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Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we’re talking to Toei Company President and CEO Fumio Yoshimura about the Japanese studio’s ambitious growth and global expansion plans, which include a slate of international projects and co-productions; ramping up international sales of its existing content; and upgrading its physical production facilities in Tokyo and Kyoto. Deadline sat down with Yoshimura ahead of his trip to Los Angeles to meet with major Hollywood studios and streamers.

One of Japan’s oldest studios, Toei Company has been producing film and TV content for more than 70 years, across multiple genres including historical samurai flicks, contemporary crime dramas and yakuza movies and its signature ‘tokusatsu’ (live-action special effects) genre, including the Kamen Rider, Super Sentai and Power Rangers franchises. The...

One Piece fans will be shocked to hear this, but Uta’s singing voice has now reached space and is being used for a special experiment in space. This was recently revealed, and the man behind this is none other than the famous billionaire Elon Musk, who is using his SpaceX to power an initiative involving Japanese singer Ado.

Japanese Singer Ado | Credit: Cloud9 Pro

Fans might not know this, but Ado was the singing voice of Uta in the popular One Piece Film: Red. She performed seven different songs along with many different creators for the movie, and all of these songs were collected in an album called Uta’s Songs: One Piece Film Red. Her singing and her performance as Uta helped the One Piece movie in a major way.

And now, her voice has been shared with the entire universe as it has been launched into orbit by Musk’s SpaceX.

March will be an excellent month for One Piece fans in North America. For the first time, the annual One Piece Day event will take place outside of Japan, promising a special announcement for the Shonen Jump series.

Via a press release, Bandai Namco, Toei Animation and the Weekly Shonen Jump editorial department are planning a major celebration of the One Piece series in North America -- specifically, in Dallas, Texas. One Piece Day Dallas –Card Game Celebration– will be held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, from March 8-9, 2025. This is the first time that One Piece Day will take place in America since the annual international event first went live in 2022.

RelatedOne Piece Fans Get First-Look Reveal at Exclusive Los Angeles Lakers NBA Merch

The popular One Piece anime reveals the official first look at its Los Angeles Lakers merch, exclusive to its upcoming crossover event this month.

(Welcome to Ani-time Ani-where, a regular column dedicated to helping the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.)

Throughout the many entries in this column, I've expressed a few times how much I admire when an anime show breaks away from the medium's traditional high school setting and dares to tell a more mature story about adults — like the phenomenal psychological thriller "Monster." To be sure, anime is more than shonen action anime about guys with superpowers in fantasy worlds. It can also encompass slice-of-life dramas, romances, sitcoms, and even a show about people whose job involves collecting debris in space.

Such is the premise for the 2003-2004 anime series "Planetes," which is based on the manga by the same name by Makoto Yukimura (who also created the excellent "Vinland Saga"). The show takes place in 2075, a time when space exploration is common but is now hindered by the debris surrounding Earth,...

Junji Ito, the renowned Japanese horror manga artist known for his iconic series Uzumaki, has entered the world of J-Pop through newly designed merchandise for the recently formed musical idol group Phantom Siita. Phantom Siita’s X account announced new merchandise for its first world tour, “Moth to a Flame,” which is set to start in Taipei on January 16. Soloist singer Ado, who also produces the group, quoted the post, revealing that Ito produced the illustrations.

The tour merchandise includes twelve items, such as tees, hoodies, towels, totes, lightsticks, and more. Each item features an image of the group’s world tour graphic or an illustration of each individual member and their corresponding color. All the items highlight Ito’s signature horror aesthetic, which goes hand in hand with Phantom Siita’s “retro horror” group concept.

Meet the Members of Phantom Siita The Japanese Idol Group Includes Five Members Adoã...

After a mesmerizing glimpse through the torii gate of the eponymous Garden in Azuki and Dentsu's Enter the Garden: The Waiting Man, viewers grew more curious about how this collaborative anime project would grow. With incredible names attached like Gor Taniguchi, acclaimed director of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, One Piece Film: Red, and the Planetes adaptation that recently joined Crunchyroll, millions of viewers were wondering when they'd get their next fix. Episode #2, titled Fractured Reflections, will expand Enter the Garden's vision as shown by a new press release, including Azuki's newly-released trailer.

With Taniguchi as the creative producer helming the project, Yukio Takatsu is tapped to direct Fractured Reflections after Junichi Yamamoto's turn with The Waiting Man. Additionally, Taku Kishimoto will write for the series following his work on Haikyuu!! and Blue Lock, while Samurai Champloo character designer Kazuto Nakazawa will handle the character designs. In...

