One Piece Creator Says New Hiatus Is Tied to Netflix’s Live-Action Series

One Piece has been in the game for decades, and it has earned its high marks. From a publication standpoint, the manga is one of the most reliable series on the market, and we have creator Eiichiro Oda to thank. The artist works like a madman throughout the year to bring the Straw Hat crew to life, but he does need to rest. In fact, One Piece is on a hiatus right now, but Oda is hardly resting as it turns out the break is tied to Netflix’s live-action hit.

Oh yeah, you read that right. Oda took a break from One Piece to work on… One Piece. During a recent TV appearance, Oda told fans his latest hiatus is tied to Netflix’s live-action series as it is now filming season two.

ONE PIECE’S CREATOR IS A BUSY, BUSY MAN

According to Oda, he just returned to Japan after visiting Cape Town, South Africa where Netflix’s show films. The artist would not say anything definitive about One Piece season two, but he did bring some souvenirs back from the set. Oda plans to reveal those goodies in the coming weeks as the One Piece manga will not return until the second week of November.

As for why Oda went away on business, well – One Piece is One Piece. It doesn’t matter what form the series takes, Oda is always going to have his fingers on the Straw Hat crew. When Netflix began courting Tomorrow Studios, the production company behind One Piece, Oda made it clear that he had to be involved with the adaptation. The existence of a live-action One Piece hinged on Oda’s involvement, and that is not it. The artist was also given veto powers, so Oda’s final say on One Piece is absolute.

Now, Netflix’s One Piece is moving forward with season two, and the show is a total hit. Upon its launch in 2023, the live-action show broke a slew of records as its ratings challenged Bridgerton and more. It did not take long for Netflix to order a second season of One Piece which Oda announced himself. So now that filming is underway, it is no surprise that Oda took time to visit set and see how his precious series is faring.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM ONE PIECE SEASON 2?

As for what One Piece season two has in store, there is a lot in store. Oda confirmed earlier this year the season will start with Loguetown, and season two will carry on through Drum Island. This means the Arabasta arc will not being in full, but characters like Vivi and Miss All Sunday (or rather Nico Robin) will appear. Plus, the Drum Island arc includes the debut of Tony Tony Chopper, so fans are eager to meet the doctor IRL.

With its storyline stacked, co-showrunner Matt Owens has ushered in a slew of new stars for One Piece. As you can imagine, season two will have a lot of new faces pop up from Baroque Agents to Marines. We know actors like David Dastmalchian have been cast as the horror buff will play Mr. 3. Katey Sagal has been recruited as Dr. Kureha while Callum Kerr will bring Smoker to life. We will even get a peek at Mr. 0 courtesy of Joe Manganiello, and of course, the series has found its scholar. Lera Abova will bring Nico Robin to life, so now fans are just waiting to learn who is voicing Tony Tony Chopper.

No pressure, you know?

Currently, One Piece season two has not locked in a release window, but fans expect the series to drop in 2025. Filming is still underway as One Piece returned to set earlier this summer. In the meantime, you can find One Piece season one streaming on Netflix subbed and dubbed. And if you want to watch the Japanese audio, you can expect to hear the anime’s legendary voice actors appear in their respective roles.

What do you want to see from Netflix’s One Piece? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.