Netflix Acquires 'One Piece' With A Catch

There are dozens of high-profile streaming sites these days, but few can compete with Netflix. The platform has become the go-to destination for cable cutters around the world, and anime seems to be a focus for Netflix these days. So, it is no surprise to hear One Piece is bring brought to the site's massive catalog.

However, there are no plans for Netflix to stream the acclaimed anime anywhere in North America.

The official website for One Piece just confirmed the anime has been licensed by Netflix. The entire series will be available to watch on Netflix Japan in the near future, but that is the only country mentioned in the distribution deal (via One Piece Podcast). So, for now, fans of One Piece will have to find other ways to support the anime.

Luckily for international fans, several sites already offer simulcasts of One Piece. If you want to keep up with the Straw Hat crew, you can do so through Hulu, VRV, Funimation, or even Crunchyroll.

Currently, One Piece is up-to-date on Crunchyroll, VRV, and Funimation. The first site doesn't require an account to watch episodes, but you will have to sit through some commercials. Paid subscribers can watch the show's latest episodes without any adverts.

Hulu is not caught up with One Piece's broadcast as of right now. The website's most recent episode is from season eleven, but it can help newcomers catch up through episode 750. If you want Netflix to acquire One Piece internationally, you can let the company know your interest through an online customer request survey.

Eiichiro Oda's One Piece first began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997. It has been collected into 87 volumes, with a few chapters yet to be included. It has been a critical and commercial success worldwide with many of the volumes breaking printing records in Japan. The manga has even set a Guinness World Record for the most copies published for the same comic book by a single author, and is the best selling manga series worldwide with 430 million copies sold worldwide.

Do you think One Piece will ever go global with Netflix? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!