The answer to what makes ONE PIECE a special anime is probably the same as what makes anime a special medium. For many fans, as soon as any single element reaches its peak, be it the voice acting or the animation, it can be paralleled by a soundtrack that induces a sense of awe or something similar. and strong.
Few people will spend more time with anime soundtracks Julien Mombert of ONE PIECE Music Symphony, founder, producer and presenter of the world's only official One Piece orchestra. Started more than 10 years ago by his La Fée Sauvage, its world tour will come to the United States this July to celebrate the 25th anniversary of One Piece. Ahead of the special one-night-only event in Las Vegas, Anime Corner had the opportunity to speak with Mombert about what he believes is the core of One Piece's music, his unique perspective on developing the orchestra over the past decade, and the company's plans to partner with Anime Expo next month.
Q: ONE PIECE Symphony Orchestra performs key songs such as “We Are!,” “Sai sai saikyo!!!,” “Oitsumerareta,” and “Binks no Sake.” These are songs that have been loved for decades. The film also updated these songs and experimented with different genres, as seen recently in Film: Red. What can you say is behind the timelessness of ONE PIECE's music? And what do you feel is at the core of composing a ONE PIECE song?
Julien Mombert: Well, to avoid any misunderstandings, I'd like to start by saying that I answer as a fan and a concert producer and presenter who has listened to the music countless times on CD , while watching TV shows, at rehearsals and directly on stage (to get the most accurate answer, you definitely need to check with the composer). So my personal impression is that the musical core of ONE PIECE is both 80s anime music and Japanese big band jazz from the 70s, meets classical music. Additionally, starting in 1999, the music of this television series has evolved over time. I would say it has evolved along with the adventures of the characters and the evolution of pop music in general. I think this is the unique blend that makes ONE PIECE's music.
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Q: You've said that your ONE PIECE concerts attract a much younger audience than other concerts, like the previous Sailor Moon seasons. Are you excited to reach new fans when the ONE PIECE Symphony Orchestra performs during this summer's Anime Expo weekend?
Mombert: ONE PIECE Symphony Orchestra has been expanding its reach exponentially every year since we started over 10 years ago and I believe this is a combination of keeping the audience and attracting more and more new people to join. It is a somewhat unique situation where something that has been around for so long does not decline after reaching its peak but reaches a new peak every year! When you have worked hard and long on a project, it is incredibly rewarding to still attract some new audiences (like still seeing some customers from 10 years ago!).
ONE PIECE Music Symphony's 25th Anniversary World Tour
Q: What role did anime play in drawing you personally into music? Can you break down your career into arcs/sagas for us? Extra points for fun names.
Mombert: Well, to the point where I really wouldn’t have become a music producer if it weren’t for anime… And I’m not saying that sounds cool. I had a regular corporate executive job and after more than 10 years, I left corporate banking to do this. It wasn’t considered a full-time job. I just wanted to see an official anime concert with a live orchestra playing my favorite music, and at the time I started, that wasn’t happening. So I thought, “Okay, I think I can make it happen… Let’s at least try!” In ONE PIECE terms, I would say I was a marine for about 12 years before joining the Revolutionary Army. The goal of this army is not to save the world from tyranny, but to spread Japanese anime music to all corners of the world!
Q: Before Anime Expo begins its North American tour, you have a special one-night-only stop in Las Vegas. You recruit talent for local concerts. Have you noticed that lately more people are familiar with anime tied to the music you're producing?
Mombert: To be clear, our event is taking place in partnership with and during Anime Expo but not at Anime Expo. We just thought this would be a good day to gather all anime fans. Many people cannot travel far to see just one show, so we tried to give them the opportunity to attend this show at the same time. Then—and this may come as a surprise to some—being an anime fan is a necessity on the production team, especially for those involved in creating the show (like me), but this is by no means a requirement for musicians. The main requirement is to be a highly skilled professional orchestra musician, ensuring that fans in the stands will be enthralled by the musical performance. However, of course, when such a musician mentions being an anime fan, we are always happy to hear this and invite him to participate in this project with us!
Q: Historically, is there a bias toward musical composition and arrangement that originates from anime? Has it changed?
