In 1999, Toei Animation introduced millions of anime viewers around the world to Monkey D. Luffy and his faithful Straw Hat crew. Now, the studio is celebrating One Piece's 25th anniversary with a decorative stamp collection that showcases some of the series' most iconic scenes.
Per Comic Natalie, One Piece's 25th-anniversary stamp collection consists of three plaques featuring brand-new "stamp-style" illustrations from the One Piece animation team. The main themes are "tears," "friendship" and "war" -- three elements that have a major presence in the beloved anime series. Hardcore One Piece fans would be remiss not to recognize many of the featured scenes, which include emotional character moments, memorable villain appearances and thrilling action sequences. Toei Animation is also releasing the illustrations as a decorative pin collection, which comes pre-mounted inside an elegant black frame. The "tears," "war" and "friendship" stamp plaques, in addition to the framed pin sets, cost 18,150 yen each (roughly US$117). Prospective buyers can purchase the items through Japan Post's official site.
Additionally, Toei Animation has released a special set of stamp-style metal keychains, each one featuring a different member of the Straw Hats. This collection includes Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, "Soul King" Brook and Jinbei, among others. Each pin costs 1,980 yen (roughly US$12.80), making it a more affordable option for those running low on berries. Japan Post has likewise made these products available through its official site.
Toei's One Piece 25th Anniversary Logo Highlights One of the Anime's Most Iconic Scenes
Toei Animation has been gearing up for One Piece's 25th anniversary celebration since last year. In October 2023, the company unveiled One Piece's official anniversary logo while requesting that fans stay "tuned in" for additional updates. The logo highlights one of the series' most famous scenes to date -- the moment when Luffy receives his signature straw hat from Red-Haired Shanks, the mysterious leader of the Red-Haired Pirate Crew. This fateful encounter ultimately inspires Luffy to begin his quest for Gol D. Roger's legendary One Piece treasure.
The One Piece franchise began with Eiichiro Oda's titular manga series, which launched in Weekly Shonen Jump in July 1997. Two and a half decades later, it has expanded into a worldwide multimedia phenomenon that encompasses comics, anime, light novels, video games and more. In August 2023, Netflix and Tomorrow Studios released the world's first live-action One Piece series, which stars Inaki Godoy (The Imperfects) as Monkey D. Luffy. Season 2 is currently in the works, and Netflix reportedly intends to start production in June 2024.
One Piece Fans Can Look Forward to the Upcoming Nintendo Switch Game Release
As for Toei Animation, the acclaimed studio has even more in store for One Piece fans. This July, fans can look forward to the Nintendo Switch launch of One Piece Odyssey, an open-world RPG released specifically for One Piece's 25th anniversary. Developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment, the game allows players to explore the expansive One Piece universe as Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Zoro and several other major characters. The Switch version will become available starting July 26.
The One Piece manga is available in English from VIZ Media. The anime is available on Netflix, Hulu and Crunchyroll.
Source: Japan Post via Comic Natalie
