Few stories in modern entertainment have captured the world’s imagination like Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece. For more than twenty-five years, the tale of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew has spanned seas, cultures, and generations, weaving together themes of freedom, friendship, and the pursuit of dreams. Fans have seen One Piece translated into manga, anime, films, merchandise, and even a live-action Netflix series. But this fall, the saga is taking an unprecedented leap into the real world with One Piece × Mercer Labs, a groundbreaking immersive exhibition in New York City.
Running from October 9 through November 30, 2025, the event is a collaboration between Toei Animation—the studio behind the anime—and Mercer Labs, a New York-based hub for art and technology. Together, they are constructing an experience inspired by the Wano Arc, one of the most visually rich and thematically layered sagas in the One Piece universe. Unlike a traditional exhibition that relies on static displays, One Piece × Mercer Labs invites fans to physically step into the story, blending cutting-edge projection mapping, digital environments, and curated artwork that brings Wano’s culture and drama to life.
This is not just another fan event or a pop-up attraction. It’s a bold experiment in how anime storytelling can inhabit physical spaces, offering audiences a multisensory journey that bridges art, narrative, and technology. For New York fans, and international visitors alike, this will likely be one of the most ambitious One Piece exhibitions staged outside Japan.
Why Wano?
Choosing the Wano Arc as the theme for the exhibition makes perfect sense. In the broader tapestry of One Piece, Wano stands apart as a self-contained epic. It is a land steeped in tradition and isolation, modeled after feudal Japan, where samurai, ninja, and yokai-inspired characters coexist with industrial tyranny and rebellion. Wano is where Luffy and the Straw Hats encounter their greatest battles, alliances, and losses, and where many threads of Oda’s decades-long narrative converge.
Visually, the arc is a feast. The Flower Capital is a dazzling city of lanterns and festivities. The surrounding countryside shifts from snowy mountains to burning battlefields. Cherry blossoms rain over samurai duels. The larger-than-life Kaido towers above the horizon, his dragon form coiling through clouds of fire.
This vibrant palette is tailor-made for immersive art. In a Mercer Labs setting—where walls, floors, and ceilings can become vast canvases for projection—Wano’s landscapes and battles can envelop visitors. Imagine standing beneath a projected sky as cherry blossom petals swirl around you, or walking into a room where Kaido’s dragon coils across every surface, his roar amplified through surround sound. The story of Wano is not just read or watched—it is experienced.
A Fusion of Anime and Technology
Mercer Labs is known for pushing boundaries in how people engage with art and digital storytelling. Their facilities specialize in creating environments where technology and creativity merge, producing spaces that feel alive. Projection mapping, holographic displays, and interactive installations are designed to react to human movement, making every visitor’s journey slightly different.
For One Piece fans, this means the exhibition will be more than a static showcase. It is a playground where anime and audience meet in real time. Step into one chamber and you may find yourself surrounded by towering holograms of the Straw Hats in their Wano attire. Another chamber might simulate the Flower Capital festival, with lanterns rising overhead and drums echoing in the distance. There could be environments that place you on Onigashima’s battlefield, where clashing sound effects and shifting projections simulate the chaos of war.
Crucially, behind-the-scenes artwork will also be part of the exhibition. Visitors will be able to see how Toei Animation built Wano visually—concept sketches, background paintings, and design notes that reveal the painstaking artistry behind the anime. This blend of spectacle and process ensures that the exhibition appeals both to casual fans who want the thrill of immersion and to die-hard followers who cherish the craft of animation.
The Global Rise of Experiential Anime
One Piece’s leap into immersive exhibitions is not happening in isolation. Over the past decade, experiential art and pop culture installations have become global phenomena. From teamLab Borderless in Tokyo to immersive Van Gogh exhibitions touring the world, audiences are showing a hunger for art that they can enter and interact with.
Anime, with its already vibrant visuals and passionate fan communities, is a natural fit for this trend. Japan has hosted exhibitions of Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, and of course, One Piece. But bringing such an exhibition to New York signals something larger: anime is no longer a niche cultural import, but a central force in global pop culture.
