English-subtitled We Are One short drama about One Piece fans gets theme song from band famous for Your Name hit in celebration of manga volume 100, TV episode 1,000.

One Piece is hitting two incredible milestones this fall. On Friday, the 100th collected volume of creator Eiichiro Oda’s manga hit store shelves, and sometime in November the anime adaptation will reach episode 1,000.

In celebration, a short live-action drama series, We Are One, has been produced, with each episode showing how its characters are influenced and inspired by One Piece’s themes and energy. Providing the theme song for We Are One, “Twilight,” is none other than J-pop band Radwimps, and a music video has been released starring the casts of both the anime and drama.

One Piece’s sustained success means it has a higher budget than many other TV series, but Luffy and crew are looking especially fluid in motion in the newly drawn sequences for the “Twilight” video. While Radwimps may be becoming somewhat synonymous with Makoto Shinkai anime, due to their contributions to the director’s Your Name and Weathering with You, the rousing rock/dance sound of “Twilight” synchs incredibly well, both visually and emotionally, with the scenes of the Straw Hat Pirates overcoming challenges and chasing their dreams, which also show up in the individual We Are One episodes..

As for We Are One, the episodes might not have any super-powered fistfights or literal pirate treasure hunts, but there are parallels to be drawn to people in the real world with real-world problems. Episode 2, for example, introduces us to aspiring pâtissier Minami and her One Piece-loving fiancé.

▼ One Piece neophyte Minami’s image of the series goes through a dramatic change by the time of the twist ending.

▼ English subtitles can be turned on in the settings

We Are One is an unabashedly sentimental look at how fans’ passion for the series has changed their lives, but a franchise doesn’t stay strong for 20-plus years without striking chords with its audience time and time again, and that’s something One Piece has definitely done.

Source: YouTube/ONE PIECE公式YouTubeチャンネル via IT Media
Top image: YouTube/ONE PIECE公式YouTubeチャンネル
Insert images: YouTube/ONE PIECE公式YouTubeチャンネル (1, 2)
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