A physical release date for the blockbuster One Piece film has been announced, and special episodes are set to be included.
Few franchises make it to be international household names like One Piece, and the massive manga/anime series from Eiichiro Oda has had few high points as visible as last year’s blockbuster feature, One Piece Film: Red. The Blu-Ray for the film is being handled by Crunchyroll, which also handled the theatrical run. Crunchyroll’s ambitious plans for the film are on full display for the physical Blu-Ray release, and new date and feature information shows that the release will be a treasured haul for any devotee of the Straw Hat Pirates.
One Piece Film: Red initially set sail into theaters over winter of last year, although the Blu-Ray release is charted for a warmer summer voyage. Fans and first-time watchers of the film can look forward to a full North-American release on July 11, 2023, in a premium sleeved-edition set to include both dubbed and subtitled versions of the film. In addition to the main draw of the feature, the Blu-Ray also includes three special anime series episodes tied to the film.
The three special episodes are entitled “A Faint Memory! Luffy and Red-Haired’s Daughter Uta!” (ordered as anime episode 1029), “A Pledge for the New Genesis! Luffy and Uta!” (episode 1030), and “The Captain’s Log of the Legend! ‘Red-Haired’ Shanks!” (a clip-show episode between episodes 1030 and 1031). Expanding considerably on the lore around the characters from the film, these episodes may prove essential for fans of the film while also hopefully serving to get less-veteran One Piece watchers a bit more up-to-speed.
One Piece Film: Red follows the story of Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates’ journey to a far-off island to meet Uta, a world-famous singer who is connected to Red-Haired Shanks. The film lends a more musical element to the One Piece franchise, while combining established characters in One Piece lore with a strongly self-contained story. Released in 2022, the film is the fifteenth individual feature film for One Piece (to say nothing of the franchises 1000+ manga volumes and individual anime episodes). Film Red is by far the highest-grossing out of any of the series features, and it has the title of both one of the most commercially successful anime films—as well as Japanese films, live-action or animated—of all time.
Given the success of their home video and theatrical divisions, Crunchyroll has several other physical releases planned across July. July 4 sees the release of both Season 13, “Voyage 1” of One Piece as well as the second season of Obey Me! July 18 sees a Blu-Ray release of the second season of The Devil is a Part-Timer, as well as the second set of OVA episodes for The Ancient Magus’ Bride, “The Boy from the West and the Knight of the Mountain Haze.” Given all of these releases, Crunchyroll is set to give fans a very busy summer.
Src: gamerant.com
