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WIT Studio
WIT Studio has four announced projects in motion: The One Piece, the studio's Netflix remake of Eiichiro Oda's manga, set for February 2027; LONA, an original television anime for spring 2027; season 2 of Shin Samurai-den YAIBA, premiering January 9, 2027; and part 4 of the Ascendance of a Bookworm anime. Agents of the Four Seasons, the studio's spring 2026 series, has moved into its final arc.
Synthesized from 11
Yomimono stories · updated
Oct 16
The clearest throughline across WIT Studio's recent coverage is a slate of announced projects rather than completed ones. The One Piece, the studio's remake of Eiichiro Oda's manga, is set to stream on Netflix in February 2027. Masashi Koizuka directs, with Hideaki Abe as assistant director, Taku Kishimoto on series composition, and Kyoji Asano and Takatoshi Honda sharing character design and chief animation direction. The first season runs seven episodes, about 300 minutes, and covers roughly the first 50 manga chapters through the Baratie arc, where Luffy meets Sanji. Mayumi Tanaka returns as Luffy, the role she has held since 1999, and all seven episodes will release at once.
WIT Studio also announced LONA, an original television anime for spring 2027, with screenwriter Akiko Nogi and director Takashi Katagiri. The project brings in Posuka Demizu for original character designs, and animation producer Kazuki Yamanaka said development began in 2020. Alongside the announcement, the studio released three teaser visuals and two trailer videos. Shin Samurai-den YAIBA season 2, subtitled Kaguya Arc, premieres January 9, 2027 on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV's network in the Saturday 5:30 PM slot, and part 4 of Ascendance of a Bookworm will get a television anime with the studio animating again after part 3 ended its two-cour run on Yomiuri TV and NTV.
President George Wada, speaking at Anime Expo 2026, tied the studio's identity to Attack on Titan, its first project, and said the studio grew from six people to more than 300. Agents of the Four Seasons, the studio's spring 2026 series, has released a climax visual and a three-minute trailer as it approaches its final episodes.
Key facts
- The One Piece premiere
- Streams on Netflix starting February 2027, with seven episodes of roughly 300 minutes total covering about the first 50 manga chapters through the Baratie arc ↗
- The One Piece staff
- Directed by Masashi Koizuka, with Hideaki Abe as assistant director, Taku Kishimoto on series composition, Kyoji Asano and Takatoshi Honda on character design and chief animation direction, and Ryoma Kawamura as animation producer ↗
- The One Piece cast
- Mayumi Tanaka reprises her role as Monkey D. Luffy, a role she has held since 1999 ↗
- LONA staff and premiere
- Original television anime for spring 2027 with screenwriter Akiko Nogi, director Takashi Katagiri, and original character designs by Posuka Demizu ↗
- LONA development
- The project began development in 2020, according to animation producer Kazuki Yamanaka ↗
- Shin Samurai-den YAIBA season 2 premiere
- The Kaguya Arc begins airing January 9, 2027 on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV's nationwide network in the Saturday 5:30 PM slot, excluding some regions ↗
- Ascendance of a Bookworm part 4
- Part 4, Founder of the Royal Academy's So-Called Library Committee, will get a television anime with Wit Studio animating again, after part 3 ended its two-cour run on Yomiuri TV and NTV ↗
- Agents of the Four Seasons status
- The spring 2026 series, which premiered on March 28, 2026 and is streaming on Crunchyroll, released a climax visual and a three-minute trailer as it approaches its final episodes ↗
- Studio growth
- President George Wada said the studio grew from six people to more than 300 ↗
- Seven Bears design
- Character designer Kyoji Asano said the concept came from producer Chihiro Kameyama and director Katsuyuki Motohiro, with Pride designed first and the evil soul bursting from a plush toy's abdomen drawing on Manami Hyuga ↗
Timeline
- Oct 12, 2026 WIT STUDIO's Kyoji Asano Traces Seven Bears Design to Manami Hyuga
- Oct 4, 2026 Ascendance Of A Bookworm Part 4 Gets TV Anime From Wit Studio
- Oct 4, 2026 Wit Studio's George Wada Says Attack On Titan Was The Studio's Only First Project
- Sep 19, 2026 Shin Samurai-den YAIBA Season 2 Kaguya Arc Premieres January 9, 2027
- Jun 28, 2026 WIT Studio Reveals Original TV Anime LONA for Spring 2027
- Jun 27, 2026 Netflix Reveals Episode Art for The One Piece Remake at Annecy
- May 30, 2026 Netflix Expands One Piece Slate With Wit Studio Reboot and LEGO Special
- May 29, 2026 Agents of the Four Seasons Releases Climax Visual and Trailer
- May 25, 2026 The One Piece Anime Sets February 2027 Netflix Debut
- May 16, 2026 Agents of the Four Seasons Episode 8 Preview Arrives Ahead of May 16 Debut
- May 16, 2026 The One Piece Sets February 2027 Netflix Debut With Seven Episodes
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Claim activity
When a claim about WIT Studio was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against
open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
- Confirmed WIT Studio produces Ascendance of a Bookworm Oct 4 · source
- Confirmed WIT Studio produces Attack on Titan Oct 4 · source
- Confirmed WIT Studio produces One Piece Sep 12 · source
- Confirmed wit studio produces agents of the four seasons May 28 · source
- Confirmed wit studio produces the one piece May 27 · source
All coverage
Oct 12
Character designer Kyoji Asano, who handled the Seven Bears designs for Odoru Daisosasen N.E.W. Run Through the Metropolis!, says the concept came from producer Chihiro Kameyama and director Katsuyuki Motohiro. Pride was designed first. The evil soul bursting from a plush toy's abdomen draws on Manami Hyuga, and Asano also describes a hidden bear-people backstory that was cut.
