If you’re really asking that question, it means there’s a problem here.
A series should (in an ideal world) start with good animation, right? I mean how else could a series like One Piece hit it’s 25th birthday if it wasn’t quality, right? Well apparently, that doesn’t have to be the case.
When does ‘One Piece’s animation improve?
So, when does One Piece‘s animation actually get good. Is it after season one? Haha nope! What about season 2? Hardly! Okay, what about after the time skip that happens at between episode 516 and 517? Close but not cigar! No, One Piece‘s animation starts getting good around episode 600.
I’ll give you a moment to pick your jaws up off the floor.
Yes, you read that correctly, it takes One Piece 600 EPISODES to actually start looking really good. Meanwhile, I shudder to think how much money the series was making before the animators actually decide to throw a little bit more cash into the animation budget.
I mean, I get it, cut costs for as long as you can, right? But when you’re one of the most popular anime series in the world, and you’ve been running since 1999, don’t you think you should give the fans some good animation before episode 600? Like maybe after Season 1 you could have stepped it up just a little bit? How about when the show became a smash hit? Really, you’re still not gonna do it? In a show that is primarily about fight scenes, how can you skimp on animation? I’d get it if it was, slice of life or something, but don’t you want some spectacle? People aren’t watching One Piece for grounded drama. They wanna see a stretchy pirate punch things and they want those punches to look good. GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT.
Better late than never I guess.
Featured image credit: Toei Animation
