Last night, Netflix held a One Piece Fan Celebration, “Straw Hats Unite: Pirates on the Pier,” in Los Angeles for the upcoming live-action series based on the popular manga by Eiichiro Oda. Fans attending got the chance to play carnival games, go on rides, eat and drink before viewing the first episode of the series. After the episode ended, guests were surprised with an impressive drone show that pays tribute to the manga and anime featuring Monkey D. Luffy and his adventures. Anderson .Paak even made an appearance to perform to the crowd.
The drone show closed out the fun night for fans along with the Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel lighting up as the Jolly Roger. As the episode ended, a countdown timer started with the drones displaying the One Piece title. Different images created by the drones’ lights were shown including the Lord of the Coast Sea King, Shanks giving Luffy his hat, Luffy punching, the Straw Hats, the Going Merry ship, Buggy the Clown, and more.
“My Sails Are Set” featuring Aurora, the second single from Netflix’s One Piece, was played in the finale of the drone show. The song was written and produced by Sonya Belousova & Giona Ostinelli, the duo behind The Witcher’s “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher.”
Fans who were lucky enough to get tickets got exclusive access to the carnival games and go on rides. Food trucks, ice cream, and themed drinks at the bar were also available. Props were also on display including the telepathic snails, the Den Den Mushi. For photo lovers, there were a few photo opportunities.
The Los Angeles event kickstarted the fan celebration with 9 more to follow all over the world including Japan, Brazil, France, Indonesia, Italy, Philippines, Thailand, Germany, and Mexico. Click here for more information on the upcoming events.
The live-action One Piece series debuts on Netflix on August 31, 2023.
About One Piece
Based on Japan’s highest-selling manga series in history by Eiichiro Oda, ONE PIECE is a legendary high-seas adventure unlike any other. Monkey D. Luffy is a young adventurer who has longed for a life of freedom since he can remember. Luffy sets off from his small village on a perilous journey to find the legendary fabled treasure, ONE PIECE, to become King of the Pirates! But in order to find the ultimate prize, Luffy will need to assemble the crew he’s always wanted before finding a ship to sail, searching every inch of the vast blue seas, outpacing the Marines, and outwitting dangerous rivals at every turn.
Starring Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji, ONE PIECE is a live-action pirate adventure created in partnership with Shueisha and produced by Tomorrow Studios and Netflix. Matt Owens and Steven Maeda are writers, executive producers, and showrunners. Eiichiro Oda, Marty Adelstein, and Becky Clements also executive produce.
Additional cast includes Vincent Regan, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Morgan Davies, Aidan Scott, Langley Kirkwood, Jeff Ward, Celeste Loots, Alexander Maniatis, McKinley Belcher III, Craig Fairbrass, Steven Ward, Chioma Umeala, and Michael Dorman.
Featured image credit courtesy of Netflix.
