A manga series about a treasure-hunting pirate that has captivated millions of fans worldwide celebrates its 25th birthday, as the final chapter of the best-selling saga reveals its secrets.
The last installment of One Piece begins today in Japanese weekly manga magazine Shonen Jump, published by Shueisha, following a one-month pause.
The series has racked up more than 100 volumes and smashed sales records since the first installment appeared in 1997.
Photo: AFP
The story revolves around its hero, Luffy, who hunts for the coveted “one piece” treasure alongside other pirates.
Author Eiichiro Oda, 47, landed a Guinness World Record for having the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author, with 490 million produced.
His success has made his creation’s 25th birthday a global event, including the US and France, the latter being the second-largest market for manga and Japanese animation.
The 100th volume of the series came out in France last year with 250,000 copies, a number rivaling works that have won the prestigious Prix Goncourt literature prize.
“I’m going to start showing all the secrets of this world that I’ve kept hidden,” Oda said in a handwritten message posted on Twitter. “It will be fun. Please fasten your seatbelt!”
Chedli Ben Hassine, a content creator who specializes in pop culture, said that One Piece has become “not only one of the greatest manga series in the world, but one of the greatest cultural works, all sectors included.”
“What makes this manga so special is above all the plot,” said Ryuji Kochi, Toei Animation president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Toei is the Japanese company that has produced the series since 1999.
The One Piece universe includes cultural and geographical references, such as ancient Egypt, Venice and medieval Japan, which gives it a universal dimension.
Engaging characters and modern themes of breakneck industrialization, racism, slavery and geopolitical intrigues add to the appeal of the series.
“By proposing totally different universes, the author never bores the reader,” said Benoit Huot, head of manga at French publisher Glenat Editions.
“You have a fresco, an epic, which lasts an extremely long time, and where you can’t say it goes round in circles,” he said.
Although the finale of One Piece promises plenty of twists and turns, the series has not reached a wider audience beyond Japanese comic fans like the global hits Star Wars and Harry Potter.
Japanese culture is far from matching the influence of Western creations backed by a large market and soft power that a cultural machine like Hollywood can produce on an industrial scale, economist Julien Pillot said.
Producers hope the upcoming release of a Netflix series adapted from the One Piece universe will help it conquer new territory, bringing the story to more than 200 million subscribers of the global streaming platform.
Pillot said that Hollywood has historically struggled to adapt manga series to the big screen, including the aesthetic and commercial flop that was the adaptation of Dragon Ball.
“If Netflix managed to create a product of very high quality, which captures the unique spirit of One Piece, that would be a good start,” he added.
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