Eiichiro Oda's One Piece has more than 1000 episodes and manga chapters released, but there are also 15 feature films that explore stories that are too grand for the standard anime series. The latest One Piece feature film, One Piece Film: Red, is an important turning point for the franchise. One Piece Film: Red made international waves upon its release, but those who initially missed the motion picture event are curious about how they can experience this new One Piece story.
One Piece Film: Red is a bold change of pace that almost turns Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates into supporting characters. Instead, the movie revolves around renowned singer, Uta, who's about to perform her first live concert for the world. However, Uta's musical magic has ties to the Devil Fruit that mean her first public concert could also be her last. One Piece Film: Red broke box office records in Japan and proved that audiences still want to see Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates on the big screen. New milestones are afoot in One Piece, and with Netflix's live-action adaptation on the way, there's never been a better time to check out One Piece Film: Red.
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How To Watch One Piece Film: Red?
One Piece Film: Red was initially released in Japan on August 6, 2022, where it went on to receive unprecedented commercial success and became Japan's most successful movie of 2022 and their sixth-highest-grossing Japanese film of all time, anime or otherwise. One Piece Film: Red's international release took place a few months later and North American audiences were able to experience Luffy and Uta's adventure on November 4, 2023. One Piece Film: Red is no longer available to watch in movie theaters, but it's now more accessible than ever after being added to Crunchyroll on July 27th.
One Piece Film: Red is now available to stream on Crunchyroll just in time for Netflix's live-action One Piece. However, Crunchyroll has made sure that One Piece Film: Red has some company, and it's been added to their streaming library alongside other recent One Piece movies One Piece: Stampede and One Piece Film: Gold, as well as more than 975 episodes of the anime. Crunchyroll users can now immerse themselves in One Piece more than ever. One Piece Film: Red can also be enjoyed by non-Crunchyroll users, and it's available to rent on both the Vudu and Apple TV digital services.
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Is One Piece Film: Red Dubbed?
There was once a time when an international One Piece release was not a guarantee that the movie would be dubbed into English or any other language. One Piece's growing success and its being one of Crunchyroll's prize properties means that One Piece Film: Red has a proper English dub and the movie can be enjoyed on Crunchyroll in both its original Japanese and different languages. Amanda Lee portrays Uta's speaking voice in the English dub, while Ado's original Japanese music remains unchanged for Uta's musical performances.
Is One Piece Film: Red Canon?
Anime feature films often function as standalone stories that don't connect to the broader series' canon. This is typically the case with One Piece movies, which can occasionally result in some ambivalence regarding whether these stories are important. One Piece Film: Red is no exception and there are certain inconsistencies in the movie that indicate that it's not a fully canonical story. At the same time, there are still some important elements in the movie that are likely safe to consider as part of the official story and liable to return in the future. The biggest canonical element in One Piece Film: Red is Uta herself, who is Shank's adoptive daughter. Oda is responsible for not only Uta's design, but he's the screenwriter for One Piece Film: Red, which is a rarity for the franchise. Oda's heavier involvement in One Piece Film: Red as well as Uta's brief appearance in the One Piece manga indicates that, if nothing else, Uta is real.
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Another area in anime where there can be disconnect is the subject of physical media. Sometimes it can take years for a physical release to come out even for more popular properties, and expensive specialty sets can also be an issue. Fortunately, One Piece Film: Red fans haven't been left in limbo and a Blu-ray was released on July 11, 2023. Not only does the One Piece Film: Red Blu-ray contain Japanese and English language tracks, but there's also high-definition video and audio included. One Piece Film: Red's Blu-ray also goes the extra mile and includes the three special One Piece episodes that feature Uta and Shanks. This bonus means that even those who have never watched the anime can still get the full context of Uta's story.
Will One Piece Film: Red Have A Sequel?
One Piece Film: Red has become the most successful One Piece movie ever made, and it's grossed more than $246.5 million USD. Additionally, Ado's musical numbers as Uta have become best-selling singles that have also widely exceeded expectations and established how hungry audiences are for more One Piece Film: Red content. There's still no end in sight for One Piece, and it would be truly surprising if another feature film wasn't announced in the next year or two. That being said, it's likely that any future One Piece films will tell original stories and not just continue the narrative from One Piece Film: Red. Uta and her music are incredibly popular, but One Piece has become so unique and successful from its ability to take risks and stray from the norm.
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No official One Piece Film: Red sequel doesn't mean that more Uta isn't in the cards for the anime's future. After more than 1000 episodes and 15 movies, One Piece has infinite options in front of it, and it's never been a better time to be a fan. Crunchyroll's support for One Piece Film: Red and the rest of Oda's series gives the monumental motion picture the respect that it deserves.
