It’s considered the most popular anime series in Japan, yet it cannot garner the kind of fandom that Bleach and Naruto have acquired over the years. Of course we are talking about One Piece, and how the show STILL needs to prove to anime fans that it’s worth the investment to watch. The show has had to deal with jumping major hurdles which may be too great to overcome. When analyzing the show as a whole, it’s hard to picture why it has trouble gaining fans, since it’s your typical shonen series. Yet, after careful consideration there seems to be one overarching reason that I believe is why the show cannot pick up new followers in droves. Which will become clear after looking at specific issues with the series.

It felt like a bonus due to Toonami reacquiring the show after the 4Kidz Entertainment dub. After all One Piece was on the block during the block’s earlier run on Cartoon Network. On Toonami’s second run, it was decided to start the series in the “Long Ring Long Land” story arc (Over 200 episodes into this story). This way fans of the show wouldn’t have to dredge through filler arcs as well as the “Skypiea” arc (which many felt went on too long with no reward). I don’t mind watching filler, but casual fans might want to learn more about the actual story. I thought it was brilliant, due to how many fans of the show state that One Piece’s story amps up at the “Water Seven” arc and beyond. I just recently decided to re-watch said arc and you can feel the difference from earlier episodes, as well as seeing some truly amazing scenes. Yet the future “King of the Pirates” cannot seem to gain more fans, even with the show being broadcasted right in the thick of a juicy story.

When looking at the rough estimate of viewers, it’s rare to see One Piece have more than seven hundred thousand. Some could say that due to its time slot at 2:30 a.m., fans should expect these type of numbers? However before One Piece was in that time slot, it was airing earlier in the night. Toonami’s hands became tied due to low viewer numbers, and had to keep pushing the show further and further down the lineup. I’m sure Toonami has to be pleased with the amount of eyeballs on their block at the time One Piece is on, but it seems that the show still needs to win fans over to truly be safe on Toonami. I’m troubled about the low views especially with all One Piece has done for fans.

Eiichiro Oda has given the anime world one of the longest running shows ever. There are over 700 episodes and it’s still going strong. The manga has reached 800 chapters and is still ongoing. Fans have been given truly beautiful moments like “The Going Merry” being burned, to Zoro’s sacrifice for the crew against Barthlomew Kuma. We’ve been able to watch amazing battle sequences in the show, as well as some much needed humor that will leave some in stitches. One Piece is the complete package and has something for every fan or non fan of anime. It should be celebrated more than hated.

The biggest problem going against the show is that it cannot outrun its past. The 4Kidz Entertainment Dub will be held over the show’s head till the end of time, which isn’t fair at all. Funimation has done a wonderful job recreating a show in the image that it’s Japanese counterparts wanted. But whenever someone talks about One Piece, you usually hear, “you mean that horribly dubbed show back in the early 2000’s?” The edits back then were brutal (Sanji’s lollipops, deletion of entire episodes, tough lines to listen to) and left a bad taste in fans mouths to this day. Still there has to be more behind the rationale as to why anime fans sail far away from One Piece.

Another issue I hear about the show is how it’s drawn as a whole. It’s not your typical style, especially when looking at the eyes of characters (like Nico Robin and comparing it to characters like Lelouch from Code Geass). Some believe that because the drawings look basic in some instances (fights, characters, scenery), that everyone working on the show is lazy. People don’t like change when it comes to something they love. I think One Piece takes that type of hit due to how fans become accustomed to what they like with anime art. Fans like pretty eyes! Not to mention that the way characters are drawn so disproportionate and unrealistic compared to other shows. Sadly One Piece doesn’t give casual fans much when it comes to the usual art of an anime show.

What the show does bring later on is a whole lot of fan service. Just look at the evolution of how female-lead Nami is drawn, to show that she is very sexualized as the series progresses. Sure a lot of shonen series have fan service, but just look at how Nami’s wardrobe changes throughout the story is alarming (she isn’t the only one, but seeing how drastically she changed during the two-year time skip really jumps out at you). The same can be said about Nico Robin, Boa Hancock, and Rebecca when it comes to how they are portrayed in the show. While they all look like they could work for Victoria Secret, people rarely get to see these women fight in the show. That can detracts their value in One Piece. Female characters in One Piece look like they are being turned into sex-symbols over being actual characters. That greatly hurts the overall value for the show. It comes to a point where maybe Oda and the One Piece team should try to show a little modesty when dealing with their female characters. Or at least make them act realistic fighters instead of bikini models.

Fans can come up with a million things to complain about as to why the show isn’t beloved. After a while, people will find faults at every chance available. But I think the biggest reason as to why One Piece cannot gain fans goes to one central point.

