Netflix's upcoming The One Piece remake has the huge task of condensing the events of the original anime series' first 30 episodes into just seven episodes, but the director says it was originally supposed to be even shorter.
"The series has a runtime of 300 minutes. It was originally planned to be shorter than that, but I had so many things I loved and wanted to include," said The One Piece director Masashi Koizuka to Den of Geek. "The runtime just kept getting longer and longer."
That is surprising, as the new show already has the momentous task of condensing the first 50 chapters of Eiichiro Oda's original One Piece manga into its first season. The One Piece will take us back to where it began, when Monkey D Luffy first created the Straw Hat Pirate crew. The new show is expected to cover half of the East Blue Saga.
However, the goal is to do something different with the material, and retell the beloved story in a way that is also more accessible for new fans. If you haven't already seen One Piece, it can be intimidating to get started with the anime franchise, after 22 seasons and over 1000 episodes. That's not counting the multiple One Piece movies, too.
"We want you to experience a new One Piece from the very beginning, all over again," said Koizuka. George Wada, co-founder and president of WIT Studio best known for the Attack on Titan series, added, "What’s a greater challenge than reinventing ONE PIECE for a whole new generation of fans?"
However, One Piece fans will get something out of the new series too, as Koizuka recalls advice he got from One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda. According to Koizuka, Oda told The One Piece staff, "I want you all to express, rather than copy and paste the work… it's creating your interpretation and expression instead of recreating a panel from the manga."
Unlike the original manga's staggered releases, Netflix will be dropping all seven episodes at once in February 2027. For more, check out our guide on how to watch One Piece in order, and keep up with new anime on the way.
