Summary
- One Piece x Puma collection available again, expected to sell out soon.
- Anime’s rising popularity attributed to pandemic, Gen Z’s interest.
- Big anime hits, like One Piece, have gone mainstream; industry’s growth challenges animators.
Puma launched a new clothing collection in collaboration with One Piece in March. It featured several items, including One Piece-themed Suede sneakers. It wasn’t long until everything sold out.
Several clothing brands have recently been collaborating with the franchise. Lacoste also announced a new collection based on the series. Collabs are not entirely new (for example, we had the Vans x One collection a few years ago), but this year One Piece even appeared for the first time at New York Fashion Week back in September. The series has been huge for a while, but it’s apparently skyrocketing as an international merchandise phenomenon.
Related
One Piece: Oda Sets Up A Major War For The Straw Hat Grand Fleet
The Straw Hat Grand Fleet are yet to go into action in One Piece. They will have a huge role to play in the final saga.
For fans who missed the Puma x One Piece collection, you now have a second chance to grab a few items. Ahead of the holidays, the collection is once again available on the official Puma website, but some products are already sold out (at the time of writing).
Prices vary from $40 to $85 — orders over $60 qualify for free shipping (and all orders qualify for free returns, but it’s always better to check the terms and conditions).
The Value of Anime Collections Are Spiking
Anime is Still a Niche in Some Sense, But is Growing Bigger and Bigger
Anime has been growing in the last decade, and the COVID-19 pandemic actually helped to boost its popularity, since people stayed more time at home, watching new things. According to a Japan News report, nearly 45% of American Gen Z (ages 18-24) like anime today, even more than major sports.
In spite of its rising popularity, anime is still somewhat a niche thing. It is maybe right at that middle point between niche and mainstream. Big anime hits, like Dragon Ball or One Piece, have gone mainstream, but most anime series could still be considered niche content.
Anyway, anime has been trending so much recently that some animators, like Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino, think the industry is at its peak (or even in the middle of some sort of bubble), and that studios are not profiting from all this growth. Over the last years, a lot of animators have shared on social media that their jobs have not improved much in quality or wages despite the anime boom.
One Piece x Puma collection is back for a while, but will likely sell out soon.
Source: CBR
