For the past several decades, a specific type of animated series and films has been captivating audiences around the globe best know as anime. From notorious series such as Dragon Ball Z to more obscure titles such as Death Note, anime has carved out a niche for itself quite unlike any other genre of entertainment on the planet. Today anime is stronger than ever before, with new series popping up on a weekly basis and fans finding themselves enthralled in a brand new world of fantasy and lore that is true to its roots and uniquely refreshing for audiences. Now one of the most highly lauded anime series is set to be turned into a film, with One Piece Film: Red expected to hit the airwaves later this fall to audience’s pleasure.
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One Piece is one of the longest running anime series to date, with over 1,000 episodes to date and a fervent fan base that lives and dies by the series. One Piece continues to reign supreme to this very day and doesn’t seem to be loosening its grip upon the anime community anytime soon. Now the creative minds behind the anime series are hard at work once again, working hard to bring One Piece Film: Red to life and have audiences enthralled once more. When asked about the release of One Piece Film: Red, president and CEO of Toei Animations, the company prooducing the project alongside Crunchyroll, had this to say: “This new film from creator Eiichiro Oda will truly captivate fans in a thrilling new adventure with the Straws Hats that features the debut of Uta – a mysterious new character in the world of One Piece.” Not much is known about the film given it’s inclusion of a mystery character previously unknown to fans, however that should certainly be of interest to fans given how sprawling the One Piece universe already is and adding another layer to that should be intriguing to say the least. One Piece Film: Red will debut at the Anime Expo in Los Angeles July 1st-4th, and will see an international theatrical release beginning in Japan on August 6th and other markets such as the United States and Canada in the fall.
It’s impossible to deny anime’s impact upon the entertainment industry in recent years, and One Piece has quite possibly had the greatest impact of all projects the genre encompasses. This isn’t the first One Piece film either, but arguably the first of its caliber that seemingly aims to unite international audiences and illustrate the power of anime on a global scale. We will just have to wait and see when One Piece Film: Red debuts in theaters in a few short months.
