It’s a good time to be an anime fan, whether you’re looking the perfect anime to watch during the Halloween season or would rather take in something new, like the kooky Dan Da Dan that’s perfect for body horror and The X-Files fans. However, when it comes to anime representation at theme parks, North America is seriously lacking, but Universal Studios Hollywood is looking to change that. It’s been announced that One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen will be spotlighted in a major way at the California-based theme park, and this sounds like a must-see for anime fans in the area.
This Universal Studios branch is kicking off its Universal Fan Fest Nights on Friday, April 15, 2025, and will be held on select nights through to Sunday, May 18. It’s already been revealed that Star Trek, Back to the Future and Dungeons & Dragons experiences would be included, as well as all-new experiences debuting within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Now we can add One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen to the entertainment lineup. While no details were disclosed about what visitors can expect from these specific Fan Fest Nights experiences, it sounds like Universal Studios Hollywood won’t skimp on providing something special to those fanbases.
Full disclosure, I’ve never seen Jujutsu Kaisen, so I can’t begin to speculate what Fan Fest Nights has in store for that experience. Just so long as it’s something that makes attendees feel like they’re inhabiting the world where Yuji Itadori and other Jujutsu Sorcerers deal with Cursed Energy, that’ll do nicely. Like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen can be streamed with a Hulu subscription and on Crunchyroll.
As for One Piece, which I have been watching ever since I watched the first season of the live-action adaptation with my Netflix subscription (the anime is also on that platform), I think I have a solid guess for what that experience will be. Since One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail around the world the legendary “One Piece” treasure left behind by Gol D. Roger, the former King of the Pirates, my money’s on the Straw Hats’ second ship, the Thousand Sunny, being recreated. Sure, originally they sailed on the Going Merry, but the Thousand Sunny has been around for a lot longer, and you can be sure One Piece fans would delight in getting to feel like they’re part of the Straw Hats’ crew.
Along with all of the aforementioned experiences, folks who go to Universal Fan Fest Nights will be able to enjoy select Universal Studios Hollywood attractions during the after-hours period, including Jurassic World—The Ride and Revenge of the Mummy—The Ride. There will also be, as described in the press release, “an enticing menu of themed foods and new merchandise, including collectibles, apparel, drinkware, accessories and more” that attendees can procure to show off their fandom. Universal Fan Fest Nights will specifically be held from April 25-27; May 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage on theme parks both stateside and in other parts of the world. If you’re still looking to scratch that anime itch in some other way, perhaps you should check out the long-delayed Uzumaki.
