The animated movie has exceeded expectations, drawing a young crowd and repeat viewers to big-screen cinemas. Here’s a look behind the scenes of its success.

Takeshi Ishii, JAPAN Forward

The box-office revenue of the animated movie One Piece Film Red, directed by Goro Taniguchi, has surpassed 15 billion yen, making it the eleventh highest-grossing movie in Japan of all time. According to Kogyo Tsushinsha, the movie’s revenue had reached ￥15.7 billion JPY ($108l.5 million USD) as of September 25.

It is the first time that its distributor Toei, one of the biggest movie companies in Japan, has achieved such a result in the 71 years since its foundation.

What is the secret behind its popularity?

First, the Plot:

The movie is set in the universe of manga artist Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece. This phenomenally popular manga consists of 103 volumes and has sold more than 500 million copies.

The franchise has already spawned 14 movies, but this latest movie came at a veritable climax: in July, the manga’s serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump reached its 25th anniversary and finally entered its final arc.

In this latest of the movie series, a concert will be held where the renowned singer Uta, who has been hiding her identity, will stand on stage. Many pirates, including Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates, and the Navy gather to see her.

However, a shocking secret about Uta is revealed there. (You have to see the movie to find out what it is.)

(...)