One Piece: The TV phenomenon with 1000 episodes you may not have heard of

Creators and fans of the Japanese anime series One Piece explain why the show has become one of the most popular franchises in the world.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersOne Piece: From ‘niche within a niche’ to global phenomenonToeiOne Piece is one of the most successful animes of all timeCreators and fans of the Japanese anime series One Piece explain why the show has become one of the most popular franchises in the world.

It is a show that has run for more than 1,000 episodes - and it counts French President Emmanuel Macron and rapper Travis Scott as fans. The comic series it is based on, meanwhile, has sold more than 500 million copies, earning a Guinness World Record.

And you can even buy merchandise for the series in clothing stores up and down the country.

The show is One Piece, a Japanese anime that celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2024.

Based around a series of comics by manga auteur Eiichiro Oda, it follows Monkey D Luffy, the leader of a group of pirates travelling the world on the hunt for a mysterious treasure known as the One Piece. Along the way, they engage in battles with the government and their fellow pirates, using powers gained by eating "Devil Fruits".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1k39g94l9ro

---