Netflix’s One Piece came out of the gates running at full tilt, becoming a worldwide phenomenon as countless new viewers learned about Monkey D. Luff and his quest to become the king of the pirates for the first time. As production for season two continues, word on major new casting has arrived online when it comes to the villainous side of the Grand Line’s equation. While villainous anime icons like Mr. 3 and Crocodile have already found their actors, a new actor has arrived to join Baroqueworks and two actors will be taking on the role of characters that give Dragon Ball’s Vegito a run for his money in the fusion department.

To start, Sophia Anne Caruso of Beetlejuice and The School For Good And Evil fame has been cast as Miss Goldenweek. For those unfamiliar, Goldenweek, aka Marianne, has the power to hypnotize opponents using her paints and can effectively control targets by throwing a coat of paint onto them. Much like Mr. 3, Marianne encounters the Straw Hats on the island known as Little Garden, which not only is populated by prehistoric residents but two larger-than-life giants to boot. On the Drum Island side of the equation, Mark Penwill of Catch Me a Killer and Anton David Jeftha of Legacy will be taking on the roles of Chess and Kuromarimo. The villainous pair works for Wapol and have a technique that allows them to fuse into a terrifying opponent, with no fusion dance required.

[RELATED: One Piece’s Live-Action Zoro Confirms How Long He Wants To Stay In The Series]

One Piece Season 2: The Cast So Far

If you want a refresher on which actors will be bringing some of the Grand Line’s biggest heroes and villains to life in season two, here’s a handy breakdown of the live-action cast. The new actors joining the cast include Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday, Joe Manganiello as Crocodile, Katey Sagal as Dr. Kureha, Lera Abova as Nico Robin, Mark Harelik as Dr. Hiriluk, Sendhil Ramamurthy as Nefertari Cobra, Brendan Sean Murray as Brogy, Callum Kerr as Smoker, Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, Clive Russell as Crocus, Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9, David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine, Julia Rehwald as Tashigi, Rob Colletti as Wapol, Ty Keogh as Dalton and Werner Coetser as Dorry.

Of course, the season one Straw Hat Pirates will all be making a comeback and are planning to be joined by Tony Tony Chopper. Chopper, for those who might not know, arrives as a part of the Drum Island Arc and eventually joins the main crew of the series. While we’ve witnessed many big names being cast as heroes and villains alike for the upcoming season two, Tony Tony has yet to be cast. During one preview video however, One Piece fans did take note that it appears Chopper will be a CG character.

Want to stay in the know when it comes to the live-action take on the Grand Line? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via Deadline

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Mike McFarland, who has been seen in shows like Dragon Ball Z, One Piece and more, is now getting support for a new crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe following a successful surgery removing a brain tumor. If you have been enjoying English dubs for a while, then there’s a good chance you’ve heard McFarland’s work. Not only has the actor providing work for memorable characters like Master Roshi and Yajirobe, but has also worked as an ADR director and more to help direct performances behind the scenes. And many across the voice acting industry have gone to social media to share their support.

Voice actors J. Michael Tatum and Brandon McInnis have started a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign earlier this week on behalf of McFarland. Noting that following the actor going through a successful surgery to have a brain tumor removed, the campaign is to get support for the star to hire a live-in medical assistant for as long as he can while on the path to recovery. As of the time of publication on Monday, January 13th, this fund has reached over $88,000 USD towards its now extended goal of $100,000 (after quickly passing over its previous goal of $65,000 USD). You can find the GoFundMe here for more information.

RELATED: Dragon Ball Is Finally Making the Kamehameha Powerful Again

Anime Fans and Stars Rally Around Mike McFarland

“As some of you may know, earlier this week Mike McFarland, the English voice of Master Roshi, underwent emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor,” the GoFundMe listing begins. “The procedure was successful, and Mike’s spirits are high as he sets out on the road to recovery. But in the meantime he’ll need a little help from us. Proceeds will go toward hiring a live-in medical assistant for as long as necessary to help get this legend back on his feet.”

“Mike’s been an integral part of this industry for decades, not just breathing life into beloved characters like Master Roshi, Buggy, and Jean Kirstein, but directing landmark dubs such as the Full Metal Alchemist franchise, Tokyo Ghoul, and Attack on Titan,” the listing continues. “Those who know him best count Mike among the sweetest, funniest, most compassionate humans on the planet; always quick to lend a hand, give sage advice, advocate for the underdog or share in an adventure.

“He’s given a lot of himself over the years, quietly and asking for nothing in return. It’s time for us to give some of that back. Please consider donating. Every little bit helps. And by all means, get the word out!” As the fund has quickly reached its initial goal, fans are clearly rallying around the star in this tough time. We here at ComicBook wish Mike McFarland a speedy recovery.

The post Dragon Ball Star Mike McFarland Launches GoFundMe Following Brain Surgery appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The One Piece manga and anime are both on hiatus due to separate reasons. However, the show running its Final Saga is surely an issue. While the manga has only recently commenced its Elbaf Arc, the anime is still in the Egghead Island Arc. Luffy and his crew will face much bigger threats than CP0 which will put Vegapunk’s life in danger. They are already planning to escape to Elbaf and the manga is currently preparing to begin their new journey. Apart from the holidays, Eiichiro Oda has also taken several breaks due to health issues and Netflix’s One Piece live-action Season 2 production.

As the Executive Director of the show, Oda was busy during the production of the first season as well. The manga went on several hiatuses as it was difficult for him to keep up with the weekly schedule. During the filming of the second season, he went to Cape Town and met the stars. This is Oda’s first time visiting an OPLA set, so his schedule appears even more packed than before. The consecutive manga hiatuses and the anime break result in the dullest period in the history of One Piece.

RELATED: One Piece Staff Doubts IShowSpeed’s Claim to Stream All Epiosdes

One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Is Off to a Slow Start

The Elbaf Arc is something fans have been awaiting since the Little Garden Arc of the Arabasata Saga. After a long wait of over two decades, the manga brings the Straw Hats to the Kingdom of the Giants. The arc begins in Chapter 1126 where the crew gets separated briefly. Road, who is pretending to be the Sun God keeps Luffy and some of the crew captive. It doesn’t take long for them to break free and the arc introduces Prince Loki in Chapter 1130.

The chapter was released on October 20th, 2025 before going on a three-week hiatus. It’s been three months since the Prince of Elbaf was properly introduced but the manga still has only released Chapter 1135. As stated by a popular One Piece theorist, @newworldartur, this is the driest period in One Piece history since the manga has never taken this many breaks in the span of three months.

One Piece’s Anime Is Set to Return in April

While the manga is taking several breaks, the anime has been on hiatus since October 2024. Toei has worked on a remastered version of the Fish-Man Island Saga, but the Egghead Arc is still on hold. The anime will return in April 2025 and will likely conclude the arc this year. Toei announced this break to maintain the anime’s quality and ensure it doesn’t overtake the manga’s storyline.

One Piece is known for its slow pacing, adapting one or even less than one chapter in a single episode. However, the anime is expected to resolve this issue after its return since the manga has gotten quite a headstart thanks to the break. 2025 will also be an exciting year for OPLA fans as the second season is set to release in the second half of this year. Furthermore, while WIT Studio hasn’t revealed new information on the remake yet, we can expect updates sometime this year.

H/T: @newworldartur

The post One Piece Is Now In the Most Boring Phase In Its History appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Many anime fans believed that it would be truly impossible for anyone to create a successful live-action take on the Grand Line, especially considering the anime world’s previous track record with live-action adaptations. Netflix managed to prove fans wrong with the arrival of One Piece’s first season, depicting the formation of the Straw Hat Pirates in the East Blue Saga. As the second season continues filming and plans to take Roronoa Zoro and the crew to locales like Drum Island and Little Garden,

The actor who plays Roronoa Zoro is no stranger to bringing anime franchises to the “real world.” Mackenyu has played major roles in live-action anime adaptations including Rurouni Kenshin, Fullmetal Alchemist, Knights of The Zodiac, Tokyo Ghoul, and even JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable. When it comes to his portrayal as Zoro, many anime fans might agree that this is his best performance yet as it’s been clear that he’s been giving his Straw Hat role his all. In recent days, Mackenyu has been hyping the action that he plans to bring to the second season, which makes sense if the live-action series continues to follow the story of its source material. In fighting against Baroqueworks, the live-action Roronoa will have more than a few chances to test out his swords.

[RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece: Mackenyu Slips New Season 2 Updates in Latest Live Chat]

Zoro Forever

Last year, Mackenyu attended “Comic Con Brussels,” taking the chance to discuss his part in the Grand Line. When asked by a fan if he’s looking to play any other iconic anime roles, the live-action Zoro stated that he would need to “finish One Piece first.” Hoping to see the Netflix series follow in the footsteps of the manga and anime adaptation, Mackenyu said the following, “There’s like 50 more seasons to go… so when I turn 70, I’ll retire playing Zoro.”

At present, the anime series has over eleven hundred episodes that have followed the Straw Hats since One Piece arriving in the late 1990s. Needless to say, it is going to take quite some time for the Netflix series to bring all of Monkey D. Luffy’s story to life and its questionable if it will actually portray events like Egghead Island and Luffy discovering Gear Fifth. Hopefully, the actors portraying the Straw Hats will have their dreams come true and we’ll get decades of Netflix’s live-action series.

Live-Action Anime Adaptations’ Rise To Power

Many anime fans believe that One Piece’s live-action success has paved the way for the new projects that have been announced in its wake. On top of Netflix’s take on the Grand Line, live-action movies for the likes of Naruto, One-Punch Man, Voltron, Mobile Suit: Gundam, and My Hero Academia are in the works. Fingers crossed that these other projects are able to hit the same heights as Netflix’s series and the rise of live-action anime adaptations goes higher.

Want to stay updated on Netflix’s live-action Grand Line? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk comics and anime.

The post One Piece’s Live-Action Zoro Confirms How Long He Wants To Stay In The Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Gear Fifth’s debut has come and gone but that doesn’t mean fans aren’t finding new ways to bask in the glow of Monkey D. Luffy’s ultimate transformation in One Piece. Since unleashing this form in his fight against Kaido in the Wano Arc, the Straw Hat captain has been more than willing to rely on his most powerful technique on Future Island. When it comes to the Grand Line, Luffy and his crew aren’t just popular in North America and Japan as a recent viral video has proven. Luffy’s German voice actor has gone viral thanks to his take on Monkey’s Gear Fifth debut and if you’re a One Piece fan, witnessing it is most definitely worth your time.

For decades in Japan and North America, Monkey D. Luffy has been brought to life by Mayumi Tanaka and Colleen Clinkenbeard respectively. In Germany however, the Straw Hat Pirate has been voiced by actor Daniel Schlauch, who has performed the role since hopping aboard the Going Merry in 2004. On top of lending his vocal chords to Luffy, Schaluch has also played major parts in anime franchises such as Pokemon, Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha, Gantz, and more. While its tough for anyone to compare with Tanaka and Clinkenbeard in the Monkey D. Luffy department, Schlauch has done just that with his performance that has gone viral.

[RELATED: The Dragon Ball x One Piece Crossover Has Landed (And It’s Heartwrenching)]

German Gear Fifth Arrives

Thanks to recently bringing Luffy’s Gear Fifth to life for German anime fans, viewers all over the world are taking note of Schlauch’s performance. Considering that Monkey’s ultimate technique is based on cartoons like Looney Tunes, the German voice actor decided to throw in a little “Woody Woodpecker” to help nail home this fact. In the original manga introduction of Gear Fifth, Oda was having the time of his life in bringing it to life and it’s clear the same can be said for the German voice actor.

When’s Gear Fifth Coming Back?

As anime fans know, One Piece’s television series is taking a break from the Egghead Arc to instead focus on the remaster of the Fishman Island Arc. The Future Island Arc is planning to return this spring as new episodes focusing on Dr. Vegapunk and the World Government will hit this April. With the manga continuing to pump out new chapters, this hiatus comes at a perfect time to build up more material for the anime’s take on the final saga.

Without diving too deeply into spoiler territory for One Piece fans that haven’t followed the manga, expect Luffy to get plenty of use for his Gear Fifth transformation. Unfortunately for the Straw Hat Captain, busting out his ultimate form is normally tied to some big problems heading toward the crew riding aboard the Thousand Sunny.

Want to stay up to date on everything related to Gear Fifth? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Grand Line and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post One Piece’s German Luffy Goes Viral For Unbelievable Gear Fifth Performance appeared first on ComicBook.com.

IShowSpeed is a popular American YouTuber and online streamer, who often talks about his love for One Piece in his streams. In one of his streams, he shares how Luffy saved his life. He was depressed during the COVID-19 pandemic and with nothing to do. However, watching One Piece changed his life. On his official Twitter account and YouTube channel, he has put Luffy in the header and profile pictures. As someone who doesn’t hide his love for the show, Speed is widely appreciated by One Piece fans.

On January 4th and 5th, the Orange County Convention Center in Orland held a One Piece Card Game event as part of the BANDAI CARD GAMES Fest 24-25 World Tour. The main event crowns each region’s Pirate King and determines who advances to the World Championship in Japan. Additionally, there are multiple side events, including the Card Game Championship 2024 Side Event. Speed makes an appearance as a special guest during the event. After that, in one of his streams, he claims to have met the Head Producer of Toei, who gave him permission to stream all episodes. However, a One Piece staff member issued a statement aiming to debunk the claim, risking fan outrage in the process.

[RELATED: One Piece Fan Letter Director Reportedly Unveiled Her Concerns About the Episode]

One Piece Live-Action Advisor Casts Doubt Upon IShowSpeed’s Claim

On January 5th, @IShowSpeedHQ shared a video on X with the caption, “Speed reveals he’s been given permission by the One Piece producer to stream every episode of the anime live on his channel.”

In the video, Speed reveals he met the Producer of One Piece,who gave him permission to stream all the episodes. He happily announces that he won’t be copyrighted for the stream. As we are aware, Toei is incredibly strict with its copyright rules so this is the first someone has been allowed to do. @pewpiece, a popular One Piece account, known for sharing reliable news also said, “IShowSpeed’s Cameraman Slipperrz Says Speed Got the OK to Stream One Piece from Toei’s Head Producer, One of the Few People Who Met Oda, and It’s All on Camera and he will show it to everyone soon .”

Fans were no doubt excited about the news until Greg Werner made a controversial post about the latest news. Greg’s account on X, @ochimusha108, shares, “‘So-and-so got permission to show every episode of One Piece.’ No, they didn’t. Maybe an oblivious low-rung Toei US-based employee told them they could use clips. *Maybe* But if anyone showed full eps for free, every single OP streaming service would be raising eyebrows.”

Greg is a well-known figure in the One Piece fan community, known for being a passionate fan of the series for decades. Over the years, he has contributed extensively through fan theories, articles, and commentary. His dedication and deep understanding of the show led to collaborations with the official One Piece team.

Even VIZ Media and Shueisha recognize his work, particularly as a columnist and writer for the official One Piece website and other publications. However, fans doubt Greg’s statement regarding Speed’s claim but he is pretty confident with his claim. While the community is divided over the issue, Toei remains silent on the matter. Even so, there has been confirmation that Speed met Miki Kobayashi, the Toei Animation Producer who has promoted the anime through various marketing strategies.

H/T: @IShowSpeedHQ, @ochimusha108, @pewpiece

The post One Piece Staff Doubts IShowSpeed’s Claim to Stream All Epiosdes appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s impossible to deny that Marvel Rivals hit the ground floor running when it was released last month. The “Hero Shooter” began with a staggering thirty-three characters to round out its roster but the video game is only getting started. January 10th will see the arrival of the multiplayer game’s first season, bringing in two of the biggest members of the Fantastic Four to its ranks. Thanks to the powers of Mr. Fantastic and the “skill kit” that he houses as a part of the game, Marvel and anime fans alike can’t stop seeing Monkey D. Luffy when they look at the game.

Luffy might be the most popular anime character that can turn his body into rubber, but he’s far from the only fictional characters that have the ability to stretch their limbs and transform their hands into battering rams. Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four was lucky enough to have his body pelted by Cosmic Rays, granting him the power to stretch on top of his already genius intellect. While Reed might not look to physically defeat opponents in many of his past battles, Marvel Rivals is putting Richards’ super powers to good use and One Piece fans have taken notice.

[RELATED: Marvel Rivals Confirms Mister Fantastic’s Abilities Ahead of Release]

The Fantastic Mr. Luffy

Reed might not have eaten a Devil Fruit but its hard not to see how Marvel and anime fans couldn’t spot the similarities between these two characters, especially in Marvel Rivals. On top of simply stretching his limbs, Mr. Fantastic also pulls off some tricks that Monkey has been known for such as boosting his muscles and bouncing back projectiles at opponents. To no one’s surprise fans are comparing the two popular franchises on social media in some hilarious ways.

The One Piece Easter Egg in Plain Sight

While Mr. Fantastic harboring stretching powers isn’t an official tie to One Piece, another Easter Egg was spotted by fans that might link Marvel Rivals with Eiichiro Oda’s brain child. During the recent “Winter Celebration,” the Marvel Hero Shooter allowed fans to create their own holiday card that introduced some major customization into the offering. For one particular snowman, as seen above, the winter creation sported a hat that looked quite familiar to that of Tony Tony Chopper, the reindeer doctor who will make their live-action debut in Netflix’s upcoming second season of One Piece.

