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When you have to recreate something as iconic as the Straw Hat pirates’ looks, there is a lot of pressure. The One Piece anime remake coming to Netflix has asked a lot from its staff, which includes choosing how the characters should look. According to Character Designer and Chief Animation Director Kyoji Asano, that meant becoming more than a little obsessed with Eiichiro Oda’s work.

Speaking at One Piece Day 2024, Asano gave some choice details about how they came up with the final design for the Straw Hats in The One Piece. “When I was given the task to create the design, I thought ‘I have to input Oda-sensei’s way of drawing’. I was determined to ‘become’ Oda-sensei and shut myself in for two months. I had to possess him in myself. So, for two months, I was determined to just draw One Piece, which was why I shut myself in.”

What does that look like? Asano described how, for two months straight, he obsessively drew the characters from One Piece. “I’ve done with other works, but you just lock yourself in a room and start drawing. You just draw the art and take it in.”

In the case of One Piece, there is a lot of art to consider. “With One Piece continuously being published for 25 years, the drawing style of Oda-sensei changes too. There was a task of choosing which type of One Piece art style we had to stick with for The One Piece. I thought if I could absorb the drawing types into my head, I would manage it, but there were times I was worried we wouldn’t even start.”

Looking at the art style that Studio Wit has released so far, it is tough to nail down exactly which era of Oda’s art Asano is emulating with his designs in The One Piece. It certainly looks like it takes its cues from the East Blue Saga’s more elongated body shapes, but Zoro’s more muscular build gives hints of the Thriller Bark arc. Either way, we’re excited to see how the team reimagines One Piece for more modern audiences. Hopefully, Asano’s two months of obsessing over Oda’s ever-changing art style will pay off.

THE ONE PIECE IS REAL...ly important to Popverse! That's why we've put together the key articles to keep your fandom of the manga-turned-anime-turned-live-action-show alive:

• How to watch One Piece One Piece in chronological and release order (All 1,100+ episodes plus the movies!)
• When the next episode of One Piece is coming
• The One Piece English cast shared the life lessons they've learned playing the Straw Hats for nearly 20 years
• Why One Piece's Monkey D. Luffy is the perfect hero for the dark times ahead
• Every difference between the live-action One Piece and the original manga
• One Piece Gear 5 Form: Everything we know about Luffy's latest transformation
• Wondering what ethnicity and nationality the One Piece pirates are? Here is what Oda himself has to say
• Ranking the One Piece anime's arcs, from best to worst
• Why is One Piece more popular now that the anime is 25 years old? We asked around and found out
• The English cast of One Piece explain what they love about Eiichiro Oda's storytelling - "He's a genius!"