Netflix wanted in on the One Piece business, so much so that they’re not only making live-action films, but also making films that they’re creating themselves. One piece (season 2 is currently in production) and they are also working with Wit Studio on a remake of the One Piece anime.
The one piecesaid that the upcoming anime, which was first announced in December last year, would air simultaneously with the currently airing anime. One piece anime. It seems like a great opportunity: One Piece has grown into a global phenomenon, from the humble beginnings of One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda’s first manga panels to the original anime’s initially limited budget. One Piece means something different now than One Piece did then, and a new anime could polish up those early chapters.
Of course, there is a burden to that thought. The creative team at Wit is very keen to get everything just right, as evidenced by the new behind-the-scenes look The one piece above shows. That’s not always easy when the series you’re adapting has been running for 27 years, evolving both Oda’s style and the characters themselves. So how exactly do they capture what “One Piece” really is after all this time?
The answer to that question is manifold: there are the prop animators who consult real weapons and French cooking magazines; there is the character designer who spent 2 months solely focusing on diligently recreating One Piece character sketches; there is the animator in charge of landscapes who regularly practices Oda’s clouds to capture the “softness”.
In the end, they all try their best to use Oda’s notes The one piece heart — namely that he wanted them all to “express” rather than copy and paste. It’s all really cool to see, complete with behind-the-scenes looks at how they 3D-rendered the city to explore corners and try to really capture the essence of One Piece.
One Piece certainly exists in rarefied air, and it’s cool that there’s juice being put into giving a behind-the-scenes look at anime production that we don’t often get. Plus, it’s just cool to hear why certain artists like certain characters – even if the answer is just, “Characters who smoke have really good poses.”
The one piece follows the same story as the manga, starting with the East Blue saga. The show will also be produced in collaboration with Shueisha, Fuji Television Network, and Toei Animation Co. (Toei also produces the current anime series). The show does not yet have a release date.