A One Piece x SpongeBob SquarePants Animated Crossover Video Has Landed
This summer, a crossover unlike any other has been teased to arrive in North America and various other countries around the world. The Straw Hat Pirates and the residents of Bikini Bottom are on a collision course, as McDonald’s is set to release fusion figures that reimagine all the parties involved. While the Happy Meals will bring together One Piece and SpongeBob SquarePants for the first time, both franchises are now sharing the screen in a special video that sees these two groups coming face-to-face. Luffy and his crew have met some colorful characters in their journey to find the One Piece, but never quite like Nickelodeon’s cast.
The new crossover video sees the Straw Hat Pirates and the cast of SpongeBob SquarePants jumping into action, animated thanks to a collaboration between Toei Animation and Paramount. Ironically enough, while the short segment saw the two studios uniting, anime royalty was responsible for bringing the crossover to the screen. Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart creator Parker Simmons confirmed he helped animate the new video. Specifically, Simmons stated that he and his team created the storyboards for Paramount and Toei, and then the studios animated the segments internally. You can check out the new video for yourself below.
The Crossover No One Expected
As of the writing of this article, the crossover that will give fans fusion figures thanks to McDonald’s restaurants is set to arrive this month, though a specific release date hasn’t been revealed. Ironically enough, while this fusion is set to arrive in North America, having reportedly already made landfall in Canada and many other countries around the world, it will not arrive in Japan. This makes for quite the departure, especially considering that Japan has long had countless One Piece exclusives that have been a part of its history, such as gyms, cafes, and more than we can list here.
Ironically, the two franchises began their animated adventures in the same year, as both One Piece’s anime adaptation and Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants started their series in 1999. Ever since, both series have released a steady stream of new episodes, which don’t seem to be ending anytime soon. While it’s been no secret that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has been building toward the grand finale of his shonen masterpiece, the same can’t be said for SpongeBob, as Bikini Bottom has recently been renewed for future seasons.
With the upcoming merger between Paramount and Warner Bros., many are left wondering what this studio fusion will mean for SpongeBob and his underwater companions. When all is said and done, One Piece in the U.S. went from being a Saturday morning cartoon to becoming one of the biggest anime franchises hitting the West in recent memory, proving how much Luffy has resonated with fans.