Few works of modern fiction have the kind of legendary reputation or the wealth of stories as "One Piece." Whether the original manga by Eiichiro Oda or the anime adaptation of the same name, "One Piece" has outlasted many of its would-be successors and several of the titles it inspired.

"One Piece" follows Monkey D. Luffy, a young boy who dreams of becoming king of the pirates and finding the titular One Piece, a legendary treasure left behind by the previous pirate king, Gold Roger. To achieve his dreams, Luffy sets out to assemble a crew and navigate the Grand Line, a treacherous ocean route home to many dangers, and occasionally gets involved in toppling local governments and inciting revolutions. 

The animated "One Piece" adaptation is so good it's transcended mediums and even became the rare anime to get a live-action remake that is actually genuinely good. Still, the length...

Major U.S. streamer Netflix has announced a release date for the critically acclaimed The First Slam Dunk -- one of the highest-grossing anime films in the history of the medium.

Via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, Toei Animation and DandeLion Animation Studio's box office sensation The First Slam Dunk was revealed to be heading to Netflix on Aug. 25, 2024. "It's game time," the post reads. "The First Slam Dunk is coming to Netflix in the US on August 25!" Readers can check out the poster and more information on the film below.

Related Netflix's 'The One Piece' Anime Remake Reveals First-Look Concept Artwork in Major Production Update

One Piece Day '24 reveals the staff and a first look at concept art for the Wit Studio's highly anticipated One Piece anime remake, 'The One Piece.'

The First Slam Dunk Arrives on Streaming in August for U.

World-famous sports clothing brand Lacoste has revealed the first physical merchandise images of its upcoming clothing collaboration with One Piece. The news was revealed on the One Piece manga's 27th anniversary, with the collection confirmed for release internationally.

Via Oricon, the popular sports fashion brand Lacoste is partnering with One Piece for a new clothing collection. The official Lacoste x One Piece collaboration will first be released in Japan on Aug. 2 (Crocodile Day), before a worldwide release at a later date. Japan Anime News adds via X (formerly Twitter) that the merchandise includes exclusive t-shirts, hoodies and caps. Readers can check out the first images of the collection, collaborative art and more information below.

Related One Piece's Anime Series Becomes Highest-Rated TV Show for IMDb's New Top 10

Toei Animation's One Piece has beaten out TV series like The Bear and Shogun to be crowned the highest-rated show...

Usually the case for anime movies deriving from series, is that they are essentially prolonged episodes with better production values. This practice, on occasion, has led to truly impressive productions, with “Jujutsu Kaisen 0”, “One Piece Red” and “The First Slam Dunk” being some of the most recent samples. “Saga of Tanya The Evil: The Movie” definitely falls under this category.

on Crunchyroll

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The story continues the one from the television anime. In 1926, Tanya and her battalion return home from their last skirmish with the Republic's army. Although hoping from some break, they almost immediately find themselves back to the front once more, as reports about a massive mobilization near the border with the Russy Federation have reached the Empire. Meanwhile, an international volunteer army spearheaded by the Commonwealth sets foot in Federation territory. As they say, the enemy of an enemy is your friend.

UK distributor Anime Limited and Germany’s Plaion Pictures have acquired UK, France, Italy and Germany rights to the catalogue of Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda.

Three titles have been newly acquired by the two companies: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars and Wolf Children. Plaion Pictures has also picked up The Boy And The Beast for Germany and Italy.

The films join two further Hosoda titles on the slates of Anime and Plaion: Oscar-nominated Mirai, and his most recent film, 2021’s Belle.

The companies are working on a ‘World of Mamoru Hosoda’ theatrical season, releasing one of the...

Who Are the Characters in Enter the Garden? All Known Characters So Far - Main Image

Will you enter the garden? If so, prepare to enter a completely new world in which everything seems perfect and possible. Following the first episode, who are the characters in Enter the Garden? Here's everything we know so far.

What Is Enter the Garden About?

According to Azuki's official website, Enter the Garden is a three-part anime anthology series created by Azuki and Dentsu, the company behind the popular Nft project AzukiTM.

Goro Taniguchi, the director of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Resurrection, One Piece Film: Red, ID-0, and GUNxSWORD, among other works, is producing this three-part anime series.

The first episode of Enter the Garden, titled The Waiting Man, was released on April 30, 2024, on Azuki's official website and YouTube channel.

Junichi Yamamoto (3D animation for your name) directed the first episode, which featured...

One Piece Film: Red is the latest animated film in the franchise, but fans debate whether it's canon. There have only been four One Piece films out of 15 total to be considered canon. One Piece Film: Red could potentially fit into the story after "The Wano Country" arc, but it has not been confirmed to be canon.

