The creator of One Piece revealed why the anime had more than a thousand episodes and did not come to an end even after more than two decades
Adapted from the manga of the same name, which had its first edition released in 1997, “One Piece” arrived on the small screen in 1999, following a band of pirates known as Straw Hats, who search for fame, power and riches contained in the largest and most sought after treasure in the world. world left by the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
The anime became one of the longest of all time, reaching the thousandth episode mark in 2023 and, even though it has existed for more than two decades and exceeded a thousand episodes, the production should continue to add new stories for at least two more years, since, in 2020, the creator of this universe, Eiichiro Odahe said during a Japanese variety show, in which he was accompanied by an editor from Weekly Shonen Jump, who should finish the story in four or five years, as reported by the Anime News Network website (via IGN).
But why hasn’t “One Piece” come to an end yet?
The revelation was granted by Oda in the special “One Piece The 23rd Log”, as reported by IGN. At the time, the mangaka said that the reason why the anime has so many episodes is because he exaggerated two of the pirate factions: the Seven Corsairs (Shichibukai) and the Worst Generation.
The Seven Corsairs is a team made up of seven powerful pirate captains (Dracule Mihawk, Bartholomew Kuma, Boa Hancock, Donquixote Doflamingo, Gecko Moria, Jinbe and Crocodile, originally) who gained the title by allying themselves with the World Government.
They are responsible for carrying out the dirty services that the government requested, and in return, they received, in addition to cash rewards, a free pass for various crimes. These characters were only introduced so that Luffy wouldn’t have to deal directly with the Four Emperors, but they ended up being explored more deeply.
So much so that the original lineup ended up being modified, and five more pirates emerged to replace it — and to also increase the development of the story. They are: Buggy, Edward Weevil, Trafalgar Law and Marshall D. Teach.
I thought seven was a cool number! Other than that, I don’t regret anything because I drew what I wanted… I regret it a little, actually!”, said Oda about the Seven Corsairs.
As for the Worst Generation, Oda said that they were introduced in the Sabaody Archipelago so that the arc would be “more interesting”. However, the formation ended up having 11 members, including Luffy, which the mangaka considers too much.
More about One Piece
In addition to the manga and anime, “One Piece” can also be seen in live-action. This is because the plot is being adapted into a series by Netflix, with the first season released on August 31, 2023, directly in the streaming platform’s catalog.
Source: Recreio
