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If you have any choms who are into manga and or anime (or if you’re that person yourself), you’ll have heard about One Piece at least once since the release of the live-action remake of the story, released on Netflix last month.

Eiichiro Oda, the mastermind behind the One Piece universe, shared an exciting announcement last night via a special video message, telling fans that the Netflix show has been renewed for a second season just weeks after the first one dropped.

In his heartfelt message, Oda expressed his deep involvement in the project, where he collaborated closely with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios. The fruits of their labour have not only resonated with devoted followers of the original series but have also garnered global acclaim.

The proof is in the stats, showing that One Piece has already surpassed Netflix streams for top shows Wednesday and Stranger Things, making it the number one show in 84 different countries.

Plus, we Saffas are beaming with pride as the majority of the show was filmed in our beautiful Mother City.

The announcement for the renewal of the show features a bizarrely amusing snail-like character whose lips move along as Oda speaks through an attached microphone. If I’m missing something here with this little pink-shelled blob character, it’s because I haven’t yet finished the first season – superfans, don’t drag me!

Renowned Cape Town Film Studios are part of the amazing team that got One Piece off the ground, and we couldn’t be prouder.

The Cape Town location offered not only the necessary infrastructure needed for the show but also some existing ship sets that could be adapted and utilised for the series. That being said, the crowning jewel of the production, the iconic “Going Merry” ship, was meticulously crafted from scratch to encapsulate the original essence of the One Piece universe.

The series director, Steven Maeda, has recently applauded the exceptional skills of the local crew in Cape Town, giving props to our South African ingenuity and expertise in the film world.

“They had all these ships from Black Sails we repurposed, and our production design team did a wonderful job… Those ships are three-quarter sized, but they’re still gigantic and need to be rigged correctly and sails hung correctly. Most of what you see when you’re on those ships is the real deal. We needed the expertise of the crew in Cape Town to pull that off.”

Not only are the behind-the-scenes crews clearly oppit, but many of the additional people cast for One Piece are local Saffa actors. So keep your volume up while watching so you can hear that lekker Capetonian drawl seep through this swashbuckling adventure story!

[sources:nme&independent&kftv]