It’s very long.

As stated earlier it is over 700 episodes and still going. Not to mention that the dub Funimation is doing has at least reached up to 433 (going by home media releases). Imagine getting into anime and you hear about the episode count on a show involving pirates. That’s daunting to try and catch up with even if viewers skip every filler episode. Unless you have a Funimation subscription there’s no real way to catch up with this series. Thus it’s hard for the casual anime fan to just jump right in to where the series is at on Toonami. It’s difficult for casual fans to get involved with a story when they wouldn’t understand what’s going on Toonami. So the block made the decision to start where many fans agree is when the series starts to get really good. That way Toonami would keep fans of the show, without losing any viewers. However, being able to gain more of a following will take more of an effort on the fan’s side than Toonami’s. If there was some way to have a marathon of One Piece (more often than just a one time thing), then maybe the show could gain a bigger following (Adult Swim streaming site is a possibility). Sadly the show will forever be stuck as the “red-headed step-child” thanks to being dubbed by 4Kidz.

However, the length of the show can be a blessing just as it can be a curse. Why didn’t Bleach and Naruto suffer the same fate due to it’s ridiculous episode count? Thankfully to those shows, they were dubbed by a different company. Viz Media made sure the acting went well and casted popular voice actors/actresses that made fans go wild for their shows. If One Piece was dubbed by Funimation before, I guarantee it would have a larger following. The longer a series, the more the lore of a make-believe world becomes endearing (as well as the characters involved). Look at the world of Adventure Time. More and more episodes give fans a glimpse into why that world is interesting and gives fans more reasons to continue watching. One Piece should have similar success with how the world is constructed. It’s a universe where the planet is made up of almost exclusively islands. The only typical land mass is the “Red Line” which isn’t normal compared to the real world. How about the mystery of the island Raftel at the end of the “Grand Line”? Or the mystery of the “Blank Century”? All of these add to the lore of One Piece and Oda has built a fascinating world that should leave fans hungry for more answers.

I do think the show is getting a raw deal from viewers due to past mistakes made by others. I have re-watched One Piece from the very beginning to hear what Funimation did during the early episodes, and I have greatly enjoyed what I’ve seen. Not only would fans get a nostalgic feeling, but it would be enhanced with the acting that Funimation provides. Yes, One Piece is not for the casual fan, due to its length. If there was a way to have the show run through it’s episodes, the fan base would grow. It just depends if more die-hards for anime can take time out of their day to go and watch the show. Plus sharing One Piece with casual fans so they can see how amazing it is. If the casual fan finds One Piece rewarding to watch, its fan base will grow. So for fans of One Piece, it’s just a pleasure to have it back on Toonami. While new fans will be hard to come by, the loyal fanbase will once again be rewarded by watching the series continue to grow where it belongs in the U.S.

24 COMMENTS

  1. Many fans of One Piece dont realize their been mixed issues with the anime, but they really like the manga. So it not about getting into One piece it how people think about the anime.

  2. Mention Naruto and Bleach into mix comparison of the anime is kind of bad. With Bleach anime people always enjoyed the anime over the manga, Naruto people will like both.

  3. You do realize that there’s a real reason why One Piece isn’t as popular as the series you just reference on your list.

    9/11
    Hurricane Katrina
    Columbine High School massacre
    Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
    and even Isis itself.

    Also nice writing the article on the same day as the Chile Earthquake killing over a million people in one of the worst disasters of all time.

    Also I have family living there. So fuck you and fuck this article too.

    You just pissed off the wrong hacker man!

    http://www.weather.com/news/news/chile-major-earthquake-tsunami-warning

    FUCK!

      • Troll? Quite the opposite. I’m pissed because he wrote an article about a series that has not even finished its run on television. Calling One Piece a failure is like calling Boku No Pico a success story. They are not in the same

        • So call me a troll again and you will see stars flying over your head. lol

          Besides. It’s not like their going to reply to my comment. I’m just a nobody who’s life is predestined to fail.

          I got no job, my mom is freaking crazy with the baby, and my older sister doesn’t know how to take care of her own young one.

          “Sigh”

          It’s hopeless. I’ll just leave my comment on that and not get into anymore trouble than I should?

          -_-

          • I dont believe he once said anything about one piece being a failure. He said One Piece has failed to attract the kind of fanbase in America that other similar shows have managed to acquire and tried to rationalize why, because the numbers are low, lets be realistic. That speaks nothing to the quality of One Piece, but it for whatever hasnt caught fire despite efforts. I mean Ill drop Nazis for the sole point of winning an argument but holy damn dude, I feel for your situation but this is an entertainment site and the world keeps spinning, you cant honestly expect the entire world to stop doing their jobs because of a tragedy in one part of the world can you, sad as that may be.

