Netflix Skipping Ahead to One Piece's Latest Arc Makes Sense
Netflix has skipped over 500 of One Piece's anime episodes and started streaming the latest Egghead Arc, a part in the story Eiichiro Oda has said is a great place for new viewers to jump in. Monkey D. Luffy's story is now more popular than ever, and more people are interested in diving into One Piece's depths. With more than 1109 episodes of Toei's anime adaption, the series can seem intimidating to begin. However, even Eiichiro Oda said viewers can skip to the newest arc.
While starting with the Egghead arc can be an enjoyable experience, it's highly recommended to start One Piece from the beginning. Despite its length, it's a journey filled with humor, drama, and action that's well worth your time.
Why Did Netflix Skip to Egghead Island?
2023 saw One Piece grow to unseen levels of popularity thanks to the success of Film: Red, the Live-Action series, and the consistently trending Wano arc adaptation. So much success helped grow the general public's interest in Monkey D. Luffy's adventures. Netflix has begun airing the latest One Piece Anime arc, and series author Eiichiro Oda said it's okay for first-time watchers to skip ahead to enjoy the beginning of the series Final Saga.
In a 2022 statement translated by X user and notable fan NewWorldArtur, One Piece's author, Eiichiro Oda, celebrated the end of Wano and the beginning of the series' Final Saga; he stated, "Though it's totally okay even if you read from here on. After all… from here on we're getting to (the) ONE PIECE!!" Even though Eiichiro Oda has been working hard creating One Piece for more than 25 years, he believes that new fans can start from the beginning of the Final Saga and will still be able to enjoy the story.
Why Netflix Is Missing So Many One Piece Anime Episodes
Eiichiro Oda initially referred to the manga when he suggested that new fans can "read from here on." Still, now that One Piece's Anime has officially begun the first arc of the story's Final Saga, the talented author's suggestion works for the anime's Egghead Island arc as well. While there will be a lot of context, characters, and abilities that will puzzle new fans, the direction and emaculate character writing in the One Piece anime creates an experience that can be enjoyable to watch without watching the previous 1088 episodes.
Netflix has been providing subscribers with the One Piece anime over the last few years by releasing chunks of the pirate epic over time. However, the Fish-Men Island arc will be the latest added to Netflix's US servers on July 1, 2024, up to episode #574. Viewers who have been watching the series exclusively on Netflix might be confused when the story jumps to episode #1089's incredibly well-directed first episode of the Egghead arc. Still, over time, Netflix will undoubtedly add the anime's missing episodes that feature the events after One Piece's incredible time skip.
One Piece's Final Saga Has Been Good Enough To Skip Ahead
Series creator Eiichiro Oda and the companies that control the franchise's copyright decide how One Piece can be consumed and have been in charge of the series since it first began. Shueisha is the Japanese publisher of the manga, while Toei Animation produces One Piece's anime. Those companies' decisions have made One Piece what it is today. It is ultimately up to them to negotiate fees and licenses, determining which streamers can show which episodes. However, licenses expire, leaving it up to the streamer to renew them, most likely for an updated price, which can result in more negotiations.
The modern age of streaming entertainment has brought upon a whole new convoluted system of legal practices and licenses that allow streaming giants like Netflix and Crunchyroll the exclusive rights to feature series like One Piece to their audiences. While Netflix has recently decided to support the One Piece franchise, Crunchyroll (and the late Funimation streaming service) has been streaming the long-running series since 2009.
