In December 2023, One Piece took the internet by storm during Jump Festa 2024 when an anime remake by WIT Studio was announced. The remake was confirmed to land on Netflix, and fans couldn’t be more excited about the ongoing project. WIT Studio is one of the most renowned anime studios in Japan, known for its gorgeous animation and incredible adaptations. However, even after more than two years since the announcement was made, there haven’t been any updates on the release window. While the progress is slow, the sneak peeks and the conceptual sketches confirm it’s going to be worth the wait.
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One Piece is reaching new heights of popularity with its live-action adaptation, which released its Season 2 this month. Furthermore, the manga has sold over 600 million copies across the world, becoming the first series to reach such a milestone. The anime remake aims to make the series even more popular, especially among the younger generation. As the remake is currently under production, WIT Studio producer George Wada reveals that Eiichiro Oda is the biggest reason why the anime is even being made.
One Piece Creator Had a Major Issue With Toei Animation’s Adaptation
In an interview with Ai Show, Wada shared, “The reason we decided to remake One Piece is something the author, Eiichiro Oda, said.”
Wada continued, “He said that One Piece has become very long and full of details, since it started so long ago. The new generation watching modern productions may not feel the same excitement towards the old animation.”
Additionally, he also shared that Oda is the biggest motivation behind this project, “He felt a bit of regret about that and wanted the new generation to know and follow the story. That motivated me to remake this great story using modern techniques suitable for today’s audience.”
Toei Animation has been producing the original One Piece anime since 1999 and has played a significant role in making it famous overseas. The anime has had a weekly schedule this entire time, and they finally changed it in 2026 with the Elbaph Arc. The studio has also released some of the most wonderfully animated episodes during the Wano Country Saga and the ongoing Egghead Incident Arc. However, it couldn’t fix the pacing, which is still the biggest issue with the anime.
Usually, any anime episode adapts three to five chapters’ worth of content, but One Piece adapts only one chapter. While the studio makes up for it with filler scenes, it isn’t always appreciated by fans since it tends to change the story in many ways. This is an issue even Eiichiro Oda has considered, and it’s obvious that for any new viewer, getting into One Piece would be quite overwhelming when it has more than 1100 episodes. Not only that, but the earlier arcs in the anime have an old animation style and aesthetics that the creator believes wouldn’t appeal to a younger audience.
Netflix’s One Piece Remake Will Be Worth The Wait
Wit Studio aims to fix some of the biggest problems with the original anime in the remake. The East Blue Saga is quite dated, and the 4:3 aspect ratio isn’t used anymore, which Wit Studio also aims to fix. Therefore, while it may be taking longer than usual for the anime to be released, it will definitely be worth the wait considering the studio’s past works, which have always been exceptional.
The animation studio is best known for creating the first three seasons of Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga Season 1, and Spy x Family in collaboration with CloverWorks. The director of Attack on Titan Seasons 2 and 3, Masashi Koizuka, will be serving as a director. Furthermore, without fillers and unnecessary stretching, the anime will be quite easy to get into, even for casual viewers.
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