Eiichiro Oda’s legendary manga series One Piece took the world by storm once again after its long-running anime was adapted for a live-action show. The Netflix production was released in August 2023 and debuted to wide critical acclaim with a whopping 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. The show received much love from critics as well as fans around the world. From the apt casting to the VFX, prosthetics used for usual character traits and powers became a benchmark for the industry. The studio choices for the adaptation was much talked about even after the series debut as a season two was confirmed not long after.
The first season followed Monkey D. Luffy (played by Iñaki Godoy) finding his pirate crew, the Straw Hats. The group steps out to find the legendary treasure known as the One Piece, left behind by the Gol D. Roger. The one who finds the treasure will also be known as the King of Pirates, and it is assumed that this treasure will give the pirate not only power but an unmeasurable amount of wealth. The first season follows Luffy as he recruits four crewmates, acquires a big new ship for himself and sets off to Grand Line.
How did One Piece Season 1 End?
Season 1 ended with Luffy finding out that he has the highest bounty on his head out of anyone in the East Blue. The Straw Hats’ victory against Arlong Pirates finally makes them into a real pirate crew. They finally leave the East Blue behind and set out for the real world of the pirates beyond the Red Line to continue their search for the One Piece.
Alongside Luffy’s wanted poster, the show also introduced a mysterious figure with white hair, and brown gloves. He can be seen burning Luffy’s poster with two cigars in hand. While introducing season two, Oda said, “It’ll still take a while to get the scripts ready, so please be patient. From here on, it seems to me the Straw Hats will need a great doctor … We will see!”
What To Expect In One Piece Season 2?
At the end of season one, the group has reached the Red Line which is the entrance for the different world in One Piece. The Grand Line separates a treacherous sea route where pirates run wild and take over islands. Many islands are still unseen and have unexplained phenomena and powers. The sea is also where the Maries have to use their rule to keep people safe from the pirates and maintain the order of the world government. Talking about season 2, One Piece is expected to follow the source material despite some changes seen in season one. However, the Straw Hats’ journey is expected to follow the manga, explore new places and recruit more crew members for the coming episodes.
Which Arc Will Follow In One Piece Season 2
According to reports, the general overview for the new season will begin with the “Baroque Works Saga” from the manga. However, the live-action adaptation is likely to condense some events and skip others as seen in the first season. The live-action does add time constraints for the makers making it easier to adapt certain main moments for character developments so the story can move forward without compromising the character plots. One aspect of the story that has been confirmed by Oda himself is a certain antlered doctor.
In the season 2 announcement for One Piece, creator Eiichiro Oda himself said that the Straw Hats were going to need a doctor going into season 2, and proceeded to draw the character Tony Tony Chopper.
Oda’s Experience On Set Of Season 2
According to reports, the season two filming has wrapped up and the cast was also visited by Oda himself. In a post, he shared with fans, “My own casting selections were made from Japan over photos and videos, but seeing them all in person convinced me: They were absolutely the perfect choice!” Oda added that the vibe on set “was just the best!”
New Characters To Be Introduced
Showrunner, writer, and executive producer of the live-action show, Matt Owens has also opened up about what to expect from season 2. During a previous Tudum conversation, he revealed we will get to see Dr. Kureha. He said, “When the Season 2 writers’ room got together, we knew how far we were going to get and that this character Dr. Kureha was going to be a big part of the season.” Which once again confirmed that Tony Tony Chopper will be making his official live-action debut in a year.
But Chopper is not the only big character set to be introduced in season 2 of One Piece. The show will explore the Baroque Works story also introducing Miss Wednesday, who is actually a princess who allies herself with the Straw Hats to take back her kingdom aka Vivi Nefertari. Meanwhile, the villains in the arc will also include Nico Robin, aka Miss All Sunday, an agent of Baroque Works with an interest in history and archaeology. Robin will also go on to become an important character in the story as she joins the Straw Hats in no time.
Supporting Cast Confirmed
The makers have already confirmed major casting for the show including, Rigo Sanchez as Dragon aka Luffy’s father, Yonda Thomas as Igaram, James Hiroyuki Liao as Ipponmatsu, Sophia Anne Caruso as Miss Goldenweek as well as, Callum Kerr as Smoker, Rob Colletti as Wapol, Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday, Sendhil Ramamurthy as Nefertari Cobra, Katey Sagal as Dr Kureha and Mark Harelik as Dr Hiriluk. The villains of Baroque Works have been confirmed as Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9, Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine, David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, Joe Manganiello as Mr. 0 and Lera Abova as Miss All-Sunday.
What About Arabasta Arc
With the fight against Baroque Works, the story leads into Arabasta Arc and brings in the larger world of One Piece. It is also most likely set to introduce us to another Warlord of the Sea, find out about ancient artefacts known as Poneglyphs, and possibly even meet Portgas D. Ace. However, his casting has not been confirmed yet.
With the filming wrapped up, and the post-production underway, it still might take another year for the show to drop on Netflix but the excitement won’t die down any time soon.
