HIGHLIGHTS

One Piece anime’s quality increased with Wano arc, but some original scenes cause confusion.
Episodes like 1109 showcase impressive animation, but can undermine characters.
Toei should be more careful with expanded scenes, limit gags, and work on off-screen fights.

The One Piece anime is on a hot streak, with almost every episode earning praise from the audience. This is due to Toei increasing the effort it puts into the series. Ever since the anime entered the Wano Country arc, the animation quality has increased drastically, leading to fans enjoying the anime more than the manga.

Despite the outstanding effort, some viewers are still not satisfied with the anime. One of the main reasons for their displeasure is the fact that the anime keeps adding scenes that are completely original and not part of the manga. They believe that inserting new scenes causes confusion and leads to people having the wrong idea about characters. It is a genuine concern, but most fans are extremely happy with the course the studio has embraced. The extended anime scenes have mostly been great to watch, and the recent One Piece episode proved again why Toei should continue down this path.

One Piece Episode 1109 Sakuga

One Piece Episode 1109 was one of the most hyped episodes in recent weeks, mainly because the staff working on it included two of the most popular names within the industry. From the preview, it was evident that Vincent Chansard and Naotoshi Shida would be joining forces to deliver an absolute masterpiece, and that is exactly what happened. Vincent Chansard was the first to show his work, and it covered S-Hawk’s assault on Luffy, Zoro, Kaku, and Lucci. Since the CP-0 agents were handcuffed, they had to rely on the pirates to get them out of harm’s way.

The entire sequence was breathtaking, and it lasted for a good amount of time. Not only did it show how menacing the Seraphim are, but it was a spectacle that fans could enjoy. In the manga, the complete assault was covered in just one page. If someone were to ask the fans, most would prefer the anime version over the manga, and it would be all due to the hard work of Vincent Chansard and the other animators. If the staff working on the anime were afraid to take risks, then fans would never be able to witness such high-quality episodes. While these extended scenes are phenomenal, there are some downsides.

The Bad And The Ugly

Sometimes the anime adds scenes that undermine a character’s abilities and affect how the fans view them. In one of the recent episodes, Toei made a controversial change related to Sanji’s confrontation with a Seraphim. In the anime, S-Shark manhandled Sanji. The Seraphim was able to catch Sanji by the throat rather easily. In another situation, the anime made it seem that Sanji was too slow to rescue Edison from S-Shark’s laser. In the manga, he was able to save the satellite almost effortlessly.

These changes can be infuriating for fans, as they do not want to see their favorite characters sabotaged for no apparent reason. This is a major problem that the anime needs to work on so that everyone can enjoy the episodes without feeling let down.

How Can Toei Improve

Toei is one of the biggest and most renowned anime studios. It has worked on One Piece, Dragon Ball, Digimon, Sailor Moon, etc., all of which are popular anime. Due to the efforts of Toei, fans all over the world were able to enjoy all these anime. So, there is no doubt that One Piece is in the right hands. While the studio is already performing at a high tier, it is possible for it to elevate the level even further. But the question is, how can Toei do so?

The first thing that the studio can do is be more careful regarding which moments it decides to expand on. If it is something that will adversely affect the character and make them look bad, it is better to avoid it altogether. Secondly, overdoing gags is one of the worst things that the studio can do to tarnish a character’s reputation. For instance, Sanji’s overly romantic gag has been overdone in the anime, and many fans have been vocal about their dissatisfaction. Toei needs to limit gags and go far with them. Finally, the studio should try to work more on off-screen fights, or the ones that do not affect the story too much.

One thing that the fans must learn to accept is that Toei will sometimes make decisions that might be a bit controversial. Sometimes it will include a scene that did not occur in the manga or drag out a fight, but this is just part and parcel of any anime project. The good thing is that a One Piece remake is already in the works at Wit Studio, and it will likely be a 1:1 adaptation of the manga. Wit Studio won’t have to wait for new chapters, so its job will be simpler.