In a surprising change, the creators of the One Piece anime have announced that starting in 2026, only 26 new episodes will be released each year. One Piece was one of the few remaining anime series that aired continuously for many years, so this feels like a major turning point and the end of a long-standing tradition.
As a huge One Piece fan, I was so excited to hear about the potential shift to a seasonal release schedule – it’s something we’ve all been hoping for! But honestly, while the idea sounds amazing, there are some catches that are really bringing me down. It’s tough not to feel a little disappointed when you dig into the details.
Why One Piece’s New Format Is Still Disappointing
When it was announced that One Piece would move to a seasonal release schedule, fans were initially thrilled. However, that excitement diminished when it became clear the anime would continue to adapt roughly one chapter of the manga per episode, even with the new format.
For years, fans have criticized the slow pace of the One Piece anime. The hope was that releasing episodes seasonally would give the animators time to add more detail and content to each episode, distancing it slightly from the manga. However, the anime continues to adapt the manga in the same way, failing to address the pacing issues, which is quite disappointing.
Why One Piece’s New Schedule Is The Best Thing For The Anime
While it’s frustrating that One Piece isn’t fixing its slow pacing, the new seasonal format will include original scenes and flesh out parts of the story that weren’t fully developed in the manga. The anime has been doing a good job with these added scenes lately, so it’s encouraging to think this will continue.
The recent break in production was actually a good thing – it was meant to prevent the animators from being overworked. If One Piece is now making fewer episodes each year, the team will have more time and energy, leading to consistently high-quality animation, which is great news for everyone.
The new way One Piece is being released isn’t quite what fans expected, but it should address some long-standing issues with how the anime is made—which is good news. It’ll take some time to see the full impact, but hopefully, this will lead to an even better anime for years to come.
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2025-11-02 02:10