the translations that renders it more normally and sensically, to give you an idea of what it's like.]]
** Both surreal and fitting with the shows "slice of life" theme, the ending theme for the first half of the series were of the girls singing in karaoke the themes of a ''completely different show''.

* ''Manga/HaruhiChan'''s OP "Ima Made no Arasuji". Somehow is crazier than the actual anime, which is an UpToEleven version of the already unique [[LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya main series]].

* The closing theme to ''Anime/WelcomeToTheNHK'' starts off on a somewhat classical note which fits the depression theme that is a long runner in this show, and BAM! in a cut and less than a few seconds, is a dancing alien singing about how he wants to pretend to be a baby human (Or "kidult", as some people have translated it), while screaming incoherent things like "Nyaaaaaah". A fine closing to a series where most of the main characters are a little less than sane. (Note: This is actually related to the show--given that the show is about hikikkomori-ism and otaku-ism). No really, this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikFGCQJbHoM song]] will have you question the rationality of society!

-->-- "At Least It Was Here" my Music/The88, ''Series/{{Community}}'' theme song

-->-- ''Series/{{Community}}'' theme song

* The opening theme to ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' is "Soramimi Cake", which is a play on the Japanese word for {{mondegreen}}s, ''soramimi kaishi''. The lyrics include GratuitousEnglish.

** Its [[VideoGame/OsuTatakaeOuendan Japanese counterpart]] isn't immune either. Help a ronin pass high school exams using ''Loop and Loop''! Meteor heading towards earth? Let's get started, ''Ready Steady Go!'' But the most baffling example is probably when an anthropomorphic text message has to deliver its note during Christmas... ''to a song about soccer''.
* The visuals during the opening credits of ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' almost make sense, but the lyrics to the accompanying music are absolute nonsense like "I need more candy canes." [[SubvertedTrope Actually, it's all relevant to the plot, and gives away several spoilers. It's just so metaphorical that you can only tell this in hindsight.]] Still, much of it is based on [[{{Mondegreen}} what the original Japanese song sounds like]]. For example, "show me your best set" makes sense if you think about pins, but it also sounds like "shoumikigen" and "tokubetsu sei", lines from the first and third verse.

* ''Manga/FutureDiary'': the song used for the first dozen episodes has OminousLatinChanting, GratuitousEnglish and GratuitousGerman. The second is entirely {{Engrish}} that may seem nonsensical , but actually every line makes a reference to something in the show itself. Similarly, the visuals to both openings contain a lot of symbolism that only makes sense once you know the full story. All in all, it wouldn't look out of place next to an opening from Creator/StudioShaft.

** ''Anime/MariaHolic's'' opening is called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOHwVZc6QYY Hanaji (Nosebleed)]], and it explains the plot of the show as [[SchoolgirlLesbians Kanako]] sings about how a [[WholesomeCrossDresser crossdressing boy]] is tormenting her. Seems relevant enough, but the incredibly strange imagery accompanying the song is more than enough to justify the label.

* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus.'' They wanted a theme song that meant nothing about the show, so they picked a Sousa march (specifically "The Liberty Bell"), and now everyone knows that opening bell when they hear it. These days, no one plays that march in real military-type occasions anymore. Nothing takes the gravitas out of a ceremony like music [[WeirdAlEffect that brings to mind]] two grown men hitting each other with fish.

* The ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'' TV series does not tell us what the show is about. Rather opens up w/ Flint and Sam annoying everyone in town and has screams of agony as the only lyrics of the opening.

->''Give me some rope, tie to me to dream\\

->''"Remember what the dormouse said\\
Feed your head!\\
Feed your head!"''
-->-- '''Music/JeffersonAirplane''', "White Rabbit"

* ''Anime/Berserk1997'': Ladies and gentlemen, we present the opening theme song of ''Berserk'', "[[https://youtu.be/I2rV8oKWSdM Tell Me Why]]" by the Penpals. It's an upbeat-sounding rock song, extremely catchy, and the lyrics are mispronounced and seemingly nonsensical GratuitousEnglish. We'd be hard-pressed to tell you what it means:

* ''Manga/BlackLagoon'': BEEN BURN IN THE HELL BY ALL THOSE PIGS OUT THERE!!!!!

** Maybe not, as [[FridgeBrilliance it could be also be]] a way of GettingCrapPastTheRadar. The song is a different arrangement of Music/ColePorter's song "Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)", and if you listen to the whole song (particularly an older version of it) actually seems to be more about [[IntercourseWithYou "Doing it"]] than it is about love.

Number one at Double Deuce!''

* ''Anime/MagicalWitchPuniechan'': as seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VMsw0PisEE here]].

** The third intro to the site consists of Homestar running in front of an LED sign while a chorus of children sing "Everybody! Everybody!" Homestar joins them at the end.