One Piece animator’s Garp and Coby artwork sparks excitement and concern among fans

Ever since the start of the Egghead Island arc, One Piece has incorporated a noticeable shift in the art style. This current storyline delves heavily into the lore and has unveiled significant revelations such as the preservation of Ohara’s knowledge and the origins of the devil fruits.

Since the debut of the Wano arc, the animation for this series has consistently improved. Katsumi Ishizuka, known for his work on the Zoro vs. King and Law vs. Blackbeard battles, has become a beloved figure among fans. Most recently, Ishizuka shared an illustration of Garp and Koby, which received an overwhelmingly positive response from the fan community.

Please be aware that this article includes spoilers for the One Piece series.

Animator for One Piece Builds Anticipation for Upcoming Episodes

Despite receiving mixed reviews for its art style change from the Wano arc to the Egghead Island arc, One Piece’s animation has continued to see a significant increase in quality and overall hype. The overall animation quality has not diminished in any way since the start of the Wano arc.

The Egghead Island arc recently featured the battle between Lucci and Luffy, which was a minor fight within the arc. Katsumi Ishizuka, a well-known animator who has previously worked on One Piece episodes, recently shared a drawing highlighting Garp and Coby. Throughout the series, Garp and Coby have been portrayed as the central moral figures of the Marine organization.

During the siege of Amazon Lily, Coby was taken captive by Blackbeard. Garp has long been praised for his immense strength, and the highly-anticipated Garp vs. Kuzan battle will be a major focal point of the Egghead Island arc. The trend of animators promoting upcoming episodes has become increasingly popular, as seen with the Frieren animators building excitement for episode 9.

Reactions from Fans of the Illustration

Aokiji, or Kuzan, as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The latest One Piece illustration has successfully refocused fans’ attention on episodes 1062 and 1093, while also building excitement for the highly anticipated Garp vs. Kuzan fight. Despite some mixed reactions to recent episodes, such as episode 1100, this illustration has reignited fans’ anticipation for the current arc.

“It’ll be a legendary episode, can’t wait,”one fan wrote.

During the sharing of a clip from One Piece episode 1093, which primarily featured Law vs. Blackbeard, a few second long shots of Kuzan were also included. Despite the focus of the episode, these shots of Kuzan remain one of the most impressively animated sequences in the series.

Coby as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

One fan expressed their anticipation for the episode, believing it will be one of the best-made and well-animated sequences in One Piece. They specifically mentioned the potential impact of Katsumi Ishizuka’s involvement, stating that their hype could elevate the quality even further.

“You know that the Garp vs. Aokiji episode will be at its peak if Ishizuka starts doing mad arts before it airs in months,”another fan wrote.

A different fan saw this as a chance to draw parallels between the Luffy vs. Lucci battle and the upcoming Garp vs. Kuzan fight. They noted that the Luffy vs. Lucci clash was a standout moment in the Egghead Island arc, and predicted that Garp vs. Kuzan could potentially reach the same intensity as the epic Zoro vs. King and Sanji vs. Queen duels.

“luffy vs lucci is great but i think garp vs aokiji will be the best fight of this year,”one fan wrote.

Garp as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

One other supporter seized this chance to praise Ishizuka’s past contributions.

“Ishizuka cinema for one of the best stretches in One Piece I am SEATED,”one fan wrote.

Fans have interpreted this illustration as a teaser for the highly anticipated Garp vs. Kuzan fight, especially considering Ishizuka’s involvement in previous episodes 1062 and 1093, which were praised for their cinematic quality in the series.

Be on the lookout for additional updates on One Piece anime, manga, and live-action for the year 2024.