‘One Piece’: Where to Watch the Anime Before Netflix’s Live-Action Series Arrives
When it comes to classic anime series, One Piece is among the first to pop into people’s minds. That’s because it’s been on the air for over 20 years, dating all the way back to 1999. In that time, fans have grown attached to Monkey D. Luffy and all the people he’s met on his journey to becoming the Pirate King. In fact, the series has remained so popular that Netflix is turning it into a live-action show.
Those who haven’t checked out the original One Piece yet might want to dive in before the adaptation arrives. Read on to learn where you can stream the popular anime.
Netflix is moving ahead with its ‘One Piece’ live-action series
Live-action anime adaptations sometimes take a while to get off the ground, but Netflix is moving full steam ahead with its iteration of One Piece. The streamer recently posted the script for the series premiere on Twitter, writing, “IT’S HAPPENING!!!!!!” The episode appears to be titled “Romance Dawn,” which is also the title of the manga’s first volume.
In addition to revealing the first episode’s title, the script showed off the logo for the upcoming show — and the design closely resembles the logo for the anime. The skull and crossbones covering the “O” are less cartoonish, but that makes sense with Netflix moving away from the original animation.
Speaking of moving away from the source material, it’s unclear how closely the streamer plans to stick to the original One Piece. Even if it gets renewed for more than one season, the Netflix series is likely to be shorter than the anime it’s based on. With that in mind, certain storylines could get cut. So, those hoping to experience Luffy’s story in full may want to check out the original first.
Where to watch the ‘One Piece’ anime ahead of the adaptation
Those looking forward to watching Netflix’s live-action One Piece are in luck if they want to catch up on the anime first. The series is currently streaming on the platform, meaning subscribers can binge the source material before heading into the adaptation. Unfortunately, Netflix only has four seasons of the anime as of this writing, but that should at least cover the introductions likely to take place in the live-action series’ first season.
Hulu has significantly more of the anime, with 11 seasons of One Piece streaming on the platform. Those looking for access to the entire series, however, will want to subscribe to services like Funimation and Crunchyroll. Both platforms currently have every episode of One Piece available to watch.
How many episodes of ‘One Piece’ are there?
There’s no word on when the live-action One Piece might hit Netflix, but the show appears to be in the early stages of development. That’s good news for newcomers watching the anime for the first time because it’s a long one.
As of this writing, the anime boasts 990 episodes — and it’s still going. Fortunately, you don’t need to watch every single installment to get the gist of Luffy’s story. In fact, One Piece has a number of filler arcs, many of which can be passed up even during a first-time watch. And they’re especially unlikely to be important for the 10 episodes Netflix has planned.
Even without the filler, watching One Piece from beginning to end is quite the endeavor. If the anime’s long-lasting popularity is anything to judge by, though, it’s well worth the effort.
