One Piece Roller Coaster Coming To Universal Studios

Universal Studios Japan is quite different than the Universal Studios which sits in Orlando, Florida, with the theme park of the East taking the opportunity to focus on some of the biggest anime franchises around. With series such as Attack on Titan, Sailor Moon, Case Closed, and more receiving their own attractions over the years, it seems that 2022 is set to give One Piece its first roller coaster, allowing park-goers to jump on-board the Going Merry alongside the Straw Hat Pirates.   

The first roller coaster for One Piece is titled “One Piece x Hollywood Dream the Ride – Departure! Mini Merry II” which features a promotional image of Chopper and Usopp riding the reincarnated first ship of the Straw Hat Pirates, which unfortunately no longer sails across the Grand Line in either the manga or anime. Set to take place from July 1st to October 2nd of this year, this new event and attractions that are a part of it isn’t just promoting the upcoming fifteenth movie of the franchise, but also celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the manga’s arrival into the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump.

The Official Twitter Account for Universal Studios Japan shared a first look at the “15th Premier Summer”, showing how long the amusement park has had a relationship with Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates, as the theme park has dedicated plenty of attractions and portions of its park to the Shonen franchise in the past:

The upcoming partnership between Universal Studios Japan and One Piece won’t just give us the first roller coaster for the Shonen series, it will also involve a live-action show as well as an eatery for park-goers to visit that has been dubbed “Sanji’s Pirate Restaurant”. Currently, there are no plans for the world of One Piece to arrive in the Universal Studios in North America, though we recently witnessed the Super Mario part of the park making the jump from Japan to the West, so fingers crossed that Luffy and his Straw Hats will do the same in the future.

Would you love to join the Straw Hats on the first roller coaster for One Piece? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Grand Line.