One Piece is still rolling strong on the platform's Top 10 list, and while Season 2 isn't a sure thing, there are many with a Netflix subscription wondering when new episodes could appear. Assuming it returns, fans received good news from the head of Tomorrow Studios on how soon a new season could get rolling. The news might be welcome to some, but as a fan of the anime and Season 1 of the live-action series, I have some concerns.
Tomorrow Studios' Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements spoke to Variety recently and assured the studio has "scripts ready" to roll as soon as Netflix gives them the go-ahead to do so. As for how long it would take to film the next season and get it to Netflix subscribers, Clements gave this optimistic timeline:
Realistically, hopefully, a year away, if we move very quickly, and that is a possibility. Somewhere between a year and 18 months, we could be ready for air.
New One Piece episodes a year from now sounds like great news at face value, though I do have concerns. After how well fans responded to Season 1, is it the best idea to rush forward with Season 2 if it does happen? It might end being a great idea, but I can't shake these concerns from my mind after hearing these comments.
These Scripts Were Likely Made Without Looking At Fan Input
For One Piece Season 2 to already have scripts in the bank a little over a week after the premiere, especially during the WGA Writer's Strike, they likely were made before any subscribers could see the series. Given the amount of criticism that live-action adaptations get in general, one would imagine at least taking a look at what viewers did and didn't like about the season before committing to Season 2 scripts would be worthwhile. Granted, I haven't seen a ton of criticism for Season 1, but it couldn't hurt to at least take some thoughts into consideration before pushing ahead on Season 2.
Adapting The Next Few Arcs Of One Piece Might Be More Difficult Than The Beginning
One Piece Season 1 had to cut some content and switch up some storytelling, but overall did a great job of sticking to the source material. Part of this was because most of the beginning of the series is assembling the core crew of the Straw Hat pirates, so provided you tell the stories of each crew member, you've done your job.
While I can't speak entirely to how the next batch of episodes will be adapted, I can say that it feels like it'll be much harder to encapsulate all that's coming in the story in eight episodes. The journey into the Grand Line, Chopper's introduction, and the conflict with Baroque Works will all need to be tackled, meaning lots of content being cut down. I'd much sooner that be done with as careful of an eye as possible, especially with the Alabaster civil war potentially on tap for a hypothetical Season 3.
Rushing One Piece At The Cost Of Quality Would Be A Bad Call
One of the best elements of One Piece, in my opinion, was the impressive CGI and set designs. A vast majority of the sets featured in Season 1 are not useable for Season 2. Furthermore, rushed productions like The Flash have shown that post-production teams on a rushed timetable don't always produce the best CGI. If Season 2 of One Piece can happen that quickly with the same quality of effects and sets the scene in Season 1, then I'm all about it. If not, I wouldn't mind a wait in the name of higher-quality episodes and maybe a decision by Netflix to go ahead and green-light Season 3 to keep production rolling. I do applaud the enthusiasm of the powers that be, however, and hope that Netflix feels the same way about getting a new season on the way.
One Piece is available to stream right now on Netflix. Check out the anime after blazing through Season 1, or check out a lot of other anime shows on the platform that deserve live-action adaptations.