Marvel’s Anime, Fantastic Four Not Included

Marvel in the past hasn’t been a stranger to the anime world, with series focusing on Iron Man, Blade, Wolverine and the X-Men being prime examples. Unfortunately, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm have never received an anime series of their own. With Fantastic Four: First Steps hitting theaters this summer, perhaps the Marvel Cinematic Universe debut will help the FF enter into a brand new medium.

When it comes to Marvel crossovers in the anime world, there have been some significant ones of note. The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy fought against the Titans of Attack on Titan in a unique comic book special years ago while Deadpool teamed up with My Hero Academia’s All Might to fight against the Mad Titan Thanos. The Straw Hats have never dove into the Marvel Universe so for now, seeing Mr. Fantastic pulling off Luffy moves will have to be enough.

Want to see where the Straw Hat Pirates show up next? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Grand Line and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post Marvel Rivals’ First Season Has Fans Thinking One Piece appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Roronoa Zoro remains one of the most popular characters to spawn from the brain of One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda. Remaining one of the first members of Monkey D. Luffy’s crew, Zoro’s dream is to become the strongest swordsman in the Grand Line. Over the course of his travels, Roronoa has found himself losing his swords thanks to battles or simply finding more powerful blades during his journey. While no amount of real life training would make anime fans be able to reach the same heights as Zoro, you can get your hands on the three swords that might help the anime hero make his dreams come true.

Roronoa Zoro has had more than a few battles in recent One Piece history to sharpen his blades. During the Wano Arc, Zoro fought against Kaido and his Beast Pirates but it was during the Future Island Arc that the green-haired Straw Hat fought one of his biggest battles to date. Thanks to Dr. Vegapunk looking to reveal the secrets behind the Grand Line, the World Government wants to keep the mad scientist quiet by any means possible. Thus, the Five Elders would descend upon the island and Zoro would be fighting the villains while also looking to survive as the final saga continues.

[RELATED: One Piece Celebrates Zoro’s Birthday With Brand-New Art]

Own Anime’s Greatest Swords

There have been quite a few swords that have helped forge the best stories in the history of anime. Berserk gave us the Dragon Slayer, Inuyasha gave us the Tessaiga, Demon Slayer gave us the Nichirin Blades, and Naruto unleashed the Sword of Totsuka. For Roronoa Zoro however, he wields his swords in a way that no other anime character has. Luckily, Proplica has a pre-order ready for you to lay claim to these weapons this summer. You can get your order in here at Entertainment Earth for $519.99.

Here’s how Proplica describes the three legendary anime swords brought to life, “Joining the PROPLICA series from the anime “ONE PIECE” comes Roronoa Zoro’s Wado Ichimonji, Saindai Kitetsu, and Enma swords! In order to truly allow users to experience the source material, the “Wado Ichimonji”, “Saindai Kitetsu”, and “Enma” have been made on a 1/1 scale using an official 3D model! The “Wado Ichimonji” also comes with an exchangeable part to allow users to more easily wield it in one’s mouth and re-enact Roronoa Zoro’s “Three Sword Style”!  “Enma” also contains an audio effect that includes lines from ZORO as well as back ground music tracks!”

Zoro’s Anime & Live-Action Journey

While Zoro might be fighting against the World Government in his latest One Piece battles in the manga, there remains one major hurdle that he must overcome before being crowned the Grand Line’s greatest swordsman. Throughout the majority of the shonen franchise, Roronoa has routinely lost when he fought against Dracule Mihawk, the man who currently holds the title that Zoro desires. Since Mihawk has joined forces with Crocodile and Buggy to form the Cross Guild, it seems that a fight between the current best swordsman in One Piece and Zoro will take place before the grand finale.

On the live-action front, Mackenyu has been hyping his upcoming action scenes for Netflix’s second season of One Piece. Considering that season two will cover storylines such as Loguetown, Drum Island, Whiskey Peak, and Little Garden, expect the swordsman to have plenty on his plate whenever the live-action anime adaptation does return.

Want to see which anime swords are brought to life in the future? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest updates on the Grand Line and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post One Piece’s Best Merch Will Turn Fans Into Zoro appeared first on ComicBook.com.

2024 was an exciting year for anime fans with some intriguing additions to the anime world, like Dandadan, Kaiju No. 8, Wind Breaker, Solo Leveling, and Wistoria: Wand and Sword. Not to mention last year also had several anime sequels such as Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc and Bleach: TYBW Part 3. However, amid the releases of these major franchises, Toei Animation celebrated One Piece’s 25th anniversary of the anime debut. The franchise celebrated this historical milestone in October 2024 with a special episode, One Piece Fan Letter. Directed by Megumi Ishitani, it’s easily one of the best anime of the year despite having a runtime of 24 minutes.

The episode features a different side of the brutal Summit War. The director was concerned about the reception since Fan Letter doesn’t follow the main cast. However, her worries were unfounded because the episode quickly climbed the charts, and it’s currently in third place in MyAnimeList’s top anime with a score of 9.09. It’s presently ranked below Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (9.32 score) and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (9.10 score). Additionally, it has a score of 9.3 on IMDb. This TV short has one of the most beautiful visuals and it’s not surprising why fans hold it in high regard.

The Plot of One Piece Fan Letter Adapts a Unique Story

The episode is loosely adapted from Tomohito Osaki’s official novel “Straw Hat Stories.” The story focuses on how the Straw Hat Pirates have influenced people’s lives in the One Piece world. Fan Letter follows them as we learn about their admiration for the pirates. We see the crew through various characters’ points of view two years after the tragic Marineford Arc. The majority of the episode follows a young girl living in the Sabaody Archipelago who idolizes Nami, the navigator of the crew. Inspired by Nami’s intelligence and bravery, the girl writes a handwritten letter and goes on a journey to meet her hero.

The episode kicks off by highlighting the Marineford Arc, featuring important characters of the war such as Doflamingo, Boa, Mihawk, Ace, Whitebeard, and more. The scene soon shifts to the Marine dreading the horror of the war. Even the Sabaody Archipelago, where the war is being broadcast, is in chaos. Amid all this, a young girl catches a glimpse of Nami’s wanted poster. After writing the puzzle, she is ready to embark on the journey of her life. We also see more fans of the rest of the crew.

A marine soldier reflects on the Marineford War, where he was moved by Luffy’s desperate attempt to save Ace. Another high-ranking Officer is enamored by Chopper’s adorable appearance. We also meet a bookstore owner who is Brook’s fan. As Nami’s fan continues her journey, she meets all these people, and the puzzle pieces come together, highlighting the themes of unity and individual contributions to a greater picture.

[RELATED: Dandadan Named Best Anime TV Series for 2024 (Golden Issue Awards)]

One Piece Fan Letter’s Captivating Storytelling Through Puzzle Pieces

Megumi Ishitani is already a beloved One Piece animator best known for directing Episode 1015, which is still considered one of the greatest episodes. Fan Letter has unique storytelling and the pieces of the puzzle are a huge part of it. The first piece appears as soon as the young girl sees Nami’s wanted picture. The meaning behind the pieces can be interpreted on multiple levels, both narratively and thematically.

Each piece represents the influence of the Straw Hat Pirates on the people. Together, these pieces form a larger picture, symbolizing the Straw Hats’ collective impact on the world. Each piece reflects a personal story inspired by the Straw Hat pirate. It depicts that Straw Hat Pirates’ legacy is more than their individual deeds—it is the sum of all the lives they’ve touched and all the people they have inspired.

Is One Piece Fan Letter Canon?

One Piece Fan Letter isn’t considered part of the main storyline, even though it’s an official novel. The episode is sort of a love letter to the One Piece fanbase, celebrating how the series has inspired people for 25 years. This is why it holds a special place as a heartfelt tribute, resonating with the themes and values that make the series so beloved. It enriches the One Piece experience, even if it doesn’t directly tie into the main storyline.

While it may not be canon, it adds depth to the story. It sheds light on the side of the Marineford War we never saw before. The brutality of the war affected the ordinary Marines much more than we realized. Furthermore, the main storyline showcases how the crew impacts the lives of those they meet during their journey. However, Fan Letter highlights that there are people who simply admire them for doing the best they can. Luffy and his crew touched the hearts of many people, but they don’t even know it.

The post This TV Special Is One of 2024’s Highest-Rated Anime & Fans are Right appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s creator shared an emotional tribute to the late Akira Toriyama with a heartfelt tribute to Dragon Ball for the franchise’s 40th anniversary. Dragon Ball officially celebrated the 40th anniversary of the manga’s original debut with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last Fall, and it capped off years worth of build up to the event with the reveal of the final volume makeover for a special exhibition. Dragon Ball was being honored with special covers with featured art from other famous Shueisha creators and artists taking on the original 42 volumes. And the final volume featured art from One Piece series creator Eiichiro Oda.

Dragon Ball’s special 40th anniversary covers project ended with the release of Volume 42, which featured new art from series creator Eiichiro Oda. This isn’t the first time Oda has shared official art for Dragon Ball’s characters, but unfortunately this is the first real time that Oda has a new tribute shared without Akira Toriyama. It’s something Oda takes into account as well as along with the special art, Oda shared a heartfelt message of tribute (as spotted by @Herms98 on X) as the creator notes the absence of one of his heroes.

One Piece Creator Pays Tribute to the Late Akira Toriyama

“I kept on buying the Dragon Ball comics ever since the first volume came out when I was in elementary school, but actually I don’t have Volume 42,” Oda’s special tribute to Akira Toriyama began. “I read the story in Jump, and I knew the day the final volume came out, but when I went to the bookstore and saw this cover, I didn’t buy it. So I’m thankful to have been given this opportunity. I wish I could have shown this picture to Toriyama-sensei while he was alive!!” There’s a melancholy in Oda’s message, and it’s one that’s shared by fans all over the world.

This is one of the many tributes from Shueisha’s creators and many others that have come flooding in following Akira Toriyama’s passing last year. It was clear that Toriyama’s work with Dragon Ball and other series had a huge impact on fans from many different mediums and walks of life, and will continue to have an impact on creators like Eiichiro Oda for years to come. And given that these creators have inspired others with their works, Toriyama’s legacy will continue on for a long, long time.

RELATED: Netflix Is Now Streaming Anime’s Biggest Crossover Ever

Shueisha Honors Akira Toriyama’s Legacy

Shueisha has been celebrating Dragon Ball’s 40th anniversary with this special exhibition, and will be releasing physical versions of the volumes featuring the new art in Japan. It’s yet to be revealed as to whether or not these new versions of the Dragon Ball manga will be releasing in international territories but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on in the future. But it’s not the only way that Shueisha continues to celebrate Akira Toriyama’s lengthy career either.

Dragon Ball Daima is now halfway through its run with new episodes premiering this month as part of the Winter 2025 anime schedule. This is a brand new series featuring a story from Toriyama with brand new characters, locations, and more never seen in the series before. This is likely the final brand new story from Toriyama before his passing, and the episodes shown thus far really showcase that influence with some significant reveals that have changed the Dragon Ball franchise forever.

It’s yet to be revealed how Dragon Ball will continue following Toriyama’s passing, but as long as creators continue to honor Toriyama’s passing then fans are in for a bright future.

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One Piece leakers have now been taken down online as Weekly Shonen Jump magazine publisher Shueisha is taking some very big steps in cracking down piracy. In the last year especially, fans might have noticed how Shueisha had begun to take some very real legal steps to put a stop to some of the leaks that have been a huge problem for their magazines for a long time. One Piece leaks often not only reveal the newest chapters before their official release, but outside of Japan in many cases through accounts on social media sharing this material as soon as they get their hands on it.

Publishers like Shueisha have been exploring these legal processes for the last few years, and have made great strides in lessening the amount of materials have been releasing from the magazine early. As spotted by @AsarathaHS on X, Shueisha has taken another major step as they have filed a subpeona against X. Gamma Law P.C., which represents Shueisha, filed these requests in the Northern District of California on Dec. 30 with claims that the publisher’s rights had been infringed by “@spoilerplus” and “@mangaraw_jp” on X.

What Happens Next?

As also noted by @AsarathaHS on X, it seems one of these accounts has already since been deactivated since the subpeona. Shueisha is demanding that X take down all of the infringing materials on each of these accounts, and note series such as One Piece being the major concern. This is following more of Shueisha’s efforts to crack down on piracy in the last couple of years, and now it’s resulting in some very real legal action. As this story continues to develop, we’ll likely see even more of these prominent piracy accounts and sites shutter in the same way (especially as Japan is developing A.I. with the intent purpose of shutting down piracy).

Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs stated in a report in 2024 that pirated manga has cost the industry upwards of 380 billion yen which roughly equals to $2.4 billion USD. With the amount of losses getting higher and higher each year, it only stands to reason that Shueisha and other publishers of its kind want to curb these losses. Manga and anime is becoming more of a global experience with ways to legally read and watch these projects as soon as they hit Japan. It’s been made easier to do both, but piracy remains a huge issue.

Manga Leaks Are Slowing Down on Their Own, For Now

It seems like there has been a natural shift away from manga leaks in recent months too. Major franchises like Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia came to an end, so that means that only blockbuster hits like One Piece are still under the same kind of “high demand” for material as fast and early as possible. Newer fandoms for popular releases like Kagurabachi have been very outspoken against reading anything other than the official release, so the culture around it all has begun to change for many fans now hip to the many legal options.

Outside of the day of the week, there are fewer and fewer reasons to pirate manga. Shueisha in particular has been working well with Viz Media to release many of their chapters at the same time outside of when they release in Japan, and completely for free. Though back catalogs need a full subscription, fans can keep up with each new chapter without paying a dime through official MangaPlus or Shonen Jump digital libraries in a much higher quality than anywhere else. And as more of these accounts and sites are shut down, even more fans will be drawn to the legal and high quality options.

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The One Piece manga has finally commenced its highly-anticipated Elbaf Arc. Luffy and his crew are all set to begin their new journey in the Kingdom of Giants. The island is isolated from the rest of the world and not affiliated with the World Government. The land is rich in history and culture, and fans expect intense action and captivating lore from this arc. Ever since their encounter with Dory and Brogy in the Little Garden Arc, Luffy and Usopp have been dreaming of visiting the island. They admire the warrior’s honor and can’t wait to meet more brave warriors like Dory and Brogy.

It took the story over twenty years to reach there, but we’ve finally arrived in this fabled kingdom. Unlike other kingdoms, the crew receives a warm welcome from the Giants, and they even hold a banquet for the pirates. Luffy and the others also explore the villages and see a gigantic Owl Library. One Piece Chapter 1135 will explain how the library works and the devil fruit power behind it. So far, this is the second new devil fruit in the Elbaf Arc. However, there’s nothing known about the first one, which Loki ate after killing his father, King Herald.

Warning: Spoilers from the latest One Piece Chapter 1135 ahead!

[RELATED: One Piece Confirms the Motives of This New Figarland Family Member]

One Piece Chapter 1135 Introduces Iku Iku no Mi

After his heartwarming reunion with Robin, Saul takes the Straw Hats to show them around the village. They arrive at Owl Library, a massive building in Elbaf located on a branch hanging over the Warriro’s Spring. It contains all the books Saul retrieved after the tragic Ohara Incident. Biblo, a giant owl and the chief librarian has the power of a Paramecia type, Iku Iku no Mi, which translates to Grow-Grow Fruit. It allows him to gigantify any normal-sized book brought into the library so the giants can read them. The fruit isn’t suited for combats, but it helps the giants gather information about the other islands.

Elbaf is the only place where Giants live, while the rest of the islands have people who are much smaller than them. Biblo has been around for centuries, but his age is unknown. Since Elbaf isn’t affiliated with the World Government, they don’t have news coos delivering the newspapers. However, Saul explains that thanks to Biblo’s ability, they can read the little newspapers that fishermen get while at sea. Lilith suspects that Biblo is a growth Owl who has eaten the Iku Iku no Mi. She also says how it’s the perfect power for the Giants.

An average adult giant is around 20 meters tall, which means a lot of things in the islands inhabited by humans aren’t accessible to them. After the tragic incident in Ohara, Saul and his fellow Giants ensured that Ohara’s legacy wouldn’t disappear due to the World Government. Saul also kept going through the books in Ohara to find out more about the Void Century. All his efforts in retrieving the books would’ve been for nothing if not for Biblo and his useful powers.

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2025, for those who might not know, is the “Year of The Snake” according to the Chinese zodiac. To help celebrate the arrival of the new year, One Piece’s creator has shared new art that sees the Straw Hat Captain hopping a ride aboard a creature that fits right into the theme of the New Year. With the anime adaptation taking a break from the Egghead Island Arc thanks to the remaster of the Fishman Island Saga, Grand Line fans are taking whatever they can get from this shonen universe. Luckily, Eiichiro Oda is more than willing to give anime fans what they want.

