Official Toei Animator Calls for One Piece Sound Team to Be Fired
The long-anticipated clash between Luffy and Admiral Kizaru finally aired in One Piece Episode 1127, and it’s sparking mixed reactions among fans. While many are praising the episode’s stunning animation, one recurring criticism — even coming from an official animator — is drawing attention: the outdated sound effects used during the battle.
This episode showcases beautiful animation, especially thanks to a fan-favorite freelance animator. However, fans are now debating a different issue: another animator, who works directly on One Piece, has publicly criticized the anime’s sound design.
Official Toei Animator Calls for One Piece Sound Team to Be Fired
The controversy began when a Toei Animation animator, identified as @Hone_honeHONE, publicly criticized the anime’s sound team. In a now-deleted post on Twitter, he wrote:
“I think Toei should fire the One Piece sound team immediately. This is unprofessional work.”
The post went viral and reignited an old complaint among fans — that One Piece’s sound effects seem stuck in the past. One fan wrote: “I don’t understand how One Piece can have such amazing animation with such terrible sound effects.” Another added: “They reused the same sword slash sound like 16 times in a row!”
Believe it or not, One Piece still uses some sound effects from Dragon Ball Z, which has upset longtime fans. Another fan commented: “They’re not necessarily bad, just overused and out of place.” Sound designer Piccolo Damayonnaiz, known for his work on Dragon Ball, said:
“90s SFX are great, almost timeless. But using them like this in One Piece is a waste.”
In response, some frustrated fans even created alternate versions of the fight scene with new sound effects. Below, you can check out a comparison between the original and a fan-made version by CorbyVo:
Original:
Fan Sound Redesign:
Despite the backlash, One Piece Episode 1127 continues to be widely praised online. The discussion mostly intensified due to the animator’s public comments. For many, it remains the best episode of the Egghead arc so far.
