One Piece started as a manga on July 19, 1997, and the anime began airing on October 20, 1999.

Quick Scoop

If you’re wondering “one piece when did it start” , there are actually two key dates to know: the manga’s debut and the anime’s debut.

  • The One Piece manga was first published on July 19, 1997 , in Weekly Shonen Jump.
  • The One Piece anime premiered later, on October 20, 1999 , on Fuji TV in Japan.
  • Since then, it’s grown into one of the longest-running and most influential shonen series in history, spanning over 25 years.

So if you’re talking about when One Piece “started,” you can mean either its original manga launch in 1997 or its anime launch in 1999.

Manga Start: 1997

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece began its journey in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump in the summer of 1997.

  • First publication date: July 19, 1997.
  • It appeared in the 34th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump that year.
  • The first chapter is titled “Romance Dawn: The Dawn of Adventure” , introducing Monkey D. Luffy and the series’ pirate world.

From that point, One Piece has been serialized continuously, becoming one of Jump’s flagship titles and a pillar of modern manga.

Anime Start: 1999

The anime adaptation came a bit later, helping One Piece explode in global popularity.

  • First episode air date: October 20, 1999, on Fuji TV in Japan.
  • The anime is produced by Toei Animation , known for other long-running series like Dragon Ball.
  • It has aired over 1000 episodes and shifted to a seasonal format from late 2025 , reflecting its long-running status and production changes.

This 1999 start is usually what people mean when they talk about “the One Piece anime” beginning, especially in forum and fandom discussions.

Quick Timeline Table (HTML)

Below is an HTML table, as requested, showing the key “start” points for One Piece:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Version</th>
      <th>Event</th>
      <th>Date</th>
      <th>Where It Started</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Manga</td>
      <td>First publication</td>
      <td>July 19, 1997[web:7][web:9]</td>
      <td>Weekly Shonen Jump (Japan)[web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Anime</td>
      <td>First episode aired</td>
      <td>October 20, 1999[web:9][web:10]</td>
      <td>Fuji TV (Japan)[web:9][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Forum / Trending Context

In forum and social media discussions, the question “one piece when did it start” often comes up when people realize the series has been running for over two decades and is still going strong.

In many anime forums, fans point out that people who were born when One Piece started are now adults, which drives home how long the story has been ongoing and how unique that is in the industry.

You’ll also see the start dates used in debates about “how long can One Piece realistically keep going?” and in nostalgic posts comparing “1997 manga art vs. modern chapters.”

Mini FAQ

  1. When did One Piece first start as a manga?
    • July 19, 1997, in Weekly Shonen Jump.
  1. When did the One Piece anime begin?
    • October 20, 1999, on Fuji TV in Japan.
  1. Is One Piece still running today?
    • Yes, both manga and anime continue, with the anime shifting to a seasonal format after December 2025.

TL;DR:

  • Manga start: July 19, 1997.
  • Anime start: October 20, 1999.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.