Apparently, anime’s favorite pirates have decided to conquer not just the Grand Line, but also Beantown. That’s right: Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat crew are sailing into Boston for Red Sox x ONE PIECE Theme Day, and the fans are losing their minds.
This year’s ONE PIECE takeover at Fenway Park sold out faster than Luffy finishes a meat buffet. It’s also now the second massive hit in the unlikely but somehow perfect team-up between Toei Animation (the anime studio behind your childhood) and the Boston Red Sox (the team behind your seasonal heartbreak).
On Saturday, May 3, Monkey D. Luffy and Chopper mascots will welcome around 6,300 anime fans into Fenway Park, transforming America’s most historic ballpark into a pirate den of cosplay, card games, and general anime chaos. And for the first time ever in the ONE PIECE franchise, a Monkey D. Luffy mascot will throw the ceremonial first pitch before the Red Sox vs. Twins game at 4:10 p.m. Which makes sense, because if you’re trying to inspire your team to greatness, why not have a rubber man pirate start things off?
Fans who bought tickets through redsox.com/onepiece aren’t just getting bragging rights; they’ll also walk away with swag. Every General Admission fan scores an exclusive Red Sox x ONE PIECE baseball jersey, while VIPs get the jersey and a baseball hat, because anime loyalty deserves good headwear.
But wait, there’s more. Before the game, ticket holders can hit up a ONE PIECE fan meetup, grab a photo with the mascots, and even try their luck at the ONE PIECE Card Game demo. In other words, it’s like walking into a treasure chest filled with anime nerd gold.
Naturally, the Red Sox would very much like you to spam your socials with #ONEPIECE and #RedSox, because even pirates crave clout.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, One Piece is the brainchild of Eiichiro Oda and has been conquering hearts, minds, and merchandising shelves for over 25 years. Produced by Toei Animation, the series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates on their never-ending quest to find the legendary treasure of Gol D. Roger, the King of the Pirates. Along the way, they’ve built an empire of 15 feature films, tons of video games, a trading card game, and enough merch to capsize a ship.
And if you’re wondering if the adventure is slowing down — it’s not. “One Piece” recently resumed its weekly simulcast in April with new episodes dropping every weekend, now deep into the Egghead Island arc, which somehow makes pirates and sci-fi robots get along just fine.
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WHEN: |
Boston Red Sox x ONE PIECE Theme Day
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WHERE: |
Fenway Park | 4 Jersey St, Boston, MA 02215 |
About Toei Animation Inc.
Based in Los Angeles, Toei Animation Inc. manages the distribution of Toei Animation’s top properties, including franchise series Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, One Piece, Digimon, Saint Seiya and many others, to North America, Latin America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Toei Animation’s Los Angeles office also oversees all categories of consumer product licensing based on its film and television brands within these territories. For more information, please visit toei-animation-usa.com.
©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation.
