Netflix has announced that its hit live-action adaptation of One Piece will return for a second season.
In a tweet posted on the show's official X account, Eiichiro Oda, One Piece's original creator, confirmed that season 2 was officially on the way. The renewal comes two weeks after the Netflix series' first season, which immediately sailed to top spot on Netflix's TV chart, was released.
NAKAMA!!! 🏴☠️👑 It fills us with great joy to give you this message directly from Oda-Sensei. ⛵️ #OnePieceNetflix #OnePieceLiveAction pic.twitter.com/X8ZOLPkaXDSeptember 14, 2023
Using one of the manga's iconic transponder snails to make the announcement, Oda also gave a brief update on how much work had gone into season 2's scripts. On September 8, two of the Netflix show's producers suggested that One Piece season 2 was ready to enter full production as soon as the writers and actor strikes were resolved. That's because the sequel season's scripts had reportedly been completed and, according to its producers, One Piece season 2 would be ready "within a year".
However, Oda confirmed that there was more work to be done before season 2's scripts were ready to go. With no end in sight for the long-running industrial action, Oda has urged fans to be patient as they look forward to the return of one of the best Netflix shows.
In a press release, Netflix added that "episode count and story details will be shared at a later time", which is basically code for fans having a long wait ahead of them. In the meantime, fill the One Piece void in your life with one of these five similarly positioned pirate shows, or check out another of the world's best anime series, of which One Piece's animated series is also one.
Delight for One Piece, but a further fright for Shadow and Bone
With 37.8 million views in its first two weeks, One Piece's renewal was a mere formality. It debuted at number one in 46 countries, after all, so it was only a matter of time before the world's best streaming service saw fit to give it another outing.
While that's great news for everyone involved in the hit series, as well as One Piece's fanbase, its renewal raises further questions about the future of Shadow and Bone season 3.
Another popular Netflix show, Shadow and Bone's cast and crew are still waiting for Netflix to confirm whether it'll get another season. It's been six months since Shadow and Bone season 2 was released and, although we called it a "magic-fuelled mishmash" in our Shadow and Bone 2 review, it appeared to perform well in its first few weeks on the platform. In its first month post-launch, Shadow and Bone's second season racked up almost 150 million hours streamed, so it proved popular enough.
Still, the signs don't look great ahead for another outing. As I mentioned earlier, One Piece was renewed just two weeks after its Netflix debut. Other major successes for the streaming giant over the past year, including Wednesday, The Night Agent, and FUBAR, were all renewed for second seasons within a month of airing on the service. Even The Witcher, which has drawn ire from fans for its middling third season and lead star Henry Cavill's departure, was renewed for a fourth season eight months before The Witcher season 3 was released.
So yes, One Piece's cast and crew have plenty to celebrate, but Shadow and Bone's creators and fanbase will view the former's renewal as further proof that a third season announcement isn't on the cards. Netflix users had been gaming viewing figures to save it from cancellation, but the stramer has rarely gone this long without green lighting a show's next installment. In short: One Piece's renewal might have officially sounded the death knell for Shadow and Bone's live-action adaptation.
