One Piece is one of the biggest and most successful anime franchises of all time. Eiichiro Oda's manga started serializing in 1997, and its anime adaptation began two years later, in 1999. Although the anime did not have the same level of critical acclaim as the manga, it even found its footing and, ultimately, showed that it could hang with the other big names.

In the last decade, the series has attracted even more attention from the audience, resulting in several new projects being announced. In order to increase its popularity even further, those connected with the franchise have upped their advertising. For the 25th anniversary of the anime, One Piece made its way to the Las Vegas Sphere.

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History Is Made

As One Piece was broadcast on the Las Vegas Sphere, it became the first Japanese medium to do so. With its debut on the Sphere, One Piece made history. This is a big deal considering there are hundreds of other anime, movies, and TV shows from Japan which have a big fanbase. Naturally, fans were delighted to see their favorite series get the recognition that it deserved.

However, the Las Vegas Sphere isn't the only big thing that fans have got to experience in the last few years. In 2023, fans were treated to a live-action adaptation of One Piece. Despite the negativity surrounding live-action adaptations of anime, the One Piece project received mostly positive acclaim from critics and the audience. The success of One Piece Live Action was reflected by the fact that it was picked up for two more seasons. There were understandably many doubts at the time of its announcement, but the adaptation cleared all of them.

The New Remake

Another major announcement related to the franchise is the remake of the anime by Wit Studio. This is a big deal considering the One Piece anime is still ongoing and far from finished. The reason behind this project is to make the anime appealing to people who are interested in the series. Since One Piece started airing in the 1990s, it has had a different animation style, which some people might not find attractive enough. When Wit Studio starts remaking the anime from scratch, it can make things a lot better. Not only can they change the style, but they can also improve the pacing.

In the past, One Piece anime has been notorious for adapting only a few pages per episode, resulting in the episode feeling more dragged out than necessary.

The Dressrosa arc is the perfect example, which lasted for nearly 120 episodes when it could have been finished in a significantly lower number. WIT Studio could also add new sound effects and tracks, as the ones from the original anime sometimes feel dated. While a new date for the remake has not been announced, there is a chance that some news might surface during One Piece Day.

The Future Of The Franchise

Given the number of new projects that One Piece has announced in recent years, it is safe to say that the series is on a remarkable run, and it will likely continue for at least another decade or so. In the future, One Piece fans can expect to see new movies. Every One Piece movie has been extremely successful, especially those released in the last 10–15 years.

The high-octane action and great story have led to many fans asking the movies to be canon. For instance, in One Piece: Stampede, fans came across Douglas Bullet, a freakishly strong character who was able to fight and beat almost all the members of the Worst Generation with ease. Aside from his strength, Bullet's backstory was also quite interesting. The combination led to many viewers wanting Bullet to be a canon character. If there are more movie projects in the future, it would be a terrific idea to add one or two characters to the canonical cast.

New Games?

Like all big anime franchises, One Piece has received many video game titles that have helped increase its audience. The last One Piece game came out in 2023, and with the anime reaching a major milestone, it is plausible to assume that an announcement related to a new One Piece video game may well be on its way. If given the proper care, it could help draw in more fans.

There is also a chance that there will be new novels focusing on the past of popular characters. This is a good idea, especially considering there are a ton of characters in One Piece, and not all of them are given enough care. The novels would help the audience learn about the past of these individuals and their abilities as well. For now, fans will have to be patient and wait for an official announcement.

One Piece (1999)

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Fantasy

One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Studio

Toei Animation

Creator

Eiichiro Oda

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Netflix , Hulu

See at Hulu