One Piece’s Big Anime Return Is a Huge Disappointment

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For over 26 years, new episodes of the One Piece anime have aired every Sunday with only rare interruptions. However, starting this year, the show switched to a seasonal release schedule, ending a long-standing tradition. This change was made with hopes of improving the anime’s quality. Previously, Toei Animation adapted only one or a few chapters of the manga per episode to avoid overtaking the source material, which kept the anime and manga storylines relatively separate.

The anime’s storytelling began to slow down, with episodes feeling drawn out even when they should have covered more ground. When the series returned with a new format – 26 episodes a year divided into two parts – fans hoped for a faster pace, particularly as the story reached its climax and important plotlines were coming up. Unfortunately, the anime hasn’t fixed its previous pacing problems and has even added new ones, which could be disappointing for viewers.

One Piece’s Big Anime Return Comes With Old and New Issues

With Episode 1156, One Piece is back and the animation quality has noticeably improved, looking sharper and more polished – a benefit of the extra time spent in production. However, the anime still adapts about one chapter of the manga per episode, so the pacing remains uneven. Certain scenes are drawn out, and Toei Animation continues to focus on side stories that don’t really add to the main plot – a familiar issue for fans. Now, with the change of seasons, a new problem has emerged.

The anime will now release only 26 episodes each year, meaning it will adapt fewer chapters from the original manga. This means fans will have to wait even longer to see the story move forward, and the show will likely continue to have pacing problems. While the anime previously released more episodes overall, even with occasional pauses, it moved through the manga at a faster rate. Unfortunately, this issue hasn’t been fixed with the show’s return and will now take even longer to resolve.

While the new, slower release schedule might be frustrating, it does mean fans can enjoy One Piece for a longer period. However, those hoping for a faster-paced anime will likely be disappointed, and will have to wait years for the planned remake, as production is expected to be a lengthy process.

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2026-04-09 15:10