The long-awaited anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s early one-shot manga, Monsters, has officially received a release date! The adaptation, now titled Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation, is set to make its debut on Netflix on January 21st and with a 25-minute runtime in total.
Originally released with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1994, this special one-shot predates the serialization of One Piece series. It was later featured in Oda’s Wanted! collection of manga one-shots, published by Shueisha in 1998.
Under the direction of Sunghoo Park for E&H production, Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation follows the captivating tale of the legendary samurai, Shimotsuki Ryuma.
A synopsis for the anime is now available on Netflix, which provides:
A samuria’s path leads him to a young waitress whose hometown was destroyed by a dragon. He doesn’t want any trouble – but it finds them anyway.
Fans of Oda’s work may recognize Ryuma, as his name and story were subtly referenced in the Thriller Bark arc of the renowned One Piece manga. Within the One Piece series, Ryuma is depicted as someone who lived during Wano’s “Country of Gold” era and was celebrated for his remarkable achievement of slaying a formidable dragon. After his death, Ryuma’s remains fell into the possession of Gecko Moria, who later manipulates Ryuma’s corpse using the shadow of Brook.
Netflix’s latest venture into adapting Monsters underscores the platform’s dedication to cater to the diverse tastes of One Piece fans, showcasing the depth of Oda’s creative journey from the early Monsters series to the globally acclaimed pirate epic.
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