The popular anime ONE PIECE will finally reach episode 1000 this Sunday on November 21, and as another commemoration of the milestone, the iconic song “We are!” theme song by Hiroshi Kitadani, which was the opening of the anime in its very first episodes, will get a reanimated version on the same day. It will be a newly drawn video.
The anime first premiered in October 1999, and Hiroshi Kitadani performs the first theme song “We Are!” In addition, all 10 Straw Hats left comments for the episode 1000:
Mayumi Tanaka (Monkey D. Luffy) (First appeared from episode 1)
I’m really grateful that people have continued to watch 1000 episodes for such a long time. When it started, I don’t think anyone could have imagined that this anime would last for 1000 episodes. Recently, I heard from a friend that there are elementary school kids who are trying their best to copy the covers of the manga. That means they weren’t born yet when it started, right? I think it’s really amazing that even such small children love me. I don’t know how many years I have left, but I want to live to see the final episode. Thank you to Oda, and thank you to all the viewers.
Akemi Okamura (Nami) (First appeared in episode 1)
Congratulations on 1000 episodes! I’ve been on the show since episode 1, and thanks to everyone, we’ve finally reached 1000 episodes. Thank you very much. This is thanks to all the staff who have supported me, all the staff who have been involved, and Oda-chan who has continued to draw for such a long time. I’m really glad that I was born in the same era as Oda! I really want to see Luffy’s adventures and Luffy’s happiness, so please continue to support me!
Kazuya Nakai (Roronoa Zoro) (Character first appeared in episode 1, voice in episode 2)
“For young people, it’s something that’s been around since they can remember, and it’s something they take for granted. Even in my position, I tend to take it for granted that Mr. Oda draws interesting stories for us. But, just like how he drew the stories that were supported by families in the books, the norm is something that is made possible by someone else’s hard work. Animation is a collaborative effort of many people, and I think it’s a miracle that the hard work of each and every one of us has been able to keep the normality going for so long. And I can’t thank you enough for choosing One Piece out of all the other anime and being there to witness this miracle with me. Thank you very much!
Kappei Yamaguchi (Usopp) (First appeared as a silhouette in episode 8, voice in episode 9)
Congratulations on 1000 episodes. It’s amazing, isn’t it? 1,000 episodes of anime, and I’ve actually been working on it for 22 years now. In the story, Luffy and Usopp were 17 years old at first, and now they’re 19, so in their time it’s been two years, but we’re one order of magnitude older (lol). (laughs) I’ve been feeling this same excitement ever since we started, so I want to continue enjoying “One Piece” with the fans. The staff and cast have become like a family, so I want to continue to work hard, valuing our bond.
Hiroaki Hirata (Sanji) (First appeared in episode 20)
Congratulations on 1000 episodes. It seems like it’s been a long time, but it’s also been a very short time, but it’s still been a long time. Strangely enough, I still remember the first episode I participated in, episode 20, as if it were yesterday. Things have changed over the years, and now that we’re in corona, we don’t often do recordings together, but when I look at us again, I realize that we’ve all gotten older (lol). (laughs) That means I’ve gotten older too. Nakai-kun used to be so cute back then. I would like to thank everyone for their support, and we will all continue to do our best.
Yuriko Yamaguchi (Nico Robin) (First appeared in episode 67)
Congratulations on 1000 episodes! I’m deeply moved, and I’ve been thinking about the 1000th episode a lot lately. At first, Robin was told to be as bad as possible, but I never imagined that she would become one of us like this. I never imagined that Miss All Sunday back then would become the Robin of today! When you think about it, each character has their own epic drama, and I think Oda-sensei is truly an amazing person. I think he’s really amazing. Recently, I’ve been rereading the comics from volume 1! I’m reading slowly, so I’m far from the 100th volume, but I’m enjoying the new discoveries. I want it to go on forever if possible, and I don’t want to think about it ending. I want to enjoy the excitement together with all the fans and continue to play each and every episode with utmost care.
Ikue Otani (Tony Tony Tony Chopper) (First appeared in episode 81 as a reindeer, voice in episode 83)
Congratulations! When I was invited to this show for the first time, I played Sanji as a child. But then I was invited to play Chopper, and I felt really happy to be able to go on this adventure with him. At the time, I had no idea that it would be such a long journey, and I know it sounds trite, but it all happened so fast. I’m happy to have been able to express the intense two years of Luffy and his friends. It’s already a part of my daily life, so it’s sad to think that it will end someday, but I want to keep the excitement going until the end.
