PARIS — 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.
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The last installment of “
One Piece” begins from July
25 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.
The story revolves around 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, from the
US to France, 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, told AFP “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, president for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at
Toei Animation, the Japanese company that has produced the series since 1999.
The “One Piece” universe includes cultural and
geographical references that give it a universal dimension, including Ancient
Egypt, Venice, and medieval Japan.
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,” Benoit Huot, head of manga at publishing
company Glenat, told AFP.
“You have a fresco, an epic, which lasts an
extremely long time and where you can’t say it goes round in circles.”
Release on Netflix
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 told AFP.
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 the global streaming platform’s more than 200
million subscribers.
Pillot said 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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