One Piece returns to Las Vegas for Licensing Expo 2025. Toei Animation, the studio behind the One Piece anime adaptation, will celebrate the annual expo by “illuminating Las Vegas’ skyline.” The 90-second animation of One Piece at the Exosphere, the exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas, will have a grand encore from Monday, May 19th, through Wednesday, May 21st. One Piece was initially displayed at the Exosphere in June 2024, becoming the largest One Piece display in the franchise’s history. The Exosphere is touted as the largest spherical structure in the world, measuring 366 ft (112 m) tall and 516 ft (157 m) wide.
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Toei Representatives will be at Licensing Expo to meet with potential licensing partners for One Piece and its other properties. The animated studio owns the rights to several popular anime franchises, including Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Digimon. Toei will meet with potential licensors at Exhibit Booth #C196 in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The One Piece anime returned from a several months hiatus in April, releasing new episodes from the Egghead Island arc. Toei has produced and released a new One Piece anime episode almost weekly for over 25 years. The franchise is one of the studio’s biggest brands and one of the most successful media franchises in the world.
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One Piece Is Taking Over the USA
One Piece has always been popular worldwide with a sizable and dedicated fan base in the United States, but Toei Animation has been pushing the series much harder these last several years. Toei has cross-promoted the brand with popular American sports teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers. Luffy, the main character of One Piece, has a balloon at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. The franchise has always had a foothold in the States because of the 4Kids and later Funimation dub, yet Toei is now investing plenty of money to ensure One Piece is viewed as big as other fictional brands in the West.
Even though the One Piece anime began in 1999, the show continues to grow its audience thanks to enduring storytelling. Fans across the globe have become invested in Luffy’s quest to become the Pirate King and find the One Piece treasure. Anime is growing in the West, becoming one of the most-watched media on streaming services. 2025 is expected to be the biggest year for anime yet, with multiple companies planning to pour millions into the medium to get some of that anime profits. Toei’s investment in One Piece, alongside its push with Dragon Ball, is part of corporations’ growing venture into the world of Japanese animation. One Piece is already extremely huge in Japan; Toei now wants to make it equally big in the States.
The 90-second animation at the Exosphere is a truncated version of the series highlights, including film reels with the biggest moments from the anime. All the Strawhats from the show are in the animated short, plus Luffy’s giant face laughing across the sphere. The animation also includes Luffy’s latest form, the Gear Fifth, as the spotlight for the presentation.
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Image courtesy of Warner
