Netflix's One Piece in Turmoil

Following the global success of Eiichiro Oda's long-running manga and anime series, One Piece, Netflix's live-action adaptation has returned for a second season, aiming to achieve similar popularity. Despite a slight decrease to 16.8 million views within the first four days of its release, down 1.7 million from Season 1, One Piece Season 2 has received high praise from audiences and critics, achieving a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes—matching Season 1’s score. Season 2 became the most-watched series on Netflix in multiple countries, including Portugal, and currently holds the top spot worldwide, leading to renewed interest in Season 1, which climbed to fourth position. In Portugal, One Piece leads ahead of That Night and Virgin River Season 7, while in Brazil, it holds second position. According to Netflix's Tudum data, One Piece Live-Action Season 2 dominated the global English-language TV charts from March 9 to March 15, 2026, with 16.8 million views and 136.2 million hours watched. This is significantly more than Season 1, which launched with 18.5 million views in August 2023.

One Piece's Future Uncertain Amidst Financial Challenges and Waning Viewership

Back in 2023, the One Piece production team stated their hope for 12 seasons. However, given the reported production cost of $18 million per episode and the viewership dip between seasons, even reaching six seasons may be difficult. Considering Netflix's significant investment in One Piece, including promotion of the live-action return and ongoing production of Season 3, the success of Season 2 might not be enough to secure the series' long-term future.

In Case You Missed It

If you're eager to fill up your streaming queue, Bruno Pferd has got you sorted! First, check out his recent post on "All Movies and Series Arriving on Netflix This Week (March 9-15)" All Movies and Series Arriving on Netflix This Week (March 9-15) to discover a fantastic lineup, including the much-anticipated returns of ONE PIECE and Virgin River, plus intriguing documentaries like Louis Theroux's latest. And if you're looking for even more content, don't miss Bruno's post from just a few days ago, "All Movies and Series Arriving on Netflix This Week (March 1-8)" All Movies and Series Arriving on Netflix This Week (March 1-8). It's packed with new cinema, series, documentaries, and podcasts, led by the much-talked-about Suburban Kids 3 and Vladimir series. Meanwhile, if you're interested in global film recognition, Ahmed Hassan's insightful piece from earlier this month, "Including 'The Secret Agent,' Brazil Receives Four BAFTA Nominations, the 'British Oscar'" Including "The Secret Agent," Brazil Receives Four BAFTA Nominations, the 'British Oscar is a must-read. Published on January 27th, it explores this year's Bafta nominees across categories and highlights Brazil's impressive showing with four nods, including 'The Secret Agent' for Best Film in a Non-English Language. Happy streaming and reading!

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