As excitement for season 2 of Netflix’s adaptation ofOne Piecereaches an all-time high, shocking news has been dealt to the fanbase in light of the rising promotions. Matt Owens, one of the main show-runners and a major creative force that’s been steering the ship in a positive direction, isstepping down from his roleto focus on himself after a tumultuous six years of working on the series.
Matt Owens was originally working alongside executive producers, Eiichiro Oda, Joe Tracz, Marty Adelstein, Steven Maeda, and Becky Clements, to help bring the vision of one of the most successful shōnen anime to life with Netflix. In the first season, he helped not only choreograph the direction the story would lead but also had a hand in writing it, helpingOne Piece’s long narrative be condensedinto a digestible format for new and old viewers. There’s no doubt that his presence will be missed, but with such a large project, it’s important to focus on one’s own health especially.
Netflix’s One Piece Co-Showrunner, Matt Owens, Steps Down From the Project
For the Betterment of One’s Self-Care
In an address posted via Instagram, Matt Owens states that while it’s been fun to work on One Piece alongside such talented company, he needs a moment to take a breath and relax. The parting is bittersweet as he remarks on the wonderful journey being life-changing and a dream as one of One Piece’s biggest fans after it got him through some tough times – something he mentions in aninterview with Deadline.
“I found it at a really dark and low point in my life but I also attribute it with helping me get out of it because One Piece is such a wonderful, positive, inspirational series. I love this series a lot, and I wanted to be the one to shepherd and protect it and to hopefully make a version that could inspire people the same way that the original inspired me.”
With all of thepositive reception that One Piece’s live-actionadaptation has seen, it’s no doubt been hit with rough waters in terms of fulfilling fans' expectations. And given all of its secrecy and tight management leading up to season 2, executive producers are getting hit the hardest by having to maintain themselves in response to all of the fanbase’s excitement.
Where Does This Leave Future Seasons?
Owens’ Departure Doesn’t Spell The Best Outcome For Future Installments
Matt Owen’s sudden departure does leave the series in a bit of a tricky space. Although other executive producers have been brought on board to help with the adaptation,Matt stood out in his fight to keep certain arcsin place when others wanted to floor ahead with Alabasta. One Piece is an incredibly long anime, but there are important moments within many of the smaller arcs leading up to major climaxes within the story that just can’t be overlooked. Without Matt there to facilitate, will the other executives step up in similar ways?
The absence of any major contributor to a project doesn’t bode well for the overall appearance of a franchise in the public eye since it may allude to a question of just how strenuous are the work conditions and whether that is a healthy model to upkeep. The stress must be high for those working on the project as the success of season 1 has only geared up expectations for that of the live-action’s season 2. But Matt has already confirmed that while the project was a lot to handle, he may just come back after taking some time off.
Not All Is Lost, Owen’s Statement Hints at a Return
Fans Will Hopefully See Him Again
Although Owens is stepping down, his initial statement mentions that it’s for a break so that he can focus on himself for a while. Through other key remarks such as “taking a breath” and “coming back refreshed,” fans who have been satisfied with his work can expect him to make a return. His presence may even continue to live on in the following seasons without him actually being around since it’s been confirmed that he’s helped to lay the foundations of more than just season 2, but theroadmap ahead for Netflix’s live-action One Piecethat could include several more.
7 Controversial One Piece Moments Netflix’s Live-Action Series Must Face Head On
Given its age and duration, One Piece has its dour moments, but Netflix is going to need to figure out how to address that in its live-action.
As long as Netflix’sOne Pieceexecutive producers can maintain the vision that Oda and Owens have fought hard to build, the live-action series shouldn’t suffer as a whole due to the latter’s sudden break. All fans can do now is support Owens in his time of self-care and hope that his vision and hope for the franchise will only continue to spark wonders and bring new fans to a wonderful beloved shōnen.
One Piece
Cast
One Piece follows young pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his diverse crew as they embark on a daring quest for treasure. Released in 2023, the film brings the adventurous world of the popular manga to life, capturing Luffy’s relentless pursuit of the legendary One Piece treasure.
