The One Piece Director Says Netflix’s Seven-Episode Remake Was Originally Planned to Be Even Shorter: “I had so many things I loved and wanted to include”

Netflix’s upcoming anime remake, The One Piece, will condense the first 50 chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s manga into just seven episodes, but director Masashi Koizuka has revealed that the project was initially intended to be even shorter.

The series, produced by WIT Studio in collaboration with Netflix, is scheduled to premiere in February 2027, with all episodes releasing simultaneously.

Director explains why the remake expanded

Speaking to Den of Geek, Koizuka said the remake’s runtime gradually increased because the creative team wanted to include more moments from the original story.

“The series has a runtime of 300 minutes. It was originally planned to be shorter than that, but I had so many things I loved and wanted to include. The runtime just kept getting longer and longer,”

Koizuka explained.

The new adaptation revisits the beginning of Monkey D. Luffy’s journey, covering the first half of the East Blue Saga while introducing a streamlined version of the long-running series. Rather than simply compressing the original anime, the goal is to make One Piece more accessible to viewers who may find its 1,000-plus episodes intimidating.

Koizuka added,

“We want you to experience a new One Piece from the very beginning, all over again.”

WIT Studio co-founder and president George Wada described the remake as an opportunity to introduce the franchise to a new generation, saying,

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“What’s a greater challenge than reinventing ONE PIECE for a whole new generation of fans?”

Koizuka also revealed guidance from series creator Eiichiro Oda, who encouraged the staff to bring their own creative vision instead of directly recreating the manga. According to the director, Oda told the team,

“I want you all to express, rather than copy and paste the work… it’s creating your interpretation and expression instead of recreating a panel from the manga.”

With a modern visual style from WIT Studio and a significantly condensed story, The One Piece aims to offer both longtime fans and newcomers a fresh way to experience one of anime’s most influential adventures.