Summary
- Kazuya Nakai (Voice Actor for Roronoa Zoro) narrates the ‘Monsters’ anime.
- The anime follows the story of a samurai named Ryuma who defends a town from a dragon attack.
- Ryuma was previously introduced in One Piece during the “Thriller Bark” arc.
Oda’s one-shot manga ‘Monsters’ was one of the most anticipated anime adaptations, which was finally released on January 21, 2024, on Netflix as ‘Monsters 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation.’
Although we all know that it is a ‘One Piece’ canon, the production staff and studio had a little surprise ready for the fanbase. Ah, yes, it involves the legendary swordsman Zoro.
Kazuya Nakai (Voice Actor for Roronoa Zoro) narrates the ‘Monsters’ anime and voices the character “Dragon.” The surprise announcement came on the anime’s premiere date on January 21, 2024.
Anime “#MONSTERS 103 Jo Hiryu Samurai Goku”
Simultaneous worldwide distribution finally startedNetflix
https://netflix.com/title/81733654Prime Video
https://amazon.co.jp/dp/B0CLV2N697Furthermore, as a surprise cast,
Kazuya Nakai, who also plays Zoro, will also appear!
Please take a look! !
ONEPIECE
English Translation, Twitter Translate
Zoro’s character is closely tied to Ryuma, ‘Monsters 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation’s main character, who was introduced to the One-Piece canon during the “Thriller Bark” arc. Their connection has been shown several times throughout the series. It was a wise decision to involve Kazuya in the events of the ‘Monster’ anime.
The one-shot also sheds light on who Ryuma was in life and emphasizes his connection with Zoro, as they share similarities in their personalities, drive, and approach toward things.
Both are skilled swordsmen; Ryuma hails from Wano, while Zoro’s ancestors are from there. They both aspire to become the best swordsman and defeat someone specific; Ryuma aims to defeat King, while Zoro wants to defeat Dracule Mihawk.
With Monster’s anime adaptation, their bond has further developed. It serves as a nice callback to Zoro and Ryuma’s connection in both series, with the former being a descendant of the latter.
Alongside Kazuya, the following cast members played an essential role in the series and brought the characters to life.
| Character | Voice Actor | Other Works |
| Ryuma | Yoshimasa Hosoya | Reiner Braun (Attack on Titan) |
| Flare | Kana Hanazawa | Lucy M (Bungo Stray Dogs) |
| Cyrano | Hiroki Tōchi | Yoonho Baek (Solo Leveling) |
| D.R. | Mitsuaki Madono | Kon (Bleach) |
| Master | Katsuhito Nomura | Ichitaka Seto (I”s Pure) |
Sunghoo Park (the director of Jujutsu Kaisen) and E&H Production have done an excellent job with the anime’s production. The animation quality is top-notch and complements the overall setting very well. If you’re a ‘One Piece’ fan, this anime is definitely worth watching.
About Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation
‘Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation’ (MONSTERS: Ippaku Sanjō Hiryū Jigoku) is a Japanese one-shot manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. Shueisha published it in the Autumn Special issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1994.
An original net animation (ONA) adaptation by E&H Production is set to premiere on Netflix in January 2024. The story depicts the past of the legendary samurai Ryuma, who also appeared in the Thriller Bark arc of ‘One Piece.’
Source: Official Website
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