One Piece Film: Red (2022) is a Japanese-language superhero film adapted from Manga, directed by Goro Taniguchi and starring Mayumi Tanaka and Ikue Otani. The film is a standalone production outside any shared cinematic universe and was released by Toei Animation. Audience rating: 7.3/10.
What is One Piece Film: Red (2022) about?
The Straw Hat Pirates attend a concert by Uta, the world's greatest diva and Shanks's daughter. But behind her beautiful voice lies a dark power that threatens the world. Based on Eiichiro Oda's manga.
Released in 2022, One Piece Film: Red was directed by Goro Taniguchi and produced under the Toei Animation banner. The film occupies a significant place within the Independent — telling a self-contained story outside of shared-continuity superhero franchises.
The film features lead performances from Mayumi Tanaka, Ikue Otani, Kazuya Nakai, among others, anchoring a story that adapts characters first brought to life in Manga. Its source material gives the film a foundation rooted in decades of published storytelling, which Taniguchi and the creative team interpret through a cinematic lens.
Its 7.3 rating reflects a film that divided audiences — appreciated for its ambition and spectacle by some, criticized for pacing and execution by others. Its place in the genre remains a frequent discussion point.
What happens in One Piece Film: Red (2022)? — Full Plot
We open with a flashback. Years ago, a young Monkey D. Luffy (the Straw Hat Pirate captain) befriended Uta — the adopted daughter of Shanks, the legendary Red-Haired pirate. Uta had a beautiful singing voice.
Uta was raised by Shanks. She developed her singing career into global stardom. She is now the world's most-famous singer, performing concerts across the One Piece universe's various islands.
Cut to: present day. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates arrive on Elegia Island for Uta's massive concert. The Straw Hat crew are excited to reconnect with Luffy's old friend.
Uta's concert reveals her true plan: she has been using her music to capture audience members' consciousness — pulling them into a perfect dream-world she has created. She plans to keep humanity perpetually content in her musical paradise while she destroys the actual world.
Uta has the ability to release massive sound-wave energy that disorients enemies. Her music is enhanced by her devil-fruit-derived powers. She is preparing for a global concert that would extend her dream-world capture to every island simultaneously.
The Straw Hat Pirates fight to escape the dream-world. Luffy confronts Uta directly. Their friendship is the film's emotional center — Luffy must convince Uta that her plan is misguided.
Uta is defeated through Luffy's emotional appeal rather than physical combat. The dream-world dissolves. Uta dies of her own devil-fruit-power overuse during the climax — a tragic but cathartic ending.
One Piece Film: Red grossed $246 million globally — the franchise's highest-grossing entry. The film became Japan's highest-grossing anime in 2022. Uta's music continues to be a commercial success on its own.
Who stars in One Piece Film: Red (2022)?
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What are some facts about One Piece Film: Red (2022)?
One Piece Film: Red released in 2022, placing it within the 2020s era of comic book cinema — a decade that saw superhero films become the dominant force at the global box office.
Directed by Goro Taniguchi, the film was produced by Toei Animation and adapts source material from Manga.
The principal cast features Mayumi Tanaka and Ikue Otani, with key supporting roles played by Kazuya Nakai, Yuriko Yamaguchi.
The film belongs to Independent — an independent / standalone production, not tied to a shared cinematic universe.
One Piece Film: Red carries an audience rating of 7.3 — putting it in the solid-to-excellent tier of the genre.
The Manga source material for One Piece Film: Red has been in continuous publication for decades, giving filmmakers a rich well of storylines, character arcs, and iconography to draw upon.
Modern superhero films like this one use a mix of practical effects and digital VFX, with entire sequences often shot against volume walls or LED stages pioneered by shows like The Mandalorian.
One Piece Film: Red is catalogued on Movies on Comics among our collection of 162 comic book films spanning 48 years of cinema — from Richard Donner's 1978 Superman to the present day.
