The anime hype isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and Netflix has reaffirmed its commitment to expand its genre offerings during this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Taking to the stage, the streamer unveiled new footage, artwork, and project announcements, including a sneak peek at Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 and the key visual for the first episode of The One Piece remake.
The first-look image, which shows Blue Eye Samurai protagonist Mizu (Maya Erskine) navigating a ship through a violent storm, was followed by approximately 60 seconds of fresh footage. As detailed by Polygon, she’s put into an underground fighting match after arriving in London – revealed to be a scheme of Fowler’s (Kenneth Branagh), who Mizu imprisoned in the cargo hold at the end of the first season – and getting pummelled by two much bigger men, before breaking some bones herself.
No additional information was shared, including a release date, episode count, and new cast additions, but a previously revealed synopsis offers an idea of what’s to come: “In Season 2, Mizu’s bloody quest continues in London, where she faces new friends, old foes, and her own demon. In Japan, Akemi and Taigen navigate Edo Castle under a dangerous new Shogun, while Ringo searches for a new purpose.”
Joining the, well, blue-eyed samurai on the seas is Wit Studio’s remake of Eiichiro Oda’s long-running swashbuckling manga, now with a new illustration for its pilot episode. The remaining six will also get their own artwork throughout” the season when it sails to Netflix in February 2027. Billed as a “fresh take” on the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hats, and separate from Toei Animation’s original anime, The One Piece is set to adapt the first 50 manga chapters across roughly 300 minutes.
Other highlights of Netflix’s upcoming anime slate include a new trailer for The Ribbon Hero, Yuki Igarashi’s feature debut inspired by Osamu Tezuka’s classic manga Princess Knight and releasing on 8 August, and Kyoto Animation’s Sparks of Tomorrow. Based on the novel by Hiroshi Yuki, the story follows two young people pursuing a vision of an electrified future in an alternate early-20th-century Kyoto powered by steam technology.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
