On 20 October 1999, Toei Animation launched Captain Monkey D. Luffy and his colourful crew of Straw Hat pirates on a voyage that, as of today, has spanned 22-years and created one of the most beloved global anime franchises in history. And in just one month, anime’s favourite pirates will set sail together on the Thousand Sunny for the history-making 1000th episode of One Piece, which will stream on 20 November 2021 in the U.S. and Canada on Funimation; in Germany and Russia on Wakanim; and on their respective broadcast schedules in Australia and New Zealand.
Produced by Toei Animation and based on the top-selling manga title of all time by creator Eiichiro Oda, the One Piece anime series spans more than 990 episodes to date since it first debuted on Japanese TV in October 1999. This iconic series features pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew on their epic quest to find One Piece, the legendary treasure of the former King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger. One Piece’s global pop culture status is the crowning achievement for this anime franchise, which encompasses theatrical films, home videos, video games, and an ever-expanding catalog of licensed merchandise that includes accessories, toys, novelties, furniture, housewares, and apparel.
“The 1000th episode of One Piece is truly a history-making moment not only for the franchise, but also for the millions of fans around the world that have supported the series over the last 22 years,” said Toei Animation president and CEO Masayuki Endo. “We’re excited to mark this major milestone for One Piece and look forward to celebrating it together with fans at our special global livestream event on 20 November.
“It isn’t every day you get to celebrate such a respected series hit such a grand milestone like this,” shared Funimation Global Group CCO Asa Suehira. One Piece has been a huge part of the Funimation family over time and we’re so proud to be a part of the ongoing journey Toei Animation continues to produce.”
To mark this momentous occasion of 1000 episodes, a celebratory virtual live streamed event will be broadcast across Funimation and Toei Animation’s YouTube channels simultaneously, as well as the official One Piece Facebook page. This virtual event will be hosted by YouTuber RogersBase on 20 November 2021 at 3:00 PST and will feature free streaming of episodes 998 and 999, prize giveaways, fan videos, and more.
In addition to the live stream, earlier this month as part of the One Piece 1000th episode celebration, Toei Animation and Fathom Events announced a special two-night One Piece Film: Strong World theatrical event on 7 November (English Dub) and 9 November (English Sub) in select theaters across the United States. This will be the first-ever U.S. theatrical release of One Piece Film: Strong World – the 2009 movie written by creator Eiichiro Oda and 10th film in the One Piece franchise.
One Piece voice cast includes:
Monkey D. Luffy – Mayumi Tanaka (Japanese), Colleen Clinkenbeard (English)
Roronoa Zoro – Kazuya Nakai (Japanese), Christopher R. Sabat (English)
Nami – Akemi Okamura (Japanese), Luci Christian (English)
Usopp – Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese), Sonny Strait (English)
Vinsmoke Sanji – Hiroaki Hirata (Japanese), Eric Vale (English)
Tony Tony Chopper – Ikue Ōtani (Japanese), Brina Palencia (English)
Nico Robin – Yuriko Yamaguchi (Japanese), Stephanie Young (English)
Franky – Kazuki Yao (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (English)
Brook – Chō (Japanese), Ian Sinclair (English)
Jimbei – Katsuhisa Hōki (Japanese), Daniel Baugh (English)
Since 2014, Eiichiro Oda and One Piece have been encapsulated in The Guinness Book of World Records for “most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author.” To date, the manga has sold over 490 million copies across 58 countries and regions worldwide. One Piece is the only manga to run an initial print of volumes of three+ million copies continuously for more than 10 years since 2010. Monkey D. Luffy was an official ambassador for the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.
