Eiichiro Oda’s best-selling manga “One Piece” is celebrating its 24th anniversary and the release of its 100th manga volume. Along with its release, this September 3, numerous commemorative projects are being held. Coincidentally, the franchise also celebrates the achievement of surpassing 490 million copies in circulation worldwide. As of Monday, July 19, 2021, the franchise has sold over 400 million copies in Japan and about 90 million in more than 57 countries and regions overseas.
The official One Piece Twitter account is currently posting announcements regarding the ongoing commemorative projects and events. Check the tweet below:
One of the highlights of the commemoration is the collaborative project between the publisher Shueisha, Japan Aerospace Exploration (JAXA), and the interactive production company Bascule for the “Kibo Discover Project.”
The mobile game aims to connect outer space to earth using the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo.” The pirate crew will be broadcasting their adventure from the International Space Station in search of the “great treasure of the universe”. Additionally, more details are available on the website.
Other “One Piece” commemorative projects also include the release of a voiced comic of Oda’s one-shot manga “Monsters” and a “Where’s Wally” crossover. The “Where’s Wally” illustration is now available on their Twitter account, together with an exciting search contest. There is also an interview with the voice actors of Luffy, Kid Eustass, and Trafalgar Law.
The “One Piece Knowledge King Test” will return for the third time and is now open for applications. There will also be a reader mail-away offer for One Piece figures. The third “Shokugeki no Sanji” spinoff chapter will also be released, and it will feature the Straw Hats at the banquet in Alabasta. Shun Saeki, the mangaka of the spin-off, known for “Shokugeki no Soma”, also posted an illustration of Sanji.
While the anime nears its 1000 episode mark, the Wano Country Arc will be available to watch for free on their official YouTube Channel. Moreover, Shueisha’s manga app “Shonen Jump +” and electronic bookstore “Zebrack” will be releasing comics volumes 1 to 90 for free for a limited time.
That’s a lot of commemorative projects! It’s a very grand celebration for one of the best-selling mangas in history. One Piece has been going strong since 1997, however, in a recent interview, Oda said that One Piece will end in about four years.
Lastly, Oda also released a drawing process video via One Piece’s Official Twitter. See the tweet below:
Eiichiro Oda began his manga career in 1992 at the age of 17, when his one-shot cowboy manga “Wanted!” won second place in the Tezuka manga awards. His pirate adventure “One Piece” made its debut in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on July 22, 1997. It quickly became one of the most popular manga in Japan. An anime series began in 1999 and is produced by Toei Animation.
In 2015, One Piece set the Guinness World Record for “the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author”. It was also the best-selling manga for eleven consecutive years from 2008 to 2018. Furthermore, as of July 2021, the manga had over 490 million copies in circulation in 57 countries and regions worldwide, making it the best-selling manga series in history.
As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally gained the power to stretch like rubber—at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, Luffy sets off in search of the One Piece, said to be the greatest treasure in the world… (Viz Media)
Images via Official Website
Sources: One Piece 100 We Are One Official Website, One Piece Official Twitter, Mantan Web
© ︎ Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha © ︎ Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha / Fuji TV / Toei Animation
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