One Piece May Go on Hiatus Due to Pandemic

It might be easy to assume all of our top anime are going to get through the ongoing pandemic without any dings, but that will not happen. So far, series like Re:Zero have been delayed due to the new coronavirus with Sword Art Online joining in. Now, it seems some mainstays may join the list as a voice actress on One Piece confirms she is no longer recording due to the pandemic.

Over in Japan, Mayumi Tanaka reached out to fans as she shelters in place. The actress is a beloved one as she voices Monkey D. Luffy in the anime, and she confirmed One Piece is no longer recording new episodes at this time.

The actress informed fans of the news on her personal blog where she said the choice was made to protect Toei Animation's staff. The order was made after Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe confirmed the country was going into a state of emergency. Tokyo is, of course, being viewed as a potential hot spot for the virus given its dense population. So in order to stop the spread, Tanaka and her colleagues have stopped recording episodes.

Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy’s VA) announces in a blog post that recording episodes for the anime has stopped due to the pandemic in order to preserve the health of the citizens as well as the staff of Toei Animation. This means that the anime might go on break for awhile. pic.twitter.com/FIRjUggXyO

— ⚡️ Soulstorm ⚡️ (@SoulstormOP) April 14, 2020

There is no word on whether the anime will be delayed on an official level, but fans are not sure how it could go on like it is. One Piece is in the thick of its Wano arc, and the anime has been creeping closer to the manga since the story began. Now, it seems like the show may be heading for a hiatus due to the pandemic if there aren't enough episodes banked at Toei Animation.

Have you braced yourself for an indefinite One Piece hiatus? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!