25 Years of One Piece Celebrated by Shueisha Toei Animation and More

The world-famous One Piece manga celebrates its 25th anniversary this week. The manga has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1997 and has sold more than 490 million copies, making it the best-selling manga of all time.

Eiichiro Oda's One Piece follows the adventures of a young boy named Luffy and his pirate crew as they search for the legendary One Piece treasure. The series has inspired multiple popular anime adaptations, movies and video games.

Anime

The official One Piece YouTube channel launched a linear stream of the series titled Anytime One Piece, which began airing on July 22. The streaming event will last throughout 2024. A few prominent Japanese companies joined forces for a commercial campaign that saw actors and voice actors express their love of Eiichiro Oda's best-selling manga series. The five commercials were released on Friday and shared on the official One Piece YouTube channel.

Manga

Eiichiro Oda's One Piece has shattered sales records since its debut in 1997, including landing a Guinness World Record for the most manga volumes published by a single author. The treasure-hunting pirate saga follows the journey of a motley crew who have set out to find the legendary One Piece, and the series has a strong sense of comradry that makes it hard for fans to forget the eccentric cast of characters.

One Piece isn't just about adventure; it also teaches readers that everyone has flaws. Swordsman Zoro can get lost on a one-way street, navigator Nami is crazy for money and cook Sanji loses his mind whenever he sees a woman, but the Straw Hat Pirates support each other regardless of their issues.

Merchandise

One Piece is more than just a manga; it's a thriving media franchise with a large fanbase worldwide. The series has an extensive range of merchandise to support the franchise and show your love for Luffy and his crew.

From t-shirts and posters to keychains and phone cases, there are many ways to show your appreciation for the series. It's also a great way to add a personal touch to any outfit.

Bandai Namco Entertainment, Shueisha and Toei Animation have previously partnered for the One Piece Day event, a celebration of the anniversary of the original manga's debut. They held the event again this year, focusing on the Egghead Island arc in the manga and the introduction of Gear 5 in the anime. They also shared a compilation video on YouTube that featured prominent Japanese actors and voice actors.

Movies

For the 25th anniversary of One Piece, Shueisha and other Japanese companies teamed up to release commercials that showcased a number of prominent actors and voice actors who are major fans of Eiichiro Oda's best-selling manga series. The commercials were posted on the One Piece franchise's official YouTube channel.

One of the most unique elements of the show is its characters and their interactions with one another. They're fun and goofy at times, but they can also be serious. The crew's dynamic makes it difficult not to love the show.

Anime franchises can often be hit or miss with their live-action adaptations. However, the latest One Piece film has received rave reviews from critics. The film is directed by Mamoru Hosoda, who has worked on films such as The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Wolf Children.

Video Games

Eiichiro Oda's fan-favorite has spanned 1080 episodes and 15 films. Shueisha, Bandai Spirits, Bandai Namco Entertainment and Toei have all partnered on a new video to promote their products related to One Piece. The commercial stars Mackenyu, who plays Zoro in the live-action Netflix series and Akio Ohtsuka as Blackbeard.

While much of One Piece has a fantastical feel, the story is not without its serious themes, including over-industrialization, racism and slavery. But what truly sets it apart is Luffy's ragtag crew of dreamers and misfits. They are not the typical heroes that we see on TV: Roronoa wields a sword with his mouth, Usopp is a master chef and Sanji is a charming crook. Together they embody the power of finding family and friendship.

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