It has become a common practice over the years for big anime franchises to release films that aren't always canon to the overall storyline. Eiichira Oda's One Piece has seen a lot of films since its debut more than 25 years ago — 15 films, to be precise, with the most recent, One Piece Film: Red, releasing mid-summer 2022. There's often debate among fans about which One Piece movies are canon, or at least contain elements that fit into the overall canon, and Red is just as ambiguous as all the other One Piece movies. Some say it isn't canon at all,...

Netflix has announced several massively popular titles coming to its streaming service in 2024 for the first time, including the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece and Black Clover, among others.

Via Netflix's official X (formerly Twitter) account, the streaming service revealed that the first four seasons of My Hero Academia, Haikyu!! and Black Clover, the first seasons of Jujutsu Kaisen and Spy x Family, and the popular One Piece Film: Red will all be coming to the platform by the end of 2024. Readers can check out the official announcement below.

Related Jujutsu Kaisen Teams Up With Crunchyroll and Marshmello for New Merch Line DJ Marshmellow and Crunchyroll team up for a brand-new "Drop Curses and Beats" Jujutsu Kaisen clothing merchandise line. 📣Get ready to binge on these must-watch titles coming to even more regions on Netflix by the end of 2024! 💚 My Hero Academia S1-4 â.¤ï...

For those of us who religiously watch “Sex and the City” on whatever platform it is currently streaming on (hi), April 1 is an exciting day. That’s the day the popular HBO series starring Sarah Jessica Parker is coming to Netflix — for the very first time. And TBS reruns this is not: This is the full, unedited, groundbreaking show, now just waiting for viewers new and old to do a Netflix binge. (Paging Gen Z!)

Of course, there are plenty of other exciting TV shows and movies hitting Netflix in April 2024. Movie thrills include Jessica Chastain-starring “Molly’s Game” making its way back to the streamer, as well as perennial rom-com fave “You’ve Got Mail.” On the TV side, there’s new series “Dead Boy Detectives,” from showrunner Steve Yockey, and from the same universe as “The Sandman,” based on the beloved comic series from Neil Gaiman.

Top Pick for...

With Covid lockdowns and shuttered cinemas and the dual wallop of the writers’ and actors’ strikes, it’s been a rough few years for independent movies. But the end of strike action last November has triggered a rebound in the indie market. After a strong showing in Sundance, buyers and sellers are looking to Berlin’s European Film Market to provide proof this recovery has legs.

Early signs are promising, with a flood of new projects across all budgets and genres. CAA Media Finance alone has half a dozen finished films on sale and around 20 big packages, including sci-fi actioner Afterburn with Dave Bautista and Samuel L. Jackson attached, selling together with Black Bear; the drama A Big Bold Beautiful Journey from After Yang and Pachinko director Kogonada, featuring Colin Farrell and a post-Barbie Margot Robbie, that 30West and Neon International are jointly handling, and the Michelle Yeoh action thriller The Mother alongside AGC International.

Adam Devine, J.K. Simmons, Sam Richardson and Elsie Fisher will lend their voices to “Hypergalactic,” the CG animated family feature co-created by Naoto Oshima, best known for designing the original “Sonic the Hedgehog” for Sega, and Joseph Chou.

The English-language film, directed by David N. Weiss and now in post-production, marks the most ambitious CG feature to date from Toei Animation. The Japanese studio was behind recent anime smash hits “The First Slam Dunk,” which grossed $279 million, and “One Piece Film: Red,” which has so far earned $247 million.

Charades is set to launch worldwide sales on “Hypergalatic” at Berlin’s European Film Market, alongside Iwashina Corporation founder Kevin Iwashina, who is also an advisor to Toei.

“Hypergalactic” follows an adventurous teenage girl (Fisher) and her baby brother in the not-so-distant future, after they liberate the forgotten protector of Earth, Okon (Devine), in the hopes that he can help reunite them with their missing parents.

Leading Japanese studio Toei has unveiled Hypergalactic, an animated family feature from the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, which sales agent Charades will launch at the upcoming EFM.

Directed by David N. Weiss, the voice cast of the English-language film includes Adam Devine, J.K. Simmons, Sam Richardson and Eighth Grade star Elsie Fisher.

Paris-based Charades has taken world sales on the title, which is in post-production, and will introduce the project to buyers in Berlin next week alongside Iwashina Corporation founder Kevin Iwashina, who is also an advisor to Toei Animation.

The story follows an adventurous teenage girl, voiced by Fisher,...