When it comes to snakes in the One Piece world, there are quite a few options to go with. One of the earliest, and biggest, reptiles that came into the path of the Straw Hats was in the land known as Skypiea. Despite the locale hovering above the Grand Line, this didn’t stop the unique environment from having its fair share of wild creatures roaming its forests. Nola was the name of the giant snake that roamed the floating island’s environment, having an intricate connection with the history of Skypiea. While initially being a threat to the Straw Hats, the larger-than-life reptile would eventually become a valued ally in helping defeat the arc’s big bad, Enel.

[RELATED: One Piece Creator Teases Major Twist Coming in the Elbaf Arc]

A Straw Hat New Year

In the past, Eiichiro Oda has been more than willing to share new art to celebrate each New Year. For this year, considered the “Year of The Dragon” in the Chines Zodiac, Oda created new art that saw Monkey D. Luffy alongside Momonosuke, the son of Kozuki Oden. Thanks to receiving an artificial Devil Fruit, the rightful ruler of Wano Country was able to transform into a dragon himself and was the perfect fit for new art to ring in 2024 originally. While the snake featured in the art below isn’t Nola, it still highlights that Oda hasn’t missed a step in the art department.

One Piece’s Anime Return

For those who might need a refresher, One Piece’s current remastered anime arc is one that is giving animators the chance to take their time with the current Future Island Arc. This fact also gives Eiichiro Oda the opportunity to create more chapters of the manga to adapt, as the mangaka also works on the live-action Netflix adaptation. Set to return with new episodes this April, One Piece will feature some of the biggest battles of the shonen series to date. Thanks to Dr. Vegapunk being hunted by the World Government, Luffy and company will be taking on some truly powerful opponents in 2025.

As most One Piece fans know, the Straw Hat Pirates are currently partaking in the final saga of the shonen series. While Oda hasn’t confirmed when we can expect the final chapter to arrive, the artist is setting the stage for Luffy and his crew to have their final journey in the Grand Line. Considering how long arcs in One Piece’s past have ran, we are still most likely in store for years of story following the Straw Hats in both the manga and the anime adaptation.

Want to see what the future holds for the Straw Hat Pirates? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

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In one special anime episode, the Z-Fighters met the Straw Hat Pirates in an event that had plenty to offer both Dragon Ball and One Piece fans alike. Following the tragic passing of creator Akira Toriyama earlier this year, Eiichiro Oda was more than willing to share his thoughts on the mangaka that he looked up to throughout his career. With the start of the Dragon Ball Super Gallery Project, numerous manga artists had the chance to lend their talents to the shonen universe that remains one of the most legendary to date. It is fitting that Oda bring this project to a close by offering his own heart wrenching take on Son Goku.

If you haven’t had the chance to watch this legendary crossover take place in an anime adaptation, the meeting of the Straw Hats and the Saiyans took place in the 590th episode of One Piece. Titled “History’s Strongest Collaboration Vs. Glutton of The Sea”, the installment imagines that Goku and Luffy’s worlds have somehow co-existed, refraining from introducing a multiverse meeting of these universes. Luckily, you can watch this episode on Netflix in both the original Japanese iteration and the English Dub to see one of the biggest anime crossovers of all time.

[RELATED: Netflix Is Now Streaming Anime’s Biggest Crossover Ever]

The Dragon Ball Super Gallery Project Ends

The Dragon Ball Super Gallery project began as a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the shonen franchise but spent years in creating some amazing tributes to Goku and company. With Eiichiro Oda bringing the project to a close with his touching tribute, there are still quite a few covers to check out from some of the biggest names in the anime business. The creators of such hits as Naruto, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Bleach, Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer, Spy x Family, Black Clover, and Jujutsu Kaisen were only a handful of the overall artists involved. Ultimately, it seems fitting that One Piece’s creator would be the one to give us our final tribute to Toriyama here.

Oda’s Dragon Ball Tribute

Earlier this year, when Akira Toriyama passed, not only were anime artists and fans in mourning, but entire countries took the opportunity to pay tribute to the Dragon Ball creator. It was no secret that Oda himself was influenced by the story of Son Goku when it came to creating his own manga and was sure to share a touching statement on Akira’s passing. Here’s what Eiichiro had to say earlier this year,

““It’s too early. The hole is too big. The thought of never seeing you again fills me with sadness. I’ve admired you so much since I was a child, and I even remember the day when you called me by name for the first time. He is one of the people who took the baton from the era when reading manga would make you stupid and created an era where both adults and children read and enjoy manga. He showed us the dream that manga can do things like this and that we can go to the world. He gave it to me.”

Oda’s tribute continued, “It was like watching a hero push forward. The excitement and excitement he experienced when he serialized Dragon Ball is probably rooted in the childhoods of creators who are active in all industries, not just manga artists. That existence is a great tree. For manga artists of my generation who have stood on the same stage, the closer I got to Toriyama’s works, the more I realized that they had a greater presence. So scary. But I’m just happy to see the easy-going man himself again. Because we love Toriyama-sensei on a blood level. I would like to express my respect and gratitude to the world of creativity left behind by Professor Toriyama, and pray for his repose in peace. I hope that heaven will be a pleasant world just as you envisioned it.”

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One Piece finally kicked off the Elbaf arc two decades after the legendary island of giants was first teased in the manga, and the original creator behind it all teases that there’s an ever bigger twist coming next year. One Piece kicked off the Final Saga of Eiichiro Oda’s long running manga series, and fans have started to see the groundwork laid for the final chase towards the One Piece treasure itself. That’s become even clearer with the start of the Elbaf arc as Luffy and the Straw Hats have finally made landfall on the island that’s been teased since the Little Garden arc all those years ago.

After setting up its debut for such a long time, One Piece undoubtedly has some big plans for the Elbaf arc. While Luffy and the Straw Hats are going to be spending their time getting acquainted to whatever chaos is about to unfurl on this island of giants, the rest of the world is going to go through some massive changes of its own. That’s exactly what series creator Eiichiro Oda teases in a special message to fans during Jump Festa 2025 this past weekend. There are big things coming for the Elbaf arc’s future.

What’s Next for One Piece’s Elbaf Arc?

“As for the manga, we’ve finally arrived in Elbaf!,” One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda’s message to fans begins. “It’s a laid back kingdom, but the serenity is about to be shattered by the arrival of a particular man! Meanwhile, there will be tumult in other seas as well!” This not only teases that fans will be getting new updates about everything happening while Luffy and the others are on Elbaf, but it also teases how the island of giants is going to be shaken up too. But the biggest tease comes from the final parts of the statement too.

“And at last, that one guy will begin shaking up the world!” While the tease of how one guy will begin shaking up the world is going to be a big deal, there’s something else in Oda’s statement. It could be either a hype statement teasing how fans might react to these upcoming changes, but also is likely a sneaky way to tease some actual developments coming in the series’ future, “Take a deep breath now, because soon you may not be able to come up for air! Please look forward to a Suuuuuuper year of One Piece in 2025!”

One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Might Sink the World

At the end of the Egghead Arc, Dr. Vegapunk’s message to the world revealed that the world has been steadily sinking under water for years. This is why Oda’s message that fans “may not be able to come up for air” rings a little more ominous than might seem at first. With Vegapunk teasing that the world is sinking, the Elbaf arc just might kick this into action even more so as the world could end up sinking at a more rapid pace before it’s all said and done.

With this being the Final Saga and each arc setting up the main crews who will be making their final charge to the One Piece treasure, Luffy won’t be the only one in the mix. There are going to be many pirate crews, the Marines, King Imu, and more involved with each new chapter. Whatever this major twist is coming through in this arc, it’s clearly only going to be the beginning of even bigger events to come as we’re finally setting sail in full to whatever the end of this long running story is going to be.

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Christmas is finally here and One Piece decides to join in on the festivities. Based on Eiichiro Oda’s manga, the story follows Monkey D. Luffy who aspires to acquire a legendary treasure and become the next Pirate King. He sets out on a journey to achieve his dreams and gathers a crew who will travel the world with him. The franchise has several films, an anime series, games, events, and other exciting stuff available for fans. One of them is the Straw Hat Space radio show.

The show invites the anime’s voice actors for commentary. It has been ongoing since 2022. This Christmas, the official account of One Piece on X shares an adorable Christmas-theme illustration of Luffy, Nami, and Smoker. The voice actors of these three characters will make an appearance in the upcoming Episode 39, which will be broadcast on December 29th, 2024. The show is available on the official website of Radiko. However, it’s only available in Japan.

[RELATED: One Piece Remake Dashes Fan Hopes With No Jump Festa News]

One Piece’s Straw Hat Space Radio Show

The Straw Hat Space is a voice actor audio commentary show that started in March-April 2022. It was first broadcast using Twitter spaces. The first four volumes included commentary that accompanied re-runs of the anime episodes, although the commentary was not broadcast live. Live broadcasts began with Volume 7, with most subsequent volumes following this format, the only exception being Volume 13. The show was transferred to a radio show on Nippon Broadcasting System after the 18th episode, which was broadcast in January 2024.

The collaboration was done to celebrate the 25th anime anniversary of One Piece and Nippon Broadcasting’s 70th anniversary. Since the 19th episode, Nippon broadcasts the 30-minute-long episode every Sunday night. The upcoming Episode 39 will have Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy’s voice actor), Akemi Okamura (Nami’s voice actor), and Mahito Ohba (Smoker.) They will talk about the ninth episode of the special edited version of One Piece’s Fish-Man Island Saga. The anime is broadcasting a remastered version of the arc during the hiatus. The new version not only includes better animation, but it has also cut down filler and unnecessary scenes.

H/T: Official One Piece Account on X

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Recently, it has been bittersweet for One Piece fans. While there are still plenty of things to look forward to for the franchise, including the second season of the live-action adaptation and the continuation of the Egghead arc in the anime, fans had to say goodbye to a prominent voice actor. Kazuki Yao, the Japanese voice actor for Franky the Cyborg in One Piece, announced earlier in December he was retiring from the role. Yao expresses his sadness for leaving, but claims he doesn’t believe he could deliver the quality needed to play Franky. It was announced at Jump Festa 2025 that Subaru Kimura will be taking over for Yao, who also attended the event.

Yao received plenty of well wishes and happy retirement comments from all kinds of fans and professionals. Yao shared on his X, formerly Twitter, account that he received a nice yet hilarious goodbye gift at a Jump Fest party. The gift was a Franky statue with Yao’s face on it instead of Franky’s. It’s a nice gesture that shows how intricately linked the actor was with Franky, and how similar they were. It’s often been commented that Yao has more than a passing resemblance to Franky, so the Franky figure with Yao’s face isn’t too out-of-the-ordinary. As a joke, Yao and the people at the party called the statue Yaonki.

[RELATED: Jump Festa 2025: Every Major Anime Announced So Far]

Kazuki Yao’s History With One Piece

Even though Franky wouldn’t appear in the anime until 2005, Kazuki Yao was already an established cast member for the One Piece anime. He was already the voice actor of the secondary antagonist Jango in the early arcs of One Piece. Jango would become a recurring character throughout the series, with Yao continuing to provide his voice. Yao would then voice another villain in the series, Bon Clay aka Mr. 2, who soon became a fan-favorite character.

However, Franky would become his biggest role in the franchise. Initially revealed as an antagonist of cybernetic enhancements, the character would join the crew of the Straw Hats as the group’s shipwright. Yao gave Franky plenty of oddball enthusiasm, best exemplified by Franky’s catchphrase “SUPER!” Even though his retirement is a terrible loss for the anime, fans all over the world are grateful for Yao’s dedication to the character after all these years and wish him a “SUPER” retirement!

H/T: Kazuki Yao on X (formerly Twitter), Oricon

The post One Piece: Franky Actor Shares His Hilarious Farewell Gift After Jump Festa 2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The One Piece remake is one of the most highly-anticipated anime series and a major project by the Wit Studio. The remake will stream exclusively on Netflix and fans will experience their beloved East Blue Saga once more. Netflix has been particularly investing in One Piece projects ever since the massive success of the live-action adaptation. While OPLA Seasons 2 and 3 are currently under production, Netflix announced the new remake project which will be a seasonal adaptation. The remake was announced during Jump Festa 2024. After months of silence, Wit Studio released several concept sketches in August 2024, which were well received by fans.

The studio also announced that the Attack on Titan’s staff, who worked in the anime’s first three seasons, will be part of the One Piece remake team. This includes director Masashi Koizuka and animation producer Ryoma Kawamura. The concept sketches highlight several scenes from the East Blue Saga and introduce new designs of our beloved characters. However, even then, the remake doesn’t share any updates about the release date. Jump Festa 2025 was held last week, which doesn’t even mention anything about it. It’s clear that fans will have to wait longer for a key visual, teaser, and even the release date.

[RELATED: Eiichiro Oda Shares New One Piece Art For Jump Festa]

What Happened on the One Piece Stage During Jump Festa 2025?

Compared to last year, Jump Festa 2025 for One Piece has been considerably dull. The only highlight was Kazuki Yao’s tear-jerking farewell and the announcement of Franky’s new voice actor. Apart from that, we also get new key visuals, a trailer, a time slot, and a release date for the anime’s return in 2025. The anime will continue the crew’s adventures in the Egghead Arc. More enemies will soon join the battle, causing trouble for the Straw Hats.

There were also rumors about a new One Piece movie, but nothing has been set in stone yet. However, that doesn’t mean a new movie isn’t happening. Toei Animation is always coming up with new projects centering around One Piece to keep the hype going. The latest film, One Piece Film: Red was released in 2022. So, it’s high time fans will start expecting a new movie.

What to Expect From the One Piece Remake?

The remake will likely adapt new Sagas in every season, with the first one being the East Blue Saga. It has six arcs: Romance Dawn, Orange Town, Syrup Village, Baratie, Arlong Park, and Loguetown Arcs. The anime will introduce Monkey D. Luffy, a young pirate aspiring to acquire the legendary One Piece treasure and become King of the Pirates. Luffy sets sail from Foosha Village in a small boat, looking for reliable people to join his crew before heading for the Grand Line.

The seas in the Grand Line are treacherous and very few manage to survive out there. Because of the high number of casualties, it’s known as the “Pirate Graveyard.” This is why, Luffy needs more people on his side. He comes across a swordsman, Roronoa Zoro, Nami, a thief with exceptional navigational skills, Sanji, a chef and skilled fighter, and Usopp, a sniper. All of them join Luffy in order to not only help him become the Pirate King but also accomplish their personal goals.

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One Piece is currently gearing up for the return of its TV anime with new episodes hitting next Spring, but could it have a new movie in the works as well? One Piece has quite a lot of new projects now in the works with its TV anime series, new chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s original manga, a second season of its live-action series with Netflix, and even a full remake anime series with Netflix too. But it turns out that there also could be a new movie for the franchise in the works. as well, and it’s not too far outside of the realm of possibility.

One Piece series creator Eiichiro Oda shared a new message about the current state of the franchise during the Jump Festa 2025 event this past weekend, and part of it also hyped what is coming in the future. This had led some fans to thinking that a new One Piece movie was officially announced by Oda, but it turns out that Oda was just highlighting the films as one element of the ongoing franchise. But while it’s not an outright confirmation of a new One Piece movie, it’s not entirely a denial either.

Is There a New One Piece Movie?

During the One Piece presentation as part of Jump Festa 2025, Luffy voice actor Mayumi Tanaka shared a statement from Oda about the future of the franchise. The translations there during the moment had fans wondering whether or not Oda announced that a new movie was in the works. Unfortunately, this was debunked by the release of Oda’s officially English translated statement shared during the event. The quote in question was more a highlight of the future. But there’s still hope for a potential new film project.

“That’s why I’m putting my all into everything,” the notable part of Oda’s quote reads. “-the manga, the anime, the films, and live-action!! And so the team is lining up various projects and announcements for One Piece next year. Please look forward to the anime series resuming. And with an approach that’s more in tune with the times, I’m sure it’ll be easier for everyone to enjoy.” This was the part that got fans excited that Oda was teasing a new movie, but it’s not a full confirmation unfortunately.

The silver lining of this statement, however, is that while it’s not a new One Piece movie being confirmed for now…it’s not off the table. Oda had mentioned the films as one of the elements that the team are putting more effort into, and then teased that there are “various projects and announcements” coming for the franchise next year. This could be a tease that we’ll get to see a new One Piece movie announced next year, and it’s hard to not believe that one is in the works at least in the earliest stages as of the time of this publication.

RELATED: One Piece Gets New Timeslot After Hiatus: What Does This Mean for the Anime?

Why There’s Going to Be a New One Piece Movie

One Piece is such a monumental hit for Toei Animation that it’s hard to imagine that a new movie won’t be hitting theaters soon. Each release for the franchise has been more successful than the last. One Piece Film: Red, which hit theaters in Japan back in 2022, is still the most critically and commercially film release in the franchise to date (and even one of Toei Animation’s biggest releases ever). So any new One Piece movie is likely going to exceed that success, and is likely within the works even if one hasn’t been announced yet.

A financial report from Toei Animation had been spotted earlier this year that noted that there were two film releases planned for their anime franchises some time in the 2025 financial year (which would be anywhere from Spring 2025 to Spring 2026). The franchises getting developed into these new theatrical projects were not revealed yet, but this would line up with Oda’s statement. There might be no announcement right now, we could very well see a new One Piece movie announced next year for a release some time in 2026.

