Latest One Piece Remake update suggests fans will have to wait longer than they thought

On June 13, 2025, an update on the highly anticipated One Piece Remake stirred the anime community. Kyoji Asano, a renowned character designer who has worked on titles such as Attack on Titan and Psycho-Pass, shared insights during a recent interview, as reported by @pewpiece on X.

As the primary character designer and chief animation director for the One Piece Remake, Asano revealed that he was still working on drawing the series’ cuts until the day before. He shared how the project was still alive and steady, but that the progress had been slow.

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Impact of the character designer’s comments on the One Piece Remake

The One Piece Remake, officially titled The One Piece, is a major undertaking by Studio Wit and Netflix that was announced on December 17, 2023, in celebration of the manga’s 25th anniversary. It sent shockwaves throughout the fandom and promised to offer a reimagining of the original tale.

Fans have been both unsure and excited ever since, still holding out hope due to Studio Wit’s track record of elevating source materials through crisp visuals and smooth animation. However, since its initial announcement, there have been few updates regarding the project.

The last piece of news about the anime came during One Piece Day 2024, when concept artwork for the upcoming series was revealed. Consequently, while many were hoping for a late 2025 or early 2026 release for the remake, there were many uncertainties surrounding it.

Kyoji Asano’s latest interview has all but confirmed that fans will have to wait much longer than they thought, given that the anime is still in its pre-production stages. Typically, even the most time-pressured titles can take several months in production and post-production before they are finally released.

Studio Wit, which is known for being selective with its projects, is likely prioritizing precision and fidelity over speed. Given the immense pressure that the One Piece Remake is under to follow up on its predecessor, the group is most probably choosing to be prudent and ensure quality over a rushed roll-out.

The Straw Hat Pirates as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The remake is expected to be a seasonal venture that will start by adapting the East Blue Saga. Masashi Koizuka, who worked on the first three seasons of Attack on Titan, will be directing it, while Hideaki Abe will be his assistant director. Taku Kishimoto is in charge of series composition, and Tomonori Kuroda is credited as the art director.

With an all-star production team and the approval of manga creator Eiichiro Oda, the One Piece Remake is all set to be one of the biggest spectacles in recent history. Hence, though there have been mixed reactions about its unclear release date, fans remain excited, consistently keeping up with updates.

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