While the One Piece anime in its current form is on the right trajectory, much of the content across its decades of production has left fans wanting more. Even with the live-action promoting a particularly concise run on the series, it’s been the Wit Studio remake that’s been garnering the most curiosity.
The One Piece anime is a remake from Wit Studio aims to fix the original anime’s faulty pacing while not cutting down on narrative impact. The pacing of the original anime, now over 1150 episodes in, is easily the biggest glaring deterrent for newcomers and rewatchers alike. But that’s not all The One Piece will fix, if it ever releases.
The One Piece Will Fix the Original’s Pacing
By Far the Greatest Barrier to Entry for Newcomers
While it’s hard to believe nowadays, the original One Piece had a much more brisk pace to its adaptation, often running the length of two chapters in terms of content. The Wit Studio remake’s promise will likely accelerate this but not unreasonably so, at times bringing the speed up to 2-3 chapters. What it will cut down is filler and padding.
These elements include anime-original filler content that do nothing for the plot, drawn-out sequences such as shots of running, and unnecessary repetition of flashbacks. This would condense the original anime considerably, while still being a long, binge-worthy production under the exceptional studio behind Vinland Saga and Attack on Titan’s heyday.
Should the anime proceed for the long haul (or be suddenly sent off to MAPPA an odd number of seasons in) this will be especially exciting when the pacing starts to slow. Such a promise would even make Dressrosa tolerable, cutting fluff like excessive Rebecca flashbacks in the process. But this change would also result in another viewership being appeased.
Longtime One Piece Fans Will Still Find Novelty in the New Anime
Mandated Not to Be a Carbon Copy by the Creator Himself
When Netflix and Wit Studio set forward to create this series, they knew the most crucial component for passing muster was getting Eiichiro Oda’s approval. Thus, when Oda’s particular condition was given to them, it made an enticing prospect for longtime viewers. Oda wanted to give the studio freedom to take artistic liberties on the project.
“I want you all to express rather than copy and paste the work.”
-Eiichiro Oda
This request was noted by The One Piece series director Masashi Koizuka in Production Notes Vol. 1 from last year. What this means is uncertain, but given the team’s dedication to replicating Oda’s style, it’s likely intending to flesh out his world while still making it distinctly Oda’s alone. This runs from loyal renditions of character designs, to Oda’s clouds.
But beyond taking creative liberties, The One Piece can also fix the original’s shortcomings thanks to its Original Net Animation (ONA) formatting on Netflix. Without having to adhere to any content restrictions on its home network with Fuji Television, Wit Studio can render the more gnarly, gory scenes. It could make Whitebeard’s final scene far more impactful as a result.
These are all details the general anime-viewing crowd who might be agnostic toward One Piece will appreciate. The manga is surprisingly violent at times, while remarkably staying more jovial, hilarious, and heartwarming. It projects the original, all-time best-selling manga’s image, while not talking down to audiences by watering down its more mature content. But one other change isn’t so subtle.
The One Piece Is a Total Visual Overhaul
This Isn’t Unc’s One Piece
One Piece debuted its anime 26 years ago, depressingly referred to now as the “late 1900s”. Its oldest episodes from the East Blue Saga and beyond are noticeably stuck in the 4:3 aspect ratio optimized for standard-definition TV at the time. The One Piece, on top of bringing these oldest stories to HD, will upgrade the color grading.
But beyond overcoming technical limitations, the anime encounters the task now of nailing down Oda’s art style, or rather, isolating one out of the plurality that have evolved out of One Piece’s run. As shown in Chief Animation Director and Character Designer Kyōji Asano’s renditions, the anime is faithfully creating a nostalgic yet robust rendition.
“When I was given the task to create this design, I thought I had to input Oda-sensei’s way of drawing. […] I had to possess him in myself. So for this two months, I was determined to just draw One Piece which was why I shut myself in. I’ve done this with other works, but you just lock yourself in a room, and start off with reproduction of art. You just reproduce the art and take it in.
With One Piece continuously being published for 25 years, the drawing style of Oda-sensei changes too. There was a task of choosing which type of One Piece drawings we had to stick with for The One Piece. I thought if I could take the drawing types into my head, I would manage it. There were times I was worried if we could even start.|
-Kyōji Asano
Unlike Toei Animation’s One Piece, which visually changed to reflect the state of the manga, it appears Wit Studio’s The One Piece will maintain an agreed-upon visual style, ensuring consistency in direction. In a way, it’s a visual overhaul to future-proof against unnecessary style changes, if Asano’s words continue to be true.
Thus there’s a set aesthetic that is dictated, but from there other staff like Image Board and Creature Designer Yasuhiro Kajino, for instance, fill in with their own work. It becomes as much a labor of love as it is an homage to its original creator, with the character renditions so far looking authentic, the mark of a great studio.
Wit Studio Is an Exceptional Choice for The One Piece
One of the Strongest Modern Anime Studios
Beyond their creative output as a studio resulting in definitive hits like Vinland Saga and Attack on Titan taking off, and new sleeper hits like Yaiba garnering much-deserved acclaim, the particular Wit Studio staff attached here are remarkable. This includes Director Masashi Koizuka, who previously oversaw much of Attack on Titan’s early days in animation, episode direction, and storyboards.
Yet, The One Piece hasn’t appeared to similarly retain early Attack on Titan’s thick character outlines. Each project is different, and even the original anime differed visually from Hajime Isayama’s manga, instead incorporating his more confident shading styles from later in his run. There’s a level of intricacy and vision attached to Wit Studio’s projects, tailored to their source material.
When Will The One Piece Release?
The Burning Question Most Readers Already Have
There is no firm release date yet for The One Piece. However, when Wit Studio president George Wada spoke at Anime Expo 2025 on July 4, fans quickly addressed the elephant in the room at the Q&A portion. While they were inevitably disappointed, Wada’s full answer teased something more substantive at next year’s Anime Expo.
“We can’t talk about any of The One Piece yet. Next year we’ll see you.”
-George Wada
I was in attendance at this event, and the sigh of the fans was predictable as it was genuinely not a satisfying answer. However, if not for the bit about “next year” it’d have been a more typical noncommittal response. This, however, fuels hopes for at least something to be revealed within the next seven months.
It means that, while unlikely, The One Piece could still yet release something in 2026, but is more likely to drop closer to 2027 or beyond given the lack of any new trailers or updates. Releasing as a Netflix original means the possibility of batch releases, but fans would likely be just as happy with weekly drops.
Either way, The One Piece is real; it’s just a matter of whether fans will have patience, or journey to Laugh Tale themselves to learn more. However, with Wit Studio reportedly adding two new illustrations to the official One Piece store mere weeks ahead of Jump Festa 2026, something big could be announced soon.
- Created by
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Eiichiro Oda
- First Film
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One Piece: The Movie
- Cast
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Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi
- Video Game(s)
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One Piece: Unlimited World Red, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, One Piece: World Seeker, One Piece Odyssey
- Character(s)
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Monkey D. Luffy, Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)
