Major Announcement for the 20th Anniversary of the Super Hit Series "ONE PIECE"! Even the trendy talent Yokozawa was stunned.
To commemorate the July 22nd 20th anniversary of the serialization of the manga "ONE PIECE" (author: Eiichiro Oda) in Weekly Shonen Jump, Shueisha held a press conference the previous day, the 21st, at the Tokyo One Piece Tower in Tokyo Tower Foot Town.
The series began serialization in the July 22, 1997 issue of Weekly Shonen Jump. The cumulative domestic circulation of volumes 1 to 85 exceeds 350 million copies. Overseas, it is distributed in over 42 countries and regions, with circulation exceeding 66 million copies. It is recognized by Guinness World Records as the "most published comic series by a single author."
The story is a sea adventure romance centered around the "One Piece," the ultimate treasure. It follows Monkey D. Luffy, a boy who ate the mysterious "Gomu Gomu no Mi" (Rubber-Rubber Fruit), gaining the ability to stretch his body like rubber. He gathers companions to form the "Straw Hat Pirates" and sets his sights on becoming the Pirate King.
To express gratitude for its 20th anniversary, the company has already launched its 20th Anniversary Campaign. Editor-in-Chief Hiroyuki Nakano stated, "Today, we would like to introduce new initiatives and updated information being revealed for the first time."
Taking the stage in a wedding dress was talent Natsuko Yokozawa, who had announced her marriage registration and wedding the previous day.
When Editor-in-Chief Nakano complimented her, saying, "You look beautiful. Like pudding," comparing her to a beautiful character, Yokozawa drew laughter with a self-deprecating joke: "My husband, who loves ONE PIECE, says I look like 'Lola from the Proposal.'"
The first announcement was that July 22, the day the work was first published in the magazine, had been certified as "ONE PIECE Day" by the Japan Anniversary Association, and a certificate of registration was presented by the association. It was also revealed that ONE PIECE would be featured on the covers of 28 magazines published by the company from July to September, and various projects were announced, including an experiential event in collaboration with Kyoto.
The final major announcement was the decision to create a Hollywood drama adaptation. The project partner is TOMORROW STUDIOS, led by Marty Adelstein, who worked on the popular overseas drama "Prison Break". Regarding the live-action adaptation, author Oda sent a message saying, "The condition is that we absolutely cannot betray the fans who have supported the work for 20 years. Please look forward to it and wait for further news." The studio released a comment from Mr. Adelstein saying, "We will do our utmost to make the live-action adaptation a success. This work is expected to be the most expensive production in the history of television series, and I believe it is worth it."
Editor-in-chief Nakano said, "We want to continue planning projects that will entertain our beloved readers, starting with 'ONE PIECE Day' as a new beginning."
20th Anniversary Special Site: https://sp.shonenjump.com/j/op-20th-anniv/
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