One Piece unfortunately has not announced a new movie, but it will likely announce one some time next year. It’s hard to imagine that there won’t be a new movie any time soon considering that the anime is coming off of its 25th anniversary celebration, and One Piece now has a bigger world within it than ever before as Eiichiro Oda now brings both the anime and manga releases into the Final Saga of its story. So whatever goes down in the next One Piece movie, it’s going to be a must-see event whenever fans get to see it all in action.

The post Is One Piece Getting a New Movie? Breaking Down the Rumors appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece has officially announced that it will be returning for the second half of the Egghead Arc when the anime comes back from hiatus, and its new time slot could mean some big changes for how the series is presented. One Piece: Egghead Arc had shocked fans earlier this year when it was announced that the TV anime would be taking its first extended hiatus in the series’ 25 year history. This was all so the team can better prepare for what’s to come in the back half of this major arc, and there will be some changes to the anime’s airing schedule when it returns.

As one of the many announcements during Jump Festa 2025, One Piece has revealed that Egghead Arc Part 2 will begin airing on April 6th, 2025. This will kick off a new wave of episodes for the anime picking up where everything left off, and it’s going to be airing in the much later time slot of 11:15PM JST. Now the episodes will be airing in the evenings as opposed to Saturday mornings like before, and it could mean that this later time slot will allow for more of the rougher elements from One Piece to properly make it to screen.

New Timeslot Could Lead to a Darker One Piece

This later time slot for the One Piece anime doesn’t necessarily mean that One Piece is going to be more hardcore than it had been already, but it does mean that there are fewer restrictions as to what can be shown on screen. There could be more blood or darker themes, for example, and that’s going to be especially important when the Egghead Arc kicks off a relatively tragic flashback arc when the series begins its comeback next year. But it’s also not going to change One Piece at its core that much because the series has always dealt with these darker themes.

What is going to undoubtedly change is One Piece fans’ viewing habits. This later time slot will make the new episodes hit shortly before the newest chapters of One Piece manga make their way around the world, so there’s going to be plenty to chew on when both the manga and anime releases are in full swing next April and beyond. Thankfully, the wait for these new episodes won’t be for much longer as a release date has finally been set for its return.

RELATED: Jump Festa 2025: Every Major Anime Announced

What to Know for One Piece: Egghead Arc Part 2

One Piece: Egghead Arc Part 2 is now in the midst of its return for new episodes next April, and it will be officially starting the climax of the arc. This is the first major arc from the Final Saga of Eiichiro Oda’s original manga series, and there are some massive reveals that will continue to change the scope of the series’ world as we get closer to that grand finale. It all starts here as Luffy and the Straw Hats have their first real brawl with the highest authorities from the World Government.

One Piece Episode 1123 will be picking up from where it all left off as Luffy and the Straw Hats are still stuck on Dr. Vegapunk’s future island laboratory. The series last showed some big moments happening on the rest of the seas as Garp and the Marines took on Blackbeard’s home base of Beehive to rescue Koby, but it’s leaving fans on a cliffhanger for what’s next. With many questions still needing to be answered, fans are going to want to tune back into One Piece next April.

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In the wake of Jump Festa and Kazuki Yao’s emotional retirement as Franky’s voice actor, One Piece‘s anime has finally shared an update on when fans can expect the Egghead Arc to resume, revealing a release date as well as a stunning new trailer.

One Piece‘s official accounts have revealed that the anime will be returning from its hiatus with the second half of the Egghead Arc on April 6th, 2025. One Piece‘s anime will also be getting a new time slot for the first time in two decades, with Episode 1123 set to air in Japan at 11:15 p.m. instead of the usual morning slot.

One Piece Announces the Egghead Arc’s Return With A Jaw-Dropping Poster & Trailer

Besides the announcement of the release date and change in broadcasting schedule, One Piece has also revealed an exciting new teaser trailer for Part 2 of the Egghead Arc which will finally return to the Straw Hats and the situation on Future Island, where things are expected to escalate very quickly.

The trailer starts off with Luffy communicating with the Marines approaching the island before cutting to Vegapunk asking for Luffy’s help to escape the island. The teaser most notably also includes a partial shot of York defeated, teasing a huge plot twist for anime-only fans. Fans also get to see more of Saint Saturn and Kizaru, with Luffy alluding to someone strong arriving at the island, teasing yet another one of the Egghead Arc’s exciting upcoming battles.

[Related: One Piece Creator Reveals Why Luffy Is Shonen Jump’s Best Hero]

The new key visual is also just as full of exciting easter eggs, with Imu’s distinctive ringed eye and the menacing silhouettes of the Five Elders in the top right corner and Kuma charging forward in the other. Featured right in the center is Luffy in his Gear Five form, with Kizaru and Vegapunk on either side while the rest of the Straw Hats and Vegapunk’s satellites take up the lower half of the image.

Both the key visual and the new teaser are incredibly vibrant, with One Piece’s teaser video featuring not only incredibly high-quality animation but also an epic score that proves Part 2 of the Egghead Arc may be worth the long hiatus after all.

Source: One Piece Official English YouTube

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Professional sports in North America have had their fair share of anime collaborations, if you just are thinking of the players. Athletes from the NBA, NFL, UFC, MLB, and many other outlets have shared their love of all things anime more times than we can count. To capitalize on the growing popularity of the anime medium, not only are players getting in on the action but entire teams are officially jumping in on the action. The Los Angeles Lakers have announced that they will be partnering with the Straw Hat Pirates in 2025, creating a special event for both basketball and anime fans in North America.

This upcoming special collaboration isn’t the first time that the Straw Hats have teamed up with a major sports team. In 2024, One Piece collaborated with the MLB’s Boston Red Fox to create a night to drive anime fans to the outfields. The event saw unique merchandise created for the equally unique union in which the Straw Hat Pirates became a part of the team for one night. While the merchandise for the Grand Line coming to the National Basketball Association has yet to be fully revealed, a date has been set and new art has been created for the meeting of worlds.

[RELATED: One Piece Announces Special Boston Red Sox Collaboration]

Monkey D. Luffy Joins The Lakers

Luffy playing basketball would be unfair to anyone that didn’t have Devil Fruit powers of their own. Thanks to his rubber body and his ability to stretch his limbs, taking the ball to the hole would be nigh impossible against the Straw Hat captain. On February 28th next year, a special One Piece Night will be created for the Los Angeles Lakers, once again proving how popular the Grand Line has become in North America and the world. You can check out more details, and the new art created for the event, below.

The Straw Hats And Basketball

While there has never been an episode of One Piece that saw the Straw Hats trying their hand at basketball, that doesn’t mean that Luffy and company haven’t tried their hand at sports. In the special anime episode, “Dream Soccer King”, the Straw Hats took to the field to play soccer against some of their biggest enemies. While only running for five minutes, the installment helped celebrate the 2002 World Cup and even featured a cameo from One Piece creator himself, Eiichiro Oda.

Of course, basketball is no stranger to the world of anime. Most recently, Slam Dunk made a comeback with what is considered one of the greatest anime films of all time, The First Slam Dunk. Other examples of basketball anime include Kuroko’s Basketball, Buzzer Beater, and Ahiru no Sora.

Want to see what other partnerships the Straw Hat Pirates are a part of in the future? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Grand Line and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

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Shueisha’s getting ready for a huge new celebration of all of their various manga and anime projects now in the works, and the schedule for Jump Festa 2025 has been revealed with teases for showcases of One Piece, Dragon Ball, Jujutsu Kaisen and more. Jump Festa is Shueisha’s annual event where they make some big announcements for their current and future projects in the coming years. While it’s not guaranteed that every series from their various Jump magazines will have something new to show, it’s usually the time where we get some big developments to tease what’s coming next.

Jump Festa 2025 will be taking place on December 21-22 in Japan, and will feature four main stages with each of them having different anime and manga releases to showcase. Some of these events will have livestreams for fans in Japan, but it has yet to be announced if fans in the United States will be able to tune in as well as like seen with the last couple of years. As for the schedule itself revealed on Shueisha’s website for the event (and spotted by Anime TV), there are teases for focuses on Dragon Ball and more. The Jump Festa 2025 schedule breaks down as such (in JST time):

Jump Super Stage Red

December 21

• 10:30-11:00 – Jujutsu Kaisen
• 12:10-12:50 – Rurouni Kenshin -Kyoto Disturbance Arc-
• 13:50-14:30 – The New Prince of Tennis
• 15:30-16:10 – Spy x Family
• 17:10-17:50 – Dragon Ball

December 22

• 10:30-11:10 – My Hero Academia
• 12:10-12:50 – Chainsaw Man
• 13:50-14:30 – Blue Exorcist
• 15:30-16:10 – Kaiju No. 8
• 17:10-17:50 – One Piece

Jump Super Stage Blue

December 21

• 11:40-12:10 – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
• 13:00-13:30 – Witch Watch
• 14:20-14:50 – Sakamoto Days
• 15:40-15:10 – Gintama
• 17:00-17:30 – Dan Da Dan

December 22

• 11:40-12:10 – Bleach
• 13:00-13:30 – Haikyu!!
• 14:20-14:50 – Blue Box
• 15:40-16:10 – World Trigger
• 17:00-17:30 – Mission: Yozakura Family

Jump Studio

December 21

• 12:20-12:50 – Me & Roboco
• 13:40-14:10 – Undead Unluck
• 15:00-15:30 – Dr. Stone
• 16:20-16:30 – Jump SQ

December 22

• 11:40-12:10 – Gag Manga Biyori
• 13:00-13:30 – The Elusive Samurai
• 14:20-14:50 – Akane-banashi
• 15:40-16:10 – Moriarty the Patriot

Shonen Jump+ 10th Anniversary Stage

December 21

• 11:40-12:20 – Red Cat Ramen / Oblivion Battery
• 12:50-13:30 – 2.5 Dimensional Seduction
• 14:00-14:30 – Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku
• 15:10-15:50 – Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.
• 16:20-17:00 – Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductions

December 22

• 11:40-12:10 – ‘Tis Time for Torture, Princess / Aharen-san wa Hakarenai
• 12:50-13:30 – You and I Are Polar Opposites / Marriagetoxin / Kindergarten Wars
• 14:00-14:40 – Oshi no Ko
• 15:10-15:40 – Takopi’s Original Sin
• 16:20-16:50 – Chained Soldier

RELATED: Jump Festa 2025: Dragon Ball, Chainsaw Man, JJK & More to Get Massive Updates

What Will Be Announced at Jump Festa 2025?

It’s usually hard to gauge what Shueisha will be showcasing for Jump Festa each year in terms of brand new projects, but fans will hopefully get updates on the previously announced works. Some big projects now in development that we could get updates for include My Hero Academia’s final season coming next year, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 (which has yet to announce a release date or window as of the time of this publication), Spy x Family Season 3 (which has also yet to nail down a release date or window), Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 coming next year and more.

One Piece usually has lots to show for both the manga and anime, but with the anime now on hiatus until next April, we might not get much in that regard. But with Netflix’s One Piece now in the works for a potential 2025 release for Season 2, we could get some big casting updates for the final new characters like Tony Tony Chopper that fans have been waiting to see. If all goes well, this could be a pretty huge Jump Festa event as we’re gearing up for a big 2025.

HT – Anime TV

The post Jump Festa 2025 Reveals Schedule With Dragon Ball, One Piece and More appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s been over a year since the first season of Netflix’s live-action One Piece took the internet by storm. It quickly became the most successful live-action series adapting an anime manga franchise so far. OPLA was the most-watched show on Nextlix in the second half of 2023. Two weeks after its release date, Eiichiro Oda confirmed the series has been renewed for a second season. One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda is the Executive Director of the show and has been closely supervising every detail to deliver the best series possible.

The filming was done in Cape Town, and recent updates suggest it’s been wrapped up. The cast and crew had a celebration party in Cape Town. Natalie Walsh, a stuntwoman and actress from Cape Town, shared a picture with three fellow stuntmen and choreographers on her Instagram story: Nathan Barris, Shaun Verth, and Mcrae Douglas. The caption reads, “Wrap party vibes let’s gooooo.” While no official announcement has been made, the wrap-up was celebrated for most of the key roles (most likely excluding the main cast). The filming officially began in June 2024 and was already expected to end in December, so it’s right on schedule. However, the new season won’t be released until late 2025. The season will cover arcs from both the East Blue and the Arabasta Sagas.

[RELATED: One Piece Fans Spot First Look At Live-Action Season 2 Villain]

What To Expect From Netflix’s One Piece Season 2?

Netflix’s One Piece Season 2 will cover Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Cape), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island Arcs. Despite the initial belief, the series confirmed it will adapt the Arasbasta Arc in Season 3. This will allow Netflix to stay faithful to the manga without excluding many key moments and characters. The first season ends on a cliffhanger as we see a mysterious man burning Luffy’s wanted poster. His identity will be revealed in the upcoming season, which may be surprising, but for One Piece loyalists, he’s a fan-favorite character.

Additionally, the Straw Hats are making their way to the Grand Line and will face greater threats than ever. We will meet a lot of the new characters, including one who will join the crew. Oda already teased in the announcement video that the crew will need a doctor. And this doctor happens to be one of the show’s most beloved characters. Not only that, but we will soon find out more about the King of the Pirates. While the live-action follows the main story of the manga, it has considerable changes. Hence, there’s no guarantee the scenes will play out exactly as Oda initially envisioned.

H/T: @missnataliewalsh on Instagram, YouTube, @pewpiece on X

The post Netflix’s One Piece Season 2 Reportedly Wraps Filming appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece has finally brought Luffy and the Straw Hats to Elbaf over two decades since it was first teased in Eiichiro Oda’s original manga series, and the series might be getting ready for a huge shift in its status quo with a new and unexpected time skip. One Piece is now working its way through the starting stages of the second arc for the Final Saga of the manga overall, and it’s time for some of the series’ biggest reveals as Luffy and the Straw Hats steadily make their way to the One Piece treasure itself. But it might take them a lot longer than they thought it would.

One Piece has been teasing Elbaf as one of the key islands for the history of the series for years, and now that the manga has begun revealing more of the island at last there are starting to be some peculiar elements that stick out the most. Not only is it touted to have the kind of perfect climate that allows for ships and other things to travel on top of them, but there was also an ominous warning that would lead to “lost time” while there. It seems that One Piece is going to be skipping forward several years when Luffy and the others finally leave.

One Piece Teases “Lost Time” That They’ll Regret

One Piece Chapter 1132 sees Luffy and the Straw Hats finally all reunite with one another on Elbaf, and a passage from Louis Arnote (who was the original adventurer that gave Little Garden its name) begins to reveal itself. Teasing that while the giant versions of plants, animals, and more seen on Elbaf is breathtaking, there’s a greater danger that those who visit the island should be wary of. As Arnote warns, “Adventurers, do not regret your lost time here…Do not overstay your welcome here.” This is such an ominous warning, but what could it mean.

The “lost time” is what makes it so interesting. It’s being worded in such a unique way that it clearly is setting up for something much more dubious than it would describe. Rather than warning adventurers about having too much fun on the island or reflecting on seeing its majesty, it seems that it’s teasing that Elbaf moves at a different time than the rest of the seas around it. In fact, it could be tying into how the rest of the island’s climate and other conditions make it so unique.

RELATED: One Piece Confirms New 2025 Timeslot When Anime Returns From Hiatus

One Piece Has a Different Kind of Timeskip on the Way

One Piece‘s time skip remains one of the biggest shifts in the series’ history. It was such a significant move for the series that those initial first new designs for the Straw Hats are still the most prevalent amongst One Piece‘s promotional materials, games and more over the years. Now it seems like we’re going to get another one heading into the grand finale of the story overall. But unlike the first time skip where Luffy and the Straw Hats saw some major changes from their time away, it’s likely going to be the rest of the world that changes while Luffy and the others are on Elbaf.

Much like how it was when Luffy and the others were on Wano as the rest of the seas went through some big changes in the time since the Reverie, Elbaf is offering its own kind of isolation. Not only is it confirmed that they don’t pay much attention from news from the outside world (outside of hearing about Luffy’s defeat over Big Mom on Wano), but something else stands out about the “Do not regret your lost time” warning in Arnote’s message. It could be that time passes much quicker on Elbaf than the rest of the world.

Its strange climate already teases a different environment from the rest of the seas, and the Straw Hats’ current location on top of the giant tree isolates them even further from the docking points we’ve seen with Elbaf in the past. It seems that rather that Luffy and the Straw Hats changing this time, we’re going to see the rest of the seas moving forward in years instead. It’s yet to be teased what kind of time dilation that might be in the island itself, but this ominous warning is setting up that the seas will be much different than we saw them last time.

With Dr. Vegapunk’s final message to the world claiming that the seas are rising more each year, the world is going to be a dramatically different place when Luffy gets back out of Elbaf. If time moves differently on the island, and Luffy finds that many years have passed while they were there, it’s possible that the other Emperors will make great strides towards the One Piece in that time. Now it’s just a matter of figuring out how big of a time dilation this is going to be.