The Japanese streaming video space remains competitive, with Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ and local competitors reaching more than 100 billion viewing minutes in 2023 in the “premium VOD” space that generated $4.5 billion in subscription revenue.

Those are some of the findings of a new study by MediaPartners Asia’s data analytics arm ampd, which also highlighted the success of Japanese streamer U-Next and local broadcasters’ advertising-supported service Tver, operated by Nippon TV, TV Asahi, TBS Television, TV Tokyo and Fuji Television and others.

“Local broadcaster-led AVOD platform Tver commanded over 20.2 million monthly active users (MAUs) and captured 38 percent of premium VOD viewership in 2023,” the “Japan Online Video Consumer Insights & Analytics” report, which uses a permission-based passive panel measuring the digital activity of more than 19,000 members in a partnership with Intage Group, found. “Amazon Prime Video led the SVOD category with 19.7 million MAUs, followed by U-Next (8.2 million) and Netflix (7.5 million).”

In terms of subscribers,...

Amazon’s Prime Video has more monthly paying users than Netflix in Japan, but Netflix’s subs appear more engaged, a report has revealed.

Prime Video is currently commanding 19.7 million monthly active users (MAUs), ahead of U-Next (8.2 million) and Netflix (7.5 million), according to Ampd, a data analytics company owned by Media Partners Asia.

Local broadcaster-led AVOD platform Tver had the highest Mau base overall (20.2 million) and also led premium VOD viewership in 2023, capturing 38% of the market. Along with Netflix, it also recorded the highest engagement, with Tver getting an average of 8.8 and Netflix 7.3 hours per user each quarter.

In effect, this all means Prime Video is bringing more than double the number of MAUs to its service than Netflix each month, but Netflix’s smaller audience is consuming more content.

Japan’s premium VOD category generated more than 100 billion minutes and $4.5B in subscription revenue in 2023. The five key...

Japan was a latecomer to the video streaming era, with many viewers still preferring the collectability of physical media. But now the Japanese streaming sector appears to have reached maturity.

A new report from data analytics company Ampd, that is part of consultancy and research firm Media Partners Asia, shows that Japan’s premium VOD category expanded from 50.6 million subscriptions in 2022 to 52.6 million in 2023. (Some households may have multiple subscriptions.) That was worth $4.5 billion of subscription revenues, compared with $4.1 billion.

Interestingly, the number of minutes watched on premium streaming services dropped from 110 billion minutes in 2022 to 102 billion in 2023. Ampd says its Japan Online Video Consumer Insights & Analytics report uses a permission-based passive panel measuring digital activity from over 19,000 members in partnership with the Intage Group.

The report shows that Japan’s VOD ecosystem is now large and competitive. Local broadcaster-led AVOD platform Tver commanded over 20.2 million monthly average users (MUAs...

The One Piece remake has sparked concerns among fans, including the animation director of One Piece Film: Red, who worries about the devaluation of the original anime series. Despite concerns, fans worldwide showed overwhelming support and gratitude for the original series, emphasizing its heartfelt impact and the importance of the director and anime team's work. The One Piece remake has the potential to attract new fans and create a whole new audience for the franchise, as seen in successful anime remakes like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Hunter x Hunter.

The reveal of The One Piece, an entirely new anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's beloved epic, excited many fans, but the animation director of One Piece Film: Red has expressed concerns about the remake. Monkey D. Luffy's journey to become The Pirate King grew more popular in 2023, especially with the help of Netflix's One Piece Live-Action adaptation. The streaming...

Following the recent announcement of One Piece anime’s remake titled The One Piece at Jump Festa ’24, Hiromi Ishigami, an animator who’s worked on the ongoing anime adaptation of the series and also served as the animation director of One Piece Film: Red, took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the big news.

Ishigami began by expressing a sense of anticipation and curiosity, suggesting that the One Piece remake could give a fresh take to the ongoing series.

However, he also stated that the announcement of the remake made him a little sad as he felt that the efforts that the staff put in over the years will be diminished with the release of this newer adaptation.

“The ongoing anime remake is innovative. I wonder what it will turn out to be. I feel a little sad that the value of anime that we have built up over the years may be diminished,...

The latest instalment in the classic monster franchise will open on December 15.

Glasgow-based distributor Anime Ltd has secured UK-Ireland distribution rights to Godzilla Minus One, the latest in Toho Studios’ iconic monster franchise.

Anime Ltd will open the film at 200-250 sites on December 15, including Imax and 4Dx theatres. It marks the biggest ever theatrical live-action release for the distributor, which is known for releasing some of Japan’s biggest animated box office hits in the UK and Ireland such as One Piece Film: Red and more recently The First Slam Dunk.

