Highlights
- Henry Thurlow, a talented US animator, left One Piece team but plans to return before its end.
- Toei Animation has other skilled staff members, ensuring One Piece’s quality continues.
- Recent episodes show Toei’s commitment to improving, with exciting fights to come.
Since the beginning of the Wano Country arc, Toei has upped its efforts, resulting in the One Piece anime receiving many positive reviews. A key reason for the success has been the staff working on the anime. Toei has put some of its most talented staff members on One Piece, one of whom is Henry Thurlow. While most fans are already aware of Thurlow’s work, some are uninitiated about him.
Henry Thurlow is originally from the United States of America, but he moved to Japan to pursue his dream of working in the anime industry. In a short period, he has managed to build a solid catalog that includes the likes of Naruto, Boruto, Tokyo Ghoul, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and, of course, One Piece. With Episode 1066, Henry Thurlow became the first foreign person to direct a One Piece episode. Things were looking good until the talented artist made a shocking announcement on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
End Of Great Run
In the first post, Thurlow announced his decision to leave Toei Animation and the One Piece staff. He added that One Piece remains his favorite shonen series. Given the amount of effort he puts into every sequence, it is hardly surprising that One Piece holds such a high place in his heart. He worked as a key animator on over 20 episodes.
I plan on directing on One Piece again before the series ends (So I *will* be back) …but not for a while. For the next few years, I’m gonna see what else is available.
Henry Thurlow also cleared up any doubts that fans might have had about his departure being forced and him leaving on a bad note. In fact, he mentioned that he would be looking forward to the content that Toei produces. The thread ended on a positive note, as Henry Thurlow stated that he would like to come back in the future to direct the episodes. While he did not give an estimate, it is safe to assume that it won’t happen for another 5–6 years.
The virtuoso also pointed out that the decision had been made a while back, meaning he had time to ponder over it. He also clarified that he released the statement only after the release of Episode 1110 because it was the final project that he worked on. Henry Thurlow also clarified that he is already working on several projects, and he is excited to show the results to the audience. For now, it remains unclear what new projects he is working on.
What This Means For The Series
Henry Thurlow leaving Toei Animation and the One Piece team is obviously a big blow, but fans don’t need to fret. Toei Animation has proven that it can handle things and provide fans with entertaining episodes. There are still many big names working on One Piece, which include the following:
- Naotoshi Shida: A veteran animator who has worked on Digimon, Dragon Ball, Toriko, and Sailor Moon.
- Vincent Chansard: An upcoming animator from France who has mesmerized One Piece fans with his breathtaking animation.
- Akihiro Ōta: He has worked on Digimon, Toriko, World Trigger, and One Piece.
- Megumi Ishitani: She has cemented her place as one of the most talented directors in the world in a very short time. The episodes that she worked on were lauded throughout the world for their quality.
Besides these talented names, there are many others who pour their hearts and souls into the work. It is due to their collective efforts that the One Piece anime has reached such heights. This has been evident since the Wano Country arc when the studio changed things completely.
Will One Piece Get Better?
There is no easy way to answer this question, but if one were to take a look at some of the recent episodes in the anime, it seems obvious that Toei can take things up a notch whenever they want. After the Wano arc ended, many fans were skeptical whether Egghead would receive the same treatment or if One Piece would go back to having poor pacing, where the anime barely adapted a few chapters. However, Toei Animation has proven that it is not messing around, and it will do everything to keep One Piece ahead of the competition.
The Egghead arc has been absolutely phenomenal. The most recent example of Toei’s outstanding work is Episode 1109, where the animators turned a single from the manga into an action-heavy sequence that lasted more than a minute. The good news is that One Piece fans will have the chance to enjoy some of the biggest fights that occurred in the manga very soon. These will include Shanks vs. Eustass Kid and Garp vs. the Blackbeard Pirates. Shanks and Kid’s fight ended in a jiffy in the manga, so it will be interesting to see if the anime expands it to make it look like a proper duel. Meanwhile, Garp’s fight with the Blackbeard Pirates was a bit longer, and it included many interesting moments. Fans can expect to see both of these fights in the coming weeks.
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