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Toei Animation Celebrates ‘One Piece’ 1000th Episode

Funimation will stream the famed series’ landmark episode in the U.S. and Canada on November 20 with a celebratory YouTube virtual live streamed event the same day; Toei and Fathom Events bring ‘One Piece Film: Strong World’ to select U.S. theaters on November 7 and 9.

Toei Animation is celebrating the 1000th episode of its beloved global animation franchise One Piece. Originally launched on October 20, 1999, the show’s Captain Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat pirates are marking the crew’s 22-year voyage with the landmark episode slated to stream on Funimation on November 20 in the U.S. and Canada; on Wakanim in Germany and Russia; and on their respective broadcast schedules in Australia and New Zealand.

Check out the 1000th episode teaser:

Produced by Toei Animation and based on the popular manga title by creator Eiichiro Oda, the One Piece anime series boasts more than 990 episodes since it debuted on Japanese TV. The popular global franchise encompasses theatrical films, home videos, video games, and an ever-expanding catalog of licensed merchandise.

 “The 1000th episode of One Piece is truly a history-making moment not only for the franchise, but also for the millions of fans around the world that have supported the series over the last 22 years,” remarked Toei Animation Inc president and CEO Masayuki Endo. “We’re excited to mark this major milestone for One Piece and look forward to celebrating it together with fans at our special global livestream event on November 20.”

“It isn’t every day you get to celebrate such a respected series hit such a grand milestone like this,” shared Funimation Global Group chief content officer Asa Suehira. “One Piece has been a huge part of the Funimation family over time and we’re so proud to be a part of the ongoing journey Toei Animation continues to produce.”

To mark the occasion of 1000 episodes, a celebratory virtual live streamed event will be broadcast across Funimation’s and Toei Animation’s YouTube channels simultaneously, as well as the official One Piece Facebook page. Hosted by YouTuber RogersBase, the event will kick off on November 20 at 3:00 PST and will feature free streaming of episodes 998 and 999, prize giveaways, and fan videos.

In addition to the live stream, Toei Animation and Fathom Events announced a special two-night theatrical event featuring the 2009 movie, One Piece Film: Strong World written by creator Eiichiro Oda.  The movie will play on November 7 (English Dub) and November 9 (English Sub) in select theaters across the United States. Additional information is available here.

Source: Toei Animation