NEWS FLASH: One Piece has been picked up by FUNimation

[BP!]

All the news can be seen here:

http://animeonline.com/index.php?page=news_featured&ent_id=101235
http://animeonline.com/index.php?page=news_featured&ent_id=101236

Noteworthy:

- They will be picking up where 4Kids left off, the start of the Jaya Arc
- For broadcast, they will be keeping Sanji's lollipop
- DVDs will be uncut, broadcast will be edited
- Brand new dub cast will be made
- Original Score will be used, use of the original OP/EDs are in discussion

[LordKefka]

Yeah found out during dinner today. I'm actually pretty happy atm because of this.

[RyuHayabusa]

About freaking time. I'm so getting the DVD's now.

and I will also happily volunteer for Funi again when AX comes around lol

[Shinsengumi]

Now that's a good thing.

[Spiritsnare]

- For broadcast, they will be keeping Sanji's lollipop

I lawl'd

[LastElixir]

LAWLIIPOP? GIMME A FREAKIN BREAK

j

[BP!]

- For broadcast, they will be keeping Sanji's lollipop

I lawl'd

LAWLIIPOP? GIMME A FREAKIN BREAK

j

There's a perfectly good reason though.

So what else will FUNimation’s TV version not be doing?
COOK: What I can say for sure is that there will be no smoking in One Piece-land, as according to Cartoon Network, consumption of alcohol will be missing from the show, and obviously, a lot of the violence and gore will be missing.

I know as soon as I say, “No smoking,” everyone’s mind immediately goes to Sanji and his sucker, and we will be continuing that. The whole reason the sucker is there is that it’s just too much work to repaint everything in the shot to remove the cigarette. You have to consider, for every one second of footage that’s aired, there are 30 individual frames that need to be painted. So, for a three-minute scene of Sanji with a cigarette in his mouth, that’s easily a week to two weeks of work, doing nothing else but that for eight hours a day.

We’re much more concerned with finding a cast that fits the characters and brings the characters to life to whet the appetites of the fans so that they want to go check out the uncut DVD version of the show. And I think the change in voices and the script styling of the show will be enough to get the fans interested in the original series. We know we’re going to have to ask for forgiveness on the missing violence and the missing cigarettes, but there’s nothing we can do about that besides not air it on TV at all.

And it’ll still be totally uncut on DVD.
COOK: Yes.

[FanFicGuru]

The uncut DVDs are what make the big difference.

I will definitely be buying those.

[Dragon Ninja]

The uncut DVDs are what make the big difference.

I will definitely be buying those.

Well, then good news. FUNimation is going to be releasing the first One Piece DVD Box Set containing the first 13 episodes, uncut and unedited and the release date is scheduled for May 27th.