Wit Studio has built its reputation over 15 years with Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga, and Spy x Family. Now the Japanese animation studio faces its biggest challenge: remaking One Piece, the manga so massive it requires a reset for new viewers.
The first seven episodes of the new The One Piece will debut on Netflix in February 2027. They cover the first 50 chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s manga, starting with Luffy’s journey in the East Blue. Wit Studio president Joji “George” Wada spoke to Polygon via email about the project.
Wada’s Take on One Piece
Wada calls One Piece “a treasure Japan can be proud of.” The studio’s approach is holistic, he says.
“We have deeply absorbed the vast world of One Piece from its enormous body of source material,” Wada says. “Carrying that world with us, our task was to depict the opening of a new voyage all over again, with all of its heart-racing excitement.”
The goal is fresh imagery for modern audiences.
Why Wada Started in Anime
Wada traces his career back to one film.
“The origin of my ambition to work in anime is Patlabor 2: The Movie, produced by Production I.G,” Wada says. “Having known nothing but works made for children, I was shocked by it to the point that my whole value system was overturned. As a result, I did not stop at simply being impressed — of all things, I ended up joining the company itself. And now I lead that studio myself, so perhaps the way I let myself be influenced went a little too far.”
The World-Building Philosophy
Wit’s approach to any property starts with the world.
“What we value most in all of our works is depicting a world,” Wada says. “A creator’s desire to say something is what gives birth to characters and shapes a story. When we turn those feelings into animation, the world we build has real work to do: it grounds the characters’ emotional drama and gives these overflowing emotions a solid vessel to hold them.”
The Pressure of Remaking One Piece
Even a veteran like Wada feels the weight of Oda’s work.
“But the world of anime moves fast, and there’s no time to stay idle, even with a project like The One Piece underway,” Wada says.
LONA and Tokyo Anime Next
Wit is not slowing down. The studio has announced a new original anime, LONA, set to premiere in spring 2027. It is a sci-fi story about a team of researchers investigating the thoughts of the dead.
Wada has also launched Tokyo Anime Next, a new anime award show.
“The biggest reason for establishing Tokyo Anime Next is to give the delicate nuances that Japanese creators put into their work a fair evaluation from a Japanese point of view, and to send that out to the world,” Wada says. “It is precisely because anime is now being recognized all around the world that we came to see criteria originating in Japan as indispensable.”
The Brand Value Push
Wada’s stated goals for Tokyo Anime Next are two-fold.
- Show high recognition in Japan to creators, bringing pride and motivation.
- Raise the brand value of the anime industry as a whole.
Whether this is a subtle jab at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards is not stated. Other Japanese anime awards already exist, but they lack international visibility.
Finding New Talent
Wit is also looking to the next generation of creators.
“My strongest wish is to send out into the world, as animation, an entirely new work created by an undiscovered talent the world has not yet noticed,” Wada says. “I am certain that there are still countless talents out there waiting to be found. Meeting those next-generation creators and building new work together with them is the greatest joy there is for me.”
The Scope of the Remake
One Piece is a massive undertaking. The manga has over 1190 chapters, and the first anime adaptation from Toei Animation has 1170 episodes. That’s a lot for new fans to catch up on.
| Property | Episodes/Chapters |
|---|---|
| One Piece (manga) | 1190 chapters |
| One Piece (Toei anime) | 1170 episodes |
| The One Piece (Wit remake) | 7 episodes, covering 50 chapters |
The truncated format is designed to get audiences up to speed quickly.
The Bigger Picture
Wit’s ambition extends beyond One Piece. The studio is handling massive IPs while launching original projects and an awards show.
| Project | Status |
|---|---|
| The One Piece | 7 episodes, February 2027 |
| LONA | Original anime, spring 2027 |
| Tokyo Anime Next | New anime award show |
Wada’s vision is clear. He wants to raise the profile of the entire industry.
The first test comes in February 2027.
Source material: “Wit Studio President George Wada Is Ready to Bring One Piece to a New Generation,” Polygon.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.