One Piece Has Already Lost Netflix's Top Spot - Could Season 2 Be At Risk?

Netflix has taken some pretty big IP swings over the years, but "One Piece" has to be among the biggest. Based on an anime series with over 1,000 episodes, which is itself based on the ongoing manga, the streamer's live-action adaptation has a lot hinging on its success, but it looks like someone may have already thrown a spanner into the gears.

As noted by Forbes, the new series has been kicked from its lofty top position on the U.S. viewing rankings in favor of Shane Gills' new comedy special, "Beautiful Dogs." The 52-minute special is also a Netflix exclusive, which might help to take the sting out for the streamer, as it's still a win-win. On the other hand, for such a major series to get knocked down to second place so soon after its initial rollout is definitely concerning.

All the same, it may not mean certain death for "One Piece," even if some of its characters weren't lucky enough to survive the Netflix adaptation. So far, it seems like a lot of the franchise's extensive fanbase has shown up for the Netflix adaptation, and if they can help to entice new fans or anime and manga viewers who have remained on the fence about the franchise due to its intimidating length, the series may be saved from walking the plank yet.

Though new series can live and die on the numbers from their first few weeks and months, considering that "One Piece" has been out for just over a week, it's probably a bit early to start singing the death knell for the new series. There are also extenuating circumstances to consider for this development.

While it could be argued that the majority of the "One Piece" fanbase has already watched through and moved on, with a much shorter runtime, it seems likely that Shane Gills' special won't stay at the top for long either. After all, Netflix's metrics are for hours watched of each of its offerings, and coming in closer to eight hours, "One Piece" should be able to retake the top spot if folks keep tuning in.

Still, the show's estimated budget of $17 million per episode (via Independent), which adds up to $136 million for Season 1 alone, means that it's going to have to do very well in order to make up for its enormous cost. For the sake of the show's legions of fans, let's hope that the Straw Hat Grand Fleet keeps views up until there's word on Season 2 of "One Piece," as there's definitely tons of story left to tell in the franchise.