          • I was born in America in 1993. But if memory serves me right. Most of the worlds population always end up into war because of money and greed.

            Originally yes. Hitler did it because he wanted a race of whites only.

            But nowadays in 2015. It’s who has the most money to spend millions of dollars on weapons & casualties alone.

            Yes I know that I shouldn’t say it on an entertainment website.

            But God dammit all! I’m a true anime fan and I wanna see this industry survive without bad 9/11 like disasters in this day and age.

            Hopefully my first comic con in New York City will cheer my sprints up and get me excited for the upcoming dub of Super. (It’s bound to happen guys?)

            So wish me luck if I can get the notes in my hand and ask them some questions about One Piece after the DBZ history buff is over with.

            Behind the scenes here I come!

          • Sorry about that. Been thinking a lot in my mind lately about personal drama and stiff.

            Hope to TOM 5 that I’ll finally get the heck outta my parents gripe and get an apartment or a house in another state.

            Maybe do some road traveling once in awhile?

            I’m clam now. ^_^

        • Well what do you like him to do?? Wait until One Piece ends, when Oda dies shortly after, and when we’re all traveling to work in hovering, self-driven cars??

  4. Really nice write-up. I think you hit the nail on the head with the issue; the show is really, really long. But for me, the issue is a bit different.

    I’m just going to give you my own personal opinion from my own personal experience, speaking as someone who decided to start where Toonami was starting and follow week-to-week. Funnily enough, I never really had much of an issue with continuity. Generally, I’ve found One Piece a fairly easy show to get the gist of. The problem for me comes with the show’s slow pacing.

    Take for example the Enie’s Lobby Arc, which just finished up a few weeks ago. The set-up for this one seemed pretty simple to me. Robin has been taken prisoner. The Straw Hats are coming to save her. Storm the castle, save Robin, and beat up anyone that gets in your way.

    Watching week-to-week on Toonami, it took us well over a year to get that accomplished.

    So while I was interested in the general story, I found myself bored as many of the fights seemed to drag themselves out for weeks on end. There were times when I could skip the episode for the week, and not feel like I missed anything the next week. To be clear, there are some great moments in this show that I resonated with, such as the fight between Luffy and Usopp during the Water 7 arc, or the burning of The Going Merry. It just takes a really long time to get there.

    That might just be me, though. 😉

    • I’m going to say this though; Ennies Lobby by far is not the best arc, yea it’s the iconic one, because it’s the third shift that it takes in the story as the world grows bigger and bigger. By no way I disagree the story gets better and better as we progress. Though I have to call this out because One Piece has influenced a lot of branched out series that are becoming successful thanks to Oda, examples are; Love Live, Food Wars, My Hero Academia, and Assassination Classroom. There is so much going on and pieces you need to read into; One Piece is a huge world as of now and I will not lie if you didn’t start at least when you first heard of it in the late 90s or early 00s; then you have a lot to of catching up to do. It is worth it though because so much of it pertains to a lot of subjects that a lot of writers or artist don’t dare to touch; only Oda has dared since.

      My advice is patience; the story isn’t going anywhere and there is plenty of time to catch up.

  5. I certainly am not one of those fans who think Skypeia went on too long for no payoff. Skypeia has been One Piece’s best arc by far in my opinion.

  6. One piece is a tough bite for me. I did watch the old show, and i did like the old voices, not the cencorship, God no. So for me, I need the time jump. Different bodies to new voices, that is when I will watch it.
    From a pure anime view, it is the flaws of the show. It starts as this quest for the one piece. And here the show is today, 700 episodes of manga today and still nothing. The characters grow, but,he story premise never moves forward.
    I take issue with that. Dbz has the balls and started off as the quest. Yes the story evolves past it, but is never overlooked. The balls even save goku against buu.

    Naruto had similar issues and the anime is dragging now too. Which is why I won’t watch it right now, from Japan.

    I like sever of the one piece movies. The film Z was a lot of fun. I don’t know if I will ever love one piece, but I will try this new arc and see what happens.

  7. Great, yet another writer who misunderstands the female characters in One Piece. Everytime I read one of these articles, they mention all the great stuff about One Piece and like clockwork, is followed up by “Nami is sexualized” bullshit. You misunderstand her character if you think she is just fanservice material, go watch Fairy Tail and then you’ll realize what a mistake you’ve made between ‘girl who wears what she wants’ and ‘girl purposely drawn for fanservice’. Not to mention, her growth of character is based on how comfortable she is with herself after obtaining freedom. Notice how she covers herself while they’re in the East Blue for the most part? Perhaps because she’s trying to hide something? *hint hint*

    Oda never draws her or Robin in demeaning positions, like many other fanservice series do (High School of the Dead, Soul Eater,) or any other female character for that matter. If you could point out in the manga any scene where Nami’s butt up in the air or just boobs talking (dialogue scenes), I would believe you, but just because these women are wearing certain outfits does not mean they are sexualized. I can’t speak for the movies (like Z with the super boob jiggles) because technically Oda doesn’t oversee movies, he just makes sure they don’t use canon devil fruits he wants to use later and occasionally designs their outfits.

