Toei Animation recently held an unforgettable in-office party to celebrate One Piece's 25th anime anniversary and the completion of the famous "Wano Country" story arc.
Henry Thurlow, an American staff member at Toei Animation, wrote about the celebration on his X (formerly Twitter) page. "I had the honor of being able to attend One Piece's 25th year celebration/ Wano-Kuni-completion party this weekend," Thurlow commented. "I met Oda-sensei, saw live performances of opening themes, and met artists and directors I hadn't before." Thurlow also showcased images of large-scale statues of iconic characters from the series, including Roronoa Zoro, Sanji and Jinbe.
Henry Thurlow has the distinction of being the first American-born animator to ever direct a One Piece episode. Thurlow's episode, titled "Here Comes the Main Act: Powerful Techniques of Fallout and Magnetism," chronicles an important "Wano" arc fight that occurs between Eustass Kid, Trafalgar Law and Big Mom. Thurlow's debut work on One Piece is featured in Episode #903, in which he animates the fight scene between Monkey D. Luffy and Urashima.
"Wano Country" ranks as the longest-running arc of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga. In the anime, the arc ran from Episode 890 to 1076, the latter of which covered the epic finale of Luffy's highly-anticipated battle with Emperor Kaido. The latter part of this arc also features Luffy's famous Gear 5 transformation, which grants him otherworldly strength and the power to bend reality to his will. Following its appearance in the anime, Toei has celebrated Gear 5 with numerous merch collaborations, including Crunchyroll's Gear 5 "Battle Record" Collectible Figure and Seiko's upcoming "Monkey D. Luffy Gear 5 Edition" watch.
Toei Animation's One Piece anime premiered in October 1999, just two years after the launch of Eiichiro Oda's acclaimed manga. While Oda has consistently supported Toei's adaptation of his beloved series, he particularly lauded the anime's handling of "Wano Country," stating that it repeatedly moved him to tears as he watched it. 2023 has proven to be a special year for One Piece fans, as it not only marks Toei's wrap-up of "Wano" but also features the world debut of One Piece's first live-action series adaptation, which launched on Netflix in August. Oda is currently working on One Piece's final major arc, although he assured fans earlier this year that he would not be concluding the series anytime soon.
The One Piece anime is available to stream on Netflix, Hulu and Crunchyroll. The manga is available in English from VIZ Media.
Source: X (formerly Twitter)
