Eiichiro Oda Is Right, One Piece Season 2 Will Be Better Than Netflix’s Season 1

Netflix’s One Piece season 2 is going to “surpass season 1” according to Eiichiro Oda, creator of One Piece, and there is no reason to think he is wrong based on what happens next in the anime. Whereas a lot of other anime adaptations couldn’t live up to their source material, Oda was directly involved in the making of Netflix’s One Piece. The legendary mangaka behind one of the most successful manga series of all time served as an executive producer on One Piece live-action and appears to have been involved in every step of the project.

Showrunner Matt Owens and the team behind Netflix’s One Piece were open to Oda’s input, to the point they would not announce a release date for season 1 before the mangaka was happy with the show. The collaboration between the team behind the live-action adaptation and One Piece’s creator is one of the primary reasons why season 1 was so good. Not only is this collaboration continuing – Eiichiro Oda recently visited the set of season 2 – but Netflix’s One Piece is now entering the “fun” part of the story after leaving East Blue for the Grand Line.

One Piece Live-Action Can Only Get Better After A Nearly Perfect Season 1

Netflix’s One Piece Already Proved Itself And Should Only Get Better

One Piece season 1 was by far the best live-action anime adaptation to ever come from Hollywood. While that alone does not mean much considering movies such as Dragonball Evolution and Ghost in the Shell, Netflix’s One Piece was much better than previous adaptations and set the bar high for future movies and shows based on beloved anime properties. However, as good as season 1 was, the Netflix show has barely scratched the potential of One Piece. Now that the character introductions are out of the way, One Piece live-action should only get better.

From Luffy’s Devil Fruit powers to Nami’s “help me” scene, One Piece season 1 checked a lot of boxes regarding what a good adaption of the manga’s first few arcs would need to include. The world and the characters all looked on point, and so did the tone of the show. The Netflix series blended the larger-than-life aspect of Oda’s manga with a grounded approach that is necessary for live-action stories. Netflix’s One Piece now has all the ingredients to properly adapt the next sagas, all of which are better than what season 1 covered.

One Piece Season 2’s Arabasta Saga Is Much Better Than Season 1’s East Blue

The Source Material For One Piece Season 2 Is Even Better Than That Of Season 1

One Piece season 2 will be mainly based on Arabasta, the manga’s second saga. The live-action adaptation’s second year will not cover the Arabasta saga in its entirety, though, as the actual Arabasta arc seems to have been saved for a potential third season. One Piece season 2 will also cover Loguetown, which was supposed to happen in the first season but ended up being cut and saved for later. In other words, the Straw Hats will visit the late Pirate King Gold Roger’s hometown at the beginning of season 2 and then enter the Grand Line.

As explained by Nami in One Piece season 1, the Grand Line is where they will find the biggest treasures and the biggest pirates. It is the most treacherous portion of the ocean where every island holds some kind of secret, which is why the stakes of the story increase massively as soon as Luffy enters it. While East Blue is a very fun saga that beautifully introduces each of the main Straw Hat pirates, One Piece as a story only gets better as it progresses. Therefore, season 2 should naturally be better than season 1.

One Piece Season 2 Will Feel Like A Different Show From Season 1 (In A Good Way)

One Piece Live-Action Should Feel More Interconnected In Season 2

One Piece season 1 had a very well-defined structure in which each of the Straw Hats would get one or two episodes centered on them and their backstory. Even though Buggy, Arlong, and Garp served as overarching antagonists across those eight episodes, One Piece season 1 still felt like different stories combined – which is precisely how it happens in the manga too. However, from season 2 onward, the show should feel more interconnected and include more overarching stories that tie into the larger mysteries of the One Piece world.

For example, Luffy should meet Miss Wednesday and learn about Baroque Works at the beginning of season 2. The Straw Hats will later meet Miss All Sunday and then face Mr. 3 at Little Garden, which will then set up their ultimate clash against Crocodile in the Kingdom of Arabasta. While the live-action show will still have clear arcs – each big adventure will happen on a different island after all – the stakes will be higher. Every event in One Piece from this point onward will be important for the future, which makes season 2 even more exciting.