Godzilla Minus One received its world premiere in...

Anime specialty company Crunchyroll revealed Thursday that it has acquired all North American rights to the upcoming Japanese animated feature The Concierge. The company, a subsidiary of Sony, plans to release the film in North American theaters early next year.

The film is a feature adaptation of Tsuchika Nishimura’s beloved manga series The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store, which follows Akino, a trainee concierge, who works at a special store where the customers are all animals and the most valued among them are extinct species.

Directed by Yoshimi Itazu from the fabled production company Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass, Haikyuu!), The Concierge made its world premiere to positive reviews this past June at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and its North American premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival. It will get its Japan release by Aniplex on Oct. 20.

The Concierge is Itazu’s feature filmmaking debut,...

Spy x Family has revealed its vibrant opening sequence for Season 2.

The official website for CloverWorks and Wit Studio's hit anime unveiled a creditless version of the series' opening on Oct. 4. The colorful, high-energy sequence features the series' new opening theme song, "Kura kura," which is performed by Ado. Maasaki Yuasa, an esteemed animator who has previously helmed popular works such as Inu-oh and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, both storyboarded and directed Spy x Family's new opening. Spy x Family Season 2's broadcast debut is slated for Oct. 7. Crunchyroll will be simulcasting the series for viewers outside Japan.

Related: Everything To Know About Spy X Family Season 2

The last few weeks have been filled with Season 2 updates for Spy x Family fans. Last month, CloverWorks and Wit Studio released a new trailer teasing the next round of misadventures that await the Forger family. The studios also revealed...

Netflix's "One Piece" series officially hits the streamer on Aug. 31. On Jan. 30, Netflix shared the first look at the live-action series (which is based on the beloved manga by Eiichiro Oda) in the form of a poster, where we see Iñaki Godoy as the series's main character, Monkey D. Luffy, from behind, wearing his iconic straw hat.

The "One Piece" manga series began publishing way back in 1997. In it, Oda tells the story of Luffy, a pirate who can gain magical abilities by eating a special type of fruit. He's determined to get the titular One Piece, which makes the bearer the king of all pirates. He and his Straw Hat Pirates - which include the sword fighter Roronoa Zoro, the sometimes cowardly Usopp, and the prince Sanji - face down all sorts of enemies on their quest. The manga is still running, but Oda said in August 2022 that...

If the fact that the anime series has been screening since 1999 (and the actual manga since 1997) was not a feat by itself, that the popularity of the franchise reached new heights during the latest years, it definitely is. “One Piece Film: Red” is the 15th in the series and is he highest-grossing film of One Piece, the highest-grossing film of Toei Animation, the highest-grossing film of 2022 in Japan, the 5th highest-grossing anime film of all time in Japan, the 5th highest-grossing Japanese film of all time in Japan, and the 8th highest-grossing film of all time in Japan.

by clicking on the image below

The Straw Hat Pirates leave for the island of Elegia to attend a concert by Uta, a world-famous singer. After Uta performs her first song (“New Genesis”), Luffy goes on stage to reunite with her, revealing that the two of them know each...

It's a testament to the cultural moment the franchise finds itself in that the Blu-ray release of One Piece Film: Red snuck up on many fans of the series. Between the upcoming Netflix live-action series and the One Piece anime's debut of Gear 5 Luffy breaking the internet, the world's most famous pirate anime/manga franchise has never seen more public attention. Luckily, fans have the home release of One Piece Film: Red to tide them over as they wait for the next manga chapter or anime episode.

Originally released in theaters in 2022, One Piece Film: Red was released on Blu-ray back in July by Crunchyroll. The film follows the Straw Hats as they visit an old friend of Luffy's, the pop idol Uta. Though Uta is the adopted daughter of Shanks and a former friend of Luffy, she resents pirates to the point of turning on Luffy the second...

One Piece Film: Red gets a new trailer ahead of a theatrical re-release.

Unsatisfied with being Japan's highest-grossing film of 2022, One Piece Film: Red will return in October in the crisp 4K Blu-ray edition that had contained three special extra episodes. The trailer was posted on YouTube and explores more of the emotional turmoil that Uta, Shanks, and the Strawhats faced in Elegia. There will also be "cheer screenings" where fans can sing along with Ado's award-winning soundtrack as well as the opportunity to receive gifts.

Related: One Piece's Darkest Theory Reveals How Likely It Is Luffy Will Die Young

One Piece Film: Red grossed 19.70 billion yen ($152 million) in Japan and around $12.75 million in the United States. It marked not only Japan's biggest box office return in 2022 but the entire One Piece franchise. The success of Film: Red and The First Slam Dunk was responsible for catapulting Toei to a...

