After a monthslong hiatus, the One Piece anime will be returning in April. Before that point, its English dub will make its own return and hit an impressive milestone.
When the dub episodes start airing the first part of the “Egghead” arc on March 18, it’ll have caught up to its Japanese counterpart. For plenty of anime, English-dubbed episodes air weeks (usually four or more) after the Japanese version, which can help extend a show’s presence just a little longer between seasons. In One Piece’s case, this is a pretty big deal, and one “18 years in the making,” said voice director Emily Fajardo.
With this, after 18 years, the #ONEPIECE English dub will officially be caught up to the Japanese version of the main story.
Wanted to share a few thoughts on my part of this enormous team effort. 💙🏴☠️ https://t.co/jQ0GAUhfFj pic.twitter.com/VIBJZIqayl
— Emily Fajardo (@EmilyJFajardo) March 8, 2025
“It’s been one of the biggest honors of my life to spend the last three years sailing towards this milestone with everyone,” she wrote. “I’ve had the privilege of working with this cast and crew five days a week, and witnessing their unbelievable talent firsthand.” To give you an idea of how big an undertaking this was, Fajardo revealed nearly 1,500 voice actors and crew members have touched the One Piece dub since Funimation began redubbing the series back in 2007. It’s “the largest dubbing effort in anime history,” and she thanked viewers for “being the most loyal crewmates we could ask for, and for inspiring us every day with your love for Oda’s legacy.”
Despite this achievement, Toei’s email to press didn’t mention anything about the Japanese and English versions airing new episodes simultaneously, like Delicious in Dungeon or Dan Da Dan. If you want to hear Colleen Clinkenbeard’s Luffy during the second half of the “Egghead” arc, you’ll still be waiting to hear it a couple weeks after the Japanese version comes back on April 6. Still, it’s a cause for celebration, and funny to see the show catch up to itself. Now if only it wasn’t Premium-exclusive…
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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