One Piece Fan Letter Director Reportedly Unveiled Her Concerns About the Episode

One Piece Fan Letter is one of the most beloved anime episodes of 2024. Directed by Megumi Ishitani, the episode was released to celebrate the anime’s 25th anniversary. It’s based on an official novel, Straw Hat Stories, written by Tomohito Ohsaki. It aired on October 20th during One Piece‘s standard time slot before the anime took a hiatus in the middle of the Egghead Island Arc. The episode portrays how the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates have influenced ordinary citizens in the One Piece world.

Set two years after the heartbreaking Marineford War, we see the crew’s reunion from a different pov. The episode follows a young girl living in the Sabaody Archipelago. She becomes enamored with Nami ever since she saw the pirate’s wanted picture. The girl’s biggest dream is to meet Nami someday. The story follows her as she sets out to deliver a handwritten letter to Nami and encounters various challenges along the way. The episode highlights the impact the crew has on people around the world, emphasizing themes of freedom and following one’s dreams. A recent post shared by a popular One Piece account shares how Megumi Ishitani was worried about the reception before the release.

[RELATED: No, One Piece Fan Letter Is Not Filler and Here’s Why]

From Ishitani's Last Interview

"Since the story’s protagonists are not members of the Straw Hat Crew but entirely new characters, I initially assumed that only hardcore One Piece fans would understand and appreciate it. While some understanding of One Piece is necessary to enjoy… pic.twitter.com/xt63ITpfi7

— Pew (@pewpiece) January 2, 2025

Megumi Ishitani Was Stressed Before One Piece Fan Letter’s Release

@Pewpiece shares quotes from Megumi Ishitani’s latest interview, “Since the story’s protagonists are not members of the Straw Hat Crew but entirely new characters, I initially assumed that only hardcore One Piece fans would understand and appreciate it.”

She further adds, “While some understanding of One Piece is necessary to enjoy the work, I thought its appeal might be limited to existing fans. After it aired, I saw a comment that said, ‘I’ll never be able to watch another filler episode again!’ That honestly made me happy and relieved a lot of my stress.”

Ishitani’s worries never became a reality since fans loved Fan Letter even more than the canon episodes. One Piece Fan Letter quickly raised the charts and it’s currently in third place in MyAnimeList’s top anime with a score of 9.09. It’s ranked below Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (9.32 score) and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (9.10 score). Additionally, it has a score of 9.3 on IMDb.

While the X account didn’t share an official source of the interview, it is known for sharing reliable news related to One Piece. Megumi Ishitani is a renowned animator who has made a significant and widely appreciated contribution to One Piece. She is famous for her unique artistic style and ability to bring emotional depth and cinematic quality to the episodes she directs.

Apart from One Piece Fan Letter, she also directed Episode 1015, which is still known as one of the best episodes in One Piece’s history. According to @Pewpiece, Ishitani plans to work on a One Piece film next. The latest One Piece Film: Read was released in August 2022 and it’s about time fans started expecting a new one. While there’s no confirmation regarding this, fans still hope Megumi becomes a part of a new movie.

H/T: @pewpiece