Netflix’s live-action One Piece adaptation had a major Nami problem, but one key season 2 change could prevent it from happening again.

One Piece season 2 is happening, and there is one small change that could make Netflix’s live-action adaptation much better and avoid the show’s biggest Nami problem. The fact that One Piece, which takes place in one of the most unique and fantastical shonen worlds, made for a great live-action series proves how good Netflix’s show was. Once considered one of the anime properties that would never work in live-action, One Piece changed the game and raised the bar high for upcoming Hollywood adaptations. That said, One Piece season 2 can improve upon the first season.

Differences between Netflix’s One Piece season 1 and the anime were expected, as the live-action medium requires a different tone and rhythm compared to the manga or the anime. Still, considering all the challenges a live-action One Piece adaptation would have to overcome, the Netflix series did a very good job of translating the world and the characters created by Eiichiro Oda. There are a lot of scenes One Piece season 2 is expected to include, from Chopper’s origin story to the farewell to Vivi. However, for the show to nail these moments, it should make one important adjustment.

One Piece Season 2 Should Have At Least 10 Episodes 

One Piece season 1 covered the East Blue Saga, which in the anime lasts for 63 episodes, in eight hour-long live-action episodes. Assuming the show will now adapt to the Arabasta Saga, One Piece season 2 will have 73 anime episodes to cover. In terms of the manga, the Arabasta Saga went for 117 chapters, whereas East Blue lasted 100 chapters. Therefore, even without considering filler and pacing issues, the next major One Piece saga the show will adapt is considerably bigger than the previous one. As such, eight episodes might not be enough to do Arabasta justice.

Nami, whose definitive arc happened in episodes 7 and 8, was arguably the biggest victim of the live-action show’s pacing.

Whereas One Piece season 1 benefitted from the structure of the manga’s East Blue saga – each arc sees a new character joining the recently-formed Straw Hat pirate crew – season 2 may struggle with covering all of Arabasta. Each of the Arabasta Saga’s arcs feels like its own separate movie, and two of them were actually released as anime compilation movies. Luffy and his friends will have to enter the Grand Line, face the Reverse Mountain, encounter the Baroque Works, meet Chopper, and more, all before the titular Arabasta arc even begins.

One Piece Season 1’s Eight-Episode Format Was Bad For Nami

Although it is quite remarkable that One Piece delivered a solid adaptation of the anime’s first six arcs with just eight episodes, this format led to a lot of important moments being cut or rushed out. For example, the “Usopp Pirates” do not appear in the live-action show, and Don Krieg never makes it into the Baratie. While some of those changes were minimal and didn’t affect the quality of the story, others played against the show. Nami, whose definitive arc happened in episodes 7 and 8, was arguably the biggest victim of the live-action show’s pacing.

One Piece’s Arlong Park arc is where Nami’s origin story is revealed, with both the Straw Hats and viewers learning why she betrayed them. It is one of the best One Piece arcs to this day, perfectly capturing the themes of friendship and found family that set the tone for the rest of the series. While the “Help me” scene was perfectly played by Emily Rudd and Inãki Godoy, the rest of Arlong Park was quite disappointing. Little is shown from Nami’s relationship with the villagers, and neither Nojiko nor Genzo knew why she was working with Arlong.

One Piece Season 2’s Story Will Be Even More Convoluted Than Season 1’s

If adapting East Blue in eight episodes was very difficult and led to important moments being cut, covering the Arabasta Saga will be even more tricky. It can be argued that the Arabasta arc, the final entry in this saga, has enough material for an entire season. Even if One Piece season 2 continues to have strong pacing, eight episodes is just not enough for the amount of characters and storylines the show will have to tackle. One option would be to split Arabasta into two seasons, but that would also create problems.

With over 1,000 manga chapters to adapt and counting, One Piece cannot afford to take too much time with each arc. It would take at least 12 seasons for Netflix’s One Piece to get to the whole story, meaning the show has no option but to rush through some things. However, two additional episodes compared to season 1 would be enough to improve the show’s structure, allowing for a bit more character development and giving the series time to breathe before the big moments.