One Piece: Netflix Wanted to Save Money – Then Creator Oda Protested

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents One Piece: Netflix Wanted to Save Money – Then Creator Oda Protested.

On 29.10.2026 at 05:13, GameStar reported on a conflict that could have changed the production of the Netflix series “One Piece” before its launch. According to the report, Netflix wanted to halve the budget and reduce the number of episodes. The then-showrunner Steven Maeda explained that the production team would have had to make numerous substantive changes under the reduced budget.

This would not have been merely an adjustment to the runtime. Already developed story sections would have been dropped, the storytelling would have moved further away from the manga source material, and the team feared alienating longtime fans. After an initial overhaul, Oda stepped in. The headline of the report quotes his reaction: “I didn’t imagine it would be like this.”

From 10 to 8 Episodes: The Cut Was Concrete

The planned halving of the budget

According to Steven Maeda, the cut was supposed to take place before the start of season 1. Alongside the budget, the plan directly affected the length of the series: Netflix wanted to reduce the number of episodes from 10 to 8. Although GameStar does not provide a specific amount of money, it makes clear that the cut was supposed to affect the entire production budget.

The reduction in episodes was actually implemented. With the smaller budget, the production team had to incorporate many substantive changes. This also affected story sections that were important to the narrative. Material into which considerable work had already been invested could no longer be used.

The Storytelling Drifted Away From the Manga

The adjustments were therefore not limited to two fewer episodes. The team had to steer the series further away from the storytelling style of the manga series. For “One Piece,” whose plot is closely tied to Oda’s manga, that was a particularly delicate direction in which to go.

The team’s concerns went beyond a possible break with the established style. The crew feared that the new version would alienate longtime fans. Steven Maeda was also concerned that the series could even be canceled under that creative direction.

Oda Reviewed the Overhaul and Forced a New Direction

The creator was presented with the finished version

Eiichiro Oda ultimately rushed to the production team’s aid. When he was presented with the revised version of the series, he was not satisfied with it. The report paraphrases his reaction as saying that he had not imagined it would be like this.

I didn’t imagine it would be like this

Netflix then agreed to another course correction. Steven Maeda highlighted this step positively. Oda’s dissatisfaction with the altered version not only led to his personal intervention, but according to the report also prompted Netflix to make another adjustment.

His role in the series goes beyond a guest appearance. The Japanese manga artist is an Executive Producer and, according to GameStar, has a say in important decisions concerning casting, post-production and character writing. This explains why his feedback played such a significant role in this production conflict.

The report does not name a specific date for the exact sequence of events surrounding the negotiations. It does, however, establish a clear sequence: Netflix planned to halve the budget and reduce the episode count, the team created an adapted version, Oda rejected it, and Netflix changed course again.

Why the Conflict Meant More to Fans Than a Dispute Over Cost-Cutting

The series had a strong track record beforehand

“One Piece” was already a major success for Netflix before the dispute over the production plans became public. In 2023, the live-action series reached No. 1 on Netflix’s charts in 46 countries. During its first few days, it drew 19.3 million views.

Season 2 did not quite restore those record figures, but according to GameStar, it continued to be very well received by viewers and critics. Against this backdrop, the planned cuts to the budget and episode count must have been particularly delicate: Netflix wanted to condense a successful series to 8 instead of 10 episodes, but had to discard material that had already been developed in the process.

The 19.3 million views and the No. 1 ranking in 46 countries do not prove that every decision depended on Oda alone. They do show, however, how significant the changes to the narrative were for a series with international reach. A shorter runtime would not only have affected the running time, but also the distribution of plot and character development.

A third season premiere is already scheduled

Netflix has since confirmed that a third season is coming. It is titled “One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta” and is scheduled for 2027. The story follows Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they seek to protect Princess Vivi from the cunning Sir Crocodile and his schemes.

The next chapter for “One Piece” is therefore already on the horizon. The report about Oda’s protest makes clear that the direction of a Netflix series is not determined solely by the production team and the platform. On this project, the manga creator had a decisive voice in the outcome — and it was his approval that determined whether Netflix’s adapted version was released.

More on the conflict

You can find the background to the budget dispute and Oda’s involvement in the detailed GameStar report on the One Piece conflict. GameStar has also summarized the details of the third season, which is slated to premiere in 2027 and carry the title “The Battle of Alabasta”.