One Piece: The TV phenomenon with 1000 episodes you may not have heard of

In the mid-1990s, manga (a term used for a range of Japanese comic books and graphic novels) was at its peak, with 1.34 billion manga collections sold in 1995. Popular titles of the time included Dragon Ball (about a martial artist on the search for magical orbs), Slam Dunk (about a basketball team) and Doraemon (about a time-travelling robotic cat).

For Nakono, however, the One Piece comic series changed the industry. “Instead of relying on a haphazard, week-by-week method,” he says, “it carefully built up characters, creating a story structure that leads to an emotional climax at the end.”

“There was a strong emphasis on cliffhangers in manga before One Piece,” he continues. “This approach often led to disappointments when the developments didn’t meet the build-up’s expectations.”

When it comes to the anime series, Logan adds that the show’s approach also gives it a stronger emotional punch than other anime.

He highlights the Drum Island arc (episodes 78 to 91), when viewers learn the backstory of Chopper, who was shunned by his fellow reindeer. “Watching Drum Island,” he says, “anyone with a soul would cry.”

The first episode of the anime adaptation aired in October 1999, but it took over a decade for it to develop a significant following outside Japan.

First transmitted in the US in 2004, the early dubbed version was criticised for its unconvincing voice actors and the decision to censor some of the battles by removing blood and replacing guns with water pistols or shovels.

“People were turned off by the first version of it,” says Logan.

Logan says the international popularity of the show was turbo-charged during the pandemic. “It was like gasoline on a fire. When people were at home, they had no excuse not to watch a show with 900-plus episodes.”