One Piece follows the story of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy who aims to become the King of the Pirates. After eating a magical Devil Fruit, Luffy gains rubber powers but loses his ability to swim. To find the legendary treasure known as the One Piece, he forms the Straw Hat Pirates and sails across dangerous seas. Throughout his journey, Luffy battles formidable enemies, rescues communities, and builds enduring friendships centered on ambition and perseverance.
Regarding its broadcast history, the anime took a brief hiatus from October 13, 2024, to April 6, 2025.
Network executives shifted the show’s schedule multiple times over the years. Initially, Fuji TV aired the series on Wednesdays at 19:00 from October 20, 1999, to March 2001. Later, they moved the broadcast to Sundays at 19:30 through December 2004, followed by a morning slot on Sundays at 9:30 until October 2024. Most recently, the schedule transitioned to Sunday nights at 23:15 starting April 6, 2025.
Beyond the main TV series, creators adapted several anime-original arcs into light novels. Additionally, the franchise has inspired over 50 video games as of 2023.
International licensing also evolved significantly over time. In June 2004, 4Kids Entertainment acquired the North American rights and partnered with Viz Media for home video distribution. However, 4Kids heavily censored the content for younger audiences before finally canceling production in December 2006. Consequently, Funimation acquired the series license in April 2007, releasing an uncut version that remained faithful to the original Japanese broadcast.
In Japan, Avex Pictures distributed the first 574 episodes on DVD between February 21, 2001, and December 4, 2013, later incorporating Blu-ray releases in January 2014. Meanwhile, Viz Media released early DVD sets in North America between 2006 and 2007. Since May 27, 2008, Funimation has handled all North American home video releases, offering combined Blu-ray and DVD editions starting in March 2021.