How 'One Piece' inspired Netflix to double down on anime — and its massive fan base

A decades-old anime is shaping Netflix’s programming future.“One Piece,” the long-running Japanese pirate saga-turned-live-action hit, topped Netflix’s charts in 75 countries after it made its debut in August 2023.

A decades-old anime is shaping Netflix’s programming future.

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“One Piece,” the long-running Japanese pirate saga-turned-live-action hit, topped Netflix’s charts in 75 countries after it made its debut in August 2023. Its success has helped fuel the streamer’s broader push into anime, a genre that Netflix says now reaches more than half of its global audience.

On Tuesday, Netflix is announcing an expansion of the franchise. A third season of the live-action show, titled “One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta,” is set for 2027. The company is also developing a reboot of the original anime series — with creator Eiichiro Oda involved — as well as a Lego animated special due Sept. 29.