Self-explanatory. Just a thread about ways One Piece could positively increase its awareness in the US.
How One Piece could increase its popularity in the US.
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The upcoming Netflix live action series is honestly its last EVER chance to make it explode in popularity in the US.
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One Piece's biggest issues right now is usually these.
1. 'It's too long.'
2. It's popular and most newcomers have now gotten in at a point where two of the big three ended. (I'd say most entry level anime/manga fans are getting in via Attack On Titan, MHA, Demon Slayer etc) So don't understand why the big three were popular.
3. It's popular so it's 'fun to hate' it.Other than length it's not really something that can be helped. The Anime definitely needs a One Piece Kai at some point.
The series itself is an investment which most casual anime fans just don't want to bother with when they can watch about 50 other series using the same time.
Oh hey, I do videos on figures and manga and stuff: https://www.youtube.com/thatmanhismerch
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One Piece's biggest issues right now is usually these.
1. 'It's too long.'
2. It's popular and most newcomers have now gotten in at a point where two of the big three ended. (I'd say most entry level anime/manga fans are getting in via Attack On Titan, MHA, Demon Slayer etc) So don't understand why the big three were popular.
3. It's popular so it's 'fun to hate' it.Other than length it's not really something that can be helped. The Anime definitely needs a One Piece Kai at some point.
The series itself is an investment which most casual anime fans just don't want to bother with when they can watch about 50 other series using the same time.
I find it interesting how “too long” is used against One Piece, in light of one of the “big three,” Naruto, being 700 chapters long and amounting to over 700 anime episodes, and that’s in addition to its sequel series Boruto. Really though, have series like Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia achieved considerable popularity in the US in recent years? It’s just that for some reason, I’ve started to suspect that anime hasn’t achieved considerable popularity in the US and has stayed rather niche ever since maybe Dragon Ball’s recognition, which I’d suppose some would say was considerably popular in the US even if it doesn’t match up to the popularity it has received in Japan in the first place.
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Length is definitely a big factor that I've seen. One other reason people have said is the art style. Especially from the beginning, One Piece doesn't have a traditional 'anime' style that a lot of people love.
Edit: I also think having a popular streaming service for it would help, too. Last year, I went to rewatch some One Piece, but Netflix only has up to the end of the Alabasta arc.
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@Sky:
Length is definitely a big factor that I've seen. One other reason people have said is the art style. Especially from the beginning, One Piece doesn't have a traditional 'anime' style that a lot of people love.
What exactly is the traditional style anyway, and what inclines people to favor it over different, yet more unique artstyles like One Piece’s?
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What exactly is the traditional style anyway, and what inclines people to favor it over different, yet more unique artstyles like One Piece’s?
Personally, I think it often includes certain eye styles and background styles. When talking with people, I've found that One Piece's style, especially at the beginning, is more simplistic and less 'aesthetic' than some people prefer
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@Sky:
Personally, I think it often includes certain eye styles and background styles. When talking with people, I've found that One Piece's style, especially at the beginning, is more simplistic and less 'aesthetic' than some people prefer
Hmm, well in thinking about it more, while I won’t say it was the first anime to have this sort of style, I’m inclined to say styles such as Sword Art Online’s. It’s probably one of the most popular traditional-looking animes of recent years.
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I find it interesting how “too long” is used against One Piece, in light of one of the “big three,” Naruto, being 700 chapters long and amounts to over 700 anime episodes, and that’s in addition to its sequel series Boruto. Really though, have series like Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia achieved considerable popularity in the US in recent years? It’s just that for some reason, I’ve started to suspect that anime hasn’t achieved considerable popularity in the US and has stayed rather niche ever since maybe Dragon Ball’s recognition, which I’d suppose some would say was considerably popular in the US even if it doesn’t match up to the popularity it has received in Japan in the first place.
Anime is still niche. But I'd definitely say if people are into geek culture and only know a little of anime they'll know of Attack On Titan and MHA. (And maybe One Punch Man.) At least that's what it's like in the UK.
