One Piece Animator Megumi Ishitani Wrongfully Criticized For Disrespecting Oda And Not Following The Manga 100%; Vents Her Frustration On Twitter Over Japanese Fans

The One Piece anime has received its fair share of criticism and controversies over the years, but this recent claim isn’t really justifiable.

On Feb 4, 2024, fan-favorite One Piece director and animator Megumi Ishitani was the target for fans to vent out their frustration over scriptwriters not following the original manga work 100% in the anime.

They claim that changing the script in the slightest is “evil” and such scriptwriters shouldn’t be allowed to work on the series anymore.

This upset Ishitani a lot, making her go to Twitter and say, “My heart is torn to pieces. I feel empty.”

私はズタズタになった
虚しい

— 石谷牛乳 (@ishigyunyu) February 1, 2024

Basically, she was trying to defend these scriptwriters, by explaining to these fans that the anime is not a carbon copy of the manga and that the writers have some leverage to change certain dialogues or connotations to suit the format better without changing the overall intent.

This debate was in relation to the tragic suicide of Sexy Tanaka-san, Sand Chronicles mangaka Ashihara Hinako. According to her and Ishitani, the TV station and the scriptwriter had changed the original story of the manga in the live adaptation, and the author couldn’t take the criticisms held against her for the scriptwriters’ fault.

While Ishitani was bringing up this story, fans misunderstood her and believed the animator did not have any respect for One Piece author Eiichiro Oda or the manga itself. Their anger came after watching a video from the Japan Script Writers Association, hearing them say that they needed the original story but had no use for the manga author.

Japanese fans on Twitter flocked to Ishitani’s Twitter handle, saying that such scriptwriters and anime makers, including her, should be removed from the industry.

While replying to a fan comment, Ishitani remarks that the One Piece anime staff members have utmost respect for Oda and his manga and further notes that the people at Shueisha, who are involved with One Piece, also pay respect to them. She later apologized for creating a misunderstanding amongst the Japanese One Piece fandom with her posts and kindly requested that they not take her words in the wrong way.

(Source: Twitter)

She insists that she only means well for the series and that she aims to capture the true essence of Oda’s work in the animated format.

Later on, she thanked the English fandom for their kind wishes and regards while she was undergoing these tribulations.

Now that I have realized my immaturity, I will make an effort to deal with the situation more calmly in the future!
I don't want to get in trouble for the work I'm involved in!
Let me say thank you one last time!
Thank you very much!!!!

— 石谷牛乳 (@ishigyunyu) February 4, 2024

About One Piece

One Piece manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda.

It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since July 1997. And has compiled a total of 107 tankobon volumes as of November 2023.

The manga spawned a media franchise, having been adapted into a festival film by Production I.G. and an anime series by Toei Animation, which began broadcasting in 1999.

Additionally, Toei has developed fourteen animated feature films, one original video animation, and thirteen television specials.

The latest entry in the franchise, One Piece Film Red, premiered in Japan in August 2022.

It is the 8th highest-earning film of all time in Japan and also topped Japan’s box office for the year 2022 in terms of both yen earned and tickets sold.

One Piece Anime Synopsis:

The tale of One Piece takes place on a parallel Earth when the ‘Golden Age of Pirates’ is in full swing.

The seas are ruled by ruthless pirates, and only the strongest can claim the legendary ‘One Piece’ fortune left behind by the greatest pirate of them, Gol D. Roger. Years after Gol D. Roger’s death, Monkey D. Luffy dreams of establishing his own crew, locating One Piece, and becoming the Pirate King. Luffy has incredible strength and agility after eating a devil’s fruit that turns his body into rubber. He leaves Foosha Village in East Blue on his epic expedition to become the next Pirate King.

Source: Twitter