Netflix’s One Piece season 2 has landed with a perfect 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes — but its viewing numbers in the US tell a very different story.
Despite the rave reviews, the show failed to debut at number one on Netflix’s US top 10 list on release day. It was beaten by The Dinosaurs, a Spielberg-produced CGI documentary, and then fell behind a Love is Blind reunion episode.
Three days in, it had already dropped to number four — sitting behind Love is Blind, the returning drama Virgin River, and a new reality show called Age of Attraction.
That is a problem given how much the show costs. Season one reportedly ran to around $18 million per episode, putting it among the most expensive Netflix shows ever made alongside Stranger Things.
The long wait between seasons is likely a big factor. Two and a half years passed between season one and season two — and Netflix has seen this hurt big shows before. Wednesday dropped significantly after a three-year gap, and Stranger Things season 5 is not expected to match season 4’s numbers either.
The show’s niche appeal may also be working against it. One Piece has a massive and devoted fanbase, but the premise can look like a children’s show to anyone unfamiliar with the manga. General audiences scrolling past the trailer might simply skip it.
Season 3 is already in production in Cape Town, so cancellation is not on the cards yet. But if viewership stays this low, Netflix may have to seriously reconsider how far it takes the adaptation.