Oct 4
The staff of the Ascendance of a Bookworm anime announced on Saturday that part 4 of Miya Kazuki's light novels, Founder of the Royal Academy's So-Called Library Committee, will get a television anime, with Wit Studio animating again. The announcement came after the Part 3 anime, Adopted Daughter of an Archduke, ended its two-cour run on Yomiuri TV and NTV.
Oct 4
Wit Studio president George Wada said Attack on Titan was the only project the studio considered for its first anime. Speaking with Anime News Network at Anime Expo 2026, Wada said he chose Hajime Isayama's manga because it fit director Tetsuro Araki and because the studio's own situation matched the story. "It was the only one," he said when asked whether other options were discussed. Wada said the series helped Japanese anime reach audiences worldwide and showed what Japanese animation could do. He also noted the studio grew from six people to more than 300. Wada said Wit Studio is preparing The One Piece for release in February 2027, and he described some fear and anxiety about the adaptation alongside greater excitement. He also mentioned Tokyo Anime Next, an international animation event in Ikebukuro from October 30 to November 2, 2026.
Sep 19
Season 2 of the TV anime Shin Samurai-den YAIBA, subtitled Kaguya Arc, will begin airing January 9, 2027 on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV's nationwide network, in the Saturday 5:30 PM slot, excluding some regions. A main visual was released alongside the date. It shows Yaiba Kurogane and Takeshi Onimaru crossing the Raijinken and Fujinken, with Kaguya, Tsukikage, and Gekko reflected in the blades as Kaguya abducts Sayaka Mine. The series adapts Gosho Aoyama's YAIBA, serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday from 1988 to 1993 with 24 volumes and a cumulative circulation of 17 million copies. Aoyama supervises the scenario. Takahiro Hasui directs, Toko Machida handles series composition, and Yoshimichi Kameda handles character design and chief animation direction, with WIT STUDIO on animation production and Studio Kurm assisting. Minami Takayama voices Yaiba, Manaka Iwami voices Sayaka, Yoshimasa Hosoya voices Onimaru, Ami Koshimizu voices Kaguya, and Koki Uchiyama voices Tsukikage.
Jun 28
WIT Studio announced a new original television anime titled LONA, set to premiere in spring 2027. The project brings together screenwriter Akiko Nogi (Unnatural, MIU404, Last Mile) and director Takashi Katagiri (SPY×FAMILY Code: White). Posuka Demizu, creator of The Promised Neverland, provides original character designs. The anime is described as a brain science adventure set in a near-future world where people are attacked by the dead. The story follows researcher Ao and trainee Sango at the Laboratory of Optics and Neural Analysis, or LONA, as they analyze the brains of the deceased to solve the mystery. The setting is modeled after the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility at RIKEN in Hyogo Prefecture. The main cast includes Minako Kotobuki as Ao, Anna Nagase as Sango, and Fuka Izumi as Mugen, the facility's mascot. Music is composed by Yuko Sebu. The project began development in 2020, according to animation producer Kazuki Yamanaka. Alongside the announcement, WIT Studio released three teaser visuals and two trailer videos.
Jun 27
Netflix unveiled the first episode art for "The One Piece," WIT Studio's remake of the original One Piece anime, during its Annecy International Animation Film Festival showcase on Tuesday. The image, titled "Romance Dawn -Dawn of the Adventure-", matches the title of Eiichiro Oda's manga's first volume and chapter. The streamer also confirmed that Mayumi Tanaka will reprise her role as Monkey D. Luffy, a role she has held since 1999. The seven-episode first season, covering the East Blue saga through the first 50 manga chapters, will run approximately 300 minutes and stream worldwide on Netflix in February 2027. Masashi Koizuka directs, with Hideaki Abe as assistant director. Character designers and chief animation directors are Kyoji Asano and Takatoshi Honda. Taku Kishimoto handles series scripts. The teaser trailer debuted at a separate "Next on Netflix Animation" panel on June 24. The remake was first announced at Jump Festa '24 in December 2023.
May 30
Netflix announced a slate of new One Piece projects on April 7, headlined by The One Piece, a new anime series from Wit Studio that will re-adapt the East Blue saga from Eiichiro Oda's manga. The series is produced in collaboration with Toei Animation and Fuji Television. Unlike the original 1999 anime, this version is described as a reimagining using contemporary production techniques and updated visuals, suggesting a more compact, seasonal approach. Netflix also previewed LEGO One Piece, a two-part animated special premiering September 29. Produced with The LEGO Group, Shueisha, and Atomic Cartoons, it retells the story of the live-action series' first two seasons in LEGO form. The company confirmed that live-action Season 3, titled One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta, is in production for a 2027 release. Additional franchise expansions include a podcast, and merchandise lines from Moose Toys, NERF, Quiksilver, Funko, Netflix Shop, Penguin Random House, Hot Topic, and Primark.
May 29
The anime adaptation of Kana Akatsuki's light novel series Agents of the Four Seasons has released a climax visual and a three-minute trailer as it approaches its final episodes. The series, which premiered on March 28, 2026, is currently nine episodes into its run and is streaming on Crunchyroll. Wit Studio is handling the animation production. Ken Yamamoto directs the series, with Ayumu Hisao writing the script, Namiko Torii designing the characters, and Kensuke Ushio composing the music. The cast includes Yuka Nukui as Hinagiku, Yoshino Aoyama as Sakura Himedaka, Sumire Uesaka as Ruri Hazakura, Ranko Baba as Ayame Hazakura, Hime Sawada as Nadeshiko Iwaizuki, Taku Yashiro as Rindo Azami, Shogo Sakata as Rosei Kantsubaki, and Satoshi Hino as Itecho Kangetsu. Additional cast members include Kana Hanazawa as Kobai Yukiyanagi and Nao Toyama as Nazuna. The light novel series began publication under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko imprint in April 2021 and has four volumes released so far. Yen Press licenses the light novel in English, and a manga adaptation by Nappa Komatsuda is also ongoing.
May 25
Netflix has confirmed that "The One Piece," a brand-new anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's manga, will premiere in February 2027. Produced by Wit Studio, the series will adapt the story from the beginning of the East Blue saga. Season 1 will cover approximately the first 50 chapters of the manga across seven episodes, with a total runtime of around 300 minutes. All seven episodes will be released simultaneously on Netflix as a global exclusive. The announcement includes a concept art image showing Luffy at Windmill Village's PARTY'S BAR alongside Shanks, Benn Beckman, and Makino. The series is directed by Masashi Koizuka, with series composition by Taku Kishimoto. Character design and chief animation direction are handled by Kyoji Asano and Takatoshi Honda. The adaptation will run through Luffy's encounter with Sanji at the floating restaurant Baratie. The original manga, which began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997, had surpassed 600 million copies in circulation worldwide as of March 2026.
May 16
Wit Studio released preview images for the eighth episode of Agents of the Four Seasons on Wednesday, two days before the episode airs on Saturday, May 16. The spring 2026 series adapts Kana Akatsuki and Suoh's light novel, which began publication under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko imprint in April 2021. Ken Yamamoto directs the adaptation, with Ayumu Hisao writing the scripts and Namiko Torii designing the characters. Kensuke Ushio composes the music. The story follows Hinagiku, the Agent of Spring, who disappeared ten years ago and took the season with her. She returns to restore the cycle and, as the myth demands, sends her love to Winter. The light novel has four volumes released so far and is ongoing. A manga adaptation by Nappa Komatsuda also runs alongside it. Yen Press licenses both the light novel and the manga in English. The anime premiered on March 28, 2026, and the new preview gives the first look at the episode before its weekend broadcast.
May 16
WIT Studio's The One Piece will stream on Netflix starting February 2027, the production committee announced on the series' official X account. The first season consists of seven episodes that run roughly 300 minutes in total, and all seven will be released at once. The season adapts about the first 50 chapters of Eiichiro Oda's manga, covering Luffy's early journey through the East Blue saga and ending at the Baratie arc where he meets Sanji. Ahead of the premiere, the team released concept art from episode 1 that shows Luffy as a child in Windmill Village at Partys Bar with Shanks, Benn Beckman, and Makino. The remake was first announced at Jump Festa '24 in December 2023. Director Masashi Koizuka leads the production, with assistant director Hideaki Abe, series composition by Taku Kishimoto, and character design shared by Kyoji Asano and Takatoshi Honda. Animation producer Ryoma Kawamura oversees the project. In a recent interview with the YouTube channel Ai Show, producer Shinji Wada said Oda supported revisiting the anime to connect with newer audiences.