Just a few days ago, there was the announcement that S.H.Figuarts would be doing a collaboration with Netflix for the upcoming live-action One Piece series. It’s certainly a step further for them actually pushing merchandise before the series released, as Cowboy Bebop was more of a wait-and-see approach before it got rushed out. Luckily, they hinted that we’ll likely get our first look during the Anime Expo 2023 and the first images have already found their way online.
YouTuber @DesnesCitrus shared an image, which initially came from Kaboom Kollectibles, from the Anime Expo that unveils a first look at two figurines from this new series line. We get a good look at Mackenyu Arata’s take on Roronoa Zoro and Inaki Godoy’s Monkey D. Luffy. While we don’t know if all the main Straw Hat members are getting their own figurines, it does seem fitting given the big push of the cast as the live-action series’ big selling point.
The figurines look great and are quite detailed. It’s still crazy to think that Netflix is already going all-in to bank off of this series. One Piece is a franchise that managed to even outsell Batman’s entire lifetime comic sales and likely has a chance to surpass Superman by the time it eventually ends in the coming years. So, it has quite a massive audience built-in and if they manage to draw in a strong audience for the live-action series, they might be able to also build a strong base for additional sales.
This is a way how Marvel Studios’ various projects are far more than just their box office revenue. If people buy merchandise, they end up generating additional revenue with Intellectual Property that also gives them a reason to keep it around longer. So, we’ll see if this strategy might end up reflecting what Netflix saw with Squid Game and Stranger Things, which could carry this series for many years to come.
Source: Twitter
