‘One Piece’ creator says Netflix will not launch live-action series until he’s satisfied with it

One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has provided an update on Netflix‘s upcoming live-action adaptation in a new letter to fans.

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In the letter, which was published on Netflix’s Geeked account on Thursday night (May 4), Oda revealed that production on the upcoming series is nearly complete, saying “We’re in the final process! Right now! Of finishing all 8 episodes! We’ll be setting sail very soon”.

However, Oda also said that despite announcing a 2023 release window, Netflix has “promised” him that the series will not launch “until I’m satisfied” with it.

Earlier in the letter, Oda wrote about about some of the obstacles he had encountered while dealing with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios, saying: “Even though they understand each of the characters, we obviously come from very different cultures, so when it comes to entertainment, we have different codes, skill sets, and aims.”

We are in this together. Thank you Eiichiro Oda, for your trust. We can’t wait for the world to see what we’ve created. pic.twitter.com/WAox5bc4P2

— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) May 4, 2023

“Sometimes it could be frustrating for both sides. But it felt like, ‘We’re all trying to get to the same place so how come we’re not on the same wavelength?’”, adding that he event thought “is a foreign production even possible?”.

Oda went on to ease fans’ minds, writing: “We’ve been hard at work this entire time. And now, each and every entity involved is working in sync. We’re finally here!”

“I believe this is the last chance to bring One Piece to the entire world. If we’re going to do it, I want to be able to supervise things while I’m still active. That’s why I agreed to the live-action adaptation of One Piece back in 2016,” Oda added.

While a firm release date for Netflix’s One Piece has not been announced, Oda’s letter could signal that its release is arriving sooner rather than later.

Production on the eight-episode live-action One Piece series wrapped in September last year, with head writer and show co-runner Matt Owens taking to Instagram to share a heartfelt message to his cast and crew.

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