The post Is One Piece Setting Up for a New Timeskip? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As soon as the One Piece manga commences its highly-anticipated Elbaf Arc, the series introduces Prince Loki of the fabled kingdom. Despite being one of the strongest giants, Loki is far from the brave and honorable warrior he should be. He is the former fiance of Big Mom’s daughter, Lola. A few years before the current events, Loki proposes a marriage, which miserably falls off. Unfortunately, Big Mom’s relationship with the Giants hits rock bottom after her daughter runs away. Despite the sisters ‘ uncanny resemblance, the prince even refuses to marry Chiffon, Lola’s twin sister.

Six years ago, he was sentenced to crucifixion in a forest for the crime of killing his father, King Herald. He did that to acquire the power of a legendary devil fruit, or so they say. The giants claim Loki is the “Cursed Prince,” someone who has only ever committed evil deeds. As the “Shame of Elbaf,” his list of crimes exceeds anyone in the kingdom. Killing his father is the final straw, which forces the giants to take extreme measures. However, things aren’t that simple, and Loki’s meeting with Luffy in One Piece proves there’s more to it than meets the eye. Loki is yet another mysterious character whose backstory will answer a lot of questions about him.

Loki’s First Introduction in One Piece Doesn’t Hint at Him Being Evil

Although he officially debuts in Chapter 1130, Loki was first mentioned in Chapter 858. He falls in love with Lola at first sight and appears to have genuine feelings for her as he doesn’t mind allying with Big Mom, an enemy of his race. Big Mom grew up in Elbaf, but the series has yet to reveal the reason behind her rocky relationship with the giants.

Lola’s marriage with Loki would’ve been a perfect opportunity to forget past differences. However, the bride-to-be runs away and becomes a pirate, hoping to find true love someday. This worsens Big Mom’s relationship with the Giants, but the series never delved deeper into Loki’s feelings.

When Loki meets the young Yonko in Chapter 1130, he introduces himself as the Sun God. In Elbaf, Nika, or the Sun God, holds cultural and historical significance. The Giants revere Nika as a god, a symbol of freedom. It’s unprecedented that someone who grew up knowing Nika’s importance will use their god’s name for committing unspeakable crimes.

[RELATED: One Piece Announces Another Hiatus Before the End of 2024]

Luffy’s Trust Proves Why Loki Isn’t the Main Villain of One Piece’s Elbaf Arc

Luffy’s meeting with Loki isn’t what someone would expect between the protagonist and the arc’s main antagonist. During their brief meeting, Luffy gets comfortable enough to sleep on top of the giant. Despite the Prince’s arrogant personality, the two seem to get along quite well. While Loki does annoy the young pirate by taunting Shanks, it doesn’t create a serious rift between them. The prince even tries to make a deal by telling Luffy about Shanks in exchange for his freedom.

However, in Chapter 1132, Luffy makes a clumsy attempt at lying to Gerd for Loki’s sake. Loki doesn’t want anyone to know about their meeting, so Luffy complies. Luffy has a straightforward and honest personality. He says what he wants to without thinking about the consequences. Of course, he’s also a terrible liar and wouldn’t go through the trouble of crafting a lie unless it’s necessary.

But for some reason, he puts himself in an awkward situation for the infamous prince. Over the years, Luffy has established himself as an excellent judge of character. He has an innate ability to sense a person’s nature and intentions. Hence, Luffy’s trust and lack of hostility towards Loki are reasons to believe that the latter isn’t evil.

Loki Doesn’t Pose a Serious Threat to Luffy

While Loki does have extraordinary skills and the power of a legendary devil fruit, he still doesn’t pose a serious threat to the Yonko. Six years ago, before he got the power of a devil fruit, the World Government issued a special bounty of 2.6 billion berries on his head. However, Luffy’s Gear 5 ability makes him a force to be reckoned with. He is as powerful as he can imagine himself to be. He can overpower the world’s strongest creature, Kaido. Luffy can manipulate his body and his surroundings to overwhelm his enemy.

He is completely free in his Gear 5 form, which means even someone powerful like Loki can’t do much damage to him. In the Egghead Incident Arc, Luffy went toe to toe with Gorosei, some of the most powerful characters in One Piece. As such, any new villain must prove himself to be a challenge against the young Yonko.

One Piece is currently in the second arc of the Final Saga. Hence, the challenges the Straw Hats will face are nothing compared to what they have been through. Having the main villain of an arc lose easily doesn’t add much thrill to the story. Loki is still a fairly new character in One Piece, and it’s clear that Eiichiro Oda has major plans for the notorious prince.

The post One Piece: Elbaf Arc’s Main Villain Isn’t Who You Think (Here’s Why) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece is finally beginning to explore the legendary island of the giants, Elbaf, over two decades after the first tease, and the newest chapter of the series is teasing Big Mom’s past ties to the island. One Piece is now in the midst of the next major arc for the Final Saga of Eiichiro Oda’s original manga series overall, and that means each new chapter is carrying with it some major developments revealing more about the series’ past while also setting up Luffy and the Straw Hats’ final chase towards the One Piece treasure itself. But Elbaf is the biggest location we have seen yet, literally and metaphorically.

But while it took over 20 years for Elbaf itself to show up in One Piece’s manga after being teased way back during the Little Garden arc, fans have actually gotten many notable teases about the island throughout the course of the series. One of the biggest was actually in the forefront for quite a while as it turns out that Big Mom has a tie to Elbaf as well. While it was easy to assume that she likely came from Elbaf due to her immense size, the newest chapter of One Piece has revealed that there really is more of a secret hidden to the way she left Elbaf in the past.

What Did Big Mom Do to Elbaf?

One Piece Chapter 1133 reunites Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats together on Elbaf now that all of the initial chaos from landing on the island has subsided. They are reuniting with some faces they have crossed in the past before like Hajrudin, who claims to be one of the captains serving under Luffy in the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. As the crews are getting to reunite and know each other, Hajrudin shared he was excited to hear that Luffy and the crew were involved with defeating Big Mom on Wano.

This is notable because Elbaf doesn’t really concern themselves much with news from the outside world, but Big Mom is different. Gerd mentions how she was friends with Big Mom long ago, but she did something “unforgivable” to Elbaf. Unfortunately, it’s not explained what this might have been before Luffy and the Straw Hats move onto something else. But this likely has ties to what we have learned about Big Mom’s actions in the past through previous arcs.

RELATED: Kazuki Yao Steps Down: One Piece Will Name Successor to Franky Actor Soon

Does This Change Big Mom’s Origin?

It was previously revealed in One Piece that Big Mom was a fairly happy child living together with other orphans in a small town, but her extreme hunger eventually led to her eating the other small children. If she’s indeed from Elbaf, then this could be the explanation for why she’s seen with such hatred from the others on the island. But there’s also a huge chunk of history that’s unaccounted for in her rise to glory with the Rocks Pirates and her own journeys across the seas.

There might be another piece of her history that caused even more destruction to Elbaf because Big Mom herself never really connected the dots that she ate her childhood friends. She was driven away from her home, but might have even returned to do some real damage that would make her later defeat by Luffy and the others something to celebrate years later. But as we learn more about Elbaf and the other giants, it’s likely we’ll get to find out more of Big Mom’s role in that past as well.

The post One Piece Teases Big Mom’s Secret Elbaf Origin appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s Kazuki Yao shocked the world when he announced earlier this month that he would be stepping back from the role of Franky, aka the Straw Hat Pirates’ resident cyborg. Even before taking on the role of Franky, Yao still had a major part to play in the Grand Line in the role of the villainous Bon Clay, aka Mr. 2. Entering into the anime voice acting game in the 1980s, Kazuki has had countless roles over the decades in major franchises such as Hunter x Hunter, Digimon, Initial D, Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note, and more. While the actor might be taking a step back from Franky, he has hilariously reminded his fans that he is still kicking in a new message.

Yao announced earlier this month that he would be officially retiring from One Piece, stating that he no longer was able to create the “Franky he envisioned.” Luckily, Kazuki is in high spirits and touted that a replacement for his character has been chosen, which will be revealed at Jump Festa later this month. His official statement read, “It’s as if there’s now a rift between me and the ideal Franky I envisioned… so I’ve decided to temporarily step off the Sunny. It’s frustrating! It’s heartbreaking! I’m truly sorry. But a super successor has been lined up! Look forward to Jump Festa on 12/22.”

RELATED: Kazuki Yao Steps Down: One Piece Will Name Successor to Franky Actor Soon

Kazuki Yao Lives

Thanks to Yao’s Instagram Account, the soon-to-be former Franky assured fans that while he might be exiting the Grand Line, he is still very much alive. Here’s what Kazuki had to say, “To all the comments everyone has sent in, truly thank yEAW! The Franky you love so much…he’s…DUMMIES!! I’m not dead!! Not at all. It’s not like I’m crying! DUMMIES!! Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Kazuki Yao, trending on Twitter actor. To prove I’m not dead, I’ve started an Instagram. Please follow me.” You can check out his new Instragram page by clicking here.

Yao has played the part of Franky for nearly twenty years, so many fans are quite heartbroken that he wasn’t able to end the Straw Hat’s journey as One Piece continues its final saga. Still, Kazuki’s legacy on the Thousand Sunny won’t soon be forgotten and many Grand Line fans are anxiously awaiting the news on who will be bringing Franky to life in the future.

One Piece’s Bright Future

If you need a refresher on the current status of the swashbuckling shonen series, One Piece’s manga is continuing to release new chapters as Luffy and the gang sail toward their grand finale. As for the anime adaptation, it recently took a break from the Future Island Arc until next April, but has given viewers a remastered take on the Fishmen Island Arc in the meantime. Of course, the manga and the anime aren’t the only projects that One Piece has cooking.

Netflix is continuing to work on the second season of the live-action series but for those hoping to see Franky in the upcoming installments, you’re in for disappointment. As the live-action adaptation continues to follow its source material, we’ll be waiting for some time to see the swashbuckling cyborg. Considering how well the live-action One Piece has been received, it will be interesting to see how they tackle this larger-than-life character if they ever reach him.

Want to see who will be the new actor to take on the role of Franky? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Grand Line and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post One Piece Actor Hilariously Scolds Fans Following Retirement Announcement appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s anime will be making its grand return from hiatus next year with new episodes, and has confirmed its new time slot with the announcement of a new anime taking its former place next Spring. It was shockingly announced earlier this Fall that One Piece would be taking its first extended hiatus in the over two decades of the anime running weekly episodes in Japan. The series will be taking a break so that the team behind the anime can better prepare for what’s to come in the rest of the Egghead Arc and beyond. So fans are eagerly waiting for that comeback.

As part of the initial announcement for its hiatus, One Piece had announced that it will also be airing in a new time slot when the series returns for new episodes some time in April 2025. Now that has been further confirmed as a brand new anime, To Be Hero X (as revealed on its own social media account), has announced that it will begin its own run on Sundays in April next year in Japan. It will be airing in One Piece‘s old broadcast spot, so now it’s official and One Piece will be airing at a brand new time that has yet to be announced as of the time of this publication.

When Is One Piece: Egghead Arc Coming Back?

Announced it would be going on hiatus earlier this October as the One Piece anime team wants to properly be ready for what’s coming next, One Piece: Egghead Arc is currently scheduled to return with new episodes in April 2025. It will be airing in a brand new time slot, but it’s yet to be revealed how drastic of a schedule change that it’s going to have when it returns. To Be Hero X will be airing in its old spot when it premieres in April as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule, so One Piece could either continue to air on Sundays or move to a different day entirely.

That will also have an impact on its streaming releases in territories outside of Japan, but it remains to be seen how big these changes will be when they all kick in next Spring. The One Piece team did announce that they will be revealing more of its new schedule information later this month as part of Jump Festa 2025, where they will also be announcing who will be taking over for Kazuki Yao as the voice of Franky in the Japanese dubbed release (the first changed to the main voice cast in over two decades).

RELATED: One Piece Actor Spills The Beans on Season 2 Release Window (And Season 3 Details)

How to Wait for One Piece’s New Episodes

It might be a lengthy wait for One Piece to return for new episodes, but thankfully the wait won’t be so difficult in the meantime. Not only can you find many of the series’ older episodes now available for streaming with Netflix and Crunchyroll, but the anime is currently working its way through a full remake of the Fish-Man Island arc. One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga condenses the original anime’s version of the arc into 21 episodes with new openings and endings.

This remake will be airing its episodes right until One Piece returns, so there are still new anime releases to enjoy. You can also seek out Eiichiro Oda’s original One Piece manga releases as new chapters hit in Japan. The three most recent chapters are currently available to read completely for free with either Viz Media’s digital Shonen Jump library or Shueisha’s MangaPlus service.

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One Piece has returned with a new chapter of the manga, and with it has given Nico Robin the reunion she’s been waiting a very long time for. One Piece has finally taken its first steps into the giants’ legendary island home of Elbaf two decades after it was first teased in the series, and that means Luffy and the Straw Hats are finally making some of their biggest dreams come true after all this time. But the biggest of these dreams is for Robin’s role in it all as she’s really been looking to come to Elbaf for one big reason.

Robin had been struggling throughout her childhood after escaping from Ohara’s destruction, and it wasn’t until meeting up with the Straw Hats did she find a group that wanted her to be a part of their family. But that still doesn’t beat some of the earlier connections she had on Ohara, including Jaguar D. Saul, who had helped Robin to escape from Ohara when she was a child. Now after many years apart, the two them had burst out in tears now that they’ve been able to see each other alive again after all this time.

Robin Reunites With Saul After Over 20 Years

One Piece Chapter 1133 begins with a flashback following Ohara’s destruction. It’s revealed that after Saul managed to save Robin from being wiped out with the rest of the island, her life was not really better in any aspect. Robin had been labeled as a demon despite being a child, and everywhere she went she was treated poorly by everyone around her and constantly being chased around as a fugitive. Throughout all of it, the only thing that kept Robin going was Saul’s promise that one day she’d find friends that loved her just as much.

Robin had been anticipating coming to Elbaf in full as she knew that’s where Saul had been hiding out. She even changed her hair to make it more like it was when the two last had seen each other as she was getting ready for the reunion. As the Straw Hats entered Elbaf for the first real time, the crew manages to reunite but need to do something first before they can all party with the giants. Luffy knows how important it is to make sure Robin gets to have her reunion with her long lost friend before anything else.

RELATED: One Piece Fans Spot First Look At Live-Action Season 2 Villain

What’s Next for Robin and the Straw Hats?

When they get to the beach where Saul is supposed to be, he’s suddenly fallen down. Everyone panics but Robin, who calmly walks up to him. It turns out he was trying to prank her again just like he did on Ohara, but it was just his awkward way of trying to break the ice since it’s been such a long time since they had seen one another. Saul had luckily survived everything that happened on Ohara and landed on Elbaf, and he couldn’t help but fully embrace her in a hug.

Tearfully exclaiming that she’s been through so much in the last 22 years, Robin can’t help but also cry now that she’s in Saul’s arms again. The two of them have been through quite a long in the past two decades, and Robin herself has overcome her own feelings of suicide to make it to this reunion. It’s a moment where they can’t do anything but cry out all of these hurt feelings, and now the two of them have a bright future from this point on.

The post One Piece Gets Emotional With Robin’s Tearful Reunion Years in the Making appeared first on ComicBook.com.

With the One Piece anime entertaining its legions of fans for 25 years and counting, voice actor departures have certainly always been a possibility. With recent news of veteran Franky actor Kazuki Yao set to leave the role soon, hope burns brightly that a suitable talent will fill the role. Fortunately, courtesy of One Piece’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, we have confirmed that the successor to Yao will be named on December 22nd at Jump Festa 2025’s Red Stage.

As part of a slew of anticipated announcements coming out of Jump Festa to close out 2024, including Jujutsu Kaisen, Dragon Ball, and more, One Piece is a particular headliner at Shueisha’s premier event. A tasteful ceremony will also be held at the event, where Yao will formally graduate from the role as they announce the recasting. The Straw Hats won’t be without a shipwright for any given moment as the beloved anime rides out the rest of its hiatus before returning to form to kick off Spring 2025.

Kazuki Yao Hypes Up Franky Successor Announcement

In addition to the One Piece staff announcement, Kazuki Yao took to X to post his thoughts on the departure. Given the decades of work he has put into the series, themselves atop further decades in the anime industry, his choice was not made lightly.

“It’s as if there’s now a rift between me and the ideal Franky I envisioned… so I’ve decided to temporarily step off the Sunny.” Yao said, speaking about his departure on his X account via Oricon, “It’s frustrating! It’s heartbreaking! I’m truly sorry. But a super successor has been lined up! Look forward to JF on 12/22.”

Yao not only expresses his sadness about departing the role, feeling he must temporarily step away but also expresses joy about who could take over his role. With Yao’s confidence and One Piece’s staff gearing up to unveil the new successor at Jump Festa 2025, the Thousand Sunny will surely be in good hands. It’ll give the fans enough time to get ready for a hopefully bright future, especially with One Piece’s live-action anime continuously unveiling new cast, as well.

H/T: One Piece on X, Kazuki Yao on X, Oricon

The post Kazuki Yao Steps Down: One Piece Will Name Successor to Franky Actor Soon appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Watching One Piece for free now feels like the titular treasure of Gol D. Rogers, a mystery that might not actually exist (maybe it’s the friends we made along the way). Crunchyroll recently decided to place the legendary anime behind a paywall. One Piece fans will now need to upgrade to the streamer’s Premium tier ($7.99 per month). But, there is another way to watch (almost) all of One Piece for free.

