Netflix is planning to screen what is being called “a complete remake” of One Piece, the classic manga and anime series by Eiichiro Oda—but not all his fans are happy. The new version, to be titled The One Piece, is being created by WIT Studio, who gave us Spy x Family and Attack on Titan.
But it’s more than just adding the article “The” to the title. Though the remake will begin with the East Blue saga, The One Piece will involve changes to both the characters and the narratives. What has been described as “new and softer character designs” appeared in an X posting on Christmas Eve—and they did not conjure up visions of sugarplums in many heads.
Apparently, a desire to modernize the look of the series was a motivating factor, as described in this statement from those working on the update: “This project is to redraw the animation of One Piece from the East Blue as a modern anime. 25 years have passed, and the TV animation series is still moving forward at maximum capacity. We would like to present Luffy’s adventures in a new and nostalgic way. Although it is a long, long project that will take a long time to complete, we will work together with our new friends at Wit Studio and Netflix to deliver OP not only to fans around the world, but also to the new generations in the future.”
Oda’s loyal followers are concerned, however, about the impact the upcoming remake will have on the brand, which has been around since 1999. For example, Hiroshi Ishigami, the animation director for One Piece Film: Red, reportedly posted this comment on social media: “It makes me feel a little sad that the value of the anime that we have built up until now seems to be diminishing.”
After receiving supportive thumbs-up messages from fans worldwide, Ishigami later added that “I’m very happy that so many people from other countries have told me that my narrow-minded views are not like that! It’s a warm world here, where everyone takes care of both the work and the staff members.”
As the synopsis for the original series read: “Based on Eiichiro Oda’s bestselling manga series, One Piece follows Monkey D. Luffy, an aspiring pirate who sets sail with his Straw Hats crew in search of the mysterious One Piece treasure. Luffy isn’t just like any pirate, however. With limbs that can stretch like rubber, his unique skills help him take on the dangerous villains and rivals that he and his gang encounter at sea.”
Though it’s unclear at this point exactly what the changes will look like, the new version is bound to be controversial. One Piece has attracted a loyal cohort of diehard fans over the past quarter century, who could be counted on to resist any significant changes.
It remains to be seen, of course, just how far Luffy’s rubbery limbs can stretch in The One Piece.
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