One Piece takes a six-month hiatus

The iconic Japanese animation series One Piece is taking a six-month break, effective immediately, and will resume in April 2025. 

Toei Animation announced that the popular anime series will be temporarily paused after this Sunday's episode, 1122. The show will resume its broadcast next year with new episodes from the 'Egghead Arc'.

Although the official press release didn't provide a reason for the unexpected hiatus, it was clarified at an online event that the show's creators need a break to refresh themselves.

The popular anime series, One Piece, has been running for 25 years since its debut in Japan, and airs as weekly episodes. It's based on a popular manga comic series by Eiichiro Oda and follows the adventures of Monkey D Luffy and his pirate crew as they search for the legendary treasure,One Piece. The series has had numerous story arcs, films, video games, and even a recent live-action adaptation on Netflix.

To replace the paused 'Egghead Arc,' Toei Animation is airing a revised version of an older story arc from the series.  Toei Animation has revamped the 'Fish-Man Island Arc' with a modern visual style and new animation sequences. The arc has been shortened and features new opening and ending themes. The opening theme, 'We Go!' by Kitadani Hiroshi, will include a special guest collaboration. The ending theme, 'Sailing', adds a new element to the series. “Designed to capture the essence of this fan-favorite storyline in a concise format, One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga is set to captivate One Piece fans, worldwide, all over again!,” Toei Animation said in a statement.

An official synopsis reads: “The Straw Hats reunite at Sabaody! The promised day has arrived. The Straw Hats have made it back to Sabaody Archipelago after two arduous years of separation. In the very same place where they once lost to Pacifista, the Straw Hats have proven themselves to be stronger and ready to begin their journey to the New World. With the Thousand Sunny now equipped to travel underwater, the next stop is the Fish-Man Island.”

To celebrate the series' 25th anniversary, a special 30-minute episode will air on Sunday, October 20th. This episode will feature the Straw Hat crew reuniting from the perspective of non-pirate characters.  “Set in the Sabaody Archipelago after the Summit War, the story follows its protagonist, a young girl and admirer of Nami, as she sets off on a small adventure,” said Toei Animation.