One Piece Animator Kenji Yokoyama Shares Their Top Wano Moments

The Wano Arc isn't just the latest One Piece arc playing out in the anime adaptation, but it is considered by many fans of the shonen franchise to be the best-animated arc of the series to date. With the War For Wano continuing to rage, and Luffy finding himself on the receiving end of a blow that might have taken him out of the battle, we here at Comicbook.com recently had the chance to talk with a major animator of the series. Kenji Yokoyama made an appearance at this year's Anime Expo and shared their favorite scenes.

Kenji Yokoyama has been a part of the anime industry for quite some time and has worked on some major properties that you might not have expected. On top of supplying killer animation to the world of the Grand Line, Yokoyama also was a key animator for the original Dragon Ball Z series, worked on the first Slam Dunk anime, and recently took on the role of animation director for the long-anticipated sequel series to Inuyasha, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon. Kenji also had a hand in creating animation for the Chrono Trigger video game, which is still considered by many to be one of the greatest RPGs of all time.

Kenji Yokoyama's Favorite Scenes in The Wano Arc

In chatting with Kenji Yokoyama, Comicbook.com's own Megan Peters inquired which scenes from the Wano Arc he liked the most. Yokoyama's answer might come as a surprise since they're not the most action-packed moments in the arc, as he explains, "Being involved in so much in each episode is great. The ones that stand out for me are the scene where Otama gets the dessert, the samurai on the battered boat – the emotional betrayal, and Yamato when they go back to meet the samurai. I was able to do these carefully. I do them all that way but wanted to make sure."

One Piece is preparing to have one of its biggest scenes brought to life in the anime adaptation. With the War For Wano preparing to debut Luffy's Gear Fifth to the television series, the animators will have their work cut out for them when it comes to this cartoon-ish form. As the Final Arc plays out in the One Piece manga, there are most likely years of anime episodes that are still set to arrive in the future.