One Piece × Mercer Labs reflects how far the series has come since its debut in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997. From a story about a boy who wants to be King of the Pirates, it has grown into a cultural cornerstone that can anchor international exhibitions, Broadway-style productions, and live-action adaptations. This event is not only about Wano; it’s about demonstrating the power of anime as a medium that transcends screens and pages.
Why New York Matters
Hosting the exhibition in New York City is symbolic. As one of the most diverse and influential cities in the world, New York has always been a crossroads of global culture. Bringing One Piece here places the series squarely in the center of international conversation.
The timing is equally important. With the ongoing success of Netflix’s live-action adaptation, the continued dominance of the manga, and the anime deep into the Egghead Arc, One Piece is at a moment of unprecedented global visibility. Fans in the United States have never been more engaged, and an event like this provides a communal space for that enthusiasm to come alive.
For younger fans who may have discovered One Piece through TikTok clips or the Netflix series, the exhibition is an invitation to dive deeper. For longtime readers and watchers, it’s a chance to see familiar scenes reborn in a new medium. And for casual attendees who may not know the series intimately, the sheer artistry of the exhibition may spark fresh interest in the story.
What Visitors Can Expect
While full details of the exhibition remain under wraps, the partnership between Toei Animation and Mercer Labs suggests a layered experience. Fans can likely expect:
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Immersive Environments: Projection rooms recreating the landscapes of Wano, from the Flower Capital’s lantern festivals to the stormy skies of Onigashima.
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Interactive Installations: Spaces that respond to movement, allowing fans to feel as though they are stepping into the action.
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Character Moments: Life-size digital projections of the Straw Hat crew in their Wano attire, allowing for unforgettable photo opportunities.
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Behind-the-Scenes Art: Original sketches, concept art, and design boards that reveal the meticulous creative process of Toei’s animation team.
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Cultural Elements: Traditional motifs like cherry blossoms, taiko drums, and kabuki-inspired visuals woven into the exhibition, paying homage to the Japanese influences behind Wano.
A Celebration of Fandom
What sets One Piece × Mercer Labs apart is its recognition that fandom is not passive—it is participatory. Fans do not just watch or read One Piece; they live it. They cosplay, theorize, and create fan art. This exhibition mirrors that engagement by letting fans step into the series and inhabit its world, even if only for a moment.
The event also underscores the emotional resonance of Wano. More than a backdrop for battles, Wano is a story about liberation, sacrifice, and the clash between tradition and progress. Walking through these environments, fans will be reminded of the stakes the characters faced and the universal themes Oda wove into his tale.
Looking Ahead
If successful, One Piece × Mercer Labs could pave the way for more global immersive anime exhibitions. Imagine future showcases centered on the Skypiea Arc’s heavenly landscapes, the underwater majesty of Fish-Man Island, or the chaos of Marineford. Each arc offers unique visual worlds that could thrive in immersive formats.
But for now, Wano takes center stage. And for fans in New York and beyond, October through November 2025 offers a rare opportunity to step into the Straw Hats’ journey in a way that no screen or page can fully capture.
Final Thoughts
One Piece has always been more than a story—it’s a world. With One Piece × Mercer Labs, that world is breaking the boundaries of fiction to become a physical space, one that welcomes fans to step through its gates. By combining anime artistry with cutting-edge immersive technology, Toei Animation and Mercer Labs are creating an experience that honors the past, celebrates the present, and hints at the boundless future of One Piece.
For longtime readers who remember Luffy’s first adventures in East Blue, for anime fans who cried through Marineford, and for new audiences just discovering the saga, this exhibition is a reminder of why One Piece endures. It’s not just about pirates or treasure. It’s about freedom, imagination, and the power of dreams—ideas that are now spilling from the pages of manga into the halls of New York City.
When the doors open this October, one truth will resonate: the world of One Piece is no longer just something you watch. It is something you can step into, breathe, and live. And for a brief moment, the line between fiction and reality disappears, replaced by the shared magic of Wano.