The legendary crossover special betweenOne Piece,Dragon Ball, andTorikois finally available for streaming on Netflix. In 2013, the third in a series of crossover specials betweenOne PieceandTorikoaired, and as an added bonus,Dragon Ballwas thrown into the mix as well, likely to tie intoDragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, making for one of the biggest anime crossovers in recent memory.
Due to licensing issues surroundingToei Animation’sToriko, the crossover special, officiallyOne Pieceepisode #590, is infamously hard to watch through legal means, but it’s finally gotten easier. In a surprise announcement from Toei Animation,One Pieceepisode #590 i.e. the crossover betweenOne Piece,Dragon Ball, andTorikois now streaming on Netflix for the first time, marking the first time it’s been available in both English and Japanese. The special was a great way of showcasing the strengths ofOne Piece,Dragon Ball, andToriko, and it finding a home on Netflix is great to see.
Why Dragon Ball, One Piece, & Toriko’s Crossover Special Is So Hard To Watch
As for whyOne Pieceepisode #590 has been so hard to watch, that’s due largely toToriko. By the time episode #590 originally aired,Funimation, the original licensors of all three anime in the crossover, lost the rights toToriko, so they weren’t allowed to stream the crossover, whether it was with an English dub or just streaming it in Japanese.
After Funimation folded into Crunchyroll in 2022, the special aired on Toonami in 2023, and its English dub was eventually added to Hulu, but it remained missing from Crunchyroll, even though Crunchyroll’s acquisition of Funimation allowed them to addTorikoto their library. Based on that,Funimation’s initial loss of the rights toTorikolikely prevented the final crossover special from being streamed, even after they were absorbed into Crunchyroll, so Netflix adding it after so long is plenty great to see.
Why Dragon Ball, One Piece, & Toriko’s Crossover Special Is Great For Any Anime Fan
A Great Time For Any Shonen Fan
While it may only be half an hour long,One Piece,Dragon Ball, andToriko’s crossover special does a great job of showing off the comedy and action of all three animewithout any show overshadowing the other too much, all with animation that still holds up well after over a decade. As bad a reputation as filler episodes might get,One Piece,Dragon Ball, andToriko’s crossover special works great as a one-off story, and even if someone is only a fan of one of the stories, it’s sure to be fun to watch.
One Piece
Cast
The One Piece anime began in 1999 and follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with rubber-like abilities, as he embarks on a journey to find the legendary treasure “One Piece.” Inspired by the pirate Shanks, Luffy aims to become the King of the Pirates, accompanied by a diverse crew.
