The anime insert song “Hunting Soul” by HAYASii, which featured in DAN DA DAN Season 2 Episode 6 (Episode 18 overall), has been removed from several Japanese streaming services without explanation. While no official announcement has been made, the removal notably follows concerns expressed by X JAPAN’s YOSHIKI and affiliated lawyers; X JAPAN was a major reference for the “Hunting Soul” song, performance, and fictional HAYASii band members.
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You can listen to DAN DA DAN‘s “Hunting Soul” below:
DAN DA DAN Season 2 ‘Hunting Soul’ Song Removed From Apple Music Streaming Service & More
Despite Aniplex’s landing page for the song linking to several sites, including Spotify, Spotify’s API no longer returns Japan as an available country. Meanwhile, Apple Music, AWA, Sony Music Solution’s Mora platform, Recochoku, and KKBOX return errors or dead pages. Amazon Music shows a generic page in place of the song’s former location. The song is still available to stream on YouTube in Japan.
Following the release of the DAN DA DAN anime episode and “Hunting Soul,” Yoshiki expressed surprise at the song’s resemblance to their past work, tagging the accounts of relevant parties, such as the anime’s streaming services, and asking his fans for their thoughts. He added that his lawyers contacted him over the possibility of copyright infringement.
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Despite the legal controversy surrounding the homage, DAN DA DAN‘s “Hunting Soul” has been a big hit with anime-only fans as well as manga readers anticipating its adaptation. The song has over 10 million views across multiple official versions on YouTube.
Fuga Yamashiro and Abel Gongora co-direct DAN DA DAN at anime studio Science SARU. The series is currently streaming on Netflix, and is described:
In a bet to prove whether ghosts or aliens exist, two high schoolers face terrifying paranormal threats, gain superpowers and maybe even fall in love!
The copyright for “Hunting Soul” is held by the DAN DA DAN anime production committee, under exclusive license to Sony Music Entertainment’s Milan Records. The copyrights for the master and publishing of X JAPAN’s “Kurenai,” which Yoshiki specifically appeared to imply “Hunting Soul” resembled, are held by Japan Music Agency, Co., Ltd./Extasy A Music/Sony Music Publishing.
Source: Multiple streaming services
©Yukinobu Tatsu/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee
