One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda’s generous donation silences those who once opposed the artist’s fundraising plans.
A reliable One Piece news translator on Twitter called sandman (or @sandman_AP) recounted the situation in detail on their page. After Oda’s hometown of Kumamoto, Japan suffered a devastating earthquake, he proposed erecting statues of characters from One Piece to support reconstruction efforts. The motion to raise the statues, depicting eight iconic Straw Hat Pirate crew members, was ultimately approved. However, many protested the decision on the grounds that building the statues was a waste of taxpayer money. These protests continued until the region’s residents realized how much Oda himself had donated to the cause.
Eiichiro Oda’s Generous Donation Quieted Protests From Kumamoto Residents
Kumamoto’s residents eventually discovered that Oda had donated over 800 million yen (roughly $5.91 million) out of his own pocket to Kumamoto. He made this donation in two parts, one totaling 500 million yen and the other totaling 300 million yen. At the time of Oda’s 500 million yen donation, his character Monkey D. Luffy’s bounty in the One Piece manga was equivalent to the same amount (only in berries instead of yen.) After news of Oda’s generous donation came to light, those who originally disapproved of the statues silenced their protests.
Since the manga’s debut in July 1997, One Piece has become the #1 best-selling manga series of all time, with over 516.6 million copies in circulation worldwide. Oda is currently working on the series’ final arc, with the infamous Red-Haired Shanks directly competing with the Straw Hats for possession of One Piece. While Toei Animation’s beloved One Piece anime is still going strong, the franchise’s latest major project is Netflix’s brand-new live-action adaptation starring Inaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy.
One Piece’s Upcoming Live-Action
Netflix’s upcoming live-action One Piece series has endured a rocky production phase. Initial reports indicated the show’s first test screening flopped with audiences, with viewers unfamiliar with the manga complaining that it was difficult to understand the story. However, the rumor has since been debunked. Oda, who is closely involved with the show’s production, recently assured his fanbase that the series will not premiere until he is happy. While in-depth plot details are not yet available, a One Piece news account on Twitter recently leaked a list of One Piece live-action episode titles and runtimes, giving fans a better idea of what they can expect from Season 1.
One Piece is available to stream on Hulu, Crunchyroll and Netflix. The manga is available in English from VIZ Media.
Source: Twitter
Leave a Reply