One Piece Celebrates 25 Years with Display on Las Vegas Sphere
In a historic move, One Piece has become the first Japanese content to be featured on the Las Vegas Sphere, a massive 112-meter-tall spherical screen located in Las Vegas, Nevada. This special event is part of the celebrations for the anime’s 25th anniversary and will run from June 10 to June 16, 2024.
The takeover of the Sphere by Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates marks a significant expansion of the One Piece franchise in the Western market. The event follows the successful launch of the first North American One Piece café in Las Vegas and will also coincide with the debut of the series official English YouTube channel.
The spot begins with the anime’s logo before transforming into a globe, where viewers can see the Thousand Sunny ship sailing the seas. The protagonist Luffy then flies out of the ship and takes over the screen, laughing as the scene transitions into a montage of some of the show’s most memorable characters.
A film roll consisting of scenes from the anime appears before its title card is shown. The display ends with a special logo announcing One Piece’s 25th year and a QR code that lets users subscribe the Official English YouTube channel
Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, has expressed his excitement and congratulations for the anime’s 25th anniversary, acknowledging the One Piece takeover of the Las Vegas Sphere as a remarkable achievement. In a message shared on Twitter, Oda stated, “This is the first time that Japanese content is being broadcast here, and One Piece has been chosen as the first! Everyone, please check it out in the video!“
2023 was a groundbreaking year for the One Piece franchise, with the highly anticipated Gear 5 Luffy debut causing a surge in fan demand that temporarily crashed the Crunchyroll website upon the release of Episode 1071. The live-action One Piece TV series on Netflix, starring Iñaki Godoy as Luffy, also launched and has been praised as a benchmark for adapting popular anime series into live-action.
One Piece fans can currently stream the anime series on Netflix and Crunchyroll, while the English manga is provided by Viz Media, which is releasing the latest chapters of the “Egghead” story arc and preparing for a new adventure in late 2024. The live-action One Piece series on Netflix is also continuing production of Season 2, introducing new friends and foes that the Straw Hat Pirates will encounter on their journey toward the Grand Line.
The One Piece takeover of the Las Vegas Sphere is a testament to the series’ global popularity and its ability to captivate audiences worldwide. Fans are encouraged to join in the celebration and experience the world of One Piece in this larger-than-life display at the Sphere.
Sources: Anime Corner, ComicBook, CBR
