One Piece is one of the longest running anime in the game. Created first as a manga by Eiichiro Oda in 1997, the beloved series received an accompanying anime in 1999 by Toei Animation. The show follows a crew of pirates called the Straw Hats who are in search of the famed treasure—the “One Piece”—left behind by the notorious King of the Pirates Gol D. Roger. The crew of the Straw Hats is forever expanding, with the initial team consisting of the captain, Luffy, the navigator, Nami, the sniper, Usopp, the chef, Sanji, and the swordsman, Zoro.
One Piece may be long with 1000 episodes and counting, but getting into this series isn’t as daunting as it seems. If you’re looking for an anime that can be finished in a day, well, this is not the one for you. However, if you’re looking to catch up to One Piece fans who’ve watched this show for years, there are definitely ways to do so.
If you’re one to not sleep, eat, or leave your house for several days, then you could watch 1000 One Piece episodes without a problem. But chances are, you’re a human being with a variety of commitments who will need breaks (and food) in between. With the anime streaming service Crunchyroll being the best place to watch One Piece, here are some ways to watch the series without making it seem like such a haul.
You Can Skip the One Piece Movies
To many newcomers, this might sound counterintuitive, especially when you consider that some of these films are truncated retellings of certain arcs. But other movies are simply side stories that expand the Straw Hats’ story in fun, but in non-canonical ways. So, in a time-crunch, feel free to bypass these films:
- One Piece
- Clockwork Island Adventure
- Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals
- The Cursed Holy Sword
- The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle
- The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventures in Alabasta
- Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in Winter, Miracle Sakura
- One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase
You can return to them at your leisure. You have plenty of work ahead of you already.
Leave These One Piece Filler Episodes Behind
To date, there are 32 arcs within One Piece and Crunchyroll has segmented them into 13 seasons online. Not all of the episodes are canon (9% of it to be exact). And any anime fan knows that it’s ok to skip certain episodes (or arcs) that aren’t crucial to the overall story. This isn’t going to be full of filler episodes like other anime (sorry Boruto). However, there are still chunks that can go to the wayside on your pirate adventure. Thanks to some guidance from Anime Filler List, you can skip the below episodes:
54-60, 98-99, 102, 131-143, 196-206, 220-226, 279-283, 291-292, 303, 317-319, 326-336, 382-384, 406-407, 426-429, 457-458, 492, 542, 575-578, 590, 626-627, 747-750, 780-782, 895-896, 907, 1029-1030
Sure you’ll miss Zoro getting lost on side quests and some eccentric side villains as anime appetizers, but you’ll get to the meat of One Piece.
The One Piece Intros and Outros Are Fun, But They Add Up
Real ones know that anime intros (and outros, for that matter) are top tier in the world of animation. Theme songs are as fire as the animation sequences and they change up every few episodes. So, who wouldn’t want to watch these 2-3 min intros and outros? A person who needs to get through tons of One Piece episodes in a short amount of time, that’s who. Those minutes can add up if you’re short on time.
You can check out all of the intros and outros that are out so far on YouTube after watching the main content. But you should watch absolutely watch the original intro below.
The One Piece Arcs You Should Watch for the Live-Action Show
If you really want to narrow it down, you can watch what’s covered in the upcoming live-action Netflix adaptation. Again, One Piece has several arcs to cover, but the live-action series’ first season will only cover the following arcs: Romance Dawn Arc (episodes 1-4), Orange Town Arc (episodes 4-8), Syrup Village Arc (episodes 9-18), Baratie Arc (episodes 19-30), Arlong Park Arc (31-44). Why, you ask? Well, that’s because these arcs properly introduce each of the first five Straw Hats.
With 44 episodes clocking in at 20 minutes each, you have 880 minutes, or 14.6 hours of One Piece to watch. That’s almost an hour of One Piece a day over 14 days. That seems pretty doable, right?
For the brave soul that seeks more adventure and time on their laptop, you can watch One Piece as is. The anime is thrilling, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and, most of all, incredibly entertaining. There’s a reason why this battle shōnen anime has lived on for decades. But if you need to get through this journey a little quicker, hopefully the tips above with help you get into the Straw Hats’ adventures.
