It’s become a running joke rooted in fact that there’s no point becoming invested in any new Netflix series when there’s a 50/50 chance it’ll be canceled after one season, and not even its status as the live-action adaptation of the best-selling manga ever has granted immunity to One Piece.
As soon as the trailer dropped there were sighs of resignation heard across the internet as people braced themselves for the inevitability of Luffy and the gang enjoying a brief moment in the spotlight before being tossed onto the scrapheap, and things have become so heated that the streaming service’s executives are weighing in.
United States and Canada head of scripted content Jason Friedlander outlined his excitement for One Piece and desire to see it continue in an interview with Variety, although he did address the elephant in the room and point to a pair of high-profile fantasies that did at least score a renewal.
“I do believe that Oda-san has crafted an ongoing run of stories and adventures and characters that I would love to see realized through One Piece live-action. You can’t get it right every time. You hope that with creative passion and storytellers that you do. And that’s what I’m here for, is to support the storytellers and how they interpret and adapt and experience an IP. And I think we’ve had a pretty impressive run when you think about just within the last year with The Sandman and Wednesday. And I do think we are able to adapt some of these IP into something that’s extraordinary and unexpected, and still truly honor what it is.”
Of course, the fact Netflix has axed more than 20 episodic exclusives before we’ve reached the end of August has naturally gone unmentioned, but should One Piece live up to the hype then you’ve got to imagine it’ll be rewarded with a season 2. If it doesn’t, then there’s going to be riots in the virtual streets for the umpteenth time this year.