The creator of the popular manga One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, has provided an update on the highly anticipated Netflix live-action adaptation of the long-running series.
In an open letter, the manga artist assured One Piece fans that production is still ongoing on the live-action adaptation of the manga series he began in 1997. He revealed the adaptation is in its final stages and will be released soon.
Oda's letter, published as a picture decorated with doodles of the popular manga's main crew, was posted to the Netflix Geeked Twitter account on May 4, which coincides with the character's canonical birthdate of May 5 in Japan. Given this fact, it is safe to assume that Oda's letter was in commemoration of this special day.
Oda began his letter by stating the challenges that have plagued One Piece's live adaptation production. He stated that even though the teams "understand each of the characters," their different backgrounds and cultures mean they "have different codes, skill sets, and aims." The 48-year-old went on to reveal that this resulted in some frustration on all sides and he doubted whether a foreign production of his beloved creation was even possible.
Oda went on to state that the teams have been hard at work and, despite all the challenges, were finally able to achieve synergy. He revealed his dedication to supervising the project while he is active, alluding to his health challenges which have been well-documented over the years. Among other things, Oda previously revealed he struggles with sleep deprivation due to the hectic demands of the manga series.