One Piece just set sail for season 2, but how will the voyage ultimately end? Creator Eiichiro Oda has an idea in mind!
Given the poor track record of live-action adaptations of anime (see Cowboy Bebop), Netflix’s One Piece was a pleasant surprise. The 2023 adaptation of the long-running series wasn’t just a hit with critics but also with fans of the manga and anime who loved seeing their beloved characters come to life in live-action.
Season 2 has finally hit Netflix, with all eight episodes already streaming. Thankfully, the streamer (in a rarity) has already given the show a third season renewal. That has fans wondering how long the series can last and if there’s an ending in mind.
Speaking to The Movie Podcast (via ComicBook.com), actor Mackenyu, who plays swordsman Roronoa Zoro, revealed that Eiichiro Oda, who created the original manga and is heavily involved in this new series, has a plan for how he wants the live-action version to wrap up.
“He has a vision to where he wants to end. Not end, but where he wants us to take the live-action to," Mackenyu said. "And we all know about it. We know where he wants to go up to. That hyped me up a lot. There’s a specific arc he wants us to go up to.”
Obviously, Oda has an advantage in that he’s working off his own source material, so he knows exactly where every storyline is going and what happens next. It may be altered from the anime and manga, yet will undoubtedly still keep to his overall plan, which he likely had in mind since the show was picked up by Netflix in the first place. Notable is the line of how he doesn’t consider this an “end,” hinting the finale somehow leaves the door open for more adventures of the Straw Hats.
It’s good to know Oda has it mapped out, but also raises the question of how long the series can run.
How long can One Piece last?
The original manga is one of the longest-running in the medium's history, clocking in at over 1,100 chapters, with its story still ongoing after nearly 40 years. The anime adaptation also spans over 1,155 episodes, and has been running for nearly as long as the manga. If the Netflix version were to try and adapt it all, it could run about 15 seasons.
Obviously, that’s a bit much to hope for. Far more likely is that Oda plans to only hit the major story arcs of the anime and likely condense storylines (which the Netflix show has already done) to fit in things. A Netflix audience is different from the anime followers, so some story beats may not connect as well. Oda and the showrunners of One Piece seem to enjoy the challenge of adapting his work into a new medium.
Another piece of good news is season 3 is already in production, meaning there won’t be a two-and-a-half year wait for it, as there was between seasons 1 and 2. So fans of One Piece can rest assured there's more coming, and this is one Netflix show that may get to end on its own terms!
One Piece season 2 is streaming now on Netflix. Check out our full recap guide to get the most out of your voyage to the Grand Line with the Straw Hats!