Chinese water parks hook 'One Piece' pirate character licensing deal

Sep 07 (Nikkei) - Chinese leisure group Haichang Ocean Park Holdings has inked a merchandise license agreement to use characters from the "One Piece" Japanese comic book series in a bid to lure more guests.

Hong Kong-listed Haichang, which operates water parks in Shanghai and other cities in China, will sell food such as sandwiches, popcorn and ice cream featuring characters from this year's "One Piece Film: Red" anime movie.

The Japanese fantasy adventure series follows pirates exploring the seas in search of the ultimate treasure known as the One Piece.

The licensing runs through the end of August 2023. The film, which opened this summer, has earned over 10 billion yen ($71.2 million) in Japan so far.

A group company reached the agreement with a subsidiary of Japanese studio Toei Animation. ...continue reading

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