The method applies to UK audiences, as One Piece was recently added to BBC iPlayer. Both the subbed and dubbed versions of One Piece are streaming on iPlayer. At the time of writing, 746 episodes are available to stream, cutting off at the Dressrosa Arc. But BBC iPlayer plans to have all 1000+ episodes on the streamer by the end of December. The final batch of episodes drops on December 22. BBC iPlayer is free to all UK residents who pay their annual TV license fee. You can find a list of all the arcs currently available on BBC iPlayer below:

• East Blue (1-61)
• Alabasta (62-135)
• Sky Island (136-206)
• Water Seven (207-325)
• Thriller Bark (326-384)
• Summit War (385-516)
• Fish-man Island (517-574)
• Dressrosa (575-746)

The various One Piece movies, and the recently released Fan Letter are not available to stream on iPlayer. One Piece Red was recently added to Netflix’s library. However, just like Crunchyroll premium, this is also a paid service. There is currently no news about any of the fifteen One Piece films coming to BBC iPlayer.

[RELATED: One Piece Returns From Hiatus With First Full Look at Elbaf]

Crunchyroll Users Still Have Time

It’s not all bad news for newer One Piece fans. While the majority of the 1000+ episodes will be moved behind a paywall, Crunchyroll is still keeping the opening chunk available to everyone for frees. The first 206 episodes will remain on the free tier, which includes ads. However, after you inevitably binge them all within a week, that’s when the problems begin.

BBC iPlayer acquiring the latest episodes of One Piece lines up perfectly with Crunchyroll’s own restructuring. If you’ve been meaning to get round to following Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Crew on their journey to the Grand Line, now is the best time. Free Crunchyroll account holders have until December 23 to binge the next 344 episodes of One Piece. Another 305 episodes will then be transferred to the premium tier on January 20, 2025. And the final lot of episodes will move on February 17, 2025. Can you watch them all in time?

The post One Piece Is Still Streaming for Free (But Not on Crunchyroll) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s second season is still in production, with one star of the successful live-action series recently hinting at the idea that the Netflix series will return next year. While filming might be close to wrapping, the streaming service has yet to show us some of the biggest new heroes and villains that are set to arrive in the Grand Line. In a recent behind-the-scenes video, keen-eyed fans who know all about the Straw Hat Pirates have spotted a first look at one of the second season’s biggest villains. With Mr. 3 set to be played by David Dastmalchian, anime fans have spotted the Baroqueworks member in the “wild.”

If you’re unfamiliar with Dastmalchian’s work, the actor is one that loves all things pop culture. While stating that he has been an anime fan for some time, the actor has had roles in the likes of The Dark Knight, The Suicide Squad, The Last Voyage of The Demeter, and the recent Dune movies. One of David’s biggest roles was the leading man of Late Night With The Devil, one of the year’s best horror films that saw Dastmalchian playing a late night television host dealing with a very real supernatural threat. Cast as Mr. 3 in One Piece’s second season, Dastmalchian will have his work cut out for him in bringing this antagonist to life.

RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece: David Dastmalchain Teases Mr. 3 and His Season 2 Debut

A First Look At Mr. 3

During a recent behind-the-scenes video of One Piece’s second season, One Piece fans spotted a statue that sees the live-action Monkey D. Luffy side-by-side with David Dastmalchain’s Mr. 3. While this isn’t David specifically in the part, it does give us an idea of what the Baroqueworks member will look like when he makes his grand debut in the live-action Grand Line. What fans might immediately note is that the live-action creators have captured Mr. 3’s hairstyle in this statue, showing just how close the team is looking to stick to its source material.

Mr. 3’s Role in Season 2

While One Piece fans have been waiting to see what a live-action Alabasta looks like, the Straw Hats still have some major locales to visit before hitting the desert island. On the island known as Little Garden, Luffy and his crew not only run into the giants named Dorry and Brogy but various members of Baroqueworks. One of the most terrifying is Mr. 3, one of the leaders of Crocodile’s gang, who has Devil Fruit powers that are unlike anything that the Straw Hat Pirates have encountered on their journey so far.

Rather than having the ability to stretch his body or adeptly wield swords, Mr. 3 has the power to create and manipulate candle wax. On its face, this might not seem like a dangerous power but the way that the Baroqueworks leader uses this “gift” spells serious trouble for the anime heroes. Even the giants find themselves having trouble in taking down the much smaller antagonists that arrive on Little Garden.

While fans have spotted Mr. 3, there are plenty of other characters that fans have been anxious to see in live-action who are slated to arrive in One Piece’s second season. Crocodile, Nico Robin, Tony Tony Chopper, Smoker, and Dr. Kureha are just a handful of the new additions to the live-action Grand Line and we here at ComicBook.com will be sure to keep you updated on when we receive our first looks.

Want to stay up to date on all things related to the Grand Line? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Straw Hat Pirates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

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Millions of anime fans worldwide will have to find a new way to watch their favorite series after recent crackdowns on piracy. Popular anime piracy websites like GogoAnime, Anitaku, and AnimeFenix as reported by TorrentFreak have recently announced shutdowns due to copyright claims as more legal streaming options consolidate and hope to inherit a share of their audience. With Sony acquiring Funimation and merging it with Crunchyroll, a substantial percentage of anime properties are now housed under one entity.

If fans aren’t willing to pay them in particular, they’ll turn to alternative methods instead of missing out on anime altogether. This becomes an even bigger problem as popular series like One Piece get moved behind a paywall.

Piracy has been a part of the anime community for decades, dating back to when fans used to trade VHS tapes to finish series because there weren’t any better alternatives to keep up with the growing, but still niche, medium. From there, the internet expedited the process so much that millions of people started visiting piracy sites regularly. While piracy will likely never be completely done away with, the tides of the ongoing battle seem to be shifting. 

RELATED: Japan’s Using AI to Fight Manga & Anime Piracy

AnimeFenix Leaves Final Message for Fans 

According to TorrentFreak’s report, AnimeFenix, which has a predominantly Spanish-speaking audience, released a statement criticizing what it sees as a monopoly in the anime space. 

“THANK YOU! To all of you for supporting us in this chapter — As with every story, it has its end. As of today, December 1, AnimeFenix will close forever and the domain will go through the termination process by copyright control agencies,” the website said in a translated message. 

“Sony now owns more than 60% of the anime industry with the purchase of Funimation and now also Kadokawa. The call is for you as consumers to be aware of the monopolies that the big companies are creating and, through local regulations in your countries, support policies that protect this art that has given us so much,” the message continued. “[This art] is now in danger of becoming increasingly inaccessible via subscriptions to multiple ‘legal’ content sites that use dubious practices with animators and creators and abusive prices.” AnimeFenix said in their statement.

AnimeFenix went further to say, “Piracy will never go away as long as there are companies with more greed than heart, and we hope that the future will bring changes in these online entertainment paradigms that will contribute to the creation of more series with soul and full of captivating stories that deserve to be supported by the fan communities for their creators.” It’s a bold statement, confident that anime piracy will continue undeterred by recent events.

The Controversial Conversation Around Anime Piracy

Piracy is historically a very controversial topic. It’s present in most entertainment industries and never seems to go away, and creators in the anime community generally frown upon it. For example, this past September, Sota Shigetsugu, known for his illustration work on One Piece, came under fire for giving his opinion on the matter.

“I know the majority of fans are good people, but I often see some fans overseas… eagerly awaiting leaks or expressing thanks to those who leak content. It really frustrates me when I see pirated anime footage being circulated right after they’re released in theaters,” Shigetsugu wrote.

“How many reading and viewing experiences were ruined because of leaks? While those who leak content are obviously terrible, what annoys me even more are the so-called fans who appreciate it,” the animator continued. “Don’t act like it’s something to be enjoyed.”

On the other side of the discussion, TorrentFreak reports that GogoAnime, Anitaku, and AnimeFenix brought in more than a combined 100 million visits a month, signaling that there’s a massive audience for pirated content that either isn’t willing or able to pay to watch it elsewhere. Now it’s a matter of seeing how many, if any, of these now-defunct websites fans will convert to legal content or wait to find the next pirated alternative.

H/T: TorrentFreak

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For quite some time, many anime fans believed that a successful One Piece live-action adaptation could not exist. Netflix was more than happy to prove many wrong as the first season of Eiichiro Oda’s live-action adaptation took the world by storm. With filming already taking place in South Africa for the upcoming second season, one Grand Line resident has spilled the beans on when fans can potentially expect the return of the surprise hit. On top of hinting when the Straw Hats will return, the actor who is a big part of the anime world’s military also hinted at the future past season two.

At a recent appearance at the Vienna Comic-Con, the man who brought Vice Admiral Garp to life, Vincent Regan, didn’t hold anything back when discussing when we might expect Netflix’s One Piece to return, “I’ve come back from South Africa now. I’ve filmed season 2, everything my character is doing in season 2 is finished, and now they are finishing in about a month, I think they’ll finish filming. So I think the show will be ready for Netflix before Christmas next year.” While showrunner Matt Owens refrained from giving fans an idea as to when the live-action anime adaptation would return at this year’s Netflix Geeked Week, it seems as though Regan was more than willing to share the goods.

RELATED: One Piece Creator Hypes Season 2 Will “Surpass” Season 1 With New Update

One Piece: Beyond Season 2

Not simply satisfied with hinting at season two’s release window, Regan also described the live-action Alabasta Arc. While many One Piece fans expected the desert locale to have a role in the second season, creator Eiichiro Oda confirmed that we would need to wait a little longer to see the Straw Hats traverse this dry locale. On top of hinting at season three, Vincent also hinted that a fourth season might be necessary to capture the entirety of the storyline, “I guess they’ll start filming season 3 pretty soon, and I think they are doing- I think it’s called the Albasta story arc. I think it’s going to take two seasons. What I’ve seen of the designs, drawings, and when I was there there was some really fun stuff being shot there at the moment.”

While seasons three and four haven’t been confirmed officially, it would make sense that Netflix would take a chance on continuing the tale of the live-action Going Merry’s crew. One Piece’s first season was a surprise hit, not only playing well to fans of the source material, but to general audiences who had not experienced Monkey D. Luffy’s story before this point. As the manga and anime continue to follow the Straw Hats’ Final Saga, Netflix could still have years of stories ahead of it.

One Piece: What Happens in Season 2

While the Netflix adaptation won’t see the Straw Hats focusing on Alabasta, season two is still planning to hit some big moments from the shonen series. Of the locales that will be visited, One Piece’s second season will include the likes of Loguetown, Little Garden, Drum Island, and more. Along with visiting new islands, the Straw Hat Pirates will be running into future members of their crew including Tony Tony Chopper and Nico Robin. While Robin has been cast as Lera Abova, no actor has been attached to the Straw Hats’ resident doctor as of yet.

Want to stay up to date on the live-action take on the world of the Grand Line? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via What’s On Netflix

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One Piece‘s manga has announced that it will be taking yet another break before the end of the year. One Piece is now currently in the midst of a historic hiatus for the anime as for the first time in the series’ two decades of running, the anime is taking off for a six month period so that the team behind the series can properly prepare for the rest of the Egghead Arc in the anime and beyond. But that’s not the only hiatus that’s been kicked off as the manga recently had a surprising break of its own the last couple of weeks.

One Piece recently returned from a surprising break with a new chapter hitting the pages of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine this past weekend, and it was announced that the manga will be taking another break soon (as spotted by @WSJ_manga on X). While One Piece Chapter 1133 is currently scheduled for a release on Sunday, December 8th, the series will then be on a week break and will likely return for One Piece Chapter 1134 around Sunday, December 15th barring any major hiccups. So it’s going to be like the series is releasing on a biweekly schedule through the rest of the year.

One Piece Chapter 1133 Release Date

Thankfully, One Piece Chapter 1133 is currently on track for a release on Sunday, December 8th (and Monday, December 9th in Japan). The manga is currently working through the early stages of a brand new arc as Luffy and the Straw Hats have finally landed on the legendary home of the giants, Elbaf. This island has been teased for over two decades at this point as fans have been hearing about this island ever since giants were introduced to the series as part of the Little Garden arc.

It’s been a long wait for Luffy and Usopp as they have been traveling together all this time with the hopes of one day reaching this island of giant warriors, so fans are curious to see what their respective roles might be in the new arc. But with this being the next step of the Final Saga of Eiichiro Oda’s long running manga series overall, this is likely going to explode in something massive much like what happened during the Egghead Arc. There are going to be plenty of more twists and turns before it’s over.

RELATED: One Piece’s Luffy Chases Disney Cruise Float at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New Viral Image

Eiichiro Oda Needs His Rest Anyway

But while this break means it’s going to be a little longer of a wait before fans get to see the coming chapters, at the end of the day what is most important is the creator’s health. Eiichiro Oda has been keeping a steady chapter release schedule since the series debuted with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine all those years ago, and that could take a toll on the creator as many of the other Shonen Jump creators have all experienced various levels of fatigue and more poor conditions during their serializations.

It’s important for these creators to take care of themselves first and foremost. A recent report earlier this year had noted that manga creators tend to have shorter lifespans than most, and it’s because of the demand of the kind of schedule and pressure these creators can be under to bring their visions to life. But although fans love these series, they wouldn’t be here without the work from their creators. Fans appreciate Oda, and at the end of the day want this creator to instead focus on himself before things take a turn for the worse.

HT – @WSJ_manga on X

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One Piece is heading into a new dawn for Crunchyroll. The streamer confirmed with IGN that all 1000-plus episodes of the massive shonen juggernaut will no longer be free on the ad-supported tier. All One Piece episodes will be moved under the paid Premium tier on Crunchyroll, meaning fans will have to pay to experience their favorite pirate crew traveling the wacky oceans of the Grandline. Fortunately for fans, Crunchyroll will not suddenly put every One Piece episode in Premium in one go.

The streaming service will move One Piece episodes from free to Premium in different phases. The first phase will be on December 23rd when Crunchyroll will transfer the 344 episodes covering the Water 7, Ennies Lobby, Thriller Bark, Summit War, and Fishman Island arcs. Phase two will transfer the next 305 episodes covering the Punk Hazard, Dressrosa, Zou, and Whole Cake Island arcs on January 20th, 2025. Phase three will then transfer the 247 episodes covering the Reverie, Wano, and Egghead Island arcs on February 17th, 2025.

All One Piece Episodes Except First 206 Moved to Paid Crunchyroll Tiers

Luckily, Crunchyroll will keep the first 206 episodes of One Piece on the free ad-supported tier. Those episodes cover the East Blue, Alabasta, and Sky Island arcs. That leaves fans less than three months to watch the entire saga of One Piece for free before they are forced to pay for Crunchyroll’s Premium tier. While Crunchyroll has different price points for Premium, the cheapest option for fans would be the $7.99 Fan tier, including all of One Piece.

[RELATED: One Piece’s Manga Is Finally Coming Back From Hiatus]

Why Would Crunchyroll Not Make One Piece Free Anymore?

At this point, One Piece has been available for free on Crunchyroll for years. Crunchyroll justifies its One Piece transition from its free tier to Premium by claiming it’s to provide a “best-in-class experience” for subscribers. Those words may seem hollow for those who can’t afford the monthly subscription, but at least the streaming company has given fans time to catch on to the series before moving it exclusively away from its free tier.

Crunchyroll doesn’t have exclusive streaming rights to One Piece. The shonen anime can also be streamed on Netflix and Hulu. However, Crunchyroll is the only service that includes every episode, including the most recent ones aired in Japan. Netflix and Hulu only have certain episodes up to a point, meaning if you want to experience the entire One Piece saga, Crunchyroll was your only choice.

This decision follows other recent changes by Crunchyroll. The streaming service raised its prices for the Mega and Ultimate Fans tiers and removed its comment section.

One Piece is a shonen manga and anime that follows the adventures of Luffy and his loyal crew, who travel the crazy oceans of the Grandline in hopes of discovering the ultimate treasure known as the One Piece. The series is one of the most successful media franchises in the world, explaining Crunchyroll’s decision to take advantage of its popularity. The franchise has led to a successful live-action adaptation on Netflix, which has been green-lit for a second season.

H/T: IGN

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One Piece has officially returned from its surprising hiatus this Fall, and the manga’s newest chapter is really coming back big with the first full look at Elbaf Island itself after so many decades of build up. One Piece’s manga has been on an unfortunate break this Fall as not only did series creator Eiichiro Oda take some time to visit the set of Season 2 of Netflix’s One Piece live-action series, but then the creator had some poor health to deal with in the weeks since. Which means it’s been some time since there’s been a new chapter of the One Piece manga.

When we had last seen Luffy and the Straw Hats in action, Luffy and the original line up were scattered throughout an unknown part of Elbaf while the rest of the crew was steadily heading to its shores. But with the newest chapter of the series officially kicking off One Piece‘s long awaited Elbaf arc, One Piece Chapter 1132 also reveals the first full look at the giants’ home village on Elbaf island. You can check it out below as the island is touted to be even bigger than the scale seen in the chapters themselves.

