One Piece Confirms It’s Going to Fix the Anime’s Biggest Problem With New Schedule

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The One Piece anime is changing its release schedule next year, and the creators say this will address a long-standing issue with the series. 2026 is set to be a big year for One Piece, with a new season of the live-action adaptation coming to Netflix and the anime itself entering a new phase. Having aired consistently for 26 years, One Piece has been delivering weekly episodes since it began.

I’ve noticed things have gotten a bit tricky for One Piece recently. The story is becoming more complex, and the creators are really pushing themselves to make certain parts incredibly detailed. After a six-month delay – a first for the series – the Egghead Arc will wrap up this year. Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, One Piece is switching to a seasonal release schedule, and they’re aiming for a much closer adaptation of the manga. Hopefully, that means no more filler episodes or extended breaks!

What’s One Piece’s Current Biggest Problem?

The main issue with the One Piece anime is its pacing. Episodes often cover only a portion of a manga chapter, and sometimes stretch out scenes beyond what’s in the original source material. This has been happening since the beginning, driven by the show’s weekly release schedule. The animators needed to create a new episode every week without getting too far ahead of the manga’s ongoing story, so they deliberately created some distance between the two.

Over time, the anime has frequently used delaying tactics. These have included adding entirely new storylines, showing scenes not present in the original manga, and airing recap episodes to give the production team more time. The recent six-month break for the Egghead Arc was the most significant example of this. While the anime has still produced excellent episodes despite this pressure, this approach isn’t viable long-term. It’s time for the anime to adapt to meet current industry standards.

The creators of One Piece have announced a change to how new episodes will be released. Instead of releasing episodes continuously, they’ll now follow a seasonal schedule with 26 episodes each year, divided into two parts. This is a common practice for many popular anime series, including other shows from Shonen Jump, and is being done to help the One Piece team maintain a healthy work pace. The breaks between seasons will give the staff time to get ahead, similar to the six-month pause they took earlier this year.

This New Schedule Will Fix One Piece’s Pacing

The new schedule for One Piece won’t mean fewer story developments. Ryuta Koike, a producer on the anime, explained that switching to two seasons (cours) per year was a deliberate choice to help the anime improve and evolve. While there will be fewer episodes overall, each episode will now cover more material from the manga.

Originally, the anime adapted about 4 to 5 volumes of the manga per 11 or 12 episodes. With the upcoming two-part season format, the creators plan to include more of the manga’s story and improve the show’s rhythm and speed, all while maintaining the high-quality animation fans have come to expect. The team found the weekly release schedule challenging, but they believe the new format will be much easier to manage as the series moves forward.

It’s still unclear how the One Piece anime will look with its new production schedule and faster pace. After running for 26 years, it’s hard to predict what changes the team will make. However, we can expect each episode to be packed with action, likely cutting out the usual recaps, credits, and filler. This new approach also means the anime won’t need to artificially slow down the story to avoid overtaking the manga, which was sometimes a problem before.

This update is a positive step, and we’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your opinion in the comments below and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-10-29 16:13