Renowned One Piece Director Breaks Silence on Criticism From International Fans

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The animation quality of One Piece has gotten much better recently, and that’s thanks to the incredibly skilled animators and directors who genuinely love both their jobs and the show itself. Megumi Ishitani is one of these talented directors. She first contributed as a storyboard artist on Episode 971 in April 2021, and has since directed several episodes and opening sequences. Even though she isn’t a full-time employee at Toei Animation, fans consistently praise her work. In 2024, Ishitani amazed viewers with One Piece Fan Letter, an episode that told the story from the perspective of the background characters.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the anime, the special episode ‘Fan Letter’ quickly gained a reputation as the best one ever created. Animator Ishitani is highly respected within the industry and has a large international fanbase. However, despite her consistently excellent work on One Piece, some fans often commented online that she doesn’t animate action sequences. Rumors even spread that she wasn’t capable of drawing them, and these comments eventually reached her. She recently addressed the issue and explained her reasons on her official X account.

Megumi Ishitani Confirms She Doesn’t Want to Draw Action Scenes At All

Ishitani recently responded to a strange rumor circulating among some overseas One Piece fans. She explained that she’s noticed a recurring theory online claiming she’s unable to draw good action scenes when she searches for mentions of her work.

She explained that she prefers stories that aren’t purely action-focused, and actively avoids them because they’re difficult to execute well. She feels that action sequences put too much emphasis on the animation process itself, rather than strong storytelling, and it’s challenging to build and maintain suspense effectively.

She explained she really doesn’t want to draw action scenes, even if she was guaranteed payment. She feels the amount of work would be overwhelming, and while she enjoys action in general, she prefers to use it sparingly – just as a small detail – rather than direct full-blown action sequences herself.

Ishitani is celebrated for her beautiful animation style, characterized by gentle colors and unique camera work. Fans, particularly those outside of Japan, are keen to see her direct a particularly exciting battle sequence in the series, as her episodes, like 1115 from the Wano Country arc (often considered a highlight of the entire show), are visually stunning. While the debate around her involvement hasn’t been massive, it’s been ongoing for several years, prompting her to speak out. Since completing the ‘Fan Letter’ episode, she hasn’t worked on One Piece again, and fans are hoping she’ll return to the series soon.

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2025-11-12 00:10