Toei Animation is expanding its franchise footprint through live events, streaming legacy content, and a public redefinition of anime's boundaries, while its streaming service TTFC may become a hub for tokusatsu revivals.
Toei Animation's general manager Asama Yosuke told Variety at Cannes that anime is no longer exclusively Japanese, stating the studio aims to create works rooted in local cultures with creators worldwide. The remark from a foundational studio executive signals a potential shift in the industry's self-definition.
The studio is deepening its North American presence through live events. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toei Animation will host another One Piece Night at Dodger Stadium on July 2, 2026, following a successful 2025 collaboration. The event includes a stadium-wide hat giveaway and a postgame drone show. Toei Animation also revealed the first One Piece Fest 2026 in Los Angeles. Netflix expanded its One Piece slate with a new anime series from Wit Studio that will re-adapt the East Blue saga, produced in collaboration with Toei Animation and Fuji Television. Netflix also previewed a LEGO One Piece special and confirmed live-action Season 3 is in production for a 2027 release.
Toei Animation is streaming five detective-themed episodes from past Precure series on YouTube, each available for two weeks. The National Film Archive of Japan will host a retrospective of Toei Animation this summer, screening 50 theatrical features on 35mm film prints, spanning more than four decades of output. Director Koichi Sakamoto said in an interview marking TTFC's 10th anniversary that he wants to produce a sequel to the Space Squad crossover series and expressed interest in reviving Metal Hero series on the platform.
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Director Koichi Sakamoto, who has made numerous original tokusatsu works for Toei's streaming service TTFC, said in an interview marking the service's 10th anniversary that he wants to produce a sequel to the 2017-2018 crossover series Space Squad. He also expressed interest in reviving Metal Hero series and rebooting past heroes on the platform.
The National Film Archive of Japan (NFAJ) will host a retrospective of Toei Animation this summer, screening 50 theatrical features on 35mm film prints. The program runs from late July through early September. It offers a rare chance to see the studio's films in their original format at a time when most archival screenings have moved to digital. The NFAJ has not published a full lineup, but a teaser flyer confirms the selection spans more than four decades of Toei's output. Early works include The Tale of the White Serpent (1958), considered Japan's first color animated feature, Magic Boy (1959), and Alakazam the Great (1960). The retrospective also features The Little Norse Prince (1968), Isao Takahata's feature that launched a 50-year creative partnership with Hayao Miyazaki, who worked on scene designs and key animation. Later decades are represented by Galaxy Express 999 (1979) and Adieu Galaxy Express 999 (1981). The program highlights Toei's shift into franchise filmmaking with Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989) and Sailor Moon R: The Movie (1993). More recent selections include Digimon Adventure (1999) and One Piece: The Movie (2000).
Netflix announced a slate of new One Piece projects on April 7, headlined by The One Piece, a new anime series from Wit Studio that will re-adapt the East Blue saga from Eiichiro Oda's manga. The series is produced in collaboration with Toei Animation and Fuji Television. Unlike the original 1999 anime, this version is described as a reimagining using contemporary production techniques and updated visuals, suggesting a more compact, seasonal approach. Netflix also previewed LEGO One Piece, a two-part animated special premiering September 29. Produced with The LEGO Group, Shueisha, and Atomic Cartoons, it retells the story of the live-action series' first two seasons in LEGO form. The company confirmed that live-action Season 3, titled One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta, is in production for a 2027 release. Additional franchise expansions include a podcast, and merchandise lines from Moose Toys, NERF, Quiksilver, Funko, Netflix Shop, Penguin Random House, Hot Topic, and Primark.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toei Animation will host another One Piece Night at Dodger Stadium on July 2, 2026, during the team's home game against the San Diego Padres. The event, which follows a successful 2025 collaboration, will include a stadium-wide hat giveaway for the first 40,000 ticketed fans. Pregame activations are planned at Centerfield Plaza, along with a ceremonial first pitch and a postgame drone show featuring characters from the series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Lon Rosen, the Dodgers' Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, said the collaboration has quickly become a can't-miss event. Lisa Yamatoya, Senior Director and Head of Marketing at Toei Animation Inc., called last year's promotion one of the franchise's biggest in 2025 and said the company looks forward to welcoming a record crowd. The announcement follows Toei Animation's recent reveal of the first One Piece Fest 2026 in Los Angeles, further expanding the franchise's North American presence.
Toei Animation is streaming five detective-themed episodes from past Precure series on YouTube, starting with 'Yes! Precure 5 GoGo!' Episode 9, where Cure Mint plays detective over a missing cake. Each episode is available for two weeks.
Toei Animation general manager Asama Yosuke told Variety at Cannes that the era of anime being made only by Japanese people is over, saying the studio aims to create works rooted in local cultures with creators worldwide. The remark from a foundational studio executive signals a potential shift in the industry's self-definition.
Roronoa Zoro has taken first place in every region in the latest weekly results of the One Piece World Top 100 2nd character popularity poll, overtaking Monkey D. Luffy who led the midterm rankings. The data covers votes from April 27 to May 3, 2026. Final results will be announced at One Piece Day '26 in August 2026.