Despite eliciting mixed reactions from fans, One Piece‘s latest change in art style and its ability to do so with every new arc without alienating fans is unprecedented and proves One Piece is in a league entirely of its own. Though each shift in style has left fans somewhat jarred at first, One Piece‘s experiments with different animation styles continue to be successful against all odds.

A prime example of this success is the Wano Arc, whose art style was also met with skepticism at first but eventually grew to become one of the best arcs in One Piece in terms of animation, with the debut of Gear Five quite literally breaking the internet.

One Piece‘s Changing Art Style Creates a Refreshing Experience

The Wano arc’s animation was characterized largely by its heavy shadows, visually pleasing character proportions, and thicker, almost brushstroke-like linework reminiscent of traditional Japanese illustrations, which coincides with the Japanese inspiration behind Wano. These darker tones also suited Wano’s tense atmosphere throughout. In contrast, the Egghead arc opts for a softer, bright pastel color palette with light shading, and playful, fluid character designs, which help distinguish the Egghead arc as a brand-new exciting adventure while giving fans a refreshing change of pace and an all-new visual experience.

Moreover, The Egghead arc is presented as a fun futuristic adventure full of childish wonder and unimaginable inventions and the arc’s bright new colors suit these themes well. The lack of heavy shading also simplifies the animation process, opening up possibilities for unique, fluid action sequences that would especially suit Gear Five.

Egghead’s Bright Cartoonish Style Brings Gear Five to Life

As hinted in One Piece‘s newest opening theme, the Egghead Arc will see Luffy’s Gear Five form in action again fairly soon and the anime’s shift in art style is sure to benefit these scenes. Egghead’s new animation and color palette suit the playful, cartoonish nature of Gear Five exceptionally well and the fluid animation could see Gear Five’s action sequences possibly even surpass its debut.

Nevertheless, One Piece‘s ability to implement radical changes such as this is certainly one of the many unique privileges it enjoys and is a testament to the loyal fan base the series has built over the years, as well as the brilliant story crafted by Eiichiro Oda. Undoubtedly, it is this ambitious spirit and the ability to constantly surprise fans that are responsible for One Piece standing the test of time and earning its title as the king of anime.