Music plagiarism in GDW anime

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YamaDora
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Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by YamaDora »

I've never seen anyone talking about this thing outside of the Finnish fandom and forums, so I guess I might go ahead and start it here.

Anyone who's familiar with the soundtrack of Ginga Densetsu Weed anime might recognize these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1BJzKy8TbE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y1gStVjOtM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiLFHQamzMQ
All of these are from different composers, and they predate GDW anime.

There are like two more examples I can think of (one of them is Target, the opening theme of Digimon Zero Two), but I'm too tired to dig them up right now. If someone knows more of them, feel free to add.

This music plagiarism is probably the biggest reason why I dislike GDW anime. As an artist myself, I am outraged by any kind of art thievery, be it drawing, painting or music. Music specially has a special place in my heart, and it hurts me deeply that GDW anime doesn't have it's own original soundtrack (I'm not sure if that can be said about the whole soundtrack, though).
Last edited by YamaDora on Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Arano »

I remember this coming up a loooooong time ago on the old board. I put forth the argument with regard to Avalon Log In and GDW's Exceed the verge of death, the timings are different and GDW's "version" is more complex and uses more layers of instruments, and the techniques used in both (especially that "galloping" drum/strings) are difficult not to use in any epic battle music haha. This genre of music conforms to a certain structure and I guess it must be hard to not use things present in lots of existing scores.

BUT. Then all the others came out of the woodwork and it couldn't be defended :FLY:

Unfortunately this is rife in Japanese anime and games even. If the anime is popular enough and the music rip-offs garner attention, the animation company will apologise and replace the OST with something upon DVD release. However generally, things are let go because a lot of this music is so conformative and if the production company are large enough they have the money to quash any claims.

This is another example brought up by Kurojaki on the old board. They aren't total rips as in a copy-paste job... but they have suspiciously similar elements you can pick up if you listen carefully, especially the horns even though the timings are different. Hans Zimmer (listen from 1:18)

vs GDW's A Crisis of Life and Death (listen from 0:29)
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Digsu »

I'm mostly familiar with the tracks "borrowed" from Digimon, being a fan myself. For comparison purposes...

Unnamed GDW track = Panic (Digimon Tamers)
Hougen and Genba (incorrectly referred to as "Hougen and Genshin") = Nante Tsuyoi Teki Nanda! (Digimon 02)
Dash! = Target - Akai Shougeki (Digimon 02) (instrumental version)

I've never understood the decision to use a semi-well known shounen series to plagiarize music from, since you'd think there's a good chance you'll get caught, and I can't imagine getting in legal trouble with the giant that is Toei Animation is particularly pleasant. The only explanation I can think of is that the artists involved were new to the business/a bit dumb/both and had no idea how copyright works.

However, in Studio DEEN's defense, the soundtrack (aside from the opening and ending themes as well as Otoko Michi, Kemono Michi, which were done by Dohatsusen) was outsourced to a band/artist called Y2DOGS. For some reason, finding info about them is really difficult, and most relevant search results just state they did the soundtrack for GDW. Maybe the plagiarism came to light and they quietly disappeared off the face of the planet, who knows.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by YamaDora »

Digsu wrote: Sun Apr 08, 2018 12:27 pmHowever, in Studio DEEN's defense, the soundtrack (aside from the opening and ending themes as well as Otoko Michi, Kemono Michi, which were done by Dohatsusen) was outsourced to a band/artist called Y2DOGS. For some reason, finding info about them is really difficult, and most relevant search results just state they did the soundtrack for GDW. Maybe the plagiarism came to light and they quietly disappeared off the face of the planet, who knows.
I find it particularly intetesting that GDW soundtrack is "made" by a band/artist with a nickname. Now, I don't watch nearly as much anime as some others do, but I'm used to seeing anime soundtracks being composed by composers who go by their real name or a nickname that sounds like a real name. The only exception I've come across with is ACE+ which consists couple composers and finding out their names isn't hard at all.
This Y2DOGS is very interesting because I once tried my best to find any info about them, and all I could find was just them being credited over making GDW soundtrack and nothing else. Maybe they're just something made-up only for this one project and that's it?

