Netflix’s One Piece has the same problem as Harry Potter

❘ Published: 2023-10-05T12:16:25

Stills from Netflix's One Piece and Harry Potter

Netflix/Warner Bros.

Netflix’s One Piece Season 2 is currently under production, but it’s already facing the same problem as Harry Potter.

Even five weeks after its premiere, Netflix’s One Piece is still among the top 10 in various countries. In Eiichiro Oda’s video message, the series was renewed for a Season 2 only two weeks after its debut.

The One Piece mangaka also teased Chopper’s introduction, one of the favorite characters among anime and manga fans. Season 2 will follow the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates in the Arabasta Saga as they enter the Grand Line and meet new and more formidable enemies.

As the WGA strike ends, the writers’ room is back up and running. However, Netflix’s One Piece live-action faces a major problem, and it’s much like the issue with Harry Potter and even Stranger Things. Delve deeper to find out more about it.

Netflix’s One Piece at risk of Harry Potter problem

Mackenyu Arata, Emily Rudd, and Taz Skylar for Netflix's One Piece

In an interview with The Direct, One Piece cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker shared his concern regarding the vast material of the story. “For Season 2, there’s just, there’s so much material to be made based on the show. It’s gonna be like ‘Harry Potter’ though; they’re gonna have to do it fast before everybody gets too old,” he said.

Although One Piece Season 2 is currently under production, it is pretty far in the development process. Season 1 only covers the first Saga, but the manga is currently releasing its eleventh and Final Saga. As such, if Netflix’s One Piece were to adapt the entire story, even with condensing the plot, they would have at least 11-12 seasons.

The manga currently has almost 1100 chapters, and it will still continue to run for a few more years. Therefore, One Piece is much more vast than Harry Potter. Even though the manga has been running for over 26 years, Luffy, who was introduced as a 17-year-old pirate, is now 19 in the story.

As such, the most challenging part about the upcoming seasons of the live-action adaptation is to portray the characters younger than they really are. When producing a show with such a vast storyline and young characters, time is the most concerning issue.

One Piece live-action is currently streaming on Netflix, and the anime is available on Crunchyroll.

How to watch Crunchyroll from outside your location in 2023

Crunchyroll is the world’s best hub for streaming anime, whether it’s One Piece, Attack on Titan, or Jujutsu Kaisen – and thanks to ExpressVPN, you can access the platform’s full library even if you’re outside the US.

If you’re abroad, here’s what you need to do to access Crunchyroll’s full selection – and it really is this simple:

Sign up for ExpressVPN, which has ultra-fast servers and offers a secure, private connection wherever you are in the world.
Connect to a location anywhere in the US; Express VPN allows you to choose from 24 different spots, from New Jersey to Santa Monica.
Visit Crunchyroll online and start streaming all of your favorite animes – and perhaps some you’ve never watched.

Accessing Crunchyroll’s US roster makes a difference; for example, Hong Kong users only have access to less than 100 titles, while the US has nearly 1,000 movies and TV shows.

You can also stream anime on Crunchyroll for free with an ad-supported plan, or you can pay for a subscription – there’s even a 14-day free trial if you can’t quite make up your mind.

See our other One Piece coverage below, and you can check out our other anime coverage here.

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