Gear 5's official anime debut is confirmed for August 6 in episode #1071 of One Piece, marking a highly anticipated event. While Gear 5 technically appeared in One Piece Film: Red, its depiction in the anime will be significantly different and more extensive. The quality of Gear 5's debut in the anime looks amazing, with fluid animation and creative choreography, promising one of the biggest episodes yet.

A brand-new trailer for the One Piece anime has been released, and it provides the first official look for Gear 5’s anime debut. The reveal of Gear 5 and the lore surrounding it, most notably what it revealed about Luffy’s Devil Fruit, was one of the biggest events to happen in One Piece in years, and a big question that immediately followed it was when the anime would adapt its debut. With how slow the pacing of the anime often is, it was unclear when Gear 5 would appear in the anime,...

The Studio Ghibli animation is the first from the iconic director in a decade.

The Boy And The Heron, the first film in 10 years from iconic animation director Hayao Miyazaki, has broken box office records on its opening weekend in Japan despite receiving no marketing push.

The Studio Ghibli film, which is locally titled Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka? (How Do You Live?), opened Friday (July 14) and earned $15.46m (Y2.14bn) over four days, which included Monday’s Marine Day national holiday. It was distributed by Toho, which supplied the figures.

It marks the biggest-ever opening weekend for Miyazaki as...

Tokyo, Japan, July 3, 2023 – In collaboration with Shueisha Inc. and Toei Animation Co., Ltd., Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. will hold “One Piece Day '23”, an event that brings together all aspects of “One Piece including: manga, anime, movies, music, games, and merchandise for “One Piece” fans all over the world. One Piece Day '23 will be held at Tokyo Big Sight on Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22 Jst. For the first time, the main stage festivities will be streamed live to the world on YouTube with simultaneous English interpretation. Visit the YouTube page to receive alerts for when the livestream begins!

Official website: https://onepiece-day.com/en

On day one, “One Piece Film Red” will have a special screening, “Let's go! One Piece Film Red Special Cheer Screening” – the event encourages attendees to participate in a cheer for the movie alongside other fans. The film was first released in Japan on...

Accessing and watching One Piece's English dub will soon be more accessible than ever.

Crunchyroll has confirmed that the dub will hit the streaming service on July 5 in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Episodes and seasons will be rolled out in batches, but everything from the East Blue Saga to the epic "Wano Country" arc will eventually appear on the platform.

Related: How To Watch All The One Piece Movies & OVAs In Order

One Piece Day

Fans of One Piece have more to be excited about than just the English dub's upcoming debut on Crunchyroll. Most notably, One Piece Day, the annual celebration of Eiichiro Oda's masterpiece will occur on July 21 and 22. Occurring in person in Tokyo, Japan and online through live streams on YouTube, the event will feature main stage events with cast members from the Japanese version, exhibitions, a screening of One Piece Film: Red,...

One Piece Day 2023 is on the horizon and a new trailer teases what the festivities have in store.

Uploaded on the franchise's official YouTube channel, the video reveals that the hybrid event will take place on July 21 and 22; while tickets are free, they are only available through a lottery system. The first day will feature a screening of One Piece Film: Red, the most recent movie in the franchise, and the second day will be filled with stage events with the cast members, exhibitions and merchandising sales. Moreover, during One Piece Day they will make a special surprise announcement.

Related: One Piece: Animator Makes History as First American to Direct an Episode

One Piece's Spectacular Collectible Treasures

Several new collectibles are now available for those unable to attend the event, which will be held in Tokyo, Japan and over YouTube. For example, Megahouse recently revealed a figurine...

Two Japanese films by internationally renowned auteurs — “Monster” by Koreeda Hirokazu and “Kubi” by Kitano Takeshi — are in the Cannes lineup this year, and both carry with them big box office expectations in Japan.

“Monster,” which is screening in competition, will be released on June 2 by Gaga and Toho, the latter Japan’s largest distributor and theater chain operator. Koreeda’s two previous films — “The Truth” (2019), shot in France, and “Broker” (2022), filmed South Korea — were both box office disappointments in his home market. “Monster,” however, promises a return to the earnings form of his 2018 Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters,” whose $34 million cumulative total was the fourth-highest among Japanese releases that year.

One reason: The screenplay is by Sakamoto Yuji, a veteran writer of hit TV dramas and films, including the 2021 smash romantic drama “We Made a Beautiful Bouquet.” The story of “Monster,” about a quarrel between elementary school children...

Conventional 2022 global box office chart does not tell the whole story.

