One Piece director: What will happen to the original series?
NetflixNetflix and WIT Studio are currently producing their own version of One Piece, titled THE ONE PIECE – but not everyone’s excited.
Following Netflix’s announcement of an upcoming One Piece anime remake at Jump Festa ’24, fans of the original manga and anime have taken to social media to express their excitement and concerns.
The general sentiment is that you can’t have enough of One Piece. However, although Netflix has had a tremendous run with the release of several hit original anime series. Fans still can’t ignore the historic missteps that could tarnish One Piece’s name.
And it’s not just fans that are concerned. Let’s take a look at animation director Hiromi Ishigami’s thoughts on the upcoming Netflix series.
One Piece director takes to Twitter to voice concerns
On December 17, One Piece Film: Red director Hiromi Ishigami took to Twitter to express his concerns about how the new Netflix series will impact the original One Piece.
This question was followed with another tweet, saying, “I feel like the value of the anime we’ve built so far seems to be diminishing, and it makes me feel a little sad.”
His comments were met with an outpouring of support from the fans of the original anime. Many of them share his concerns, and also believe that a successful still-running series like One Piece doesn’t need a remake right now.
This outpouring of international support prompted Ishigami to post, “I’m very happy that many people from other countries have told me my views aren’t narrow-minded! This is a warm world. They cherish not only the work but also the staff members.”
Ishigami also graciously posted that he was excited to see what WIT Studio and Netflix would do with the series. However, he wasn’t alone in his worries. Many fans have also commented with concerns about it.
Fan reactions to Netflix’s One Piece
Based on the daunting length of the colossal One Piece anime and manga, it’s believed that the new Netflix series will introduce a new fanbase to the East Blue and Monkey D. Luffy’s world.
The remake will first adapt the East Blue arc. However, it’s important to note that depending on the success of the new series, it likely won’t stop there.
This has prompted fans to engage in a social media debate about how this new remake could impact the original series. Some expressed concerns that WIT studio could attract animators away from Toei Animation.
The anime industry is chronically understaffed, underpaid, and overworked, so these fan concerns are not unfounded. After all, WIT’s CEO put out a casting call for animators worldwide to help them capture One Piece magic. However, we’ll have to wait and see what happens after the Netflix remake debuts.
No matter the concerns, one thing is clear. One Piece with modern animation and a fresh take on the source material will bring a new generation into a beloved franchise that’s lasted for decades.
You can watch the current anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga on Crunchyroll, the live-action film on Netflix, and you can check out our other anime coverage below: