ALBAWABA - Japanese animation studio WiT Studio has finally blessed One Piece fans with concept art for the upcoming Netflix remake but Ussop's new design sparked debate across social media with fans saying that the team has "White-washed" him due to the color of his skin.
Despite feedback being mostly positive, several users took to comment sections featuring the character design sheet in question and voiced their opinions about the matter:
"Ok, they are still having a similar comedic face, great. But Usopp? Hmm"
"Where’s Usopp's melanin?"
"Why is Ussop white? Give him some color."
"Why does Ussop being white feel so uncanny?"
One Piece Remake designs spark debate over "White-washed Usopp"
On the other hand, some users claimed that One Piece "Doesn't need a remake" since there's an anime by Toei animation still ongoing but some clapped back saying that its pacing is all over the place and that the anime is "seriously in need of a revamp."
Other than Ussop, character designs for Luffy, Nami, Zoro, and Sanji were also revealed with the addition of stunning concept art illustrations from WiT Studio.
WiT Studio is known for animating the first three seasons of Attack on Titan, Spy X Family, Great Pretender, and Ousama Ranking which were all animated beautifully. Moreover, the studio is known for not cutting corners when it comes to production so the One Piece Remake is in good hands!
Both the character designs and concept art went viral on social media after being revealed on Aug. 11, 2024, with many fans showing their excitement for the upcoming One Piece remake.
Anime TV revealed the full staff behind the anime and all the designs showcased on One Piece's official YouTube channel:
- Director: Masashi Koizuka
- Assistant Director: Hideaki Abe
- Series Composition: Taku Kishimoto
- Character Design / Chief Animation Director: Kyoji Asano, Takatoshi Honda
- Creature Design/Concept Art: Yasuhiro Kajino
- Prop Designer: Eri Taguchi
- Action Animator: Ken Imaizumi, Shuhei Fukuda.
- Art Director: Tomonori Kuroda
- Animation Production: WIT STUDIO
(One Piece / WiT Studio)
