Ask John: Why Isn’t One Piece as Popular in America as Bleach & Naruto?

Question:
Why does One Piece get no love in America? Granted 4Kids horribly murdered this series by stereotyping it as a “kids cartoon,” which it kind of is. But the content matter is a different subject, especially on a cultural level. Among the “Holy Shonen Trinity” of One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach, One Piece seems to have the hardest time lifting off, even in manga sales. Bleach and Naruto have had huge underground followings even before they were released here, so what gives?

Answer:
One Piece is an undeniably tremendously popular and successful franchise in Japan, and there should be little doubt that the One Piece manga and anime have never been especially popular in America. One Piece is a Shonen Jump manga title, just like Naruto and Bleach. And One Piece exhibits the same characteristic themes of friendship, loyalty, courage, teamwork, and adventure that typify Naruto and Bleach. Yet One Piece has never been as popular among American viewers as either Naruto or Bleach, despite having similar exposure and availability. I think that there are two fundamental reasons behind the lagging popularity of One Piece, and neither of those reasons is 4Kids Entertainment. 4Kids’ bastardization of the One Piece anime TV series for the American market probably did little to boost interest in the series, but I also don’t think that 4Kids’ handling of the show dramatically hindered the series’ domestic potential, either. I think that the third-rank status of One Piece in America, behind Naruto and Bleach, has always been a foregone conclusion because of the age of the One Piece franchise, and because of its signature identity.

The One Piece anime television series premiered in Japan on October 20, 1999, several years prior to the popularization of digital fansubbing, and several years prior to the biggest growth years of the American anime industry. In comparison, the Naruto anime premiered in late 2002, and the Bleach anime premiered in late 2004. Naruto and Bleach both debuted during a time when internet file sharing allowed American anime fans to have instant access to new Japanese anime, and interest in anime among American consumers and fans was growing at an exponential pace. While I’m not arguing that the illegal distribution of Bleach and Naruto anime should be commended, I think that it must be acknowledged as a major contributing reason for the explosive popularity of these two titles. While Naruto and Bleach were brand new, easily accessible anime series in a genre that appeals to Americans, One Piece anime was already an old, establish show without the novelty of “newness,” and it wasn’t easily accessible to American fans. American fans were able to develop an affinity with Naruto and Bleach from their beginnings. The same was not the case with One Piece.

However, there’s no certainty that One Piece could have become quite as popular among American viewers as Naruto and Bleach have become even if it had premiered during the height of America’s anime boom. Naruto is story about ninja. Bleach is a story about shinigami. One Piece is a story about pirates. In the perspective of Americans, ninja and shinigami are exotic, mysterious, and dangerous. Despite Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece all being stories primarily for preadolescent and young teenage boys, the use of ninja and shinigami allowed American fans to easily imagine these stories being something more than they are. In the same way that countless American fans perceive Dragon Ball Z as a program for older teens and young adults because it contains character deaths and intense violence, the use of ninja and death gods likewise allowed American fans to convince themselves that Naruto and Bleach were “mature” animation suitable for teens and young adults. In other words, American fans didn’t feel embarrassed about watching anime featuring ninja and shinigami.

Pirates, however, are a different story. For Americans, pirates evoke children’s stories, Peter Pan’s laughable Captain Hook, and a Disneyworld theme park attraction. Pirates, as a literary device, are so familiar to Americans that they’re not threatening. Average Americans have a difficult time honestly envisioning pirates as anything more than bumbling comic relief characters. So despite the fact that the characters, story development, and action/adventure elements of One Piece are at least as literary and entertaining as those of Naruto and Bleach, American viewers instinctively don’t react to the concept of an animated series about pirates with the same enthusiasm and curiosity that they approach animated series featuring ninja and death gods with.

Among One Piece, Bleach, and Naruto in Japan, One Piece is the longest running title, and the title with the most animation. However, here in America One Piece has always been, and undoubtedly always will be the least popular title among the three. Speaking as a fan of One Piece who has been watching the anime since its 1999 premier, I’d very much like to see One Piece achieve the respect, recognition, and success it deserves among American viewers. Hopefully the upcoming re-launch of the anime franchise from FUNimation will help buoy the show’s popularity. But I think that just because One Piece focuses on pirates, it will never be able to overcome a certain degree of American unconscious prejudice.