Fans are giving their reactions to the One Piece anime’s new revamped art style for the upcoming “Egghead” arc.
The official accounts for the anime revealed the preview for One Piece Episode 1089, titled “Entering a New Chapter! Luffy and Sabo’s Paths!” While the cuts of the Five Elders look similar enough to previous styles, fans have noticed the Straw Hats aboard the Thousand Sunny looking markedly different, with thinner lines, a more simplified style and notably few shadows. Many fans have also commented that the characters appear more bouncy and fluid. The trailer, followed by the popular (and overall positive) reaction, can be viewed below.
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This art style is commonly known as “kagenashi,” literally meaning “no shadows.” While this may sound like designs would become flat and boring, a Realsound feature highlights that the style makes the drawing process easier since there’s no need to separate bright and dark parts from drawings. Characters are colored entirely by their shadows, and ‘flatter’ looks can be avoided by using backlit lighting. The benefits of the style include the possibility of more fluid animation — which, after many battles in Wano like Luffy vs. Kaido and Zoro vs. King, fans will be desperate to see continue. The kagenashi style was also featured in the recently announced Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc trailer.
The “Egghead” arc isn’t the only One Piece series getting a new style. The recently announced anime remake, The One Piece, was teased to be made using “cutting-edge visual technology,” prompting many franchise fans to suspect the possible use of AI, especially given WIT’s history. While the remake has no official release date, the “Egghead” arc of the current anime begins on Jan. 7, 2024, proving that despite airing for over 20 years, the series can and does continue to reinvent itself.
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Crunchyroll streams the One Piece anime, which is described: “Monkey. D. Luffy refuses to let anyone or anything stand in the way of his quest to become the king of all pirates. With a course charted for the treacherous waters of the Grand Line and beyond, this is one captain who’ll never give up until he’s claimed the greatest treasure on Earth: the Legendary One Piece!”
Source: YouTube, X (formerly Twitter)
