In a bold statement that’s lighting up anime circles, the director behind Sword Art Online has suggested that Japanese anime could one day “replace Hollywood” as the world’s dominant entertainment force — and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
Because right now, One Piece is doing something that even blockbuster franchises struggle to pull off: it has the entire fandom obsessing over a flashback.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
The God Valley Incident has become one of the most captivating storylines in One Piece history, and many fans aren’t ready for it to end. Eiichiro Oda’s exploration of this long-mysterious event has brought together legendary figures like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the enigmatic Imu — creating a flashback that feels more like a grand historical epic than a side story.
This arc dives deep into the power struggles that shaped the modern world of One Piece, revealing long-hidden secrets about the Celestial Dragons and the early days of piracy. For longtime readers, it’s a rare glimpse into the “true history” of the world — something fans have been waiting for since the manga’s earliest chapters.
And the reaction has been immediate: this isn’t just “good anime storytelling.” It’s the kind of sweeping mythology-building that Hollywood usually reserves for massive cinematic universes.
Fans Don’t Want to Return to the Straw Hats Yet
Surprisingly, many readers are saying they don’t want to go back to Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates just yet. Social media has been flooded with posts arguing that the God Valley storyline feels like the most thrilling part of One Piece in years — darker in tone, heavier in lore, and packed with revelations that reshape everything we thought we knew.
While the Straw Hats are the emotional core of the series, God Valley offers something entirely different: a look at the titans of the world and the events that forged the era we’re living in now. One fan captured the mood perfectly with a viral sentiment: returning to the Straw Hats right now would feel “like waking up from a dream.”
That kind of reaction is rare — and it speaks to the sheer power anime can have when it’s firing on all cylinders.
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling — and Anime’s Growing Power
The enthusiasm surrounding God Valley underscores Eiichiro Oda’s enduring genius. After more than two decades, he’s still revealing new layers that connect generations of pirates, marines, and rulers — and doing it with the kind of pacing, emotion, and scale that reminds readers why One Piece became a global phenomenon in the first place.
It’s also the kind of moment that makes the Sword Art Online director’s claim feel less like a hot take and more like a trendline: anime isn’t just “catching up” to Hollywood anymore. In many corners of pop culture, it’s setting the pace.
Hollywood has bigger budgets. But anime has something just as powerful: creators willing to build worlds so deep that even the “past” becomes more exciting than the present.
The Bigger Picture
Whether the God Valley flashback ends soon or continues longer, it has already cemented itself as one of One Piece’s most defining storylines — the kind that will be discussed for years, adapted endlessly, and referenced as a peak moment in modern anime storytelling.
And if anime really is headed toward a future where it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Hollywood — or even surpasses it — arcs like God Valley are exactly the kind of proof fans will point to.
Because when a flashback can shake the internet like this, it’s not hard to imagine anime becoming the main event.
