This post is part of my Quick Takes series - short, focused reviews that highlight key publications for teachers and players.

Introduction

For many piano teachers, anime, the distinctive style of animation originating in Japan, might have come to our attention through our students - this is certainly the case for me. Although the animations and films themselves might remain a mystery to us, we have quickly become familiar with anime musical favourites such as ‘Spirited Away’ and the ‘Merry-Go-Round of Life’.

Front cover of The Piano Player: Anime piano sheet music collection

This latest volume in Faber Music’s popular The Piano Player series, features 19 themes from Japanese anime soundtracks such as My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service. Each has been skilfully arranged for solo piano by Olly Weekes, and with no sign of anime’s appeal waning, this volume is sure to prove popular.

Key Impressions

One of the hallmarks of anime is that the films and animations have almost universal appeal across different age groups and across the world. I think the same could be said of the music too, so whether your knowledge of anime is, like mine, woefully non-existent, then I assure you that regardless, this is music worth playing.

Whilst the style is broadly similar across the different themes, despite a number of different composers being represented, in many ways, this works in the volume’s favour, in offering a coherent selection of music, all of which is likely to appeal to pianists with similar musical interests.

Back cover of The Piano Player: Anime showing the list of included piano pieces.

Opening bars of Arrietty's Song from The Piano Player: Anime piano sheet music book.

I particularly enjoyed ‘You Can See Me?’ (from The Imaginary) by Shiori Inoue, ‘Arrietty’s Song’ (from Arrietty) by Cécile Corbel and Simon Caby, and ‘Ashitaka and San’ (from Princess Mononoke) by the irrepressible Joe Hisaishi, but there is plenty to explore here.

The name Studio Ghibli will be familiar to many, for the legendary Japanese animation studio founded in 1985 has led the way when it comes to the anime genre, with films such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and the aforementioned My Neighbor Totoro. It is perhaps then, no surprise, that it is the output of Studio Ghibli which is represented most heavily in The Piano Player: Anime. Over half of the themes come from the output of Studio Ghibli, the remainder from other studios including Studio Ponoc and Kyoto Animation.

Verdict

Overall, whilst it could never be possible to represent every aspect of the anime phenomenon in one book, the broad selection of themes included in The Piano Player: Anime means that amidst the well-known, there are plenty of less-familiar ones to discover. The difficulty level ranges from intermediate to advanced, and so far as I can see, the pieces are arranged in order of difficulty. The fingering and pedalling suggestions are particularly useful.

Sample page of piano sheet music from The Piano Player: Anime collection.

Retailing at around £10.99, this latest volume in the The Piano Player series offers excellent value for money. To my knowledge, this is the first in the series not to feature the artwork of Edward Bawden. Whilst collectors of the series might be disappointed, the cover image is entirely appropriate. The quality of the publication remains of a high standard.

Whether anime is your ‘thing’ or not, The Piano Player: Anime is a lovely volume comprising both familiar and lesser-known works. With another set of effective and well-conceived arrangements, The Piano Player: Anime is a splendid addition to this ever-expanding series from Faber Music.

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The Piano Player: Anime, was published in 2026 by Faber Music ISBN 9780571543663, RRP £10.99.

I was sent a review copy of this book free of charge; however, this review is my honest opinion as a teacher. You can find my Reviews Policy here.

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Star ratings reflect my personal opinion based on usefulness, creativity, presentation, and appeal for teachers and players. I only review publications I can genuinely recommend (3 stars and above):

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Worth exploring - A solid and dependable publication with moments of interest.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recommended - Thoughtful and well-presented; many teachers and players will enjoy using it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Highly recommended - Beautifully written, inspiring, and one I’ll return to often.