Mombert: Well, I'm speaking from what I've heard from various game and anime composers. Before the '90s, it seemed like it was really seen as a bad job—a kind of failure. I'm really talking about the perception of other composers (the '80s is where it all started for me, and I still cherish that anime score…). Then the second generation came along—the generation that grew up partly with anime and gaming—and now, we're talking about the third and fourth generation, who take anime and gaming for granted in a society where these things have gone from an underground subculture to being completely mainstream. We now have Grammy Awards for video game composers. Joe Hisaishi is nominated for a Golden Globe this year for his music in a Studio Ghibli anime. So things have definitely changed in a very positive way! Looking back to the 80s, I never imagined that Japanese animation would become such a huge part of mainstream culture around the world!
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Q: You developed this symphony with ONE PIECE composer Kohei Tanaka and worked with many other great artists — Japanese and otherwise. Do you have any profound influences or moments?
Mombert: I have a lot. I am especially grateful to Nobuo Uematsu, the first composer we produced when I started this business, and Kohei Tanaka, who trusted me to develop the ONE PIECE Musical Symphony in 2012. They has supported us ever since, and this really means a lot to me.
One Piece composer Kohei Tanaka will be attending this year's ONE PIECE Music Symphony 25th Anniversary Tour in Los Angeles (July 6/Shrine Auditorium) and Paris (November 30/Palais des Congrès), and he have a message for you! Official tour page: https://t.co/n2RnQsN0hP pic.twitter.com/zAclBTgOll
— The Wild FaeryCie (@TheWildFaeryCie) June 10, 2024
Kohei Tanaka will attend this year's ONE PIECE Music Symphony
Q: Are there any special challenges/considerations involved in arranging music for anime as opposed to music of other origins?
Mombert: That depends on the music itself. Some pieces have been written that are very close to some classical symphonic pieces. But a question frequently arises when non-classical elements, especially electric instruments (e.g. synthesizers, guitars and basses), are part of the original music. Some producers try to eliminate these elements and make the music purely symphonic. We take a different approach because we believe this often denatures the original music we love. So we try to perform the music as closely as possible to how people hear it in their heads and memories.
Q: You have been performing the ONE PIECE Musical Symphony — the only official symphony in the world — for more than 10 years. What trials and tribulations have you and La Fée Sauvage experienced? How did you change before your stop in Las Vegas?
Mombert: As we discussed before, when the project started 12 years ago, it was a different time for anime and game music. Most people over the age of 35 don't know what anime is, anime and manga are barely popular in the US (except among die-hard fans), and the music industry is very dismissive of it. We had to work hard to open any available doors, and it was much more difficult to rent a venue or get a high-level orchestra to play our show. This situation is gone now and we don't need to convince people to organize such shows anymore…
Q: What can you tell us about the new works you developed for the Las Vegas show and how they illustrate this change?
Mombert: Sure. This year, you'll discover the all-new TV opening of “UUUUUS!” and enjoy the first musical performances such as the emotional “Haha naru Umi” (Mother Sea), “Sekai no ichiban oden da!!” (This is the best oden in the world!!), and the amazing “Ore no saikouchiten” (Luffy's Gear 5 Theme). What has changed is that before, a new opening song or a new theme song like “Ore no saikouchiten” would take time to attract concertgoers. But not anymore, and I think many people are like me and eagerly await the first live performance of these songs.
ONE PIECE OST: “Ore no saikouchiten”
Q: Do you have anything strange? What are the mental images or abstractions of writing and arranging music while playing with so many people?
Mombert: I'm not a writer or composer so I can't really answer this question.
Question: Do you have a dream?
Mombert: I would love for people to rediscover musical anime from the 80s and 90s. This might be difficult from a commercial standpoint, but who knows?
Q: What is your message for those who are/may be interested in coming to your concert in Las Vegas?
Mombert: You know, this is a special year for ONE PIECE and Las Vegas. We had Sphere take over this week, we opened ONE PIECE Café last week, and next we're hosting the orchestra's 25th Anniversary Concert. There's definitely something special going on this year, and I bet the Las Vegas show will be a very special one with a lot of passion in the room! So if you have the opportunity to attend, don't miss it!
Thank you for joining us to celebrate the opening of One Piece Cafe in Las Vegas! Here are some exciting moments on our opening day.
We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support from our community and fans! #OnePiece #OnePieceCafe pic.twitter.com/mx2sjV8ap4
— Toei Animation (@ToeiAnimation) May 16, 2024
Will you stop by the new official ONE PIECE Cafe?
Absolutely. Can't wait to get to Vegas and enjoy a great meal there! Thanks for your time.
Many thanks to Julien Mombert for the interview and insightful answers. Readers can purchase ONE PIECE Musical Symphony tickets from the official website and follow the founding company, La Fée Sauvage on Instagram.
©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/Toei Animation