Over Soul (song)

"Over Soul"
Standard edition cover
Single by Megumi Hayashibara
from the album Feel Well
LanguageJapanese
B-side"Trust You"
ReleasedAugust 29, 2001 (2001-08-29)
Genre
Length3:54
LabelStarchild
ComposerGo Takahashi
LyricistMegumi
Producers
  • Takashi Tokuhara
  • Koji Asano
Megumi Hayashibara singles chronology
"Unsteady"
(2000) 		"Over Soul"
(2001) 		"Feel Well"
(2001)
Alternative cover
Limited edition cover
Audio
"Over Soul" on YouTube

"Over Soul" is a song by Japanese voice actress and recording artist Megumi Hayashibara. Written by Go Takahashi with lyrics penned by Hayashibara,[a] the song was released as a single on August 29, 2001, via Starchild.[1] The song was used as the opening theme for the anime television series Shaman King, which aired from July 2001 to September 2002 in Japan.[2]

Background and release

"Over Soul" was used as the opening theme for TV adaptation of Shaman King, where Hayashibara also voices the series' main heroine, Anna Kyoyama.[3] The song has been described as a bright, upbeat tempo song which exemplifies the classic style of early 2000s anime songs.[4] Its lyrics are closely tied to the series' narrative, reflecting the protagonist Yoh Asakura's persistent, never-give-up spirit and his refusal to abandon his goals.[4] Hayashibara deliberately wanted to project the image of Anna with the song, and wore clothes similar to Anna's when promoting or performing it.[5] The B-side of the single, "Trust You", served as ending theme for the same series.[2]

The CD single was released in two versions: standard and limited edition, with the latter featuring Anna Kyoyama on the cover. This edition also included a promotional card.[6]

Commercial performance

"Over Soul" debuted and peaked at number 7 on the Oricon charts,[7] selling 60,930 copies on its first week.[8] The single charted for eight weeks in total, with reported sales amounting to 110,570 copies.[8]

The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) in 2003.[9][10]

Impact and legacy

The song has been recognized as one of the most popular tracks from the Shaman King franchise.[3][11] In 2021, upon the announcement of the revival of the Shaman King animated series, King Amusement Creative uploaded the official opening sequence featuring the song, where it quickly accumulated over 2.7 million views.[9] When writing the song "Soul Salvation" for the Shaman King 2021 revival anime, Hayashibara admittedly struggled with the idea of surpassing "Over Soul" in terms of achieving its level of popularity and positive fan reception.[12] On the fifth episode of the 2021 series, "Over Soul!" which aired on July 29, 2021, the song was used as an insert song for the first time in approximately 20 years.[13]

Cover versions

In 2022, the song was covered by voice actress Yoko Hikasa as part of the CrosSing cover song project—which features popular voice actors covering anime songs.[14] Hikasa, who voices Yoh Asakura in the 2021 Shaman King adaptation, selected the song due to her closeness with the series, having watched it since 20 years prior.[14]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Megumi; all music is composed by Go Takahashi.

CD single/digital release track listing[15]
No.TitleLength
1."Over Soul"3:54
2."Trust You"3:27
3."Over Soul" (Instrumental)3:53
4."Trust You" (Instrumental)3:26

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the CD single.[16]

  • Megumi Hayashibara – vocals
  • Go Takahashi – arrangements
  • Keiji Kondoh – mixing
  • Hiroyuki Tsuji – mixing
  • Akira Ando – mastering
  • Takashi Tokuhara – producer
  • Koji Asano – producer
  • Toshimichi Otsuki – executive producer

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[19] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ^ Under the alias "Megumi" stylized in all caps.

References

  1. ^ "Over Soul＜初回生産限定盤＞/林原めぐみ". Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Shaman King (TV 2001)". Anime News Network. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  3. ^ a b "「テニスの王子様」「シャーマンキング」...アニソンの歴史を振り返ろう！2001年編". Encore (in Japanese). 31 October 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  4. ^ a b "平成の人気漫画・シャーマンキングの魅力とは？". UtaTen (in Japanese). IBG Media. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  5. ^ "【声グラ限定】『SHAMAN KING』のOP・EDテーマを歌う林原めぐみさんが語る制作秘話". Seigura.com (in Japanese). 14 April 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  6. ^ "「シャーマンキング」～Over Soul / trust you / 林原めぐみ [限定][廃盤]". CD Journal (in Japanese). 2001. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  7. ^ a b "Over Soul | 林原めぐみ". Oricon News (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  8. ^ a b c "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Taiju']. Oricon. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  9. ^ a b "シャーマンキング』初代OP曲！ 林原めぐみさんの歌声響く『Over Soul』が熱い". Famitsu.com (in Japanese). Kadokawa. 11 April 2021.
  10. ^ "一般社団法人 日本レコード協会" (To access, enter the search parameter "林原めぐみ" in the field "アーティスト名"). www.riaj.or.jp. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  11. ^ "歴代シャーマンキング主題歌人気ランキング！最も愛されるOP・ED曲は？". Minna no Ranking (in Japanese). 15 May 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  12. ^ "春アニメ『SHAMAN KING（シャーマンキング）』葉役・日笠陽子さん、阿弥陀丸役・小西克幸さん、アンナ役・林原めぐみさんが語る作品にかける熱い想い／インタビュー". Animate Times (in Japanese). 29 April 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  13. ^ "林原めぐみの名曲「Over Soul」20年ぶりに流れ話題 アニメ『シャーマンキング』挿入歌". Oricon News (in Japanese). Oricon. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  14. ^ a b "CrosSingより日笠陽子『SHAMAN KING』OPテーマ「Over Soul」が配信スタート！". LisAni! (in Japanese). Sony Music Solutions Inc. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  15. ^ "Over Soul - EP by Megumi Hayashibara". Apple Music (in Japanese). 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  16. ^ Hayashibara, Megumi (2001). Over Soul (CD single). Starchild. King Records Co., Ltd. KICM-3016.
  17. ^ "Billboard Japan Download Songs – Week of June 17, 2020". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  18. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Animation – Week of June 17, 2020". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  19. ^ "Japanese single certifications – Megumi Hayashibara – Over Soul" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 2026-03-19. Select 2003年10月 on the drop-down menu
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