Toei Animation and Mercer Labs are uniting for ONE PIECE x MERCER LABS — a groundbreaking immersive exhibition celebrating one of the most beloved anime franchises for a limited time.
In NYC, you can step into the world of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Crew as they embark on one of their most dramatic adventures in the Land of Wano arc. Journey through breathtaking digital landscapes and experience engaging installations that bring the legendary saga to life. Across multiple rooms you’ll experience light shows, floral installations, and rooms that engage all the senses.
For those not familiar with the Land of Wano arc, Luffy arrives at the Land of Wano to find its people and its once-beautiful lands devastated by the rule of Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, and his alliance with the shogun. As the Straw Hats fight to uncover allies and restore hope, the island’s tragic history unfolds.
At the center of bringing this fusion of art, storytelling, and cutting technology are Roy Nachum, the Mercer Labs co-founder and Creative Director, and Nasir Dean, manager of special projects at Mercer Labs. When it comes to the creative process, for Dean it was all came from being a fan of the anime.
“The creative process first started as being a fan, understanding the language of the show, understanding the huge culture behind it, understanding and having a great gratitude for ht art style of the creation,” Dean shared with Fangirlish during an interview at a press event for the installation. “When it happened to be that I got the idea to bring One Piece to Mercer Labs, Roy, knowing that design and everything that goes behind the animation style is so powerful, we thought, why not?”
Nachum agreed with Dean and added, “We have 15 installations over here [at Mercer Labs]. Each one touched different technology, different ways to break the image code, break it and create something new.” And with this anime being a 2D series, it provided new but surprises challenges. “That’s what I think was exciting for us to see 2D come to life in a completely different setup.”
Bringing it back to fans of the Straw Hat Pirates, Dean also said, “We wanted to keep it to where all of the fans that love One Piece for what it is, they were able to experience that authenticity of the brand and experience new dimensions and build on top of their perception of what it is be a part of it and be participating in it.” And you can feel that love in every room of this experience, from the dojo with padded floors and walls to the central room with towering screens with scenes from the anime playing. There’s even a ball pit. But trust us, it makes sense.
So whether you’re a lifelong fan of One Piece or discovering it for the first time, this immersive exhibition offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to relive this adventure from Toei Animation but also to get to know one of NYC’s hidden gems, Mercer Labs.
Mercer Labs One Piece exhibit is available until November 30th.
