One Piece on Crunchyroll Won’t Be Free Anymore Soon

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As a longtime fan of One Piece who’s spent countless hours sailing the Grandline with Luffy and his crew, I must admit that this latest news from Crunchyroll has left me feeling like a fish out of water. The idea of paying for every episode beyond the first 206 feels like a step back from the freedom we pirates have enjoyed for years.

Starting soon, Crunchyroll is transitioning “One Piece” into a new phase. They’ve confirmed with IGN that access to the series’ over 1000 episodes won’t be available on their free, ad-supported service anymore. Instead, all “One Piece” episodes will now fall under Crunchyroll’s paid Premium tier. This means fans will have to subscribe to enjoy their beloved pirate crew sailing through the eccentric Grandline seas. Luckily for fans, Crunchyroll won’t immediately move every episode of “One Piece” into the Premium tier all at once.

Starting December 23rd, certain “One Piece” episodes will be shifted from free access to Premium on the streaming service. Initially, Crunchyroll will migrate the episodes covering the Water 7, Ennies Lobby, Thriller Bark, Summit War, and Fishman Island arcs. On January 20th, 2025, they’ll move another batch of episodes, including Punk Hazard, Dressrosa, Zou, and Whole Cake Island arcs to Premium. Finally, on February 17th, 2025, the remaining episodes covering the Reverie, Wano, and Egghead Island arcs will be transferred.

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

Great news! The first 206 episodes of One Piece, spanning the East Blue, Alabasta, and Sky Island arcs, will remain on Crunchyroll‘s free, ad-supported tier. However, fans have only about three months left to watch the entire series for free as these episodes will eventually require a subscription to Crunchyroll’s Premium tier. The most affordable Premium option for One Piece fans is the $7.99 Fan tier.

Why Would Crunchyroll Not Make One Piece Free Anymore?

For quite some time now, “One Piece” has been freely accessible on Crunchyroll. The shift of “One Piece” from their free service to Premium by Crunchyroll is explained as a means to deliver an exceptional viewing experience to subscribers. While these words might sound empty for those who can’t afford the monthly subscription fee, it’s worth noting that the company has allowed fans enough time to follow the series before moving it away from their free service entirely.

One Piece isn’t exclusively available for streaming on Crunchyroll; it can also be found on Netflix and Hulu. However, what makes Crunchyroll unique is that it offers every single episode of the series, including the latest ones aired in Japan. In contrast, Netflix and Hulu only provide certain episodes up to a specific point. Therefore, if you’re aiming to follow the entire One Piece saga, your best bet would be Crunchyroll.

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As a devoted fan, I’ve noticed that my experience with Crunchyroll has been evolving, much like a favorite anime series unfolding new episodes. Lately, there have been some significant shifts – an increase in subscription fees for the Mega and Ultimate Fan tiers and the elimination of the comment section. While these changes might initially seem challenging, I’m choosing to see them as steps towards an even more immersive viewing experience.

One Piece is a popular manga and anime series that chronicles the escapades of Luffy and his dedicated team as they traverse the bizarre seas of the Grandline in pursuit of the legendary treasure called One Piece. This franchise, which has achieved global success, prompted Crunchyroll to capitalize on its popularity. The series has also sparked a successful live-action adaptation on Netflix, with plans for a second season already underway.

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2024-12-03 01:09