The geeky shops around here that have your Harry Potter, Game Of Thrones, Avengers and Star Wars stuff will usually have a little Dragonball, One Piece, One Punch Man, Attack on Titan and My Hero merch. Sometimes Demon Slayer and Naruto.
It really depends on how you mean by popular. One Piece is never ever going to have the popularity it had in Japan.
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Guys this is like the Ugly Duckling at this point. Let me make this clear. One Piece is ALREADY A SMASH HIT. Sure its not Kimetsu no Yaiba or My Hero. But it is a smash on Netflix, where it is watched by 2,0% of the Netflix usership and more than smash hits like Friends. It may not be a duck but it is a beautiful swan.
Also I feel like the title is too USA centric? How about Latin America and the UK? I know its already a smash in Europe though.
That video has OVER 17 MILLION VIEWERS.
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I find it interesting how “too long” is used against One Piece, in light of one of the “big three,” Naruto, being 700 chapters long and amounting to over 700 anime episodes, and that’s in addition to its sequel series Boruto. Really though, have series like Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia achieved considerable popularity in the US in recent years? It’s just that for some reason, I’ve started to suspect that anime hasn’t achieved considerable popularity in the US and has stayed rather niche ever since maybe Dragon Ball’s recognition, which I’d suppose some would say was considerably popular in the US even if it doesn’t match up to the popularity it has received in Japan in the first place.
But unlike Naruto or Bleach, One Piece had a bumpy start in the US.
So those shows grew their fanbase quite organically, while OP was dismissed and by the time new license deals where made the first episodes already felt a bit dated in terms of visuals and had left a bad impression on some people. Even if they know about the differences betwen 4kids and Funimation, it's something that can make a lot of people feel like it's an old show and now they need to catch up to hundreds of episodes to a series that's not made of stand alone stories, it's a huge narrative.
If you happen to catch a couple of Pokemon episodes, it's easy to get the gist of it, there are these creatures used for battles and friendship and the protagonist stands out just a little trying to be the very best. If you catch a random OP episode either you love it and get intrigued or you're completly lost, why do all of these people have random abilities? and the Navy is the "bad guys"?
That's why at some point the anime went back to the GolD Roger intro, so that new kids randomly tunning in know right away that they're pirates trying to reach the biggest treasure in the world, having all sorts of random adventures.Also, long series all have this problem one way or the other. That's why DragonBall anime had DBZ, to atract new viewers that may have missed the first sagas, and it had plenty of other timeskips betwen the sagas, which helps reseting things. Naruto anime had Shippuden, instead of just Part 2 as in the manga, because there was a timeskip and it helped to bring in new people since there's a clear break away point. Part 1 is about Team 7 growing together until they fall apart, Part 2 is about trying to get the old band back together.
OP's time skip is much further down the line and the theme is actually the same, get to the treasure.And all of this on top of OP not airing on tv anymore, you need to be already a fan to hear about the new releases or randomly give a chance to a series with hundreds of episodes.
@Sky:
Length is definitely a big factor that I've seen. One other reason people have said is the art style. Especially from the beginning, One Piece doesn't have a traditional 'anime' style that a lot of people love.
Edit: I also think having a popular streaming service for it would help, too. Last year, I went to rewatch some One Piece, but Netflix only has up to the end of the Alabasta arc.
I think that Netflix releasing the series in batches may be their strategy and not just a random thing. Specially since they're making the live-action show and want to build an audience for it.
Again, if you put out a series that's 900 episodes long and not actually finished in one move, many people may not feel starting that journey with no end in sight. If you release a hundred and fifty episodes, you give the audience a big batch of content while also putting a temporary cap on it. So now people can take a few months to discover and try out the series and when they get to the end they'll be wanting more. And when they finally drop the next batch of episodes, probably Jaya and Skypea, people will flock again to it to binge watch it, creating more hype. Like releasing a movie or a new season of some other show.And regarding the art style, I think it's true.
While OP has now influenced a ton of other shows, and it's actual art has changed a bit, the first parts of the series really stand out among the competition. A lot of people thought the show looked weird before giving it a chance in the mid 00's.And the comparisson to something like SAO is not the best, because SAO was made for anime straight away, it's not a comic book adaptation.
