Interview: BE:FIRST Vocal Group Returns to the High Seas of One Piece
by Grant Jones,The band BE:FIRST is collaborating with Toei Studios to perform the new ending song for the new version of the One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga anime arc. First formed via the reality program The First, Sota, Shunto, Manato, Ryuhei, Junon, Ryoki, and Leo have made music together since 2021. We spoke with the seven-member dance and vocal group recently to learn more about the project, their creative process, their experience with One Piece, and more.
This is not your first time creating a song in collaboration with One Piece. After making "Set Sail" for the One Piece card game, did your creative approach change when creating this new song?
RYUHEI: Since we were aiming to align the lyrics with the world of ONE PIECE, I feel we've taken a big step forward in translating that world into words compared to the last time.
What was your first experience with One Piece as a work? Was it through the anime, the manga, or something else?
SOTA: I first encountered ONE PIECE through playing the data card arcade game, ONEPY B MATCH. I'd watched tons of anime growing up, but the battle scenes in the card game were so cool and stuck with me.
SHUNTO: I've been watching ONE PIECE anime with my parents since I was a little kid.
JUNON: I don't remember my exact age, but I remember seeing it for the first time in a manga my father read when I was a kid.
Do you have any favorite characters or particular scenes from the series that are important to you?
SHUNTO: This scene is not from the Fishman Island arc, but I'm particularly fond of the flashback scene with Señor Pink.
JUNON: Sanji's farewell to Zeff was touching. Even though they aren't blood-related, their honest confrontation felt like a father and son trying to express their feelings. I could relate to it.
RYUHEI: One of my favorite characters is Crocodile. I love the scene where Crocodile protects Luffy and Jinbe from Sakazuki in the Summit War of Marineford. His line, 'You gotta protect what you wanna protect,' is so badass and totally in character.
Do you see a lot of crossover between your fans and One Piece?
MANATO:The common crossover is a strong sense of camaraderie. BE:FIRST and BESTY, as an artist and fans, go beyond those labels to share a common love of music. Similarly, Luffy in ONE PIECE forms deep bonds with people, regardless of their affiliations. This strong sense of camaraderie is what connects the two.
Do you feel that there are similar themes in One Piece and your music?
JUNON: Yes, it is a testament to the idea that a diverse group of people can make a great team.
How long did the creative process take when creating this new track?
SHUNTO: We spent a lot of time thinking about connecting the dots between the Straw Hat Pirates, the Fishman Island arc, and BE:FIRST in our lyrics. It was a fun and challenging experience to immerse ourselves in the ONE PIECE world while writing the song.
Did you collaborate with Toei in the creation of this song? If so, what was that like?
SOTA: We didn't have direct contact with Toei. But during the creation process, we thought about why our music should be the ending theme song for ONE PIECE on top of incorporating the essence from the storyline.
Do you see yourselves working on more collaborative projects like this in the future?
LEO: Yes, we'd love to! We're honored to be part of such incredible projects. We are more than happy to collaborate whenever and wherever our music is wanted.
What do you hope fans take away when they listen to your new song?
RYOKI: “Sailing” is the perfect song to set sail on a new adventure, just like in ONE PIECE. I hope people will feel the same excitement when they listen to it!
Like the Straw Hat Pirates, BE:FIRST is a sizable crew! We have to know which crew member you see yourself as. Or perhaps it is another dastardly pirate crew.
RYUHEI: I'd love to be as cheerful and friendly as Usopp. His ability to connect with people and get close to everyone is truly inspiring.
Thank you again for your time, and we look forward to hearing your new track along with the return of One Piece!
BE:FIRST Thank you for having us! We hope you enjoy listening to our music while watching the Fishman Island episodes.
