Eiichiro Oda seems to be dominating Netflix as of late. With the ongoing streaming of the One Piece anime, the recently released live-action adaptation, and an upcoming anime remake by Wit Studio, another Oda masterpiece is about to hit the streamer. The streaming giant is about to release the anime adaptation of the mangaka’s one-shot manga, Monsters, officially titled Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation, and the creator himself shares his excitement about it.
Recently, Netflix released the official trailer for Monsters, giving a good look at Ryuma’s story and his epic adventure and finally unveiling its release date of January 21. With its nearing premiere, Oda seemingly can’t hide his emotions.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pewpiece shared Oda’s comment for the week, talking about the upcoming release of the new anime. “I can't believe ‘MONSTERS,’ the one-shot manga I drew in my youth is getting an animated adaptation!” he said. “THIS IS THE LIFE!!!”
After almost 30 years, this will be the first time that Monsters has received an anime adaptation. The one-shot manga is one of Oda’s first works, so seeing it play out on the small screen will be another great achievement for him after the success of One Piece. As this is also set in the same universe as his long-running manga series, fans will soon see the connection between the two.
Does Ryuma appear in One Piece?
Though Monsters features the adventure of Ryuma fighting the dragons instead of sailing to the Grand Line, he actually makes an appearance in One Piece. In the series’ Thriller Bark Arc, also known as the Florian Triangle Arc, the only story arc of the Thriller Bark Saga, Ryuma appears as a zombie samurai.
Here, he asks to see Nami’s undies, making the female pirate angry and comparing him to Brook. Ryuma then takes out his sword and attacks Nami, Usopp, and Chopper. The three try to run, but they’re quickly taken down by his attack, not realizing he has run past them.
What is Monsters about?
Monsters follows the story of the samurai Ryuma, who’s about to gain more allies as he begins his fight against the dragon. The series features the threat surrounding a once-peaceful town and the dragon behind it. Here, Ryuma finds himself caught in the middle of chaos due to the dragon’s horn and its arrival in the city.
You can read the synopsis below:
In a world where the only ‘threat’ that could disrupt the peace is up in the sky. The “terror” that can cause catastrophic havoc to this world, Dragon. A legendary one-shot manga adaption by the young 19-year-old Eiichiro Oda before the serialization of ONE PIECE. This is the story of the Samurai Ryuma.
The anime is based on Oda’s one-shot manga of the same name. It was published in Shonen Jump Autumn Special in 1994 and reprinted as part of the creator’s five one-shot manga collections in Wanted! It was then adapted into a voice comic to celebrate The One Piece 100 We Are ONE in 2021. After 29 years, Netflix adapted it into anime produced by E&H.
With Monsters’ nearing release, One Piece fans should look forward to its familiar settings. The anime itself features major One Piece vibes that its loyal followers need to see.