Avatar and Top Gun sequels may have ruled 2022 global box office but the top hits for the Generation Z and over-55 crowds were After Ever Happy and Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris.

New viewership research by data analytics and campaign management company Movio collated from more than 50 countries and unveiled at CinemaCon on Monday presented a different perspective on the most popular theatrical releases of last year – and a timely one given that Hollywood is chasing younger and older crowds.

Gen Z audience gravitates towards horror

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Conventional 2022 global box office chart does not tell the whole story.

Avatar and Top Gun sequels may have ruled 2022 global box office but the top hits for the Generation Z and over-55 crowds were After Ever Happy and Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris.

New viewership research by data analytics and campaign management company Movio collated from more than 50 countries and unveiled at CinemaCon on Monday presented a different perspective on the most popular theatrical releases of last year – and a timely one given that Hollywood is chasing younger and older crowds.

Gen Z audience gravitates towards horror

While YA adaptation...

Conventional 2022 global box office chart does not tell the whole story.

Avatar and Top Gun sequels may have ruled 2022 global box office but the top hits for the Generation Z and over-55 crowds were After Ever Happy and Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris.

New viewership research by data analytics and campaign management company Movio collated from more than 50 countries and unveiled at CinemaCon on Monday presented a different perspective on the most popular theatrical releases of last year – and a timely one given that Hollywood is chasing younger and older crowds.

Gen Z audience gravitates towards horror

While YA adaptation...

“The last year has clearly demonstrated there is no one-size-fits-all,” executive says of exclusive windows.

Paramount’s president of international theatrical distribution Mark Viane struck a typically upbeat note for CinemaCon’s International Day keynote address on Monday, although he urged studios and exhibitors to avoid complacency and continue to work together.

Highlighting returning global box office – the three pandemic releases Avatar: The Way Of Water, Top Gun: Maverick and Spider-Man: No Way Home rank among the all-time top 15 global releases, while Gower Street Analytics just upgraded its 2023 global forecast to $32bn – Viane said there was work to be done.

Chronicling the story of Monkey D. Luffy and the rest of the Straw Pirates in his quest to become the Pirate King, the anime series One Piece, based on a Japanese manga by Eiichiro Oda, has throughout the years enjoyed massive popularity, with fans still supporting its various spin-offs. The latest film in the franchise, One Piece Film: Red, had landed at the fourth spot on the list of highest-grossing anime features ever before Makoto Shinkai's Suzume took the spot, pushing the One Piece film down to fifth place. By all means, that was still a huge feat for the franchise, as the film still received favorable box office revenue. And now, One Piece Film: Red has been given a new lease on life through Blu-ray, set for release on July 11.

As mentioned last year, it seems that anime are experiencing another golden era, which started in 2021 and continued in full bloom in 2022. The box office success of a number of movies the new trend of series that are not based on manga and the release of much awaited titles as in the case of “Chainsaw Man” continued to boost the industry, additionally giving it an international presence that I do not thing ever took place in the past. And all this, while the new Miyazaki movie is going to come out this summer, probably becoming the new biggest box office hit in the history of Japanese cinema.

Without further ado, here are the 12 Best Anime Series of 2022, in reverse order, in a list that includes titles whose season or the whole series ended in 2022.

12. World Trigger Season 3

The focus this time is on Chika and her inability to shoot anyone with real bullets,...

Warning: Spoilers for chapter #1079 of One PieceMany characters in One Piece aim to become the new Pirate King, following in Gol D. Roger's footsteps, but only one can claim to be Roger's true heir: Red-Haired Shanks, who was not only raised by Roger, he also inherited his most powerful attack, Kamusari (Divine Departure).

In chapter #1079 of One Piece, Shanks ruthlessly crushes the dreams of the Kid Pirates. After Eustass Kid and his crew departed Wano, their route brought them to Elbaf, the land of the Giants, where Shanks' fleet happens to be stationed. True to his brash and aggressive attitude, Kid picks a fight with the Red Hair Pirates, wanting to get revenge for a previous encounter where he lost an arm, without even getting close to Shanks. This time, however, the Yonko steps in personally, and with one single attack defeats Kid and his second-in-command, Killer. Shanks uses Divine Departure,...

Taking Toei

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund (Pif) has increased its stake in Japanese film and TV studio Toei Company, from 5% to 6.03%, according to a report by the Reuters financial news agency. The move comes shortly after Toei published a ten-year plan for international expansion.

Toei includes film and TV production operations, the T-Joy cinema chain and Toei Animation. Last month, it said that it had beaten its film revenue record, thanks to the success of titles including “The First Slam Dunk,” “The Legend of Butterfly” and “One Piece Film Red.”

