Picture: Netflix Golden
We just got an unexpected One Piece update as filming continues in South Africa on the highly anticipated second season of the show. Eiichiro Oda (or Oda-Sensei), the creator of One Piece and the executive producer of Netflix’s live-action, has visited the set and provided his thoughts.
The new behind-the-scenes pics all featured Oda-Sensei, who keeps his identity secret as best he can, which Netflix has honored by replacing his face with the iconic black and white fish picture he’s synonymous with (or perhaps that is his face?). The creator of One Piece also wrote down his thoughts post-visit in a note:
“I went to South Africa!!
Cape Town is where the Netflix live-action show is being filmed!! I got to see firsthand the hard work of so many crew members across various fields!! The sets? Huge! The attention to detail? Insane! The crew’s love for the project? Off the charts!! And the food? Amazing!! Now, I feel an even greater sense of responsibility given my role. I also managed to speak with not only the returning cast from season 1 but also each of the new cast members. 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!!!” The vibe on set was just the best, too! Trust me, this is going to surpass season 1! Stay tuned for season 2!”
Filming for season 2 is currently midway through, and there’s no release date yet for the next batch of episodes. Cameras are continuing to roll on the series, which has a budget of around $18 million per episode through January 31st, 2025. Some have predicted that all the new episodes will arrive sometime in late 2025, but some people have attached to the show list on their profiles that a 2026 release could be more likely. Either way, we’ll keep you posted as and when we learn more.
We already know a lot about season 2 of One Piece, including recent casting updates (24 new cast members have been announced so far!), where the story is heading next, and what to expect. The last major update we got was through Geeked Week, where we got a set tour courtesy of Jeff Ward, who plays Buggy in the show.
Here’s the full gallery of new pictures provided courtesy of Netflix’s social channels:
Are you excited for season 2 of One Piece? Let us know in the comments down below.