FUNimation should now be called, OMG you are the best company in the world forever times one million-imation, for doing the impossible, making this otaku’s dream come true. FUNimation announces today that they will be doing a same day simulcast of the anime One Piece. One hour after airing in Japan, the good people of FUNimation will stream it free, with professionally produced subtitles on their official website, One Piece Official. This epic endeavor will begin Saturday May 30th at 9 pm.
Each episode will be rolled out for a newer one, so you can't watch them all at once. However, beginning Thursday, May 14th, FUNimation will beginning streaming episodes of the Sabaody Archipelago story arc, which began back in episode 391 as well. Kanji Kazahaya, the director of Toei Animation states:
"With digital technology drastically changing the media environment surrounding broadcasts, we've gained the understanding and cooperation of Shueisha, the publisher of the original manga, and Fuji Television, which broadcasts the show in Japan, the primary target audience. With help from FUNimation, our One Piece partner in North America, we've managed to make a One Piece simulcast a reality. With this simulcast, we'll be able to deliver a version of One Piece with much "fresher" excitement and greatness than ever before to even more viewers in the United States than ever before. It's incredibly exciting."
I am very excited, Mr. Kazahaya. For those of you watching One Piece, please support FUNimation by watching it live. If you don’t watch One Piece, then what are you waiting for? You can’t pass up the greatest story of our lifetime!
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A simulcast of One Piece? This series is still going on?
Not sure I wanna start a series thats has 400 episodes. It would take forever to catch up and I'm behind on the stuff I'm already watching. 400 episodes is too much, frankly 100 is a bit much.
I watched part of one episode on CN, dubbed. I HATED Luffy's voice. He sounded like a 10-year-old smoker, just like Ash. Who was played by the same voice as his mother. Sad, really.
I may just check this out, though, since I'm sure his voice is better subbed. I'm sure I'll be confused, but we'll see how it goes.
I wish people would do this for other series, too. Official subs will make the modern otaku's obscene need for fansubbing go down and people will turn to give the companies more support. Win-win.
Or maybe I don't have a clue.
tl;dr:
Cool. Moarplox, FUNimation?
More like: OMG you are the best company in the world forever times one million-imation, for doing the impos- Wait, why aren't you doing this in the UK? WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH;_;
Would of been even more epic if they announced with the 400th episode. But yeah , this is also good news for fansubbers who are just gonna rip the video from the site. So people outside NA get there chance as well.
The streams they're gonna throw on the website are going to be nowhere near the quality of the HD streams that are capped for fansubs going by the quality of their other series they have up.
Pretty soon Funimation is going to have a total monopoly over the anime sector in America....
And anyone who isn't watching/reading should jump on One Piece. One of the few animes that exceed 50 episodes that continues getting better the farther you go.
One Piece is awesome, I'm currently watching it again for the third time. I'm now at episode 184, nearing the end of the Skypia arc. I'm also up to date on the manga, there is so much stuff going on right now, I can't wait to see what happens. Still, I prefer watching the anime than reading the manga, the fights are cooler animated and the voice acting adds to the atmosphere of the series.
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