The following contains spoilers for One Piece Film: Red by Gorō Taniguchi, Tsutomu Kuroiwa, and Eiichiro Oda, now playing in theaters.
The insert songs of One Piece Film: Red weren't just chosen because of how they sounded. Each one of them is used to help tell the overarching story of the movie. More specifically, they tell the story of their singer Uta.
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The songs can be used to keep track of Uta's character arc. Each of them relates to a specific part of her story as well as her development to give audiences a better understanding of both. With that in mind, here's a look at all her songs featured throughout One Piece Film: Red.
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Where Did the Movie Start With Uta's Character Arc?
The movie began with Uta singing the energetic "New Genesis" for her worldwide audience. Besides being the song that made her famous, it essentially outlines her master plan: to send everyone into an era of endless happiness by singing them into a dream world. It seemed like a nice enough sentiment until the true meaning behind it was unveiled.
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Uta's next song, "I'm Invincible," was used to stop some rowdy pirates from ruining the concert. It demonstrated how powerful she was in the dream world. It also reinforced the message of "New Genesis" and her intentions to make sure nothing would go wrong.
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This is the meaning presented in the movie, but additional material allows it to be read into further. According to the "UTA Diary" miniseries, there was a time in Uta's life where she was really down; the movie made it apparent that she was referring to her years of isolation following the tragedy of Elegia. When she realized how much her fans loved her music, she learned to love herself again; she put the way she grew strong again and her gratitude toward everyone into the lyrics of "I'm Invincible." Thus, the song is meant to provide energy and motivation.
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Unfortunately, not all of Uta's songs were made with good intentions for everyon. "Backlight," for example, embodies all of the frustration and resentment she and other civilians feel toward pirates; this is why a lot of people like the "knock out the bad guys" lyric. She ended up using this song on the Straw Hat Pirates when her old friend Luffy not only refused to stop being a pirate, but also tried to leave her concert.
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How Did Uta's Character Arc Progress?
"Fleeting Lullaby" represented how dead-set Uta was on seeing her cause through regardless of the consequences. No matter what happened to her or who said they didn't like what she's doing, she wanted this utopia she'd conceived to be fully realized. This is why she used the song to defend herself from the Marines who came to stop her; it's also probably why she refused to let the audience leave despite all their protests. She was confident that hers was the right way and refused to let anyone say otherwise.
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"Tot Musica" was the song Uta sang to unleash the musical demon king of the same name. She resorted to this when the Navy's efforts to stop her had backed her into a corner. This last-ditch effort to regain control pushed her to her mental limit and brought out the worst side of her.
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Technically, "Tot Musica" presents the same sentiments of indignation and desire for change as the previous songs. However, the intentions behind it were also much darker, more malicious, and would have led to ruination. It was the ultimate corruption of Uta's otherwise pure dreams and intentions.
"The World's Continuation" represented a younger and more hopeful Uta, but also a more grounded one. The lyrics represent the singer's belief that they'll reunite with an old friend; in Uta's case, this might have been addressed to Luffy. This song contrasts most of Uta's other songs by presenting a positive future that can be obtained without rejecting reality.
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This song is played twice in One Piece Film: Red. In the past, Uta sang this song whenever she was lonely on Elegia. In the present, she used it to undo her dream world and wake everyone up. This could signify the return of her hope as well as her acceptance of reality.
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How Did Uta's Character Arc Conclude?
"Where the Wind Blows" is a song about unbreakable bonds. No matter what happens, the singer will continue pursuing their dreams and remain connected to the one they care about. As a child, Uta directed this simple and upbeat melody at the people close to her like Luffy and the Red Hair Pirates. At the end of the movie, this song reconnected her to them as well as her fans all over the world.
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With this, Uta's character arc was complete. The movie and it's songs followed her through a long journey of having, losing, and regaining her hopes for the future. Not everything seemed to go her way, but she at least seemed happy with the end result.