After all the hype, ONE PIECE episode 1000 finally arrived, and it delivered on the expectations beautifully! It had both an exciting part in the story, as well as the job to do something special for the milestone, and it managed to combine the two in a really cool way. We started off the iconic “We Are!” opening, with new animation but still heavily nostalgic. Then we got back into it, with Minks transforming and facing off Jack. The animation throughout the entire episode seemed outstanding, and animator Henry Thurlow shared some of the cuts he did once again:
The main part of the episode featured the Straw Hats getting together. There was also a precious throwback to Franky’s humor with him shooting his beam himself as a special attack, as well as Usopp/Chopper reactions. Each of the Straw Hats got a few of their most notable moments highlighted, as well as their current bounties. We were reminded just how far they’ve all come, and Hyogoro and co. were there to highlight their significance even further. Finally, they all grouped up, with Luffy declaring he’ll take down Kaido once again!
This was a big day for ONE PIECE, starting with episode 1000. Besides the “We Are!” reanimated opening, ONE PIECE FILM RED also got announced, set to focus on Shanks!
You can watch the anime on Funimation or Crunchyroll, while you can catch up to the latest One Piece manga chapter for free on either VIZ website or MANGA Plus.
There’s more to come for the Straw Hats after episode 1000, and let’s stay with them until the end!
Images via Crunchyroll
©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/ Fuji Television Network/ Toei Animation