One Piece has become the greatest fiction of all time, breaking all records in manga, anime, and live-action. Here’s what you need to know.
In 1997, Eiichiro Oda introduced the vast world of One Piece that surpasses any fiction. The series has so much to offer – a lovable protagonist, incredible character design, heartwarming moments, stellar animation, amazing character development, and so on.
The complexity of multiple storylines is the best aspect of the series. There’s so much going on at once that fans never get tired of it. 2023 has been a remarkable year for One Piece, with the Gear 5 episodes, the live-action adaptation, and the manga preparing to enter a new arc.
One Piece has always been popular, but it’s at the peak of its popularity right now. Netflix recently premiered its live-action adaptation, which again gained massive popularity. As the series continues to gain fans on a global platform, One Piece has truly become the greatest fiction of all time.
The popularity of the One Piece manga has far surpassed any literary work
One Piece manga has received numerous awards and is regarded as one of the best manga of all time by critics, reviewers, and readers. By August 2022, it had over 516.6 million copies in circulation in 61 countries and regions worldwide, making it the best-selling manga series in history and the biggest comic series printed in book volume.
In 2015 and 2022, the manga set the Guinness World Record for “the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author.” It was the best-selling manga for 11 years in a row, from 2008 to 2018, and is the only manga with an initial print of volumes of more than three million for more than 10 years. Since 2008, One Piece has been the only manga whose volumes have rated top in Oricon’s weekly comic chart. One Piece far surpasses the sales of Harry Potter, Batman, and other popular fictional works.
One Piece is the only anime to crash Crunchyroll two weeks in a row
The One Piece anime has topped Japan’s DVD sales charts countless times. The anime series, created by Toei Animation and distributed in North America via Crunchyroll, is also well received. According to Parrot Analytics, viewers’ demand for One Piece is “40.7 times the demand of the average TV series in the United States in the last 30 days.”
Furthermore, One Piece was the most-watched series of 2022 among users of the app TV Time, which tracks the shows and films people watch, topping out other famous series like Stranger Things. Gear 5 further skyrocketed its popularity as One Piece became the only anime to crash Crunchyroll two weeks in a row.
Taking down Crunchyroll servers due to high traffic isn’t unusual, as Dragon Ball, Attack on Titan, and a few other series have accomplished this. However, no series other than One Piece has ever done that for two consecutive rows.
One Piece live-action breaks Netflix’s records as it’s number one in 84 countries
The latest addition to the One Piece franchise is Netflix’s live-action adaptation, which is currently breaking all records across the globe. One Piece breaks the “curse” of bad anime adaptations as the series gathers positive reviews from fans and critics worldwide.
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The series introduces several characters and plots much earlier than the original version, which is a wise decision by Netflix. It explains a lot to those unfamiliar with One Piece’s vast world. Except for the Loguetown Arc, the first season covers the East Blue Saga and streamlines the narrative while preserving the spirit of what makes One Piece special.
Soon after it started premiering on Netflix, One Piece became a global sensation, surpassing the previous records set by Stranger Things and Wednesday. It is currently the top series in 84 countries, setting a bar so high that it will be difficult for other series to surpass.
How to watch Crunchyroll from outside your location in 2023
Crunchyroll is the world’s best hub for streaming anime, whether it’s One Piece, Attack on Titan, or Jujutsu Kaisen – and thanks to ExpressVPN, you can access the platform’s full library even if you’re outside the US.
If you’re abroad, here’s what you need to do to access Crunchyroll’s full selection – and it really is this simple:
- Sign up for ExpressVPN, which has ultra-fast servers and offers a secure, private connection wherever you are in the world
- Connect to a location anywhere in the US; Express VPN allows you to choose from 24 different spots, from New Jersey to Santa Monica
- Visit Crunchyroll online and start streaming all of your favorite animes – and perhaps some you’ve never watched
Accessing Crunchyroll’s US roster makes a difference; for example, Hong Kong users only have access to less than 100 titles, while the US has nearly 1,000 movies and TV shows.
You can also stream anime on Crunchyroll for free with an ad-supported plan, or you can pay for a subscription – there’s even a 14-day free trial if you can’t quite make up your mind.
In the meantime, check out our other anime coverage below:
One Piece anime and live-action differences | One Piece Luffy vs Kizaru | One Piece treasure | Fall 2023 anime list | Jujutsu Kaisen Shibuya opening | Jujutsu Kaisen Gojo’s arm | Oda’s plans after ending One Piece | Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 anime
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