After 26 Years, Today Marks the Biggest End of an Era for the Anime Industry

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Anime has exploded in popularity recently, but this success is the result of years of growth. Today marks the end of a major era: the long-running anime series One Piece. Debuting in October 1999, One Piece has consistently released new episodes every Sunday for over 25 years, with only occasional breaks. Produced by Toei Animation, One Piece is one of the most popular Shonen Jump anime and a truly massive anime series overall, having reached over 1,000 episodes since its weekly release began in 1999.

For twenty years, the anime experienced occasional pauses but always came back to continue its story. Recently, the studio announced a new plan: starting next year, episodes will be released seasonally instead of weekly. While this change was needed to fix some ongoing problems with the show, it means the end of its consistent weekly releases. This is a significant shift for anime fans, who were used to getting new episodes all year round.

One Piece Anime Brings Its Generational Run to an End Today

Today’s episode 1155 of One Piece effectively concludes what many consider the anime’s first major story arc, a run that’s been captivating audiences since 1999. It was surprising to see such a long-running and iconic series adopt a traditional seasonal release schedule. However, Toei Animation announced during a recent livestream that starting next year, as the anime begins adapting the Elbaph arc, it will move to this model, releasing 26 episodes annually in two parts. The primary reason for this change is to allow more production time and improve the overall quality of the animation.

While this change was unavoidable, it marks the end of an extraordinary run for the One Piece anime – a run that may never be seen again. As the leading series for Shonen Jump, One Piece wasn’t just popular; it consistently strengthened the magazine’s position and helped launch numerous other anime and manga. Its creator, Eiichiro Oda, has become a huge inspiration to other artists, and One Piece’s long-lasting success has clearly influenced series like My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and many others that show its impact.

For over 26 years, new episodes of One Piece aired every week, building a complex and engaging story that kept fans hooked. The show also consistently improved in quality, with recent seasons boasting impressive animation and production. However, maintaining this high standard required significant time and effort. After 1,165 episodes and a remarkable run of weekly releases with only brief pauses, the historic weekly broadcast of One Piece concluded on December 28, 2025, making way for new ways to enjoy the series in the future.

What’s Next for One Piece Anime?

As a huge One Piece fan, I was a little sad to hear that this incredible era of the story is wrapping up, but honestly, the anime is still going strong! We’re getting new episodes in April 2026, and they’ll be covering the Elbaph arc, which is a massive storyline happening right now in the manga and is building to something huge. There’s a lot of buzz that Elbaph will lead right into the final war of the series, though the manga hasn’t given us any hints that the very end is near. Because of this, and with the new way they’re planning seasons, it sounds like the anime might actually go on longer than the manga itself! I’m so excited to see how it all unfolds.

It’s unclear exactly how long the One Piece anime will run, but it doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon. With the recent switch to releasing new seasons periodically, it’s even possible the series could continue until 2030. This change signals the end of the anime’s long, weekly releases, but also promises a return in a new format. Ultimately, this seasonal approach might actually help the show last even longer and create an even bigger legacy.

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2025-12-28 18:14