ADN has just revealed the trailer and the release date for Monsters: Dragon’s Hell: 103 Passions, the prequel to One Piece that the platform will offer in simulcast.
Eiichiro Oda was only 19 years old when he began working on what would later become One Piece. While it is in the testing phase, the mangaka will write various short stories featuring cowboys, samurai and even monks. Among them, Romance Dawn (which will feature a certain Luffy) and Monsters, of which here is the official synopsis:
In times of peace, only one thing is capable of disrupting the peaceful flow of time: the “fear” that dances in the sky. This fear, which could mean the total destruction of the Earth, was in reality manifested by the appearance of a dragon. The anime transports us into the epic samurai Ryuma. After a long period of wandering, Ryuma finally reaches a town where Flare, a young girl, saves him from starvation. However, the samurai finds himself involved in a dragon’s attack on this city…
After several decades, Oda gave the green light for the anime adaptation of this short story, which is revealed in a short trailer animated by E&H Production studios, under the direction of Sunghoo Park (Jujutsu Kaisen and Jujutsu Kaisen 0).
Monsters is coming to DNA!
Monsters: The Dragon’s Hell part of 103 passions will arrive on our French screens very soon. ADN, which has acquired broadcasting rights outside Europe, will offer the episodes in simulcast from January 21, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. – or simultaneously with Japan (broadcast on January 22 at midnight).
The action of this anime takes place years before Luffy sets sail to become the Pirate King, but the two share several connections. The character of Ryuma – who is in many ways reminiscent of the swordsman Zoro – appears in one of the manga’s arcs (in the form of a zombie). In this version, the samurai comes from elsewhere in the Land of Wa (or Wano), which the Straw Hats come to free in the last volumes.
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Please note that thanks to its new simulcast formula, ADN will offer everyone the opportunity to watch the first episode of Monsters for free for 7 days. Netflix will also offer the One Piece prequel (as well as the Egghead arc) but has still not communicated on it…