“It Makes Me Sad”- One Piece’s Remake Could Harm the Series Claims Red Animation Director

The reveal of The One Piece, an entirely new anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s beloved epic, excited many fans, but the animation director of One Piece Film: Red has expressed concerns about the remake. Monkey D. Luffy’s journey to become The Pirate King grew more popular in 2023, especially with the help of Netflix’s One Piece Live-Action adaptation. The streaming giant has decided to go all in on the franchise by working with Wit Studios to remake the anime from the beginning. Still, not everyone is pleased to hear about The One Piece.

In 1999, the first anime adaptation of One Piece began releasing weekly. In those 25 years, there have been over a dozen animated films and 1088 episodes. The recently concluded Wano arc featured several beautiful showcases of brilliant animation and stunning direction, helping the franchise trend consistently on social media platforms. However, the animation director for one of the series’ most recent animated films took to social media to express not excitement but sadness concerning the announcement of the new The One Piece anime.

With news of a One Piece remake on the horizon, One Piece Film: Red‘s animation director Hiromi Ishigami posted on X to voice his concerns. “It makes me feel a little sad that the value of the anime that we have built up until now seems to be diminishing,” Ishigami wrote on X. As reported by CBR, the director seemed concerned a remake would devalue the 25 years of production of the ongoing One Piece anime. Still, fans worldwide quickly reminded the talented director that his and his team’s work matters tremendously to millions and will continue to do so for years to come.

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The Remake Will Get A New Audience Interested In Luffy’s Adventures

Not long after the One Piece animator and director’s tweets were posted, Ishigami’s replies were flooded with support and praise from fans worldwide. Dozens of replies from X users exclaimed how close the original series is to their hearts and how much Ishigami’s and the One Piece anime team’s work means to them. “I still love the original more as it buil[t] my childhood Ishigami san!” user @HafiymSuhail replied. The grateful artist went as far as to respond to many of the kind messages, saying, “I’m glad that you value it. I’ve been watching this anime since I was a kid, I’m glad that we can talk about the same anime across generations.” While the remake will likely be fantastic, there will always be fans who prefer the original series.

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One Piece’s Remake Can Fix the Main Anime’s Biggest Mistakes For One Reason

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Certain fans like Ishigami feel that early episodes of Toei animation’s 1999 One Piece anime hold up and can still be enjoyed by 2024 audiences, and they are right. Despite its age, the original anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s series still holds up with fantastic animation and voice acting. Still, its original 4:3 aspect ratio and debatable pacing issues can be improved upon with the modern remake. Plus, some of the best anime remake series, like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Hunter X Hunter, grew each franchise’s fanbase considerably. As viewers get hooked on the remake series, they will likely seek out past One Piece adaptations and see Ishigami’s previous works—something they might not have done without The One Piece remake.

Anime Remakes Have A Great Track Record

The One Piece will likely create more fans of the franchise and cause a whole new audience to get invested in Luffy’s story. Netflix has previously released new series in batches of episodes, and due to the story’s length, it will take time for Wit Studios to adapt it. The One Piece may attract a new audience who may transition into the classic series as they wait for new remake episodes to be released. While Hiromi Ishigami initially expressed concern with the future adaptation, an outpour of support reminded the director how kind One Piece fans can be, and thanks to his work and the upcoming remake, there will be more of them in the future.

Sources: CBR, X (1,2)

Watch the One Piece anime on Crunchyroll and Viz Media.

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