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UnverifiedUpdated Nov 14, 2026 · 5 sources

Showrunner Steven Maeda Reveals How Eiichiro Oda Fought Netflix Budget Cuts

Low-angle view of a moss-covered chest in a dark forest beneath a grand mansion on a cliff, lit by a warm glow.
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Recent posts on the r/OnePieceLiveAction subreddit have highlighted comments from showrunner Steven Maeda regarding behind-the-scenes battles over Season 1. According to these shared reports, creator Eiichiro Oda stepped in to stop Netflix from cutting the budget and replacing Usopp's Syrup Village storyline with Gaimon Island.

Three Versions and a Restored Vision

Following an October 16, 2026 post on r/OnePieceLiveAction sharing showrunner Steven Maeda's interview on episode 330 of the Trash Taste podcast, several community discussions broke down his comments on the making of Season 1. An October 28 post noted that Maeda said budget disputes with Netflix led to three different versions of the live-action series.

According to an October 20 post on the subreddit, Maeda shared that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda reacted to the scaled-back plans by saying, "This is not what I signed up to." The post reports that Oda ultimately forced Netflix to restore the original vision for Season 1 after those budget cuts.

Saving Syrup Village and Oda's Involvement

One specific storyline change was detailed in a November 4 post on r/OnePieceLiveAction. According to the post's title, Oda rejected a plan by Netflix to replace Usopp's Syrup Village story with Gaimon Island, prompting fans in the thread to express relief that the creator takes an active part in the production.

Oda's hands-on presence continues to be a regular topic among the cast and community, with another r/OnePieceLiveAction post on November 9 highlighting actor Mackenyu sharing his own experience with Oda. Because these details come via Reddit posts summarizing interviews rather than direct official press releases, the exact specifics of the behind-the-scenes negotiations remain unverified.

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