Eiichiro Oda receives 18th Shin Watanabe Award for One Piece Film: Red

One Piece Film: Red broke records one after another last year, becoming the highest-grossing film at the Japanese box office for weeks. Standing within the top ranks is an achievement, and it is unsurprising that the movie receives many more accolades.

On Thursday, the Shin Watanabe Foundation for Music and Culture held its award ceremony. The 18th Shin Watanabe Award was presented to Eiichiro Oda, creator of the One Piece manga and producer of One Piece Film: Red.

The film premiered on August 6, 2022, in Japan and sold 847,000 tickets, earning 1,295,808,780 yen (about $9.50 million) in its first weekend. Not only it ranked #1 at the box office, but it also became the highest-grossing film of the One Piece franchise. For 2022, the film earned the most at the Japanese box office.

Eiichiro Oda expressed his gratitude for receiving the 18th Shin Watanabe Award in the post below:

[Translation]

I am honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award from such a distinguished list of names. I wonder how far the work of ONE PIECE, which started 25 years ago in a small room on a single sheet of paper, can entertain people. As someone who has seen it all, I feel that the film “RED,” released in its 25th year, was an embrace of the various factors and human factors of the past, as well as the challenge of doing everything I could now. If so, then there must be something entertainment can do beyond the achievements of our predecessors. Not content with this award, I would like to produce an even bigger “time-waster.” I am very happy that a manga artist was recognized from the angle of a producer. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to everyone involved in this award and to all who support OP (One Piece). Thank you!

English Translation, Twitter Translate

Overall, the film earned 19.7 billion yen (about $152 million) in Japan and 31.9 billion yen (about $246.5 million) worldwide. This put One Piece Film: Red in fifth place as the highest-grossing anime film in Japan and fourth place globally.

Currently, One Piece Film: Red stands in eighth place as the highest-grossing film of all time in Japan.

About One Piece Film: Red

One Piece Film: Red is the 15th movie in the One Piece franchise. It is directed by Goro Taniguchi, and produced by Toei Animation.

The story takes place at the Island of Music, Elegia where the world’s most greatest diva, Uta is holding her first ever live performance. People from all corners of the land and sea come to witness the most famous singer of all time, and Shanks’ alleged daughter, perform live for the first time.

Source: Comic Natalie