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Netflix knew that One Piece was going to be a massive undertaking when they picked it up for a live-action series. There is just so much of it, and we mean that in the best way possible. With an anime that has been running for more than 25 years, fans already had an expectation for how the Netflix series would sound, but, according to the composers of the show, they all had one top-level directive from Eiichiro Oda; make your own thing.

Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli are no strangers to working on massive shows for Netflix. Before they set the tone for the Going Merry’s adventures in the East Blue, the pair composed the music for Netflix’s The Witcher series, including the persistent earworm of Toss a Coin to Your Witcher. However, One Piece came with a massive history and a legion of anime fans who already had an idea of what the show should sound like. The pair says that their biggest challenge came from Oda himself, who insisted that the production feel distinct from what had come before.

“For something like One Piece, on one hand, it’s incredibly important for us to acknowledge that there is a pre-existing universe with an existing fan base, so we have to be incredibly respectful to that,” Belousova said in an interview, explaining that the pair were fans of the series before they were brought on to create the music for One Piece. “On the other hand, it was also incredibly important for the whole team, Oda included, that the One Piece live action adaptation is it’s really its own universe.”

Belousova wasn’t joking about Oda insisting on the team going their own way with the live action One Piece. “The very first message that we received from Oda was we really want to make our own thing. That was number one and only directive.”

Making the show something both respectful and independent of the manga and anime that came before it was probably the biggest challenge for One Piece – that, and making Luffy’s powers not terrifying, of course. With seasons two and three on the way, we’re excited to see how Netflix brings the big, bold world of the Grand Line to life.

THE ONE PIECE IS REAL...ly important to Popverse! That's why we've put together the key articles to keep your fandom of the manga-turned-anime-turned-live-action-show alive:

• How to watch One Piece One Piece in chronological and release order (All 1,100+ episodes plus the movies!)
• When the next episode of One Piece is coming
• The One Piece English cast shared the life lessons they've learned playing the Straw Hats for nearly 20 years
• Why One Piece's Monkey D. Luffy is the perfect hero for the dark times ahead
• Every difference between the live-action One Piece and the original manga
• One Piece Gear 5 Form: Everything we know about Luffy's latest transformation
• Wondering what ethnicity and nationality the One Piece pirates are? Here is what Oda himself has to say
• Ranking the One Piece anime's arcs, from best to worst
• Why is One Piece more popular now that the anime is 25 years old? We asked around and found out
• The English cast of One Piece explain what they love about Eiichiro Oda's storytelling - "He's a genius!"