I wrote all about this here. But that’s a really vague entry in that Top 100 anime series of posts, so here’s some more.
Looking at the crew, there was a bunch of talented people who passed through the project, and I’ve seen plenty of clips crop up in various key animator clip videos, most notably that of Takaaki Yamashita who frequently collaborates with Mamoru Hosoda. The look of the show is down to Ken Ootsuka, who also shows up on Hosoda projects. Takuya Igarashi (Soul Eater) directed the second movie.
If I had the time I’d go through the 1998-2003 Toei shows and see where various staff ended up, because I think they’ve produced some strong talent and continue to do so. Obviously not everyone is gold, but I think the fact I’m seeing about one One Piece episode a month now that amazes me (normally Naoki Tate’s eps), tells me they’re doing something right.