What works in print and what works in animation are different things. That's why it's easier to get an anime standard look for each decade, of course influenced by the works they adapt, than a standard manga look. In manga it's much easier, and expected, for an artist's individual quirks to stand out, in anime you have a bunch of people trying to draw something the same way and that's possible to animate clearly. -
TV is deader than dead. One Piece has outlived it. At least in the Americas. Also SAO was a light novel, it is still an adaptation.
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TV is deader than dead if you're an adult and know what you like and where to find it, kids still watch plenty of cartoon channels and just eat up whatever it's on.
And we were talking about the mid 00's and it's transition to now, the time period OP had to prove itself. Netflix, or other streaming services, original anime are still a very small portion of all that's produced. It's more likely for a kid to see something on tv while randomly zapping and then finding it on a streaming service, or asking their parents about, than it is for them to be perusing what's fresh on Netflix. At least from my experience.And sorry if I wasn't clear on SOA. I meant to say it was made an anime straight away, not that the story was made for the anime.
It was written for web and only later it was published by a bigger company and got some anime style/commercial illustrations, with an anime premiering a couple of years later. You can bet that when they were published the anime was already being planned as part of a media franchise. My point being that it wasn't trying to adapt a personal art style, like OP or Naruto, it's art style was made to be animated and to appeal to the biggest number of people as possible. It's not bad, it's just standard and cookie cut. -
TV is deader than dead if you're an adult and know what you like and where to find it, kids still watch plenty of cartoon channels and just eat up whatever it's on.
And we were talking about the mid 00's and it's transition to now, the time period OP had to prove itself. Netflix, or other streaming services, original anime are still a very small portion of all that's produced. It's more likely for a kid to see something on tv while randomly zapping and then finding it on a streaming service, or asking their parents about, than it is for them to be perusing what's fresh on Netflix. At least from my experience.And sorry if I wasn't clear on SOA. I meant to say it was made an anime straight away, not that the story was made for the anime.
It was written for web and only later it was published by a bigger company and got some anime style/commercial illustrations, with an anime premiering a couple of years later. You can bet that when they were published the anime was already being planned as part of a media franchise. My point being that it wasn't trying to adapt a personal art style, like OP or Naruto, it's art style was made to be animated and to appeal to the biggest number of people as possible. It's not bad, it's just standard and cookie cut.Uuuuuuuuh… did you know that the big three channels in the USA that cater to children have faced a meteoric decay in viewership? Like there is almost no kids watching anymore. If your name Folhas is from either Brazil or Portugal you might have a point since they arent dying as fast in those places.
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But unlike Naruto or Bleach, One Piece had a bumpy start in the US.
Also, long series all have this problem one way or the other. That's why DragonBall anime had DBZ, to atract new viewers that may have missed the first sagas, and it had plenty of other timeskips betwen the sagas, which helps reseting things.
Actually, didn’t Dragon Ball also have bumpy start in the US? I recall that while circumstances were different, I also recall that the low ratings from the 1995 US airing (as well as a 1989 attempt) left an impression that it was unsuitable for the US, which sounds like quitter’s talk, but distributors still persevered and eventually gained a wider audience they were looking for.
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Uuuuuuuuh… did you know that the big three channels in the USA that cater to children have faced a meteoric decay in viewership? Like there is almost no kids watching anymore. If your name Folhas is from either Brazil or Portugal you might have a point since they arent dying as fast in those places.
You are indeed correct, I'm from Portugal. (and just curious btw, you speak portuguese?)
Didn't know things were so "bad" in the US. Things are changing here too, with streaming services rising, but maybe at a slower pace. Or maybe I just get that feeling since I see some effort from those channels trying to face against streaming. Kids channels today look better than ever, over here.Actually, didn’t Dragon Ball also have bumpy start in the US? I recall that while circumstances were different, I also recall that the low ratings from the 1995 US airing (as well as a 1989 attempt) left an impression that it was unsuitable for the US, which sounds like quitter’s talk, but distributors still persevered and eventually gained a wider audience it was looking for.
