The creators and fans of the Japanese anime series One Piece explain why the series has become one of the most popular franchises in the world.
It is about a series that had more than 1.000 episodes - and among its fans are Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Travis Scott, the rapper.
The comic on which it is based has since sold more than 500 million copies, which took it to the Guinness Book of Records.
If you like, you can also buy a wardrobe like from the series.
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one piece, is a Japanese anime that celebrates its 2024th anniversary in 25.
It is based on the comic book series by manga author Eichiro Oda and follows Monkey Di Luffy, the leader of a group of pirates who travel the world in search of a mysterious treasure known as one piece.
Along the way, they engage in battles with the government but also with fellow pirates, using the powers gained by eating the "devil fruit".
'Niche within a niche'
When Zak Logan started one piece podcast in 2009, the series was not that well known in America.
"You can measure it based on the anime conventions we went to.
"Today they would be overwhelmed by fans one piece, and then there were two people and then their baby that they dressed up as Chopper," he tells the BBC.
U One Piece-u, Chopper is a human-reindeer hybrid the size of a small child.
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Logan describes the late 2000s show as a "niche within a niche," with a not-so-large following in the already small anime fan base in the US.
In Japan, however, it is a success one piece - and was more immediate.
When it was first published in 1997 in the magazine Shonen Jump, readers lagged behind the rival Shonen Magazine.
Inclusion one piece - and it helped Shonen Jump to regain the place of the most read manga in Japan.
Hiroyuki Nakano, current editor one piece manga, he has been reading comics since its inception.
"I remember being really amazed, I thought this was an amazing comic," he says.
'One Piece changed the manga industry'
In the mid-1990s, manga (a term used for many Japanese comics and graphic novels) was at its peak, with 1,34 billion manga collections sold in 1995.
Popular titles of the time included Dragon Ball (about a warrior searching for magic orbs), Slam dunk (about the basketball team) i Doraemon (about a robot cat that travels through time).
For Nakono, however, the comic book series one piece has changed this industry.
"Instead of relying on a haphazard method from week to week," he says, "he carefully builds the characters, creating a story structure that leads to an emotional climax at the end."
"There was a strong emphasis on writing style in manga before one piece", he continues.
"This style often led to disappointment when events did not meet expectations.
When it comes to the anime series, Logan adds that the show's approach also gives it a stronger emotional punch than other anime.
He points out Drum Island arc (episodes 78 to 91), when viewers learn the backstory of Chopper, who was shunned by his fellow reindeer.
"Watching Drum," he says, "anybody with a soul would cry.
The first episode of the anime adaptation aired in October 1999, but it took more than a decade to gain a significant following outside of Japan.
First broadcast in the US in 2004, the dubbed version was criticized for unconvincing voice actors and the decision to censor some battles by removing blood and replacing weapons with water pistols or shovels.
"The first version turned people off," says Logan.
Logan adds that the series' international popularity was greatest during the pandemic.
"It was like gasoline on fire. When people were at home, they had no excuse not to watch the show with more than 900 episodes.
"You will say why there are no more"
Although the length of the series can be intimidating for some - watching it from beginning to end takes two and a half continuous weeks - for Nakano, it is a strength One Piece.
"When we talk about the large number of characters and ideas created by Eiichiro Oda, the creator one piece-a no other work can match it.
Logan compares the show to Doctor Who, another cult show that can scare people off because of its length and make them wonder when to start watching.
"You could skip certain parts and jump in at a certain moment, but you're going to miss some important, brilliant things.
"AT one piece, there are things in episodes from 1999 or 2002 that are still important to the show because of the way Oda weaves things together.
“I used to tell my friends they could skip things, but now I feel it would be unfair to say that!
"People will start by complaining about how long it is, and when they get to the end, they'll say, 'Why isn't there more?'" he says.
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