'One Piece' anime to go on indefinite hiatus amid coronavirus pandemic, fans are heartbroken
With people's lives upended, travel plans canceled and the endless shuffling of film schedules by studios, the coronavirus pandemic continues to hold the world in its relentlessly tight grip. And now, unlike many other anime during this season, Toei Animation has announced that production on the One Piece anime will be suspended for the foreseeable future. After a report came up earlier this week noting that this might be the case, it was officially confirmed through an statement from Toei Animation themselves.
The statement read, "Due to the state of emergency in Japan caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have carefully considered the safety measures for the spread and have decided to suspend the simulcast and Japanese broadcasting of both “One Piece” & our new series, “Digimon Adventure:” for the time being. Updates on the return of both series will be provided as soon as we know. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time. Please stay safe and healthy."
Some fans reluctantly wrote on social media that it is 'sad but understandable'. "Sucks, but what can you do? I'd rather the entire crew be safe, I'll just continue watching old stuff," wrote a fan.
A fan tweeted, "Sad that the One Piece anime and the new Digimon series is getting postponed but the safety of the staff comes first hope they all stay safe."
"One Piece is my favorite show in the world and this is very heartbreaking to hear. But I completely understand and wish you all the absolute best in staying safe during these unprecedented times. Thank you so much for everything. We'll get through this together," another tweeted.
"No way, what am I going to do on weekends?" asked a fan.
Even 'Digimon Adventure' has had to be stalled. "Very sad right now but totally understandable thank you and please tell us the returns of these two aw some shows!" tweeted a fan.
Others wonder whether anime is coming to a long halt. "A Poke ripple effect. #OnePiece brought to port while #DigimonAdventure2020 is frozen. Looks like anime as a whole is about to completely come to a halt," wrote a fan.
There's no concrete date set for its return.