One Piece Director Speaks Out After Being Blamed for Changes in Anime; Says, 'Please Don’t Say This to Me'

One Piece director Megumi Ishitani just asked fans to stop blaming individual staff for anime changes she wasn’t involved in. READ

By Anushka Solanki

Published on Apr 08, 2025 | 02:02 PM IST | 228K

One Piece [Image Credit- Crunchyroll, Toei Animation]

One Piece fans certainly rejoice with the return of the anime after six months. However, the episode was met with a lot of backlash. The reason behind the negative feedback is happens to be the way in which the episodes were adapted.

Episodes 1123 and 1124 aired on back-to-back days before the anime resumed its weekly schedule. However, changes involving Sanji’s portrayal in these episodes drew criticism from fans online.

In Episode 1123, a scene showed Sanji with heart-eyes for Bonney, a moment that differed from the manga, where he only reacts this way to Stussy. Fans were especially uncomfortable because Bonney’s true age will be revealed later in the story. In Episode 1124, a non-canon moment featured Nami saving Sanji from S-Shark. Additionally, Sanji was noticeably absent from a group scene that originally featured him in the manga. Toei Animation has not provided official explanations for these adjustments.

Some fans, unhappy with the studio’s direction, began targeting individual staff members, including Megumi Ishitani, a well-known director in the One Piece anime team. Ishitani, who was not involved in the making of these two episodes, responded after fans criticized her on social media.

“Please don’t say this to me, who is not involved, and of course to other staff members too,” Ishitani wrote on X. “Please refrain from taking out your dissatisfaction with the whole project on individuals in the future.”

Ishitani is known for directing some of the anime’s most highly praised episodes, including Episode 1015 and the 25th Anniversary special, One Piece Fan Letter. Some fans also questioned why Sanji didn’t receive more focus in that episode. Addressing the concern, Ishitani explained that Sanji was laughed at because of how his wanted posters looked at the time, saying the scene reflected how outsiders misunderstood his strength.

Despite the backlash, many fans continue to defend Ishitani and her contributions to the anime. The debate has divided the fandom, but support for the director remains strong across social platforms.

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