Highlights
- The One Piece anime is currently in its Wano Country arc, with the final battle between Luffy and Kaido about to begin.
- Fans were treated to a Gear 5 teaser trailer on One Piece Day 2023, showcasing Luffy's transformation and his newfound freedom.
- The Gear 5 stretch, which will be directed by Tatsuya Nagamine, is expected to be incredible, with a team of talented animators working on it, making it a highly anticipated part of the Wano Country arc.
The One Piece anime is currently in its Wano Country arc and the climax is finally here. Fans have watched this arc unfold for around 4 years now and the final battle of the arc is almost upon them now. With the conclusion of every single minor battle, all eyes have now turned to Luffy's clash against Kaido, which is currently ongoing. Fans already saw Luffy receiving yet another crushing blow from Kaido, knocking him out and potentially even killing him in the process.
That said, the vast majority of the fans already know what is to come next and that is, the legendary transformation that every manga fan has been waiting for and potentially almost every anime fan also knows already, Gear 5.
Gear 5 Teaser
On One Piece Day 2023, fans were treated to a lot of incredible information and a major focus of this event was the production of the One Piece anime. Series director Tatsuya Nagamine was involved and eventually, fans got to hear a lot about what is to come in the near future. What's even more surprising is the fact that fans actually got a Gear 5 teaser trailer and, by the looks of it, things look absolutely incredible. The Gear 5 teaser showcased incredible animation, however, fans do not know exactly which animators were involved in this teaser, which likely included cuts from all over the episode.
Nonetheless, the teaser showed Luffy transform into his Gear 5 state and declare himself to be at his peak finally. Gear 5 is a transformation that highlights Luffy's very own freedom and increases it manifold. This aspect of his character was focused on in the teaser trailer as he mentions that he is able to do everything that he has ever wanted to do. Furthermore, Gear 5 is often seen as a very comical transformation, as has been confirmed by Oda already, and this comical nature of his is also focused on in the teaser trailer, as fans get to see stars and birds circling Kaido's head after Luffy punches him. Although short, the teaser trailer is packed with copious amounts of incredible information for the fans to process and get excited for what is to come next.
Gear 5 Staff
One Piece's Gear 5 stretch is certainly going to be incredible for the fans to witness. Fans already know that quite a lot of incredible animators are going to be working on the episode. However, all of that is going to be brought to life by the director, Tatsuya Nagamine. While One Piece fans had someone else in their mind on who they wanted to direct the Gear 5 episode, Tatsuya Nagamine is a choice that they can't go wrong with. This is especially since Nagamine has had once months upon months to work on this episode and direct as well as storyboard it, by the looks of it.
Nagamine is a name that many One Piece fans should be familiar with, given that he has worked previously on quite a few One Piece episodes in the Wano arc. In fact, the very first episode of the Wano arc was directed by Nagamine himself. He also handled Zoro's clash against Kamazo the Manslayer and, later on, also handled some clashes in the Onigashima War, and, more recently, Dragon Ball Super: Broly. Undoubtedly, Nagamine is a legendary director, whose penchant for action storyboarding as well as incredible colors and framing is going to shine throughout the episode.
Under Nagamine, there are going to be several super animators as well. Fans know that Weilin Zhang, a legendary animator, is going to be on the episode. Others who have already been revealed to return and take part in the Gear 5 stretch include Akihiro Ota, who animated a part of Sanji's Ifrit Jambe against Queen, Shinya Ohira, a legendary name who doesn't take part in TV anime usually, Bahi JD, a legendary name who has already made his mark on One Piece quite a few times, and Masami Mori, the young and rising superstar at Toei.
There are also rumors for the return of Ryo Onishi, who was especially involved in One Piece before the timeskip. Fans also know that the likes of Tu-yong Ce, among others, are going to be active participants during the Gear 5 stretch and all things considered, this stretch is going to be absolutely legendary.
Why The Gear 5 Stretch Will Be Amazing
The Gear Five stretch is, by far, the most incredible part of the Wano Country arc. This isn't simply because this fight is incredible, which it absolutely is. Rather, fans absolutely love it because this fight sees Luffy evolve into his purest and freest form. Fans have always known Luffy to be a character who wants to be the most free person on the seas and with Gear 5, he gains an immense amount of freedom to do whatever he wants. Gear 5 isn't simply just a transformation that makes him stronger. In fact, it is more of a transformation that makes him freer, and by virtue of that freedom, he can do anything that he sets his mind to, whether that is fighting against Kaido or liberating the land of Wano.
Gear 5 is a phenomenal transformation, which encapsulates the character of Luffy perfectly. It is a transformation that comes off the back of a crushing defeat for Luffy and hundreds of years of history being stringed together with the return of Joyboy. This fight, essentially, sees One Piece enter its final stretch with Joyboy's return and Luffy reaching his peak and becoming as free as he can possibly be.
While the vast majority of the focus is on One Piece episode 1071, Tu Yong-Ce, one of the heavy lifters on the One Piece anime currently, mentioned recently that episode 1071 is not the only one that is going to be special. In fact, fans will be treated to quite a lot of special episodes, one after the other, from this point right up until Luffy's fight against Kaido concludes. This is something that has excited all the fans, given that this is most certainly the most important fight in the story so far and it deserves proper adaptation.
In fact, by the looks of it, the anime will rise to the challenge and possibly even take things a step beyond, surpassing even the manga in the process. Fans hope that the staff that is working on this Gear 5 stretch delivers as it is extremely important both to the story as well as to Luffy's character as a whole. If the teaser trailer is anything to go by, fans are in for an unbelievable experience that is sure to be remembered for ages.
The Gear 5 stretch will likely last for about four to five episodes and will see Luffy finally defeating Kaido and the land of Wano being freed in the process. Given that this is coming on the back of 4 years of storywriting, this clash is going to be a culmination of everything and that is one more reason why it has to be absolutely perfect in the anime. Fans cannot wait for it to unfold and for Luffy to crush Kaido and liberate Wano in the process.