Everybody needs a break from time to time. Whether you are young or old, employed or on the job line – life finds a way to weigh on you fast. For manga creators, that stress is doubled as the industry operates under a notoriously difficult schedule. Guys like Eiichiro Oda have operated under this schedule for decades, and now, the artist behind One Piece is prepping for a fall vacation.
Yes, that is right. One Piece is going on an extended break. The hit manga will skip two issues of Weekly Shonen Jump this fall, and the hiatus will be here much faster than you may think.
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ONE PIECE WILL TAKE A BREAK IN FALL 2024
Not long ago, Shueisha confirmed One Piece is eyeing a break for late October 2024. Chapter 1130 will go live on October 21st in Japan, and after that release, One Piece will go on break. It will return on November 11th overseas, so fans stateside will get access to chapter 1131 on November 10th.
As you can imagine, fans are eager for Oda to take a break. The artist is one of the hardest working in the industry, and Oda has been at it for years. One Piece is more than 20 years old now, and it is still going on strong. Over the years, Oda’s editors have stressed how hard the artist works, and he has suffered various ailments like insomnia because of his schedule. So when Oda opts to take a break, you know the artist needs it.
While some may not believe manga artists have it hard, well – you only have to look for a minute to see the truth. Manga artists rarely get a day off because of production deadlines if their series is published weekly. For creators like Oda, they admit to getting a handful of hours of sleep when they are working. As for other artists, they have found themselves crippled by the job. Yoshihiro Togashi, the creator Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter, suffers from debilitating back pain because of tenure with manga. As you can imagine, One Piece fans want Oda to stay healthy, so they are down for any and all breaks he needs.
WHAT IS NEXT FOR ONE PIECE?
With this break on the horizon, One Piece fans better cherish the next few chapters they get in October. The manga is in the middle of a new arc, and it is already dropping important lore drops. At last, the Straw Hat crew has made it to Elbaf Island, and the arc is setting up more info about the Sun God and Joy Boy’s tenure during the Void Century.
As for the anime, One Piece is also gearing up for a break, and this one will be a historic one. The anime has entered a six-month hiatus, leaving the Egghead Island arc hanging in the balance One Piece will return in April 2025 with the arc in tow. In the meantime, One Piece fans will not be left bereft. Toei Animation is set to release a remaster of the Fishman Island arc complete with new music, Dolby sound, and visual style. Plus, an anime special titled One Piece Fan Letter is set to debut in Japan on October 20 that adapts part of a hit spin-off novel dedicated to Luffy’s nakama.
Clearly, One Piece has a lot going on, and we have yet to touch upon two of its biggest projects. Netflix is doubling down on its live-action adaptation of One Piece as season two is filming in Cape Town, South Africa. And over in Japan, a full-blown remake is in the works for One Piece at Wit Studios. Both projects will hit Netflix in the near future, so it seems the Straw Hat crew is getting comfy in the spotlight.
What do you make of this latest One Piece break? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
