Author Eiichiro Oda released a series of one-shots before the official release of the One Piece manga. These were later compiled in an anthology titled “Wanted!”, containing five side stories. One of them is the story about the legendary swordsman Shimotsuki Ryuma.
Ryuma lived about 400 years ago, legends about him are still popular in the land of Wano. Titled “Monsters: 103 Mercy Dragon Damnation”, it is an animated film announced in July 2023.
Directed by Sunghoo Park, E&H Production studio is responsible for producing, the Monsters anime is ready for a grand debut on January 21. And now, let’s see what Eiichiro Oda has to say about the movie Monsters.
Eiichiro Oda promotes the Monsters anime
In the 8th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump, including One Piece chapter 1104, Eiichiro Oda commented: “I can’t believe ‘MONSTERS’, the one-shot manga I drew when I was young, is about to be animated! THIS IS LIFE!!!”
The one-shots were published from 1992 to 1996 before the One Piece manga debuted in 1997. In One Piece Day 2023, the Monsters anime adaptation was announced, accompanied by a teaser video, along with a major announcements about Gear 5 and live-action One Piece.
What is the Monsters anime about?
Anime Monsters is a classic story that follows the events from 400 years ago, when Ryuma made history. One Piece fans will finally find out the legend behind Ryuma slaying the dragon.
In SBS Episode 247, Eiichiro Oda said: “Despite being a zombie, the character who appears in chapter 450 is indeed Ryuma. The main samurai character in the short story MONSTERS. However, in the One Piece world, he is a legendary warrior who died of illness disability and carved his name into history.”
According to Netflix, the official synopsis for Monsters reads: “A samurai’s path leads him to a waitress whose hometown was destroyed by a dragon. He doesn’t want any trouble – but it finds them anyway.”
