Why Netflix's One Piece Didn't Use Iconic Anime Soundtrack in Live-Action?

One thing that can make any animated series, movie, or TV show special is a good soundtrack. Although sometimes people are less focused on such details, when it comes to any kind of remakes, reboots, or live-action recreations, it's only fair that the audience expects these similarities.

One Piece fans were no exception. The absence of the beloved intro song "We Are" was one of many reasons for viewers to flood the internet with complaints about the Netflix adaptation. As it turns out, the team behind the show would be happy to accommodate the fandom's wishes if it weren't for the copyright claims.

While answering some of the viewers' questions on the r/television subreddit, Matt Owens, co-showrunner, writer, and executive producer of the One Piece live-action series, chose the one about the original soundtrack to clear things up.

“Music rights are a tricky thing. We have rights to the manga, not the anime, so that means we don't have free access to the music. I knew I wanted a version of the song in the show somewhere. I think we found some great places for it! I'm sorry to those who wanted to hear more of the anime OST in the show,” Owens explained.

Although the second part of the question about whether we can expect more of the iconic anime music in later seasons wasn't answered directly, it feels like the team's hands are tied behind their backs with the lack of rights.

However, the soundtrack that We Are partially uses, written by Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli, brings just as much emotion and meaning to the scenes. Besides, the main idea behind the live-action was never to create a frame-by-frame copy but to base something great on a timeless animated original, and the new soundtrack supports that point.

If you still have doubts about the One Piece live-action series, you can see for yourself by streaming it on Netflix. And if you have already binge-watched the entire first season, stay tuned for important news and behind-the-scenes updates.

Source: Reddit