The latest episode of Dandadan has caught the attention of X JAPAN’s member Yoshiki after featuring a song that bore a striking resemblance to the band’s track “Kurenai.”
In a series of posts on X, Yoshiki revealed that lawyers had contacted him about the matter, raising the possibility of copyright infringement.
The song in question, titled “Hunting Soul,” appeared in Episode 18 (Season 2, Episode 6) of the anime and was performed by the fictional band HAYASii. Guitarist Marty Friedman handled the arrangement alongside Seiichi Nagai.
While Friedman later confirmed that the track was meant as a nod to X JAPAN, Yoshiki’s response suggested the reference may have bypassed the usual permissions. He said he was initially amused when he heard the piece, laughing at how much it resembled his band’s work. However, the tone shifted after legal representatives contacted him, warning that the similarity could amount to copyright infringement.
Yoshiki explained that in previous cases where tributes were paid to X JAPAN, the teams involved reached out to his management or to Sony Music Publishing, which holds the rights to “Kurenai,” to get approval beforehand.
He noted that even as the song’s composer, he still asks for clearance before using it himself and urged studios to check with rights holders first to avoid legal disputes.
Despite the legal concerns, he admitted the episode made him curious to watch Dandadan.
Dandadan season 2 started airing on July 4, 2025. Crunchyroll and Netflix are streaming the season worldwide, while Hulu and ADN are streaming it in the United States and several European territories, respectively.
Source: X