It has been announced that Japanese singer-songwriter Shogo Sakamoto’s new song Taiyou Runner (Sun Runner) will be used as the new ending theme for the ongoing TV anime series Ahiru no Sora.

Ahiru no Sora is a basketball manga series written and illustrated by Takeshi Hinata. The anime adaptation began airing in last year in October.

The story follows Sora Kurumatani, a boy who lacks what is seen as an essential boon in basketball: height. Despite this, he has never let his stature get the better of him in a game. When he enters high school, after promising to join the basketball team to his mother and compete in tournaments, he finds that the team is full of delinquents and people who have no interest in the game. It is Sora’s job to rekindle the flame of passion for basketball amongst his team mates.

Shogo Sakamoto’s new song Taiyou Runner was written specifically as the new ending song for Ahiru no Sora, and captures the positive outlook seen in the protagonist as well as being fast-paced like the anime itself.

Shogo Sakamoto | Comment

“By chasing your dreams and goals, things like pain, bitterness, and the anxiety of setbacks try to catch up to you. But a person with a heart that continues to fight and focus is a shining light. When I read the manga, I felt that Sora Kurumatani is exactly that. A beam of light. I wrote the song ‘Taiyou Runner’ to capture that image of someone who burns like the fiery sun and who has a strong heart that acts as a ray of hope for the people around them. I pray that the heart of people who are chasing their dreams becomes a shining light.”