The Straw Hats Finally Reunite on Elbaf

One Piece Chapter 1132 sees the Giants Pirates and the remaining Straw Hat crew members officially make their way onto Elbaf while riding a solid rainbow. They need to get to the top of a massive tree, and it turns out that Rainbows are as rideable as many of the other things fans have seen pirates set sail on over the course of the series already. It’s explained that Elbaf itself is broken up into three different levels, the Astral World, Sun World (where the Giants’ village is), and the Underworld. And as the Straw Hats make their way there, it turns out Luffy and the others are on the Sun World level as well.

Finding out that the rest of the crew is on the way, Luffy dodges Rodo with the help of two new giant allies, Gerd and Goldberg, who are actually friends of one of the self-proclaimed captains of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, Hajrudin. It’s soon enough that the Straw Hats then see the scope of the Giants’ village, and its the first full look at Elbaf that fans have gotten to see that really helps to emphasize just how big of an island it is if this is the home to the giants.

RELATED: A One Piece Train is in Development (And How You Can Hitch a Ride With The Straw Hats)

What’s Next for the Straw Hats on Elbaf?

It’s a moment that brings Usopp to tears as both he and Luffy realize that they have been wanting to come to this legendary island of giants since the events of the Little Garden arc. That might be only a few years of their time, but it’s been two decades of waiting for One Piece fans. It’s now starting to come into its full scope as Luffy and the Straw Hats reunited on the giant island, but Luffy and the others aren’t really worried about it at this point as the sense of adventure is taking over in full from here on out.

But just like every other island Luffy and the Straw Hats have visited on their journey thus far, there is likely something much more sinister going on that they will need to deal with. It could be an enemy already lurking within the island itself, or an opponent from the rest of the seas coming there to also seek their way towards the One Piece itself. But for now, Elbaf can be seen in its full glory.

The post One Piece Returns From Hiatus With First Full Look at Elbaf appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece fans are finally going to get some much needed relief soon as the manga is coming back from its surprise hiatus this Fall. It’s been a rough time to be a One Piece fan as while the anime, manga, and even live-action projects are far from over, it’s been an extended time without a new release from any of these avenues. One Piece‘s anime is taking a break for the time being before returning for the rest of the Egghead Arc next Spring, but the manga had to go on a surprisingly lengthy hiatus due to series creator’s Eiichiro Oda’s poor health.

One Piece Chapter 1132 was originally scheduled to make its debut with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on Sunday, November 17th before being hit with a surprising delay. This delay came from Shueisha’s editorial department as they noted Oda needed some extra time due to his health, and announced that the next chapter would instead be releasing on Sunday, December 1st. Thankfully, no further hiatus has been announced and One Piece Chapter 1132 is indeed hitting very soon and potentially keeping up its steady weekly release rate for the foreseeable future.

Why Did One Piece’s Manga Go on Break?

While Shueisha had suddenly announced the One Piece break in November, their latest update confirmed that Oda’s condition had been improving. Revealing in an official statement to fans, “’ONE PIECE‘ will be on hiatus in Weekly Shonen Jump issues 51 (on sale November 18th) and 52 (on sale November 25th) due to the author’s poor health. In addition, ‘ONE PIECE’ is featured in the table of contents and the questionnaire postcard of issue 51, but due to the printing process, we were unable to make the corrections in time. We apologize for this.”

Later then confirming the manga’s return with One Piece Chapter 1132 hitting in December as Oda seems to be back fully in action for the next issue of the magazine, “The continuation will be published in the first issue of Weekly Shonen Jump for the new year (on sale December 2nd). The teacher’s condition is now improving. Thank you very much.” Given that fans are more concerned about Oda’s health than the immediate continuation of the manga, this is a good sign that Oda is not working through poor health conditions just to get a new chapter out in time for the first 2025 labeled Shonen Jump issue.

RELATED: Dragon Ball 40th Anniversary Project Will End With One Piece Crossover

What to Know About One Piece’s Elbaf Arc

One Piece Chapter 1132 will be throwing fans right back into the thick of the Elbaf Arc. After building up the anticipation for the legendary island of giants for literal decades, Luffy and the Straw Hats have finally hit the shores of Elbaf. Things have gone off to a wild start as while the original Straw Hats are now scrambling through the island and evading giant foes, the other half of the crew is getting ready to hit the shores too with the rest of the giants’ crew.

Luffy has already crossed paths with a norse god named Loki, and it’s clear that the groundwork is being laid towards something huge. This arc has been built up for a long time, and with this bing the next step in the Final Saga of One Piece’s manga overall, this really is one of the final destinations before Luffy and the others can head to Laugh Tale. There are likely going to be some massive revelations important to the future of the series, so thankfully the manga is returning with its next chapter this Sunday. You can read One Piece Chapter 1132 with Viz Media’s digital Shonen Jump library or Shueisha’s MangaPlus service.

The post One Piece’s Manga Is Finally Coming Back From Hiatus appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Of the many villains that Monkey D. Luffy has faced in the history of One Piece, Charlotte Katakuri remains one of the fiercest antagonists this side of Kaido and Imu. Facing off against the Straw Hat Pirates during the Cake Island Arc, Big Mom’s son helped Luffy discover a brand new “Gear” thanks to their life or death fight. While Katakuri has been absent during the final saga of the swashbuckling shonen series, One Piece hasn’t forgotten one of its biggest villains to land on the Grand Line. A new birthday present has been given to anime fans which sees Katakuri front and center and you can check it out now.

From first glance, Katakuri is a terrifying pirate who is more than worthy of taking on any of the Straw Hats in a one-on-one duel. When examining his Devil Fruit powers however, anime fans might have been surprised when it was revealed what the Mochi Mochi no Mi allowed Charlotte to do on the battlefield. This unique Devil Fruit was one that allowed Katakuri to transform any part of his body into mochi, sharing similarities to Crocodile’s sand abilities and Eneru’s lightning powers. The mochi changing powers fit right into the Cake Island aesthetic and Katakuri had far more up his sleeve than his Devil Fruit as the villain had the ability to use all three type of Haki, an energy that is only utilized by a handful of pirates.

RELATED: One Piece’s Luffy Chases Disney Cruise Float at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New Viral Image

Happy Birthday Katakuri

Released on November 25th earlier this month, the new One Piece art recreates Katakuri’s dynamic fight against Luffy to help cap off the Cake Island Arc. Following this battle, Charlotte hasn’t been a part of the shonen series that much though his mother certainly wasted little time in making a comeback. Teaming up with Kaido during the Wano Arc, Big Mom became one of the Straw Hat Pirates’ biggest threats on the isolated nation but was seemingly killed following her defeat in the recent storyline.

A Live-Action Katakuri?

For those hoping to see Katakuri in Netflix’s One Piece adaptation, we might have some bad news for you. As the live-action series continues to stick closely to its source material, this would mean that Big Mom’s son would debut several seasons in the future as his original debut in the manga was in the 860th chapter. While it might be quite a ways off, Katakuri’s live-action iteration would be sure to make for an amazing portrayal if the showrunners are able to capture his intensity. Luckily, the second season of One Piece is already planning to bring some major Grand Line players into the “real world” for the first time.

So far, One Piece’s final saga is one that has seen the Straw Hat Pirates taking on the likes of Rob Lucci, the Five Elders, and many other threats that have arisen since their arrival on Egghead Island. While Katakuri has yet to make a return, it’s a safe bet that readers will see him at least one more time before the series sails off into the sunset. Certainly, with Big Mom seemingly having died, seeing her son’s reaction to his mother’s passing would make for an interesting emotional beat in relation to the mochi-changing villain.

Want to see what the future holds for Katakuri in the Grand Line? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post One Piece Celebrates Katakuri’s Birthday With Special Promo appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The “Dragon Ball Super Gallery” project is one that has seen countless manga creators from the industry recreate some of the most well-known crossovers from the legendary shonen series. To help celebrate the 40th anniversary of Son Goku and the Z-Fighters’ shonen introduction, anime fans have witnessed the creators of Naruto, Bleach, Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer, Spy x Family, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and more test out their skills. Like so many other anime projects, all good things much come to an end as the final cover of this long running project has been announced and none other than One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda will be taking the chance to end things with a bang.

To give you an idea of how long this project has been running, it first started in 2021 as Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the Seventh Hokage and the Hidden Leaf Village, got the ball rolling. For years, a brand new cover has been released monthly as some of the most talented, well-known manga artists have shared their takes on Akira Toriyama’s popular characters. There have been several times in the past that Oda has shared new takes on the Z-Fighters, with the manga artist routinely stating that the influence Toriyama had on his own work was immense, so it makes sense that he would vie to be the final collaborator on the project.

RELATED: One Piece Creator Pays Tribute to Akira Toriyama

Eiichiro Oda’s Dragon Ball Super

The latest entry for the Dragon Ball Super Gallery project was a cover created by artis tMasakazu Katsura, the creator of Video Girl Ai who took their chance to recreate an original Dragon Ball cover. While Eiichiro Oda’s cover choice remains a mystery, fans can expect it to arrive to ring in the new year to help in completing the long-running art project.

If you want to dive into a full blown anime adaptation of the Z-Fighters encountering the Straw Hat Pirates, we have good news for you. One Piece Episode 590, aka the installment that saw One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Toriko meet for the first time, is currently available to stream on Netflix and Crunchyroll. While no new crossovers have been confirmed, the Dragon Ball Super Gallery’s final cover is sure to see both franchises at their best.

Oda Talks Dragon Ball

In the past, Eiichiro Oda was more than willing to discuss how Dragon Ball influenced his work. When Dragon Ball Z originally ended for example, the One Piece creator was more than willing to share his thoughts regarding the end of the legendary series, “One Piece started in 1997, so just two years after Dragon Ball ended its run. It was a shock for all of us. All the newcomers were like ‘I want that spot!’, starting a period where everyone was competing against each other to fill the void left by Dragon Ball. Then after two years, everyone realized that comparing themselves to Dragon Ball was like asking to be defeated and somehow I managed to survive all of that.”

Oda continued, “At the time, Jump had lost both Dragon Ball and Slam Dunk and was heading into a historical low. The cover of the Jump that contained the first chapter of One Piece was featured in a newspaper that had “Magazine will overshadow Jump” as one of its titles. Not that it’s my fault or anything, but I remember feeling really frustrated.”

Want to stay up to date on when anime worlds collide? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest on Dragon Ball and One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via DBSHype

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Monkey D. Luffy is already eyeing up his replacement for The Thousand Sunny ship, as an image of this year’s annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has surfaced showing Luffy chasing the Disney Cruise float. The folks at Toei Animation teased their One Piece float yesterday in preparation for the Thanksgiving parade. The float depicts Luffy with his classic early look, sporting the classic red shirt and blue shorts with his signature straw hat. The tease yesterday showed Luffy during the inflation process, but fans have finally seen the float in action… and it’s ominous.

Held in the air by dozens of parade walkers, Toei Animation’s One Piece float shows Luffy about to fire off a Gum-Gum Pistol. But, an image is going viral online as the friendly Luffy looks like he’s targeting his Gum-Gum Pistol towards the Disney Cruise Ship float. Hilariously, the photo looks like Luffy is trying to claim the cruise ship as the next vessel in his fleet. How well would the Disney Cruise Ship hold up on the Grand Line?

RELATED: A One Piece Train is in Development (And How You Can Hitch a Ride With The Straw Hats)

One Piece’s Luffy Returns to NYC Behind Disney Cruise Line Parade Float

Over One Piece‘s 1122 episodes, Luffy and the Straw Hat crew have had to fight some tough opponents, like Kaido, Blackbeard, and Bartholemew Kuma, to name a few. But the crew of the Disney Cruise Ship could be the toughest foes yet. To claim the ship as his own, Luffy will need to defeat Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen single-handedly and Donald and Daisy Duck before moving on to their pirate captains, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

This is the second year running that Luffy has been featured as part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Last year’s parade showcased a very similar float, with Luffy sporting his iconic first look again, rather than the current Gear Fifth form. Check out the image below:

Anime Is Taking Over the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

As anime’s popularity in the US grows, the medium has found its way into our annual celebrations as well. Fans wear anime sweaters during the winter holiday, dress up as their favorite characters on Halloween. But now they can also watch giant balloon iterations of popular anime characters float ominously above them at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

This year saw three floats depicting characters from immensely popular anime. As well as the aforementioned float of Luffy, Goku saluted viewers as he floated through New York. The float depicted Goku in his signature orange gi. Although, unlike previous floats which showed off his Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan fluorescent blue hair, this year’s showed Goku with his natural black hair. The float looked amazing, and left fans were expectedly looking at the subsequent floats thinking, “Could they beat Goku?”

The anime procession was rounded out by most people’s introduction to anime: Pokémon. The float featured (arguably) the two most recognizable Pokémon ever created, Pikachu and Eevee. The creatures rode atop a Pokéball snow sled, with Pikachu wearing a winter scarf and Eevee wearing a red Santa hat.

For more anime updates from this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, follow Team Anime on ComicBook.com.

The post One Piece’s Luffy Chases Disney Cruise Float at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New Viral Image appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Straw Hat Pirates are taking over the world. Thanks to the continuing popularity of the anime adaptation, the original manga, and the Netflix live-action adaptation, Luffy’s quest to become the king of the pirates is becoming well known even outside of the usual anime fandom. While One Piece’s popularity grows in North America, the Straw Hats grasp on Japan remains constant. With One Piece cafes, One Piece gyms, and various other One Piece attractions sprouting up in the country, Japan is going one step further with a new bullet train in 2025 that is fashioned to honor the Grand Line.

The new One Piece train is actually the “Sanyo Shinkansen,” a high speed rail train in Japan that first hit the tracks in 1972. As a part of this collaboration, three trains will be adorned with the Straw Hats, along with unique merchandise that will honor the unique partnership. This 2025 collab is far from the first time that we’ve seen Eiichiro Oda’s creation hop onto the tracks as in 2023, the “Sunny Train” helped to make a locomotive into the Straw Hats current mode of conveyance. Even though the shonen series is in its final saga, Luffy and the gang are still finding new ways to burst onto the scene.

RELATED: Viral Photo Shows One Piece Bringing Together Strangers on a Train

The One Piece Train Is About To Leave The Station

Here’s how the shonen franchise describes its upcoming real world collaboration, “Sandwiched between the sea and the mountains, the Sanyo area is blessed with plenty of natural blessings. There were once pirates on these seas, and they have nurtured the history and culture of the region. Even now, this place is full of dreams and adventure.
And the Shinkansen connects the various regions. And they have begun to gather there!
In search of the region’s unique treasures. In search of scenery and friends that can only be found there. For a feast that can only be enjoyed here. The Straw Hat Pirates, the important friends and rivals they met on their journey, and the dreams they aspire to. Dye the Shinkansen blue with the color of adventure. A colorful and unique adventure begins!”

You can check out the first concepts for the train from One Piece’s official social media account below. While the official launch date for the One Piece train has yet to be unveiled, fans in Japan should prepare to see the train moving along in Osaka, Hyogo, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, and Fukuoka to name a few.

The One Piece Finale Is Roaring In

One Piece has recently made some big headlines thanks to its final saga. As the Straw Hat Pirates work toward making their dreams come true, they’ve already had some of their biggest battles in the series to date on Future Island. Fighting the Five Elders helped to show just how much the odds are against Luffy and his crew and there are sure to be bigger and badder opponents on the way.

Unfortunately, the anime adaptation has had to take a break from Egghead Island to give animators a break, though the series did still have a fun plan for viewers. Currently, the television show is recreating the Fishman Island Arc with a fresh coat of paint, presenting audiences with a brand new take on an old classic.

Want to see what the Straw Hat Pirates have in store for the future? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest on Luffy and company and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post A One Piece Train is in Development (And How You Can Hitch a Ride With The Straw Hats) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Anime is only growing with each passing year as the advance of technology and the options for readers to enjoy some of their favorite titles only becomes easier. While Japan remains the starting point for manga and anime alike, North America and countries all over the world are helping to boost numbers for countless manga series. In a new report from Oricon, an outlet that specializes in sales reports, it has been revealed which manga titles have hit the top of the charts for 2024 so far. With only one month remaining in the year, things might change, though the top ten as of now might be fairly set in stone minus any big fluctuations in the final hour.

While manga has always had a hold in the “physical world”, offering printed publications that fans can order at their leisure, apps and the internet have helped to introduce countless new fans to stories that they might otherwise never hop into. For example, Viz Media has routinely been releasing new chapters for some of their biggest properties as titles like Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Chainsaw Man, One Piece, and more offer weekly releases. Shueisha isn’t the only company that is offering freebies for manga enthusiasts however as publishers such as Kodansha, Yen Press, and more do the same. Manga might have been considered niche in years past, but the anime world is becoming more main stream with each passing year.