The stake increase also follows Pif’s February announcement that it had increased its stake in Japanese games and console maker Nintendo to 8.26% and that (along with the Singapore state fund Gic) was a buyer of a $966 million bond issue from Korean entertainment-tech firm Kakao Corp.

Entertainment appears to be a significant part of the...

Cinema admissions in Japan grew by 32 in 2022, reaching 152 million, according to data published Tuesday by the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (Eiren).

In revenue terms, Eiren shows cinema box office growing by almost the same proportion to 1.24 million. That cements Japan’s position as the world’s third largest box office territory behind only North America and China.

The Eiren data for 2022, however, diverges significantly from figures from other sources as it runs from December 2021 to November 2022. That means it omits December when “Avatar: The Way of Water” was released and when box office worldwide received a significant lift.

Given that Eiren’s data for 2018-2019 showed earnings of 2.00 billion from admissions of 195 million, the 2021-2022 figures appear still substantially below-pre-covid levels.

(Global box office tracking service and analysis firm Gower Street Analytics reported Japan box office in the calendar year 2022 as 1.5 billion and calculated that last year end...

Strong recovery reveals figures are getting closer to pre-pandemic levels.

Japan showed strong recovery at the box office in 2022 with takings of 1.6bn (¥205bn) approaching pre-pandemic levels, bolstered by a string of local animated film hits.

Cinema admissions reached 146.9 million across the year compared to 182 million in pre-pandemic 2019, according to Comscore. Box office receipts were 1.6bn (¥205bn), down 15.3 on the 1.9bn (¥242bn) taken in 2019. For comparison, last year’s US box office was down 34 on 2019.

Scroll down for top 20 titles

Japan, which was one of the few countries to largely keep cinemas open during the Covid-19 pandemic, is the world...

Japanese studio Toei announced today that its total box office revenue reached a record Yen32.56Bn (US246.6M) for the calendar year 2022, partly thanks to the strong performances of anime blockbusters One Piece Film Red and The First Slam Dunk.

The studio’s box office receipts easily beat its previous record annual high of Yen17.98Bn (US136.2M at today’s exchange rate) achieved in 2009. It also announced that it sold 23.65 million tickets in 2022, a year in which Japan’s box office recovered at a faster rate than many other markets in the region.

One Piece Film Red, the latest instalment in a long-running franchise, opened on August 6 last year and has since sold 13.79 million tickets and earned more than Yen19BN (US144M) in Japan alone.

The film has also grossed around US35.5M from international box office markets, with its biggest territories in revenue terms including North America,...

A new Anime Film poll, ranks "Detective Conan: The Bride of Halloween", the 25th installment of the manga adaptation, as the most popular out of 10 film productions released in 2022:

10. "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime The Movie: Scarlet Bond"

9. "Laid-Back Camp The Movie"

8. "Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night"

7. "Free!–the Final Stroke– the second volume"

6. "One Piece Film Red"

5. "Suzume"

4. "Mirage Queen Prefers Circus"

3. "The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie"

2. "Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love St☆Rish Tours"

1. "Detective Conan: The Bride of Halloween"...

A Japanese website ranking the popularity of characters from famous franchises has revealed that One Piece's biggest and most hated villain is actually Uta, the main character from the smash-hit movie One Piece Film: Red. The website Suki Kira has ranked the least popular character from Eiichiro Oda's best-selling series, finding out that Japanese fans really dislike Uta, which may not come as a surprise after all.

One of the biggest surprises in One Piece Film: Red was finding out that Uta is actually the villain of the movie. This detail was carefully hidden during the marketing phase, and fans believed that Uta, who is the long-lost daughter of Shanks, would act as an ally of the Straw Hat Pirates. Instead, the girl is trying to use the powers of her Uta Uta no Mi Devil Fruit to drag the entire world into a fake reality she created. In the end,...

Dubai-based distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment has acquired all Mena rights for the Saudi Arabian drama Within Sand, which was the Jury Prize winner at the second Red Sea International Film Festival earlier this month.

Front Row will release the film theatrically in Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of 2023 under the Front Row Arabia label, its joint venture with leading local exhibitor Muvi Cinemas.

The sumptuously shot, desert epic revolves around a young tobacco merchant who breaks away from his trading convoy to get home quickly to his village, where his wife is about to have their first child.

Travelling alone, he’s ambushed by thieves who leave him for dead. His journey becomes a quest to survive in the wilderness with the added threat of a wolf dogging his footsteps.

The drama is Saudi filmmaker Moe Alatawi’s debut feature and features an all-Saudi cast led by Ra’ed Alshammari,...