# Otonoke

"Otonoke" (Japanese: オトノケ) 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 | Ref. |
| Polygon | The 6 Best Anime Openings of 2024 | — | |
Awards and nominations for "Otonoke" :
| Ceremony | Year | Award | Result |
| Abema Anime Trend Awards | 2024 | Opening Animation Award | Won |
| Anime Trending Awards | 2025 | Opening Theme Song of the Year | Won |
| Reiwa Anisong Awards [ja] | 2025 | Best Work Award | Nominated |

## Track listing

* CD single, digital download and streaming
* "Otonoke" (オトノケ) – 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

## Certifications

Certifications for "Otonoke" :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Japan (RIAJ) | Gold | 100,000$^*$ |
| Streaming |||
| Japan (RIAJ) | Platinum | 100,000,000$^†$ |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^†$ Streaming-only figures based on certification alone. |||