    And please, don’t pull the big tits card because this is OP we’re talking about, where giants exist, people are literally the elements, men have the neck sizes of tree trunks and 18 pacs instead of 6, there is an island in the goddamn sky and if you’re bothered by how large women’s breasts are then you need to sort out your priorities.

    Otherwise, as a long time One Piece fan (since the godawful dubs and the rap op)all I can say is that most of your post is just speculation. Maybe some hard sourced facts might make your points more believable, but I can’t openly agree when you’ve just kind of following the old route of “correlation does not imply causation”. I ain’t no expert, just a spectator. It’s a shame Americans don’t love One Piece as much as us Japanese do.

      • The moral of the story is don’t act like you have the power to win over everything.

        Even the villains have a deeper remorse when loved ones died.

        Just don’t let your dreams cloud your mind in darkness.

        (Hmm? That should be a toonami speech!) Maybe some at Twitter should make a speech about greedy corporations and money isn’t always about happiness as it can lead you into solo.

    • Well, in all fairness unless some SERIOUS market research is done, which I’ve never really seen done to learn why a series didn’t sell well or didn’t catch on as much as it could have, even the people involved on the business end can only speculate. One thing that has been said that I can link you to is that One Piece’s licencors in Japan did sort of force it on 4kids. 4Kids basically really wanted Shaman King but they were told they could only have it in a package deal with One Piece. Nobody at 4Kids knew what One Piece was and they hadn’t researched it a great deal so they just kind of agreed so they could get Shaman King. From the sound of it One Piece was kinda just a little bonus to them or something. Naturally this doesn’t sound like the launch of a hit series and the only long anime I can think of that did get real mainstream success in the US was Dragon Ball Z. I think I covered the gist of it but here’s where all this was said http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/anncast/2010-07-22

  8. I agree with most of the reasons here as to why it’s unpopular, but I don’t think it being too long is the MAIN reason.
    Nowadays most people in the US enjoy binge watching shows and look for lengthy shows to watch. And sure 800 episodes might seem a bit daunting at first but if they started it and saw it was likable then they could get into it and watch it at their leisure. Or they could skip around until they found a part they really liked.

    The MAIN problem is most of the other reasons you described (*cough* toei *cough*) make it as a whole very hard to watch or get into. I binge watched hunter x hunter recently with ease (even the last seasons). I love One Piece a million times more than it but Hunter is just a much better made anime. True it’s only about 150 episodes but they can be watched back to back effortlessly.

    As to comparing it to Naruto and Bleach, I think it’s people’s DNA. Most people I’ve talked to tell me I’m crazy for liking One Piece over those, calling it “garbage”. I was reading all of them as comics before the anime came out and when they did I was really into both of them too but I eventually lost interest and One Piece was the only one I continued with. Why despite the fact that I don’t think it is a good anime either? Because it’s in my DNA man. Despite all its faults I still want to see and hear and feel it and some people will just never “get” that!

    I honestly think people should play all the video game adaptations to get introduced to it. All my nephews got into it from playing Pirate’s Carnival, etc. No explanations necessary and I just hope we keep getting the NA releases of the games

  9. Hm, touched most of the bases there. Speaking as someone with a foot in the door and a foot out with One Piece having started watching from episode 1 in 2010 or maybe 2011, I’d just about reached the end of that post Skypeia filler when Toonami announced it, since they’d said they were picking it up right where I was I basically decided to give up on catching up you see, one problem I’ve tended to run into is that One Piece is surprisingly pretty gatekept by it’s fans. I swear I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever encountered another fanbase where you can watch 300+ episodes of a thing and have people tell you you don’t know anything about it when you say you don’t think it’s the greatest thing ever. Truth be told it’s consistency dropped like a ton of bricks after Alabasta, I thought Water 7 was too slow as well, although it had moments.

    Another thing I hear a lot is that the anime adaptation isn’t that great and that the manga is a lot better. That also can really keep something from being a hit, generally speaking manga as a whole is very niche in the US, the best sellers will usually move a few thousand per volume (now granted, manga does get pirated A LOT). Heck graphic novels as a whole are pretty niche nowadays, even the best selling series will have maybe 100,000 readers.

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