Kazuki Yao (Franky) (First appeared in episode 233)
“I’ve played three roles (Django, Bon Clair, and Frankie), so I’m sure I’ll be appearing in the show without much of a gap, but I’m no match for Mayumi-san and Oba-san (laughs). (laughs) Franky has been in the series since episode 233, and I feel like he’s been in the series since pretty early on, and it’s not often that you come across a series that reaches 1000 episodes, but I’m really glad that I got to be a part of it with such good friends. I’m really glad to have been able to work with such a good group of people. However, Franky always goes off to fix the ship by himself, so next time the ship breaks down, I’d like to fix it with everyone (laughs). I’d like to listen to everyone’s requests and make the Sunny an ideal ship for everyone! Thank you for sticking with us until episode 1000, viewers. We haven’t been able to record together lately, but our bond is deepening, so please continue to support us.
Mr. Cho ( Brook) (First appeared in episode 337)
Oda puts his heart and soul into each and every story he creates. It’s something he can do because he loves it. The staff and cast of Toei Animation, who are working hard to make each episode into an animation. And then there’s Fuji TV, who broadcasts it. And the fans around the world who support each and every episode. It’s a thousand episodes of “ONE PIECE” that are connected and expanding. I’m deeply moved to see how far it will spread. How far will it go? I’m looking forward to seeing how Oda-chan will proceed from here.
Katsuhisa Takarame (Jinbei) (In charge from episode 440)
At first I played the role of Gekko Moria, and since I had the visuals of a hard rock musician, I thought it would be fun to shout and play the part with a high voice. I thought it would be fun to shout it out, so I played it in a high-pitched voice. Eventually, I got the part of Jinbei, and I decided to use my natural voice. At that time, I didn’t think that Jinbei would be one of us. “One Piece” is like studying the history of the Warring States period, and I think that Oda’s mind is amazing. I’m overwhelmed by his ability to create characters as well as the story. The fact that I was able to participate in the world of “One Piece” as if I was invited to do so is something that I have no regrets about, despite the twists and turns I’ve gone through in my life. I’d like to extend my congratulations with open arms.
One Piece Celebration
Besides the upcoming reanimated version of the legendary ONE PIECE theme song “We Are!, the franchise recently commemorated the 100th volume which released on September 3rd and the upcoming anime episode 1000 (confirmed for November 21) with several other projects. One of them was the “TWILIGHT” song by RADWIMPS, which has an awesome music video:
They used it in the recent “WE ARE ONE” video collection, which featured 5 episodes of mixed live-action and with some older anime scenes re-animated into modern animation. You can check them all out (titled by the animated parts):
- Zoro and Sanji in Davy Back Fight
- Powerful women characters of One Piece
- Law, Corazon and Doflamingo backstory
- Straw Hats farewell to Vivi
- Straw Hats joining the crew moments
Hayami Saori joined the cast as Yamato this year, and she talked in an interview about how excited she is for the role and to work with Luffy’s voice actress Tanaka Mayumi. We also got a special one-shot by Nisekoi author, covering Vivi’s farewell chapter. Then we got a voiced manga version of Ryuma’s canon prequel story, who we know as the legendary Wano samuray from whom Zoro got Shusui.
A Hollywood live-action series is also coming, which recently revealed the main cast. Eiichiro Oda left a message for the fans with the release of volume 100. One Piece has had a huge year, and the 22nd anniversary for the anime will certainly be special. As we anticipate the next episode and chapter, we can only appreciate Oda-sensei and everything he gave us so far.
One Piece Episode 1000 & Chapter 1032 Release Date
Both the One Piece chapter 1032 and episode 1000 release dates are set for next week on November 21st. The anime will premiere in Japan at 9:30am JST, with the international version premiering 1h30m later. You can watch the anime on Funimation or Crunchyroll, while you can catch up to the latest One Piece manga chapter for free on either VIZ website or MANGA Plus. There’s also the Shonen Jump mobile app, which costs $2/month and allows ‘unlocking’ 100 chapters per day. The chapter arrives at 24:00JST.
Funimation & Toei Animation will also host a global livestream for episodes 998 & 999, prize giveaways, fan videos and more on November 20.
Source: Oricon, One Piece Website
©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/ Fuji Television Network/ Toei Animation
