One Piece changes production structure for Elbaph arc

The franchise ecosystem of One Piece is undergoing unprecedented technical transformations. Toei Animation announced that, starting in 2026, the series will leave behind the continuous weekly broadcast format, adopted for 26 years, to become a seasonal anime. The new strategy foresees a maximum of 26 episodes per year, aiming to align the animation pace with Eiichiro Oda's manga. According to Ryūta Koike, a producer at Toei Animation, the change aims to "support the advancement and evolution of the anime series", allowing the team to recharge energies to raise the standard of quality. The highly anticipated Elbaph arc is set to premiere on April 5, 2026, with new character designs revealed during Jump Festa 2026.

Meanwhile, Netflix confirmed the premiere of the second season of the live-action on March 10, 2026, while WIT Studio continues to develop a remake of the work. However, the production sector is facing significant losses. Ryoya Kaneko, a production manager who worked on 19 crucial episodes in the last three years, announced his departure on December 29. "I am leaving the ship of One Piece and moving to another team. For about three years, from the end of Wano to the end of Egghead, I had the privilege of working as a production manager on One Piece," said Kaneko in his official farewell.

Although the transition to a seasonal format promises a necessary technical breath, the departure of veterans like Kaneko and the instability in other brand projects are subject to severe criticism. It is regrettable that Toei Animation is losing experienced talents just as the series enters a three-month hiatus. Furthermore, Eiichiro Oda's honesty about the new anime film, admitting that "I can't say it's running particularly well," generates uncertainties about the consistency of future film productions. The departure of Matt Owens from the Netflix series in March 2025 had already signaled a wear and tear in the franchise's project management, which is now trying to balance between expansion and technical quality in 2026.