Also, I think this is just a coincidence, but I always found it interesting how the beginning of this sounds a lot like a certain track from GDW.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Northwing »

Haha oh man this is sad. I had no idea about this and always thought that the soundtrack was one of the few things the GDW anime actually had going for it.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Bolty »

I'm shocked. No idea about these plagiarism, in particular about "Exceed the verge of death / Avalon track". Damn this is one of my favourites from the GDW soundtrack. Such a shame :sigh:
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Shiruba »

Jeez, i didn't even know this was happening. Now I have even less respect for the GDW anime.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Atha »

Kyoushirou's theme is basically the Mission Impossible theme, lol.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Marchosias »

That's Studio Deen for you
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Birdcrossing »

thanks for finding some of the track similarities guys, i had noticed when i first watched gdw that things where familiar but i only knew some.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Dolar »

Those two links doesn't work (From Digimon soundtrack, right?):C where can I find full names of it. I want to hear that! D:
And oh my...I don't know about it...I'm shocked. That's sad, because I very like soundtrack of GDW (but GNG most ;d).

Edit....
I listening over and over that music from Avalon and, lol, they sing in polish, what a surprise xD
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by YamaDora »

Dolar wrote: Sun Jan 27, 2019 2:52 pm
Those two links doesn't work (From Digimon soundtrack, right?):C where can I find full names of it. I want to hear that! D:
Here you go, pretty sure these were the links I originally provided:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXs2drs8NTY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv_SKvXyWgE
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Dolar »

Doragon wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 8:32 am Here you go, pretty sure these were the links I originally provided:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXs2drs8NTY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv_SKvXyWgE
Thanks! :o
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Jiro-san »

Well... I'm very disappointed of the GDW anime now .... :/ I've learn something today.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Arctic Ranger »

Wow, this is really disappointing (can't help but echo that, even if it's been said before).

Can anyone say if "Spirit of Succession" shares this? That's my absolute favorite track from the anime.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Jinto »

Damn. Such a shame cause I think they sound really good. GDW anime clearly was done with a smaller budget but with this small that they couldn't afford their own soundtracks :Koyukisweat: maybe it's a good thing we don't have GDW:O anime (at least not yet).

Edit: I listened that Digimon Zero Two theme but it doesn't come to my mind what GDW soundtrack it supposedly is. The main theme?
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by LIBRAKIND »

This is so odd
I was listening to the sound track while I was streaming and it's been a while since I watched the anime but it was.... weird

Like none of the music made me think of GDW, I kept thinking I heard it elsewhere. Guess this explains it.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by YamaDora »

Jinto wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:43 amI listened that Digimon Zero Two theme but it doesn't come to my mind what GDW soundtrack it supposedly is. The main theme?
The GDW soundtrack has a track called "Dash" that was plagiarised from Target (the opening theme of Digimon Zero Two). Dash was used in the anime only once and very briefly, so if you have only watched the anime and not listened to the soundtrack much, it can be easily missed.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Jinto »

YamaDora wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:31 pm
Jinto wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:43 amI listened that Digimon Zero Two theme but it doesn't come to my mind what GDW soundtrack it supposedly is. The main theme?
The GDW soundtrack has a track called "Dash" that was plagiarised from Target (the opening theme of Digimon Zero Two). Dash was used in the anime only once and very briefly, so if you have only watched the anime and not listened to the soundtrack much, it can be easily missed.

I just checked it and now I remember the moment when they used it. I hear the similarities there.
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Re: Music plagiarism in GDW anime

Post by Sonichu »

The blatant lifting from the Last Samurai piece to make Crises is cringey as hell to listen to. No excuse there-or in the digimon links that Yama posted. I didn't need to be convinced, they were that similar (if not just bloody direct rips!). Everything does come from something that already exists, but direct copying is not a homage. To think this could have all been squashed if they either got actually creative or bought the rights to use the digimon music. Being honest is all that needed to be done: using country music as an example, we have a mountain of covers and traditional songs, but no one claims to own the actual song. Their cover, yes. But not the song itself-and its a right of passage rather than a plagiarism case-but because people are UPFRONT about not owning it!

The Y2dogs vanishing off the face of the earth is pretty damning. Perhaps the fact that the physical OST for GDW comes up so rarely on YJ/for sale makes you wonder if it ceased production a hell of a lot faster than other merch...but that is pure speculation on my part.
Makes you wonder how many other cheap/quickly made anime series play this game.
Last edited by Sonichu on Fri Apr 16, 2021 6:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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