Now that you mention it, I think you're right.
In the 00's was when I spent my time on the Atari forums talking about the DBZ games (around the Tenkaichi era), and some folk would mention they first heard of DB from the Ocean dub, irrc, before Funimation actually made the series into a powerhouse in the US.
I could never get past the fact that most of those kids started DB with Z and never or barely knew about the first part of the series with Goku growing up. They missed all the 3 tournament arcs!! How?? Why?? Those poor souls. -
The anime just isn´t good enough to gain more attention.
Why reading manga, when you have comics like Marvel etc. which are engraved in the culture by now and even more supported by cinema these days.The live action series definitely has the best shot in showing it in a more compelling light, so that people may start considering reading the manga.
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Why isnt anyone listening to me? I know I fucked uo in the spoiler thread with the LOST article but still.
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That will hunt you.
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Now that you mention it, I think you're right.
In the 00's was when I spent my time on the Atari forums talking about the DBZ games (around the Tenkaichi era), and some folk would mention they first heard of DB from the Ocean dub, irrc, before Funimation actually made the series into a powerhouse in the US.
I could never get past the fact that most of those kids started DB with Z and never or barely knew about the first part of the series with Goku growing up. They missed all the 3 tournament arcs!! How?? Why?? Those poor souls.Probably because Dragon Ball was badly managed when it was initially distributed in the US. Just recalled finding this info actually:
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I don’t buy the art style argument as a reason for Americans not being able to get into the series when you take into account Fairy Tail is extremely popular for some reason.
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@All:
The upcoming Netflix live action series is honestly its last EVER chance to make it explode in popularity in the US.
Not sure about that, but I am thankful for Netflix for having the anime on there where more people can access it. It’s also an interesting move that they only have the East Blue and Alabasta sagas on there right now. I suppose it’s a better approach to present the series in chunks rather than all at once, since I don’t think any popular long-running series is consumed all at once after all.
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I don’t buy the art style argument as a reason for Americans not being able to get into the series when you take into account Fairy Tail is extremely popular for some reason.
It's not US only, I'm from Europe and my first reaction to OP's art was that it was kinda "funky". It's a weird adjective because that's how I saw it, it's was a more distinct art style than some other series so it took a while to decide whether I was liking the art style or not.
When you compare OP to Naruto and Bleach, which were probably it's biggest competitors back then, it looks much more colourful and sillier. Dragon Ball pulled this off because it had a smaller cast, I think. The main characters were usually simple and serious designs, with a couple of quirks, and most of the silly designs were played for a quick laugh and then thrown away. One Piece always had a ton of important characters with silly designs but played straight.And Fairy Tail came out in 2005 and has some more touches of mainstream, it blends better, imo. Mashima's previous work (which I haven't actually read, btw) also had a "funkier" art style from what I've seen.
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When you compare OP to Naruto and Bleach, which were probably it's biggest competitors back then, it looks much more colourful and sillier. Dragon Ball pulled this off because it had a smaller cast, I think. The main characters were usually simple and serious designs, with a couple of quirks, and most of the silly designs were played for a quick laugh and then thrown away. One Piece always had a ton of important characters with silly designs but played straight.
Interesting comparison as to who’s more colorful, sillier, and serious than who.
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Better video games.
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It's not US only, I'm from Europe and my first reaction to OP's art was that it was kinda "funky". It's a weird adjective because that's how I saw it, it's was a more distinct art style than some other series so it took a while to decide whether I was liking the art style or not.
When you compare OP to Naruto and Bleach, which were probably it's biggest competitors back then, it looks much more colourful and sillier. Dragon Ball pulled this off because it had a smaller cast, I think. The main characters were usually simple and serious designs, with a couple of quirks, and most of the silly designs were played for a quick laugh and then thrown away. One Piece always had a ton of important characters with silly designs but played straight.And Fairy Tail came out in 2005 and has some more touches of mainstream, it blends better, imo. Mashima's previous work (which I haven't actually read, btw) also had a "funkier" art style from what I've seen.
