Netflix’s One Piece Live-Action Series Keeps Setting Records
Netflix is known to be highly secretive about their streaming numbers, often leaving fans in the lurch regarding whether or not their favorite shows are performing well enough to receive renewal orders. Luckily for fans of the recent live-action One Piece adaptation, this is not the case for all projects across the streamer, as the series was recently confirmed to have topped the charts throughout much of 2023. One Piece brought in just under 72 million views in the second half of 2023, outshining other prominent series’ such as Lupin, Sex Education, and even The Witcher Season 3.
Dominating The Rankings
This feat is particularly impressive, as the data spans the entire back half of 2023, meaning it begins keeping track starting on July 1. The live-action One Piece series didn’t premiere on the streamer until August 31, meaning it managed to produce these massive figures even after offering a two-month head start to competing series’ on the list. The closest any other show came to One Piece‘s massive streaming numbers was the limited series Who Is Erin Carter?, which brought in just over 50 million views in this time frame.
A Massively Successful Live-Action Adaptation
This news isn’t especially surprising, as the One Piece remake served as one of Netflix’s biggest projects of 2023, with anime fans far and wide flocking to the streamer. Once word got out that Netflix had managed to do what many thought to be impossible and successfully adapt a live-action anime series, new fans of the show surely jumped on board to get invested in the narrative too. The original animated One Piece spans more than 1,000 episodes and counting, making the barrier for entry incredibly high for casual viewers.
Not All Adaptations Are Created Equal
Other attempts at trying to stage live-action adaptations of beloved anime franchises have famously ended in disaster, from IP like Dragonball Z, Death Note, and Ghost in the Shell, to more recent attempts such as 2021’s Cowboy Bebop. In fact, when Netflix first announced plans to launch their own live-action One Piece, fans across the world were instantly dismayed, believing it would be impossible to bring the animated antics and long-form story arcs of the fan-favorite series to life. Somehow, against all odds, Netflix succeeded, to the tune of an 85 percent certified fresh critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Plenty Of Room For Growth
Even with all the fan fare that it received, 71.6 million views in under 6 months is highly impressive, and proves that the One Piece live-action series still has a lot of room to grow. With any luck, this means that the second season will have a bigger budget and more studio backing than ever before, allowing the show’s creators to go as big as they feel is necessary.
Season 2 Coming Soon
Currently, there’s no word on when the second season of Netflix’s One Piece will premiere, though insider reports suggest the show will begin production over the course of Summer 2024. If that timeline is accurate, that means that fans could see more of Luffy and the Straw Hat gang as early as 2025. For now, we’re just waiting for updates as the streaming numbers keep racking up millions of views.
