One Piece: Failure in America?

[Matt Hazuda]

It sure didn't catch fire in the US after the anime was released. The ratings haven't been too hot, and it just doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Sure the manga is doing all right, but what went wrong? Did 4Kids botch a sure thing, or was there more to it?

[Mog]

I feel that 4kids botched the whole thing pretty bad. Sure, the start of the anime isn't half as good as the later arcs, but the way 4kids has handled things so far doesn't leave much hope for the future when the series hits the ground running and doesn't stop.

Pray for uncut DVD's. That's all I can say.

[Dark Fact]

It failed???

Haven't heard anything about that...

But if it has then HA HA to Al Kahn!

[Yash]

When your competition is Fillmore and you're losing to it, yeah, it's a bad sign.

[Dark Fact]

I wonder if 4Kids will even bother airing all of their licensed episodes if the show is such a failure...

And I wonder if this will pressure uncut DVDs...

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Maybe 4Kids will sell the rights to a company that will give it a good release and such.

[Dark Fact]

Maybe 4Kids will sell the rights to a company that will give it a good release and such.

Like FUNimation?

[Chris Wood]

I'm surprised it's not doing well. I'm not a big fan, but it's much, much better than the other anime airing on the networks. Admittedly the dub is atrocious, but that shouldn't bother little kids.

I guess the lesson to be learned here (witness the similar failure of Astro Boy) is that on the networks anime is strictly for little kids, and they don't appreciate any real complexity. I'm sure One Piece would do much better on Cartoon Network.

[Artimus Gigan]

You know what, i really gotta say this.

The world doesn't need anymore SJ titles, seriously. They are 100+ episodes each and the manga volumes strech into the high numbers as well. I mean really, many of these things are loaded with filler and really could be condenced into singular episodes or just plain cut out alltogether. Not to mention to collect both forms of media is very expensive. I mean for the price of one complete SJ series you could probably get 8-10 different ones. Not to mention they are shelf whores an really take up the most room.

[Mek]

I've found that 4Kids dubs -outside of Pokemon and Yugi-O- never really gain any fan followings.

Things kinda spiked for Kirby a year or so ago when the anime was actually good, but that didn't last long at all. F-Zero GP Legend barely made a dent in the fandom; but then again the show (and corresponding game) was doomed to begin with from early word of mouth... and they didn't really change much from the original anyways in the dub, so editing wasn't a huge issue at all.

So given those examples, I'm not surprised that One Piece isn't a hit. I guess it's a case of 'word of mouth' killed it. =/

[Conekiller]

Step1: put it on Cartoon Network

Step2: put it on a block in an hour PEOPLE WILL WATCH (Miguzi, or Post Miguzi)

Step3: wait for people to notice how much it rocks in a daily schedule (one a week ispainful)

Step4: Order new episodes and lower editing standards (and advertise lower editing standards to get the attention of those who won't watch "butchered" anime)

Step5: enjoy a good number of years worth of new episodes of an awesome show.

Step6: Naruto-who?

[Bubblegum Girl]

It failed becuase 4Kids has screwed it up so much!

[Matt-a-Tastic]

It failed becuase 4Kids has screwed it up so much!

I doubt it, they screwed Yu-Gi-Oh even more (or so ive heard) but that gets brillant ratings, but then again prehaps the manga didnt come until later to America... I dont know

[JohnCrichton]

One Piece could've been big.

Had it gone to Toonami like other Shonen Jump properties, been given proper treatment and get a special two to three hour premiere marathon that would rocket through the first intro episodes and get the ball rolling... it could be up there with DBZ in my opinion.

It's brilliant, fantastic, quality... just not enough good can be said about it. While I don't approve, totally, the changing of DBZ's background music, I can kinda understand it. One Piece on the other hand, aside from the opening theme, needed absolutly no tampering with whatsoever, especially the breathtaking BGM the anime already comes installed with.

4Kids is going to do the same thing Fox did with Escaflowne... jack the hell out of it and then if it doesn't float in its ruined state, toss it and just say it didn't have potential to begin with.

[Beat]

4Kids destroyed One Piece. Yes it's true. I'm pretty sure everyone saw it coming.

If there's a sliver of hope in all this, it will make them think twice before trying to get Naruto.

[JohnCrichton]

4Kids getting One Piece in the first place I didn't see coming. Such an insane hit, I can't believe they did what they did to it.

[Conekiller]

doesn't look like we'll get decent toys out of this either >_>

[Nin-Nin69]

No! I want my Sanji figure with lollypop eating action!

Yeah this was a big mistake on 4kids part for picking up One Piece. What's the point of picking up a show that is popular for certain aspects, then butchering everything great about the show and try to make it some cheezy DBZ clone? Better yet why not stick it on CN in the first place. Don't you think it could've done better on Toonami or Miguzi with less editing standards instead of pimping out Code Lyoko or Rave Master?

Heck it's also Genom's, FUNImation's, ADV's, Viz, and Bandai's fault for not lissening to the fans at anime conventions. God knows how many times people brought up, "Will you obtain the licence for One Piece?" at the FUNImation booth.

[Conekiller]

I know I specifically BEGGED Lance at Megacon.


(wants cool toys)

[Gokou Ruri]

If OP failed with 4-Kids help, then it would have tanked by going on Toonami or AS by itself.

Look at Gundam SEED, popular, but it has little if no fanbase in America outside the fansub community.

OP would have just died lonely and forgotton on Toonami, being with 4-Kids gives it a better chance for survival.