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One of the most exciting anime series in recent years has been the television anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga series. While other popular series such as Bleach and Demon Slayer have made their marks on anime in the same timeframe, Oda’s series has been consistently airing great episodes.
Furthermore, the timing of the Wano arc’s ending in the anime is seemingly set to put the climax of the current One Piece arc, which is in competition with the likes of Demon Slayer and Bleach. At the very least, the second part of the Bleach: TYBW series will be airing at roughly the same time as the Wano arc’s climax.
While some fans are asserting that the series can’t compete with Demon Slayer and Bleach in any way possible, there’s one particularly vocal naysayer who made such claims online. What's more interesting is that this naysayer is a One Piece anime staff member, who is none other than animator Henry Thurlow.
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One Piece key animator claims 2023 is undoubtedly the year of Oda's series
Beyond his recent work on the One Piece anime at Toei Animation, Thurlow is best known as one of the establishers of Japan-based American animation studio D’Art Shtaijo. He established the studio alongside Arthell and Darnell Isom, who are still with Shtaijo as of yet. However, Thurlow has since left to join Toei Animation.
While Thurlow is best known for his work on Oda’s series and his time at Shtaijo, he has several other impressive animation credits to his name. Key animation on Attack on Titan, Fire Force season 2, Haikyu!! To The Top, Gintama season 4, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind are likely the most significant and impressive.
What’s clear is that Thurlow’s experience and familiarity with the anime industry is remarkable and respectable. This is also why Thurlow’s latest One Piece claim, as seen in the tweet above, is making some waves in the general anime community. This is also in part to Thurlow’s calling out Bleach and Demon Slayer by name in his tweet, asserting that 2023 is the year of Oda’s series.
Thurlow even promises fans that the Wano arc will end with “the best animated episodes in the series.” Additionally, he asserts that “while [the series are] great” and that he’s “not a hater” of Bleach and Demon Slayer, these two series “are not showing their biggest climax battles.” This is referencing the finale of Kaido versus Luffy fight, which is set to take place in the Wano arc.
It’s certainly a bold claim, and one which many One Piece fans are both sharing support and concern for. Those supporting the episodes are pointing to the Roof Piece section of the anime’s Wano arc and how beautifully those installments were produced. Others are pointing to the anime’s fatal flaw in pacing, pointing out how this is something both Demon Slayer and Bleach: TYBW nail.
In any case, it’s clear that the television anime adaptation of Oda’s manga series is in for an exciting few months. Regardless of whether or not it blows Bleach: TYBW or Demon Slayer fans out of the water, fans of Oda's series can be rest assured that quality anime episodes are coming over the next few weeks.
Be sure to keep up with all One Piece anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.