The way I described it when I first saw it was "oh cool it's like an American cartoon!"
It does still have some anime art tropes but it strays pretty far from Tezuka's and Toriyama's styles, which is why it looks so unique and starkly different from the majority of other anime at the time.
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The thing is I don;t think one piece really needs to be more popular than it already is. As long as its popular enough for us to keep getting it and I don't know, has a large enough fanbase to warrant multiple highly active forums throughout the years I'm happy enough. Outside of that its like yay… the millionaires at the top are making even more money.
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One Piece's biggest issues right now is usually these.
1. 'It's too long.'
2. It's popular and most newcomers have now gotten in at a point where two of the big three ended. (I'd say most entry level anime/manga fans are getting in via Attack On Titan, MHA, Demon Slayer etc) So don't understand why the big three were popular.
3. It's popular so it's 'fun to hate' it.Other than length it's not really something that can be helped. The Anime definitely needs a One Piece Kai at some point.
The series itself is an investment which most casual anime fans just don't want to bother with when they can watch about 50 other series using the same time.
I totally agree! A One Piece Kai is desperately needed because of how long the series is and with the slow pacing. It can happen because of how popular the series is in Japan so that could be to the US's benefit
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Answering your question, if I were Shueisha I would make it mandatory for official licensors to post at least 50 free episodes of the anime/100 from the manga on their platforms. If someone is, for whatever reason, interested in trying out One Piece, this old story that's 25+ years old, I say they should get a "free" sample. The kind of free sample they give you in Vegas, they give you free liquor so that you get drunk and lose all your money. You get 50 free anime episodes, you get hooked and then you pay a monthly Crunchyroll fee.
They are doing this in Japan right now with the manga, I think, and I hope it works. As for the anime, i think in Japan, at least, it's free to watch on Youtube.
Also, as others have pointed out, the live action can't do bad for the franchise. It's not like if the live action is bad any old readers/watchers will stop loving the franchise. But people that even like it a bit might get interested in consuming the story thru other mediums, and that's what hopefully happens, that the Live action brings new fans to the franchise, be it in USA or globally.
This was my answer for people in the US (And outside Japan). But what I have pondered was more like "What does ONE PIECE need to do to get more Japanese readers/viewers?" You might be thinking.. What? One Piece is already the best selling manga of all time. Yes, you are right, and yet there was this manga Kimetsu no Yaiba that, for whatever reason, broke all records ever.
Tbh I have always thought of One Piece as underperforming, even in Japan itself, where i know it is a massive phenomenon, but I always thought One Piece deserved even more sales. Think of it like this, Harry Potter, per book sold around 50 million copies, One Piece has sold around 5 million copies per book, that's what I am talking about. And now, more than ever, I believe One Piece deserves more sales (however ridiculous it might sound haha, I know it is the best selling manga of all time) and Kimetsu no Yaiba confirmed it for me, because if that manga gets those sales, the best story ever told should get even more… But I digress.
I asked this myself because with the current trend there is no denying that Kimetsu no Yaiba, for whatever reason, brought so many new readers of manga in Japan. Like KnY happened, then a year after there is this manga Jujutsu Kaisen that breaks records too (Not to the level of KnY but it did get to the same level of manga sales - and even surpassed- One Piece had at volume 16, 50million), also Tokyo Revengers has sold, just this year around 16 million copies and it will very likely at least sale 20million before Oricon year ends.Keep in mind Naruto, at its peak, sold 6 million in a year, One Piece in most years sold around 10 million or so, and now the hot manga are breaking those records with ease. That's thanks to the Kimetsu wave and One Piece, while it's not necessary, should try to get some of those fans.
One Piece as a property has old fans, which is not bad, but if it just panders to their established audience, it will lose the part of the pie of the new audience.
Recently it was announced on twitter that something would be announced along with episode 1,000 of the anime, in all likeness it will be a movie announcement but I'd hope for a remake. But I have had this idea in my mind which I think would be perfect for One Piece and would solve the majority of issues new people as long as old times fans have with the series.
