USJ (Universal Studios Japan) announced that its annual One Piece event will return in Summer 2023. The limited event will run from July 5, 2023 to October 10, 2023. It’ll feature a performance using water, and the actors for Luffy and the others will actually go up to the audience and greet them. [Thanks, Oricon!]
The title of the show will be “Explode, Fire Fist” and it seems that the Marines (along with Smoker) will make an appearance. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates might have to fight them to save three queens. It’s unclear which queens the summary refers to. As per usual, this story will be an original one for the park. So it will not be canon, nor will it be based on a canon arc.
Every year, the show will feature the Straw Hat Pirates fighting a veritable menagerie of enemies from the anime and manga series. In 2022, USJ re-themed its Hollywood Dream: The Ride to be a One Piece one during the Premier Summer show. So it might do that again this year. For sure, though, Sanji’s Pirate Restaurant will open up for another year to serve those hungry for his grub.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, USJ had to cancel its One Piece Premier Show 2020. While the show did re-open, it had to cut back on some of the audience interaction due to social distancing rules. However, the 2023 event will mark a complete revival of the show. The actors will get up close to the viewers during the greeting session once more.
The One Piece Premier Summer 2023 event will run at USJ in Osaka from July 5, 2023 to October 10, 2023.
