Anime’s global rise in popularity is still somewhat new. In years past, the art form would often be passed over by fans and critics of film and television, though its relatively sudden boom in successhas begun turning heads in the unlikeliest of fandoms. With the accessibility of online platforms in which viewers can share their opinions on shows and television, anime’s rise can be seen clear as day, and no franchise has performed better thanOne Piece.
The long-running epic series based on the manga by Eiichiro Oda has been ongoing since 1999, and has amassed over 1,100 episodes of pirate adventures starring Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates. With recent talk of IMDb ratings, thanks tothe impressive run Disney’sAndorhas enjoyedover the course of its second season, anime fans decided to chime in on their favorite shows' achievements, andOne Pieceholds a record thatnot even the likes ofBreaking BadandGame of Thronescome close to matching.
One Piece Holds An Impressive Record on IMDb
The Iconic Long-Running Series Has Amassed the Most 9.5 Or Higher Rated Episodes
Disney’sAndorbecame the talk of TV witha recent string of five straight episodes rated 9.5 or higher on IMDb, causing fans from countless other communities to step forward and begin sharing the accomplishments of their favorite shows. Naturally, this led some to investigate the titles with the most 9.5 or higher rating under their belts, and the findings were rather surprising. In third place isGame of Thrones, with 14 episodes currently holding the ever-impressive rating, whileBreaking Badsits in second with 15 episodes.
In first place,with an astonishing 62 episodes holding a rating of 9.5 or higher, isOne Piece. The iconic anime series has more than quadruple the number of the second placeBreaking Bad, and over double the combined number of 9.5 or higher-rated episodes than both the second and third place series combined. While it may seem that a series with over 1,000 episodes under its belt would naturally have a higher number of top-rated episodes, that isn’t entirely the case.
Rather, the fact thatOne Piececan continue to perform at such a high level over the course of such a lengthy runshows incredible consistency over the 25-plus years the series has been running. Luffy has become the unofficial mascot of shōnen anime, and continues to inspire generations of new fans with each passing season. The series has just resumed following a rare lengthy hiatus, and iscurrently continuing its Egghead arc.
One Piece Isn’t the Only Anime With an IMDb Record
Andor’s Feat Was Already Accomplished By Another Highly Popular Anime Series
WhileAndor’s run of five consecutive 9.5 or higher rated episodes is undeniably impressive, it was initially incorrectly reported as the first ever series to accomplish the feat.The first series to score such numbers wasAttack on Titan, which went ona run of six straight top-rated episodes during its third season in 2019. Episode #19, “The Basement”, eventually leveled out with a 9.2 rating in the weeks following its release, which broke what would have been a nine-episode streak.
Now,One Piecehas a chance to match that record, currently being on a four-episode streak from episodes #1127 to #1130. Unfortunately,top shows are always subject to review bombing, and it’s rare that ratings are kept consistent over time, though those that do remain highly rated only become more impressive for doing so.Attack on Titanwas famously targeted by those unhappy with its performance, and its ratings suffered quite a bit in the months following its third season.
Nevertheless, numbers like those kept byOne Piecebest showcaseanime’s rapid growth in popularity. To compete in any way with the titans of TV likeGame of ThronesandBreaking Badis incredibly impressive, and to overtake them entirely in ratings on any platform is a sign that the masses are turning their attention to anime in a big way.The industry set record-breaking revenue numbers in 2024, and is expected to only see continuous increases in the years to come,with franchises likeOne Piece,Demon Slayer, andJujutsu Kaisenleading the way.
One Piece May Hold a Record, But Other Anime Series Hold Higher Ratings
The Top Rated Anime Episodes On IMDb Come From Other Popular Titles
ThoughOne Piecemight hold the record for most episodes rated 9.5 or higher, none of those episodes have been able to break into the top 10 for anime. The number one spot has long been occupied byVinland Sagaepisode #24, “End of the Prologue”,which has held an incredibly impressive 9.9 rating since airing in 2019.Vinland Sagais arguably the biggest seinen anime series of the last number of years, making its success and ratings somewhat expected. The Season One finale is widely regarded as one of the greatest season finales ever.
Occupying the number two spot is the finale ofCode Geass, titled “Re;”. The conclusion to the 2006 anime series has consistently appeared in’greatest anime endings of all time’lists on the internet since its premiere nearly two decades ago, and its continued success has been impressive considering the number of big-name shows that have aired since then. The rest of the top 10 is littered with multipleepisodes fromDemon Slayer,Hunter x Hunter, andAttack on Titan, with most sporting 9.7 ratings or higher.
IMDb ratings are always changing, and should be taken with a grain of salt,but the continued success of shows likeOne PieceandAttack on Titanis impressive regardless. If scores aren’t the best indicator of quality, they are at least indicative of anime’s recent meteoric rise in popularity, and prove to the entertainment world that anime is capable of offering some truly worthwhile stories across a variety of genres.One Piecehas a chance to matchAttack on Titan’s consecutive 9.5 or higher episode record, and fans won’t want to miss any of the upcoming action.
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.
