One Piece’s Best Director Bids Farewell to the Anime

After a long hiatus, the much-anticipated comeback of “One Piece” has begun with Episode 1123 marking the start of part two of the Egghead Arc. Alongside captivating new opening and closing themes and a fresh voice for Franky, the anime adaptation of “One Piece” is back, led by a brand-new team, including a new series director. Although it’s customary for “One Piece” to welcome a new director with each new arc, the anime recently said goodbye to its most exceptional director to date, who was instrumental in revolutionizing the Wano Arc and forever transforming the way we perceive “One Piece’s” animation.

The second half of the Egghead Arc in One Piece has come back with a fresh director, Wataru Matsumi taking over from Tatsuya Nagamine who led the series throughout the Wano Arc and the initial phase of the Egghead Arc (episodes 892-1122). Given the significant improvement in quality seen during the Wano Arc, it would be an understatement to say that Tatsuya Nagamine left a lasting impression on the show and set high standards that the anime is still striving to meet. Though Nagamine’s departure from One Piece marks the end of an era, fans can take comfort in knowing that the new series director, Wataru Matsumi, is capable and his creative vision for the series is already showing potential in the latest episode.

One Piece’s Wano Arc Director Makes Way For A New Promising Director

Even though “One Piece” has been airing for decades, the Wano Arc stands out as the series’ masterpiece, boasting significant enhancements in various aspects of its animation. This includes the overall art style, character designs, scene compositions, and even the color schemes. The exceptional quality of the Wano Arc is largely credited to Tatsuya Nagamine, who many fans hope will maintain the high-quality animation standard for the series in the future. Indeed, Nagamine served as the series director throughout the Egghead Arc until the break, delivering numerous awe-inspiring episodes up until its conclusion. Consequently, it’s not surprising that fans might feel uneasy about his departure.

Nonetheless, the quality of “One Piece” anime is evident even without Nagamine’s involvement. The new series director, Wataru Matsumi, has already showcased his vision in the stunning new opening theme for “One Piece”, which he not only directed but also storyboarded. Matsumi has previously overseen episodes featuring Kid’s battle against Shanks and the fight against the Seraphim on Egghead. Additionally, he is known for his work on Zoro’s awe-inspiring duel with King during the Wano Arc, ensuring that the captivating essence of Wano will persist in future episodes.

One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

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2025-04-06 03:40