Netflix's The One Piece Anime Teaser, Studio, Possible Plot, And More Details
Netflix's expansion of the "One Piece" intellectual property isn't over yet. Not only is the streaming service actively developing Season 2 of its "One Piece" live-action series, but it has also announced plans for a standalone project sure to intrigue and excite longtime fans of the franchise. Specifically, the platform is working on an anime series that is completely separate from the long-running "One Piece" anime, which has been ongoing since 1999. The new anime, which serves as a fresh adaptation of the original manga, is simply titled "The One Piece."
While a new "One Piece" anime that draws back to the series' origin has quite a lot of potential, fans no doubt have a fair few questions about the project, what exactly it will entail in terms of scope, and when it will eventually be released. As such, here's all the information available that interested viewers should know about Netflix's "The One Piece."
When will The One Piece be released?
Unfortunately, "One Piece" fans will have to keep waiting for Netflix's new anime project for the foreseeable future, as the series has no announced release date or window. According to Netflix TUDUM, "The One Piece" is still in production, but no further information on when fans might eventually see it for themselves is available.
Notably, "The One Piece" was announced by Netflix in anticipation of the original "One Piece" anime's 25th anniversary, which is set to occur in late 2024. However, it's unclear whether this new anime adaptation is intended for release at some point on or around the anniversary celebration.
In any case, new anime projects and seasons can sometimes take multiple years between announcement and release, such as with "Fire Force" Season 3. While there's no concrete indication that "The One Piece" will adhere to this common occurrence, fans are likely better off tempering their expectations for the time being and waiting until further details on the show's release are available.
What is the plot of The One Piece?
With Netflix's "The One Piece" serving as yet another adaptation of the original "One Piece" manga, its premise is quite similar to its long-running anime counterpart and the live-action series. Essentially, the series follows a youthful boy named Monkey D. Luffy as he assembles a ragtag team of pirates and embarks on a world-spanning quest in search of the mythical treasure known as the One Piece. Throughout their adventures, the crew encounters all sorts of fantastical characters and locales, doing their best to help out those in need.
Per Netflix TUDUM's description, "The One Piece" is currently set to adapt the "East Blue Saga," encompassing the first six arcs from the original manga. These arcs introduce Luffy as the protagonist, showcasing his origin story as he obtains special body-stretching powers from the Gum-Gum Fruit and begins his quest to assemble the Straw Hat Pirates. Several other key characters, including Nami, Usopp, and Zoro, debut throughout these early adventures.
Who is starring in The One Piece?
For the time being, no official cast members have been announced for Netflix's "The One Piece" — be it for the original Japanese version, a possible English dub, or otherwise. However, there is at least a possibility that "One Piece" fans may already be familiar with the voice actors who ultimately lend their talents to this fresh adaptation.
It was a welcome surprise when Netflix revealed that the longstanding voice actors behind the cast of the original "One Piece" anime would be reprising their roles for the Japanese dub of the live-action "One Piece" series. Considering this precedent, there is a solid possibility that Netflix once again opts to use the characters' voice actors from the flagship anime series, even if this new project is standalone.
If "The One Piece" does make use of the main "One Piece" anime cast, it would likely include Mayumi Tanaka as Luffy, Kazuya Nakai as Zoro, Akemi Okamura as Nami, Kappei Yamaguchi as Usopp, and Hiroaki Hirata as Sanji. However, this is still unconfirmed for the time being. As for a potential English dub, fans can only hope it turns out better than the infamous 4Kids "One Piece" dub flop.
Who is writing and producing The One Piece?
"The One Piece" may be a new animated remake of the "One Piece" manga, but early details indicate that it's going to be a pretty faithful adaptation. With that in mind, fans should expect to see each of the major beats of author Eichiro Oda's original story preserved.
One major behind-the-scenes element that distinguishes "The One Piece" from its older anime series counterpart is the production studio heading the operation. While Toei Animation has historically been the driving animation studio behind "One Piece," this new adaptation will be brought to life by none other than acclaimed anime producer Wit Studio, which is known for popular anime properties like "Spy x Family," the first three seasons of "Attack on Titan," and the upcoming "Suicide Squad Isekai."
Interestingly enough, there may be a twist to the animation of "The One Piece." According to Netflix TUDUM, Wit Studio is employing "cutting-edge visual technology to reimagine Luffy's adventures through the beloved East Blue Saga." Some fans like @shabb003 have speculated that the ambiguous technology referenced may be related to artificial intelligence (which Wit Studio has used on a previous project), but such a possibility has not been confirmed.
Is there a trailer for The One Piece?
While a full trailer for Netflix's "The One Piece" has not yet been released, the streamer created a brief teaser to go along with the project's announcement. The promotional video features several iconic panels from the best arcs of the "One Piece" manga in quick succession, with text reflecting on the impact and popularity of the main projects. From there, the teaser features a sequence of a Wit Studio animator coloring a still for the "Romance Dawn" portion of the series — the franchise's very first arc. The video ends with a line from Luffy's voice actor: "First thing's first, I've got to get a crew. I think about 10 men should do."
While the teaser doesn't offer a lot to go on besides simply announcing the development of "The One Piece," there are at least a few conclusions to be drawn from it. Most importantly, the video emphasizes the panel work of the original manga, suggesting that the new series will be even closer to the source material than the main anime. Then, there's a look at the first piece of promotional artwork for the series, which features a young Luffy next to a windmill at the end of a verdant cliff. If the image's roughly shaded, colored pencil style is anything to go by, "The One Piece" may end up striking a very unique visual identity.
What media from One Piece will be adapted?
As mentioned prior, Netflix's "The One Piece" is currently set to adapt the "East Blue Saga" portion of the original manga. That specifically refers to the first 100 chapters of the series, which are grouped into six distinct arcs: "Romance Dawn," "Orange Town," "Syrup Village," "Baratie," "Arlong Park," and "Loguetown."
As a point of comparison, the main "One Piece" anime adapted the entirety of "East Blue" (with one extra filler arc added) throughout its first 61 episodes. Meanwhile, the "One Piece" live-action series managed to condense the majority of chapters from "East Blue," excluding the "Loguetown" arc, into its debut season, which spanned just eight episodes.
At this time, no episode count for "The One Piece" has been detailed. However, it's likely that the new anime will adapt "East Blue" in a smaller span of episodes than the original anime, which included a sizable portion of anime-original filler content to pad out the run.