Btw, just throwing this, One Piece has become more popular on the US and worldwide just not on the same level or quickness as other series like Chainsawman and My Hero Academia and even Junji Ito works in the US. Last year manga exploded in popularity to levels never seen in the USA and other parts of the world. One Piece has been being reviewed now by book readers (not manga readers) and I feel like it could explode in popularity soon (I am eagerly awaiting this month's top 20 NPD BookScan Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels, last month was a surprise because HXH #1 and Naruto #1 got a spot on the list, I think the One piece 3-in-1 #1 have a decent chance of maybe getting a spot).
Ehem.. Anyway, this was my idea of what would make One Piece more popular, not only in the USA, but worldwide. The idea would be to make a modern remake of One Piece with better pacing. DUH! Easier said than done, right?
Well, let me tell you HOW it could happen and make financial sense for Toei and all involved parties while solving the anime's main issues which are its number of episodes, its "bad" art and its pacing (which admitedly it is horrible in the anime after episode 400ish).The idea would be that Toei either started a seasonal One Piece remake that they could call whatever… One Piece: Romance Dawn or something like that.
OR that they remade the series while still animating the Wano storyline.
(btw the remake would be with current Wano's art style or something like the drama's animation art style, something more modern looking than Oda's original style)I think the safer approach would be the 2nd one. And it would also solve the anime's horrible pacing. The way to do it, I think, could be something like this:
They remake an old saga, East Blue for example with 39 episodes, then continue adapting the manga's current material for 26 episodes (and good pacing) then they remake Laboon to Chopper's story in 2 seasons (26 episodes) continue with the manga's current material adaptation for other 26 episodes, then they do Alabasta's remake for 26 episode and so on.If you counted right the this hypotetical remake would be at episode 91 while covering material that the previous anime was covering until episode 130.
Oda said last year that the manga is about 5 years from ending, and while I don't think that's the case anymore due to the COVID breaks, and stuff, I do think we should expect One Piece to end in 5 or so years from now (So around 2026-2027, I'd say 2027, as it would be the manga's 30th anniversary), but anyway I am talking about this to see how much time is left for the anime to conclude.
If the manga finishes on 2027, then the anime would end around 2028-2029.With that in mind, and assuming Toei remade at least 26 episodes per year, starting this year (I truly hope that's the annoucement they will make one episode 1,000) by 2029 we would have 8 seasons of 26 episodes, that would be 208 episodes. Those episodes, if adapted with good pacing, or even "a bit rushed" pacing (like current remakes usually do, just look at Shaman King's remake or even TOEI's own Dai no Daiboken remake which covers around 3.5 chapters per episode.
208 (Episodes) x 3 (Chapters per episode) = 624 manga chapters covered, while One Piece's pre-time skip content goes all the way to chapter 597, so that's almost 27 extra chapters. So there's some room for TOEI to go slower when needed.
One Piece is a very wordy manga, but I think covering around 3 chapter per episode, especially for the fights while being slower in flashbacks and the more dramatic parts would be optimal. Still, 208 episodes could very well be enough to cover the pre-time skip portion of the manga and leave some room to be slower on the dramatic parts.TOEI certainly has the resources to do this. If a series like Saint Seiya Omega existed for a whole 97 episodes, there is no way something like a One Piece remake is not feasible commercially. Think of all the new fans it could bring, all those figurines of old characters, the 100+ volumes, etc
They should do this in order to pander to a demography of people that have never seen/read One Piece, I know that One Piece doesn't need this but, in my opinion they are losing 20+ years of fans (plus 2 million people that, stopped buying the volumes over the years) that they could capture with a remake. (And that's only in Japan, think of all the people that would watch the remade episodes worldwide, they would know of course that the series is super long, but it would be easier to digest if a remake is made.)
Heck, worse case scenario TOEI can just try this idea for a 39 episodes remake of East blue and see how sales (Both inside and outside of Japan) go.That would also give them some room to adapt manga content because right now thanks to all of Oda's (well deserved) breaks, the manga and anime are very close.
