One Piece will end its first season after more than 1,000 episodes. The anime has aired weekly since its premiere over 20 years ago in 1997. The author of the series is one of the best-selling of all time, ranking eighth in front of notable names such as Dr. Seuss (A Cat In The Hat, The Lorax) and behind writers such as Agatha Christie (A Murder On The Orient Express, Death On The Nile) and William Shakespeare (Romeo And Juliet, Hamlet). Next in Oda’s sights is J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets), who sits at seventh on the list.
The series iconography extends beyond media. The Strawhat Pirates’ Jolly Roger was waved during the recent Nepalese revolution as a symbol of freedom. The series contains themes of government corruption and manipulation.
According to Polygon, One Piece was one of the last remaining stalwarts of the weekly anime release. Along with Narutoand Bleach, the trio of series made up what was known as the “Big Three” of anime and manage. Naruto finished its run on a weekly release. Bleach adopted the seasonal approach for its second serialization, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.
The trend towards seasonal anime releases has both advantages and drawbacks. The obvious drawback is that fans will have to wait extended periods to see new content, but it also gives animators a better work-life balance and often leads to greater animation quality due to more intensive focus on each episode. Filler arcs may be collateral damage due to these changes. Filler can often be divisive, as some find them boring and unnecessary, while others enjoy the extra content.
Polygon reports that One Piece will now produce 26 episodes a year, and each episode will need to cover at least one chapter of the manga. Pacing has often been an issue for one piece; this change is likely intended to cut out unnecessary episode padding. After a three-month hiatus, the series will return in April.