One Piece Director Unpacks the Nuances of Adapting Manga Into Anime

Anime has grown bounds over the past decade, and its top shows have amassed fans across the globe. Shows like Dragon Ball and Naruto are ubiquitous with the medium, and this days, no one better represents anime than Monkey D. Luffy. The lead of One Piece has been around for ages, and their growth under creator Eiichiro Oda has made for a solid story. For decades, the team behind the One Piece anime has worked hard to bring Oda's story to screen, and one director is now unpacking the nuances behind the adaptation.

The confession comes from Megumi Ishitani on X (Twitter) as you can see here. The director, who made a name for herself animating stunning sequences on One Piece, has become an integral voice on the show. Recently, Ishitani spoke out about a recent controversy that took over Japan's entertainment headlines, and it was there the One Piece exec stressed her team's devotion to Oda.

"We, the One Piece staff, pay the utmost respect to Oda-sensei and the original work. Also, Oda-sensei and the people at Shueisha who are involved with One Piece also pay respect to us, the anime producers. It is a wonderful staff room with a very unique experience," she wrote.

In a following message, Ishitani went on to address the controversy making headlines in Japan. One Piece had nothing to do with the drama but rather the live-action adaptation of Sexy Tanaka-san. Last week, reports confirmed the manga's creator Ashihara Hinako was found dead by apparent suicide after being reported as missing. The artist's shocking death came shortly after Hinako admitted she was upset by the live-action adaptation of her manga. According to the creator, the adaptation made unapproved changes to Hinako's characters, and she was never given the chance to speak with the screenwriters. Despite the show's success, Hinako was left disappointed by the adaptation, and her public confession sparked enough pushback that she apologized for her feelings.

"I am sorry that my words were not enough to create a misunderstanding," Ishitani wrote. "I think the people on the Japanese internet I am referring to are people who have never seen One Piece. In short, they are people who just want to slander me. They are not fans. A shocking event is happening in the Japanese drama world today. Because of this, many people have been hurt, and everyone has expressed various opinions from their own standpoints, causing much slander and defamation by those who are not mindful."

In light of Hinako's death, anime and manga pros are looking carefully at their own production processes. One Piece is blessed to have a close relationship with Oda, and Ishitani is the first to lean on the creator when circumstances call for it. Still, other projects aren't as lucky as One Piece, and their production most certainly suffers for it.

What do you think about this update from Ishitani? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!