Netflix is producing an animated adaptation of One Piece, the popular Japanese manga by Eiichiro Oda that has been published since 1997. Those who have no special interest in manga and anime, the backbones of contemporary Japanese culture, will not be aware of the particularity of this decision. This project is produced in parallel to two adaptations still broadcast: the live-action version that Netflix released this past summer and the anime series that has been on television since 1999.
The announcement was made at Jump Festa 2024, the popular manga and anime convention held annually in Tokyo. It was explained that the new adaptation will be titled The One Piece and that it is being produced by WIT Studio in collaboration with Shueisha, Fuji Television Network and Toei Animation. WIT Studio's participation is significant: they are in a very good moment due to the global success of Attack on Titan, another adaptation of a cult manga.
Netflix defends the existence of this The One Piece in order to "provide viewers with a fresh and at the same time familiar experience", helped by the use of "innovative visual technology" that allows us to reimagine the adventures of Luffy, this pirate. good-natured guy with the ability to stretch like a piece of gum and who unites a particular crew to find the One Piece, a legendary treasure hidden by the king of pirates.
Therefore, the information provided by the platform suggests that this new adaptation will not be a complete departure from the series currently broadcast, but rather an animated update of the same story. Among fans, there are those who defend the potential of the new work: the anime has 1,080 episodes and, according to the most critics, these include a lot of filler.
With this decision, Netflix confirms its current drift: making the most of the fictional universes of its successful titles after reporting that, for example, it has a spin-off of Wednesday and two series derived from Peaky Blinders in development. And, after its premiere on August 31, it reached number 1 in 46 countries and accumulated 140 million hours watched and 18.5 million viewers in its first days in the catalog.