RELATED: Jujutsu Kaisen Kickstarts Countdown Ahead of Final Volume Drop

Manga’s Biggest Titles For 2024

It might not come as a surprise to learn that Jujutsu Kaisen has once again taken the top spot, especially considering what took place this year. Creator Gege Akutami ended the story of Yuji Itadori and his fellow students at Jujutsu Tech, giving the supernatural shonen series a major shot in the arm when it comes to overall sales. While One Piece will seemingly always be a mainstay in the manga world, netting the second spot for top sales in 2024, the series that introduced us to to Satoru Gojo cannot be stopped. You can check out the top ten selling manga below:

1. Jujutsu Kaisen – 7,610,995
2. One Piece – 5,250,210
3. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – 4,988,170
4. The Apothecary Diaries – 4,723,562
5. Blue Lock – 3,881,269
6. Kaiju No. 8 – 3,398,326
7. Kingdom – 3,234,204
8. Haikyuu!! – 3,077,085
9. My Hero Academia – 2,943,985
10. Spy x Family – 2,662,408

A Big Year For Endings

On top of Jujutsu Kaisen releasing its final chapter, My Hero Academia also brought its story to a close, though this wasn’t enough seemingly to place Deku and company in the top five. What makes this all the more surprising is that Haikyu, a series that came to an end in 2020, is still hitting the top ten years following its conclusion. This of course is most likely thanks to the release of the first of its final two films, Haikyu: The Dumpster Battle, which took the Japanese box office by storm.

Readers might also be surprised to see the likes of The Apothecary Diaries and Kingdom on the list, and while these have a strong fanbase in the West, these properties are far more popular in Eastern countries. With 2025 set to introduce fans to new anime series like Sakomoto Days, it will be interesting to see what the top ten list looks like when we swing back around in three hundred and sixty five days.

Want to stay up to date on anime’s continued overtaking of the world? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things manga and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via Oricon

The post 2024’s Highest Selling Manga Revealed (And You Might Be Surprised At The List) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s creator has shared a new update on Season 2 of the live-action series with Netflix, and hypes that the next season will “surpass” Season 1. Netflix has been hard at work with One Piece Season 2 since production started in full earlier this Summer, and ever since fans have steadily gotten to see many of the new faces added to the cast for the new arcs. But as the series gets closer to its eventual release, One Piece’s set recently got a visit from series creator Eiichiro Oda himself. And thankfully, the creator has walked away with a positive response to what he had seen.

One Piece’s manga went on hiatus earlier this year as Eiichiro Oda made a visit to the set of Netflix’s live-action series, and the creator has shared a new update with fans about how the visit went. Along with praising all of the cast and crew involved with the project, along with the new cast additions added for Season 2, Oda then teased that this new season was going to “surpass” Season 1 when it hits. He also shared some photos from the set (with Oda’s face obscured of course) that you can see here on X.

What Did Oda Think of One Piece Season 2?

“I went to South Africa!! Cape Town is where the Netflix live-action show is being filmed!!,” Oda’s message to fans begins. “I got to see first hand the hard work of so many crew members across various fields!! The sets? Huge! The attention to detail? Insane! The crew’s love for the project? Off the charts!! And the food? Amazing!! Now I feel an even greater sense of responsibility given my role.” As Oda continued his message to fans, he also opened up about meeting the newest additions to the cast face to face for the real first time.

Oda then explained that meeting these new additions confirmed they were the “perfect” choices for their characters, “I also managed to speak with not only the returning cast from Season 1 but also each of the new cast members. My own casting selections were made from Japan over photos and videos, but seeing them all in person convinced me: ‘They were absolutely the perfect choice!!!’ The vibe on set was just the best, too! Trust me, this is going to surpass Season 1! Stay turned for Season 2!”

RELATED: Here’s How Chopper Could Look in One Piece Season 2

What to Know for Netflix’s One Piece Season 2?

One Piece series creator Eiichiro Oda previously confirmed that the live-action series will next be tackling the Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Cape), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island arcs from the original manga with its coming episode. The release window or date for Season 2 has yet to be announced as of the time of this publication, but production for the new episodes has been in full swing since earlier this Summer.

There have been a ton of names added to the cast over the last few months with the likes of Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9, Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine, David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, Clive Russell as Crocus, Werner Coetser as Dorry, Brendan Murray as Brogy, Callum Kerr as Smoker, Julia Rehwald as Tashigi, Rob Colletti as Wapol, Ty Keogh as Dalton, Katey Sagal as Dr. Kureha, Mark Harelik as Dr. Hiriluk, Sendhil Ramamurthy as Cobra Nefertari, Charitha Chandran as Vivi Nefertari, Lera Abova as Nico Robin, and Joe Manganiello as Sir Crocodile. But full looks at their various costumes and makeovers have yet to be shared.

The post One Piece Creator Hypes Season 2 Will “Surpass” Season 1 With New Update appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the anime with the best anime special it’s ever released, and now fans in the United States and Canada can watch One Piece Fan Letter completely for free for a limited time. The One Piece anime production team might currently be on hiatus until next Spring in order to better prepare for what’s coming next in the Egghead Arc, there’s still plenty to enjoy from the anime in the interim. As a way to send off the series for this historic hiatus, One Piece released a unique special showing a new side of the Straw Hats through others’ eyes.

One Piece Fan Letter is a new special that reimagines the events of the Straw Hats’ reunion at the Sabaody Archipelago through the eyes of everyday people in the area, and with it revealed just how big of an impact Luffy and his crew have had on the rest of the world through the two years that they’ve spent training after Marineford. It was rated as one of the best anime specials of all time, not even just with One Piece alone, and now fans in the United States and Canada can check it out for free with YouTube until December 1st. Check it out in the video above.

What Is One Piece Fan Letter?

Directed by Megumi Ishitani, One Piece Fan Letter adapts material from the One Piece Novel: Straw Hat Stories spinoff novel written by Tomohito Ohsaki. It’s been recognized as an official piece of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece timeline as it doesn’t really shake up anything that had happened before. Instead, it reveals the events of the Straw Hats’ reunion on Saboady through the eyes of other people who were in the area. Through their eyes, we got to see how big of an impact Luffy has actually had as a member of the Worst Generation.

The anime special showcases not only Saboady, but also the war at Marineford. While Luffy suffered a great loss during the war, he was only one of the many people involved with it. Through the special, fans got to see what some of the regular humans had experienced while watching all of the Devil Fruit enhanced struggles around them. It was just as destructive as you’d imagine, and it’s why it’s been such a hit with fans. It’s a whole new side to the long running franchise.

RELATED: One Piece: Fan Letter May Be the Anime’s Best Episode Ever

What’s Next for the One Piece Anime?

One Piece is now in the works on returning for the next phase of the Egghead Arc of the anime. This is the first arc for the Final Saga of Eiichiro Oda’s long running series overall, and thus is one step closer to bringing Luffy and the Straw Hats to the legendary One Piece treasure itself. When the anime last aired, fans were also treated to what was happening in the rest of the seas as Garp battled enemies on Blackbeard’s home base of Beehive and is now left in the balance.

Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats are now scrambling through Dr. Vegapunk’s future island laboratory, and they are trying to escape with the scientist before the Marines approach and cause even more chaos throughout. It’s going to be a scramble to escape when One Piece returns, and fans will get to see the anime’s new episodes airing some time in April 2025. But a release date for the new episodes have yet to be announced as of the time of this publication.

The post One Piece’s Best Episode Ever Is Now Free to Watch For Limited Time appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece is now in production on Season 2 of the live-action series with Netflix, and the new actress behind Nico Robin has shared a promising update on how that’s all coming along as she’s wrapped her part in the new season. One Piece‘s live-action series was a massive hit when it first hit Netflix last year, so it was no surprise to find out that the series would be continuing with a new season. This new season has been in the midst of filming since earlier this Summer, and the new cast has been ready to take on their respective roles.

There are some key characters making their debut in the coming season, and the one One Piece fans are especially excited to see is Nico Robin, who will be brought to life be Lera Abova in Season 2 of the Netflix live-action series. She was officially added to the cast earlier this Fall, and according to a new update shared with fans on Instagram, Abova has already wrapped her part in filming for the series. Sharing with the following caption, “issa wrap! last manic sunday for now. capetown has been magical,” this means One Piece Season 2 is now one big step closer to its eventual worldwide debut with Netflix.

What Will Nico Robin Be Up To in One Piece Season 2?

One Piece Season 2 will be kicking off Luffy and the Straw Hats’ initial journey into the Grand Line with its next wave of episodes. One Piece series creator Eiichiro Oda previously confirmed that the live-action series will next be tackling the Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Cape), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island arcs from the original manga with its episodes. This has already been corroborated with many of the new faces added to the cast over the year, and Robin plays a small role in setting up what’s next.

One Piece‘s live-action series has already made changes to how the original version of the events played out during the first season, and that’s likely going to continue. While Robin doesn’t play a huge role in any of these arcs as one of the members of Baroque Works, there’s a chance that the Netflix series could be expanding her place in it all as fans will likely want to see much more of her as soon as potentially possible.

RELATED: Here’s How Chopper Could Look in One Piece Season 2

When Will One Piece Season 2 Release on Netflix?

As for when the new season will hit, unfortunately Netflix has yet to announce a release window or date for One Piece Season 2 as of the time of this publication. The first season was in the works for nearly a decade before its eventual premiere, but it’s unlikely that this second season will take as long before it makes its debut. Oda himself is very involved with the production (to the point where the manga has gone on hiatus as a result), so it’s likely it’ll be a speedier turnaround this time around.

If the members of the cast are already wrapping up their respective time with the series, it’s really only a matter of time before we get to see the new season. If things continue to go smoothly and this current production schedule holds strong, then One Piece Season 2 will likely hit Netflix in early 2026. We might get lucky and see the new episodes before the end of 2025, but it’s more likely we’ll start to see trailers and promotional materials instead next year as we wait for its 2026 return.

The post Netflix’s One Piece: Nico Robin Actress Shares Promising Update on Season 2 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It has been rough seas for One Piece fans in the past twenty-four hours as the shonen franchise announced that creator Eiichiro Oda was having some health issues. While the specifics of what these issues were was not revealed, the anime world felt shockwaves as they grappled with the implications of the prospective illness. In a new social media update, the shonen franchise has dropped some big news surrounding Oda and the status of the Straw Hat Pirates’ manga to boot. Needless to say, if you’re a fan of the Grand Line, this news is something that you will want to check out.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that creator Eiichiro Oda was taking a break from One Piece thanks to health-related issues. In the past, Oda’s work schedule has been a thing to marvel at as the mangaka has spent countless hours toiling away on creating the Grand Line. The manga artist would routinely tout the fact that he would work endless hours without breaks but this schedule would come at a cost. Oda himself has had to take time away from One Piece in the past, noting issues such as high blood pressure, but this time around, the hiatus was shrouded in mystery.

RELATED: One Piece Comments on Eiichiro Oda’s Poor Health Following Hiatus Announcement

Eiichiro Oda’s Health Status

One Piece’s official social media account confirmed that Eiichiro Oda’s health is “improving” which is sure to be fantastic news for fans of the creator and his works. The shonen franchise also confirmed the status of the manga itself and when we can expect it to make a comeback. Unsurprisingly, manga readers are still going to need to wait a little longer to see the Straw Hat Pirates return to their final saga.

“”ONE PIECE” will be on hiatus in Weekly Shonen Jump issues 51 (on sale November 18th) and 52 (on sale November 25th) due to the author’s poor health. In addition, “ONE PIECE” is featured in the table of contents and the questionnaire postcard of issue 51, but due to the printing process, we were unable to make the corrections in time. We apologize for this. The continuation will be published in the first issue of Weekly Shonen Jump for the new year (on sale December 2nd). The teacher’s condition is now improving. Thank you very much.”

One Piece’s Future

Eiichiro Oda has been working like a mad man in recent years, not just on the manga but on Netflix’s live-action adaptation as well. In fact, the manga artist recently confirmed that he was taking time off from penning the series to work more diligently on the live-action series, since he is currently acting as Executive Producer for the upcoming second season. Considering that season two will focus on locales like Loguetown, Little Garden, Drum Island, and introduce Luffy and company to Tony Tony Chopper, it makes sense that Oda would want to dedicate time to making sure the series hits all its high notes.

One Piece’s manga, as mentioned earlier, is in the throes of its final saga. Thanks to this, Oda has been dropping some major reveals as the Straw Hats inch their way to achieving their dreams and finally discovering just what the One Piece treasure is. As the pieces on the board that is the Grand Line assemble, Luffy is going to have plenty more fights to deal with before the final chapter.

Want to stay updated on the Straw Hat Pirates and their creator? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post One Piece Shares New Updates on Creator’s Health (And What This Means For The Future) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Hiatuses are nothing new in the manga world. There are times when creators need to take a step back from the popular worlds that they have created due to any number of circumstances and the same can be said of Eiichiro Oda and One Piece. Unfortunately, following a recent announcement regarding a break in the manga’s release schedule, the official publishers of One Piece, Shueisha, have some bad news regarding not just the Straw Hat Pirates’ story but the current health of the manga artist who created them. Needless to say, this news might send shockwaves through the anime world.

When Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama passed away earlier this year, Eiichiro Oda took this news to heart. In the past, the One Piece creator has stated that his blood pressure is something that he needs to keep an eye on. In fact, Oda confirmed that his doctor would send him his blood pressure numbers “every day” to make sure that he was knowledgable on his health status. Despite this, Oda had also stated that this was not something to worry about, sharing that “an ideal blood pressure can’t always be applied to everyone and so there is no problem.” While Oda’s current health issues are not revealed to be related to his blood pressure, the official statement from Shueisha might have fans biting their finger nails.

Eiichiro Oda’s Health Status

In an official statement from the Shonen Jump Editorial Department, the publishers both confirmed the hiatus and the current health issues facing Eiichiro Oda, “Thank you for always reading One Piece. Because of the author’s poor physical health condition, One Piece will take a break in this week’s issue. We deeply apologize to all the readers who were looking forward to it.”

Shueisha then took the chance to confirm One Piece’s future plans, “Although One Piece is listed in this issue’s postcard and table of contents due to printing schedules, we were unable to make the correction in time. Once again, we deeply apologize. The series is scheduled to resume in the next issue, New Year’s issue #1 (On Sale December 2nd). Thank you for your continued support of One Piece.”

Will The One Piece Be Revealed?

It’s no secret that One Piece is currently in its end game, though this news might have fans nervous for the future. Eiichiro Oda has a clear plan for what the secret treasure is, having revealed what it is to editors in the past. On countless occasions, the manga artist has explained his extreme work schedule in making the world of the Grand Line come to life, so it might be wise to take a step back considering the sheer amount of work he has had on his plate.

Recently, Oda revealed that he would be taking a break from the manga to work even more on the Netflix live-action adaptation, leaving many fans to wonder if he was potentially burning the candle at both ends. Anime fans have seen far too many creators adversely affected by rigorous work schedues, so we hope that Oda takes his health extremely seriously and takes the time needed to bounce back. With the anime currently on hiatus now in relation to the Future Island Arc, we’ll be sure to keep you posted on the future of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Want to stay updated on the world of One Piece and its creator? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Straw Hat Pirates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via X

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One Piece is now working its way through a new arc of the manga, and it’s getting Nico Robin ready for what’s next with a makeover that brings back her best look that she hasn’t had since before the time skip. One Piece is finally setting foot into Elbaf with the newest chapters of the series, and this legendary island of the giants is finally making its appearance after years of being teased. While this is a huge occasion for fans, it’s an even bigger one for the Straw Hats as they themselves have been wanting to get to Elbaf for quite a while.

It’s a huge deal for Nico Robin most of all, however. Robin is on the cusp of reuniting with someone she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl escaping from Ohara, and it’s putting her through all sorts of complicated emotions as she gets closer to the island itself. The newest chapter of One Piece sees the Straw Hats readying to land, and Robin is getting ready for what’s next by giving herself a new makeover that brings back a classic look. She’s got her bangs back! She hasn’t had those since before the New World Saga.

Robin’s Classic Look Returns in One Piece

One Piece Chapter 1131 picks up to reveal that while Luffy and the original Straw Hat crew line up are already on Elbaf causing chaos, the newest chapter of the series updates fans on the rest of the crew. They are still in the seas outside of Elbaf and have been making their way to the island with the confidence that Luffy and the others would join up with them eventually. And to pass the time, Robin has asked Brook for help with a new haircut for the occasion.

Although he had never cut a woman’s hair before (and was thus very nervous about it), Robin was very much happy with the end result. It’s a look that Franky immediately points out that it’s one she hasn’t had in ages, and Robin’s completely loving the makeover. She did it because it’s the look that she originally met Saul with back as a girl on Ohara, and she’s been excited to reunite with him on Elbaf as he actually has been hiding out on the giants’ home ever since he made his escape back then. It could tease a big shift for Robin herself moving forward as well.

What Does This Mean for Robin?

Robin hasn’t had this look since the Straw Hats first landed on the Saobody Archipelago nearly 16 years ago. This was when Luffy and the Straw Hats were handily dealt a defeat, and were spread across the seas by Kuma’s power. It was then that Luffy decided that in order for the crew to be really ready for what’s next in the New World, they needed to train for the next two years in their own respective ways to then be much stronger when they reunited.

Each of the characters had debuted new looks, and Robin has now returned to her look from before. Robin’s early look is often held in higher regard than her post-time skip one, so this is a pretty big deal. It’s hopefully going to help Robin fill in some of the emotional gaps that she’s had since everything happened on Ohara, and is a step forward in hopefully teasing a much bigger role for her from here on out. As Robin has been teased as one of the most important characters in the series overall when it comes to the One Piece itself, she’s about to get a much larger focus.

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