With the live-action series coming this year, Netflix just announced that it will stream the One Piece anime this April!
The announcement was made via the official Netflix social media Facebook page, and it detailed that One Piece will be available on the platform beginning April 15, 2023.
Though the announcement we spotted was only made in the Philippines Netflix account. A look at the global Netflix Anime account revealed that it’s not being promoted. This likely means One Piece will only be available in a certain number of countries.
If the recent releases of Slam Dunk and Chainsaw Man are anything to go by, we expect that the series will only be available in select Southeast Asian countries. Along with the Philippines, this likely includes Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. It’s also likely that the entire series will be available on the platform, or at the very least it’s first half will get released.
So, why does it seem like One Piece won’t be available on Netflix globally? A likely reason is the nature of streaming licenses for anime. Typically, most popular anime titles are streamed on Crunchyroll, Funimation, or HIDIVE in most of the world. But in East and Southeast Asia, there are lots of competing platforms, and many times, seasonal anime even make their way to Netflix.
Of course, there’s still a possibility that the anime will be released globally. After all, Netflix will likely want to promote the series, especially with the live-action series making its way to the platform later this year.
Netflix gives us our first look at the One Piece live-action series