One Piece Netflix

One Piece + LEGO= AWESOME!!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , ,

LEGO One Piece Review

You know what I love? LEGO! I’ve been a fan of LEGO ever since my parents bought me LEGO ISLAND when I was a little boy, and I have seen many amazing themes over the years. BIONICLE, Star Wars, Ninjago, Monkie Kid, and more. But I thin one of the most recent themes that I’ve enjoyed seeing has been One Piece. Based on the Live-Action Netflix adaptation of the legendary anime, the Netflix series has been a surprising hit for both newcomers and longtime fans alike. Imagine my surprise when I found out that Netflix and LEGO teamed up to make us a two-part special. The result was something that I enjoyed just as much as I thought as I thought I would. And I thought that I would enjoy it a lot.

One Piece, But With LEGO

The framing of this two-part special is that Usopp is telling Chopper about the adventures the Straw Hat Pirates had before they met Chopper. Well, it’s more like Usopp is trying to tell the story in a way that makes him look cool. Because if there’s one thing that Usopp is known for besides being a master marksman, it’s telling tall tales. Though tall tales seem like a bit of a stretch in this case, as it should be noted that the LA Netflix series tends to tone down the more outrageous aspects of its cast. It’s less Netflix trying to make the story feel more grounded, and more about them accepting the fact that there were things from the series that are physically impossible to recreate. So, even when Usopp is embellishing the Straw Hats’ adventures, it’s not by much.  

The good news about being animated like its anime counterpart, One Piece is able to unleash its full creativity in LEGO form. And considering how good LEGO has gotten with these stop-motion-inspired specials over the years, it’s safe to say that our heroes were in good hands. As an added bonus, the softer and lighter tone that LEGO naturally brings to the field means that the series can more fully indulge in the comedic aspects that are a big part of the franchise. This aspect becomes more noticeable if you watch in Japanese. The seiyuu sound far more energetic compared to when they’re dubbing the live action. Or maybe that’s just me. Either way, it feels like a good cure for the withdrawal fans are feeling since the anime is on break until next year.

This was good stuff

The best way I can summarize these specials was put by someone from Gizmodo in his review: it’s like looking at how YouTubers like to abridge series, such as the famous TeamFourStar with DBZ Abridged. It keeps the general story beats intact but makes them funnier for the sake of entertainment. Which isn’t that hard, because, again, One Piece is an inherently funny series. Still, it did surprise me that LEGO would agree to make these specials. One Piece is already famous around the world, but the Star Wars shows and specials gave me the impression that they only did this with themes that are super popular. Then again, I’m pretty sure a big part of the reasons the sets have sold so well is because of the established fan base. Not that I’m complaining. I want more LEGO One Piece, and for LEGO to try their hands with more anime.

Which reminds me…

WE ARE GETTING A LEGO DRAGON BALL SET

This is not a joke. This is not a fake or something made by some AI prompt. There is, in fact, going to be a LEGO Dragon Ball set coming in November. The fact that cast members from Dragon Ball as well as the big anime fans out there were reacting to this pretty much confirmed it. I don’t know if I’m going to get it for myself as I already have an abundance of LEGOs in my house, but I think it would make a good stocking stuffer for Christmas this year. If it does well enough, maybe we’ll get more!

After All these Years, One Piece Goes Seasonal

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime , , , , , , , , , , ,

One Piece to become a seasonal Anime Starting Spring 2026

This coming January is going to mark the end of an era, not only for One Piece, but for anime as a whole. And I’m not sure how to feel about it.

For almost thirty years, the One Piece anime has been a near constant in the world of anime. Almost every week would see new episodes of the anime air on Fuji TV before eventually making their way online and to the West. That was the norm for a lot of Shonen anime at the time, with its contemporaries like Naruto and Bleach following the same formula. The bad news is that this often meant the anime would have to create filler arcs to make sure it wouldn’t overtake the manga, and most people hate filler. But things have changed since then. Most anime is now released seasonally, a method meant to ensure quality over quantity. One Piece was one of the last holdouts, and even that is about to come to an end!

At the time of this writing, One Piece is airing the climax of the Egghead Island Arc. But over on social media, it was announced that once that is done in January 2026, the anime will be going on another hiatus. And when it returns in April, it will no longer be releasing year-round. From now on, One Piece will be a seasonal anime, releasing episodes in two batches of 13 for a total of 26 per year. In other words, One Piece is finally going seasonal.

End of Longform Anime

This is the end of an era for anime. No longer can fans tune in once every week and expect a new episode of their favorite anime. Now everyone will have to wait until a new season drops. It allows for the people working on the anime to have more time to work on it, ensuring that it’s the highest possible quality. It can potentially mean a less stressful work environment for the people in the industry, because heaven knows they need it. More importantly, though, it means that filler arcs are going to be largely relegated to the history books. Still, having grown up on the weekly anime format, I can’t help but feel sad to see it go. Yet I understand that it’s for the best, as One Piece deserves to be as peak as possible. Especially when you consider what it’s going into once it comes back: the Elbaph Arc.

Elbaph is Worth the Wait

For those who don’t know, the Elbaph Arc is the ongoing arc in the manga, and next to Wano Country and Luffy finding the One Piece, it is the most hyped up thing in the history of the franchise. First mentioned back in 1999, Elbaph is the homeland of most of the Giants, the strongest warriors in the world. It’s a place that Luffy has been dying to visit for years, and fans have waited decades for the moment Oda would introduce it to us outside of flashbacks. Once he did in 2024, he did not disappoint, with it being everything we imagined, and then some. I’m currently covering it on my own blog, and I can promise you that the hiatus will be more than worth the wait, with some of the biggest battles and most insane lore drops that we will ever see. I might even end up reviewing the episodes here if that’s possible!

The One Piece Netflix Series is Returning.

The good news is that we won’t be entirely bereft of One Piece until April. The Netflix series is finally returning.

Two years ago, Netflix and Eichiro Oda worked together to give us a live-action adaptation of One Piece. And it didn’t stink! While it had to do away with the more cartoonish aspects, it still managed to capture the heart and soul of the series. The Japanese dub even got the series’s seiyu to reprise their roles! Since then, fans have been waiting for the second season to come out, and it looks like we don’t have to wait much longer. The second season will drop on Netflix on March 10th, 2026, and it looks to be bigger and better than the first. With the story taking us into the Grand Line, longtime fans know that this is when One Piece starts to pick up as the Straw Hats come into conflict with the evil Baroque Works. More importantly, though, we get our first appearance of fan favorites like Robin and Chopper. If I had to guess, I’d say that the season will cover the Loguetown arc to the end of Drum Island, with the next season bringing us to Alabasta. And there will be a third season; Netflix has confirmed it.

Bottom line: now is a great time to be a fan of One Piece. And if you’re not, then you’re welcome to come aboard. Even if you don’t have the patience to watch the entire anime, there are plenty of people on YouTube that cover the series and the important parts.